guest1216

Thanks for all of the info! I am definitely not independently wealthy so...haha, no WCU for me then :) I'll check into that list though. Thanks!

Hi all, I'm potentially moving to Texas in a few months and am looking for advice on nursing schools in the Dallas/Plano area (Fort Worth is okay too). I have a BS in biology already but do not want to Fast Track (1yr BSN) since I need to continue to work. So far I have looked into Baylor, but their pre-reqs are insane (2 religion classes, 2 government classes, 2 levels of foreign language, plus all of the other normal pre-reqs such as Psych/Soc/Nutr). I'm missing almost an entire years worth of pre-reqs (I have all of the science ones), so I likely won't be applying there, as much as I would have liked to (unless there is a cheap way to get all of those pre-reqs). I've looked into West Coast University at Dallas, and it might work, but I'm open to other suggestions. I don't have any type of CNA, or LPN degree either, and am not looking for an online-type program. Does anyone have any experience or suggestions? I'm probably still going to email Baylor and see how I stand and if any of my older classes might count, just in case. I know I need to take a few standard pre-reqs, (Psych/Nutri/Soc), unless there is a program in the area that doesn't require those if you already have a BS. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer!

Thank you everyone for your advice. I was thinking that was the case, but I appreciate the input to confirm it. There's a small chance we may actually end up moving to Texas this year, and I know there are a few CRNA schools down there too. Thank you all for your sound advice!

Hi there, I am currently working towards my BSN and am interested in the CRNA route. My nursing school has a great DNP program though, but there are sadly no CRNA schools in Colorado. I was wondering if anyone had heard of getting your CRNA certification after getting your DNP? I was considering using my school's BSN-DNP program, then going into CRNA afterwards. Is that possible? Are there CRNA programs that offer post-DNP certification? Or do you have to get a second DNP? I've found plenty of post-Master's CRNA/DNP programs, but not really much info on post-DNP CRNA certification. I'm very new to the world of human nursing, I've been a Certified Veterinary Technician for over 6 years though, so the human side of medicine is new to me. Forgive me if I sound naive. I've been trying to do as much research as possible while I'm still in my BSN, so as to be best prepared for my career track afterwards. Thanks for any advice! As a side note, I'm definitely not opposed to going out of state for a CRNA program, as that is my ultimate career goal; I am just wondering if a post-DNP certification was actually an option.

I've been a vet tech for over 6 years and I can tell you that it is extremely stressful. I've gone home in tears, I've held dying animals in my arms, I've had owners scream at me because they can't afford to care for their pet. Veterinary medicine has one of the highest suicide rates of any career because of burnout and compassion fatigue. It is definitely not any less stressful than human nursing seems to be, depending on where you work. I live in Colorado, and as a tech fresh out of school with my Associates degree, I started out at $11/hr. It's been just over 6 years now and I make just under $17/hr because I know how to negotiate and have had my employment be dependent on being paid what I am worth (I have years of emergency and critical care experience). Being a veterinary technician is HARD. It's emotionally draining because the animal can't tell you what's wrong. You do your best to treat them based on the veterinarians treatment plan, which unfortunately is sometimes based off symptoms and history alone because the owner won't let us do any diagnostics. Sometimes we just have to try our best educated guess and hope it helps. It's so vastly different from human medicine and you can be extremely restricted on what an owner will let you do with their pet. Then there is the whole angry pet side of things. You will get bitten, scratched, peed on, bled on, pooped on, have anal glands squirted out at you and many other unpleasantness. I've been doing this so long now that it doesn't phase me, but it's wearing me down. It's also a very dead-end career unless you plan on moving into a hospital manager position. Veterinary Technicians that have gone to an accredited school and are Certified/Registered/Licensed (it's different in every state as of now) can pursue a specialty in areas such as General Practice, Emergency & Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Dentistry, Anesthesia and more. Sometimes being specialized can get you a few dollars more an hour, but it's not significant in most hospitals (some rare ones WILL pay more, up to $24/hr for ECC in my area). I finally decided to go into human nurses, like so many other vet techs that I know, because of everything I mentioned. I'd say about 1/3 of my vet tech friends have or are leaving the field. It's tough, mentally, emotionally and physically. Watching an owner euthanize a 2 year old dog because they can't afford to treat it is sickening. Some refuse to surrender the pet when we offer to take over medical care and find it a new home. We can refuse to euthanize, but more often than not that would lead to the pet's suffering. If human nursing was too stressful, I can't guarantee that veterinary medicine won't be just as bad. My life is very limited on the things my husband (a chef who makes barely as much as I do) and I can do. We can't afford to travel, we can't afford to take time off. We both work more than one job (many vet techs do). We're lucky we got a house down payment as a wedding present this year or we would not be able to afford a house any time soon. I think if you're really curious that it might be a path you want to take, you should ask your local vet if you can shadow one of their technicians or do an informational interview. Shadow as many as you can in as many different settings as possible (small mom and pop clinic, big referral hospital, teaching hospital, etc) and see if there is an area you think would make you happy. Then think long and hard about it. Don't talk to vet tech school counselors, they will try to suck you in regardless. Talk to real technicians who have been doing this for a long time and ask for their honest opinion. Ask them what their worst day was like, what their best day was like, etc. If after all of that, you still want to do it, then I say go for it. Happiness is what truly matters, and you can find a way to make it work, especially if you can supplement your income with a few nursing shifts here and there. As far as being a veterinarian, it is actual medical school. Vet school is harder to get into than human medical school. It requires an undergraduate degree with pre-vet pre-requisite courses in science (bio, chem, A&P, etc) very similar to human medicine, and then 4 years of veterinary school to get your DVM. Veterinarians then typically do a 1 year internship where they make less than I do before going into private practice or a residency. Residencies are typically 3 years long and can include many of the same specialties as humans: Surgery, Internal Medicine (Derm, Onco, Cardio), Radiology, Pathology, Emergency, etc. Veterinarians typically start at around $60k, but have just as much debt as human MDs ($120k+). I'm applying to nursing school next summer to get out of veterinary medicine. It will always be a part of me though. There's nothing quite like bringing a dog back from the brink of death and seeing that tail wag at you for the first time, then seeing the owners crying tears of joy because you saved their "baby." Puppies and kittens are only about 5-10% of my job, but they help make it worth it. I tried to go into Public Health (Epidemiology) but found that I was missing medicine way too much to leave it, so nursing school it is! I love the healing process, particularly challenging trauma and critical cases, as well as being in the OR, and I plan on going on to CRNA school after I get a few years of nursing under my belt. I'm sure that this post came across as discouraging, and in a way, it's meant to be. It's not an easy job, and the hours and pay are crappy. There's no respect (except for from a few rare clients) and no awareness. Our overhead governing body doesn't really do jack to educate the public about how much veterinary technicians really do behind the scenes and I'm finally over it. I know I have so much more to give the world when it comes to medicine, but I just can't handle the veterinary industry any longer. But again, if you read all this, shadow some techs and still really want to do it, go for it! I know techs that are still happy doing this after 20 years. Find your niche and rock it :) If anyone else has any questions about being a vet tech, I'm happy to answer them as well!