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Discussion

some Q's about nursing

im a 24 year old male and im finishing up my prereqs for the nursing program here at my community college (they have an AAS program).

i work full time and i own my own business as well as attend classes full time. this next semester im going in anatomy/physiology. i aced all bio and chem classes easily.

okay, for the Q's.

what will i start out with as a nurse with an associates degree? ive been told i could make as much as a nurse with a bachelors. also, will i be the lowest on the totem pole when i begin workin in a hospital if i only have an associates (becuase you can become an RN with an associates here in arizona).

also, im hearing alot about nursing programs everywhere being unfair to the students. i have been told that once im accepted into the program, my financial aid would stop until i took my first exam. if i fail the exam, i lose my financial aid and im out of the program (or is this just a "weeding" process?).

and...are there going to be ANY nursing jobs in the coming years? i keep hearing no, but i see so many people getting into it it makes me wonder.

:)

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All depends where you live. Where I live, MN, the wages are about $23-25/hr I believe starting out. And there are jobs here. Always a lot of options in the paper for the major hospitals. Not sure about other areas. I know even as close as IA there is a much lower pay, according to my sister in law.

  • Author
All depends where you live. Where I live, MN, the wages are about $23-25/hr I believe starting out. And there are jobs here. Always a lot of options in the paper for the major hospitals. Not sure about other areas. I know even as close as IA there is a much lower pay, according to my sister in law.

with an associates and registry?

or LPN with certification?

Not sure how things work in Arizona but I went to school in Ohio and financial aid does not stop if you fail a test. Fail a semester of classes and then you will have a problem. I have worked in Michigan and Ohio, rate of pay is the same for associate degree nurses and bachelor degree nurses. Currently 35% of working nurses are in the baby boomer generation. This generation is expected to retire within the next 10 years. Hope this helps.

  • Author
Not sure how things work in Arizona but I went to school in Ohio and financial aid does not stop if you fail a test. Fail a semester of classes and then you will have a problem. I have worked in Michigan and Ohio, rate of pay is the same for associate degree nurses and bachelor degree nurses. Currently 35% of working nurses are in the baby boomer generation. This generation is expected to retire within the next 10 years. Hope this helps.

theres another thread about the nursing shortage and they were saying how there practically is no shortage.

but i remember about 6 years ago my mother became a nurse and it was like her life started over completely, she had so many opportunities. every nurse i talk to recommends nursing, i have to cousins that are MD's and they said if they could do it again, they would have become nurses.

Some hospitals prefer RNs with a bachelors (Magnet for example) and some may pay a bit more for the bachelors nurses (which I will be) but no, overall it doesn't matter, most get paid the same. With a bachelors degree in nursing you can go on to get your masters (NP, CNS, etc) which is the main advantage...but some are happy and want to stay at the bedside, that is up to you and what your goals are--and heck what program you can even get into (nursing school is VERY competitive!).

Will there be jobs? There is a huge nursing shortage, most places have a gazillion job openings for nurses, that shouldn't be a problem! Most will hire both ADN (associate) and BSN (bachelor) degreed nurses the same. Of course every place is different.

I get financial aid and am in nursing school (a bachelors program). I think someone is feeding you a load of crap about them shutting off your financial aid until you pass the first test...I have never heard of anything like that in my life!

I had a lot of questions when I was first starting my nursing school pre-reqs, etc. My best advice is to stick around these forums because you will learn a lot.

Since your young I would encourage you to go for your bachelors though, just get it over with. BUT you can always get your associates in nursing and then go back for your bachelors.

Welcome!

  • Author
Some hospitals prefer RNs with a bachelors (Magnet for example) and some may pay a bit more for the bachelors nurses (which I will be) but no, overall it doesn't matter, most get paid the same. With a bachelors degree in nursing you can go on to get your masters (NP, CNS, etc) which is the main advantage...but some are happy and want to stay at the bedside, that is up to you and what your goals are--and heck what program you can even get into (nursing school is VERY competitive!).

Will there be jobs? There is a huge nursing shortage, most places have a gazillion job openings for nurses, that shouldn't be a problem! Most will hire both ADN (associate) and BSN (bachelor) degreed nurses the same. Of course every place is different.

I get financial aid and am in nursing school (a bachelors program). I think someone is feeding you a load of crap about them shutting off your financial aid until you pass the first test...I have never heard of anything like that in my life!

I had a lot of questions when I was first starting my nursing school pre-reqs, etc. My best advice is to stick around these forums because you will learn a lot.

Since your young I would encourage you to go for your bachelors though, just get it over with. BUT you can always get your associates in nursing and then go back for your bachelors.

Welcome!

awe damn, thank god for this response :lol thank you!

i dont feel young, i feel like time is running out for me. and yes i am aware that nursing school is very competetive. im only gettin done with my prereqs and im starting to see that already, people start treating you differently once you ace an exam.

and yeah im gonna go for the masters. i want to be a midlevel physician one day as a nurse practicioner. kids though :) perdiatrics.

You are very young compared to my nursing class. I think average age is somewhere in the 30's so don't worry you have plenty of time. We have people in the 50's in my class. I'd also do the bachelors if I were you, since you are young. And when you say you want to be a physician, maybe you want to go to medical school rather than nursing??? Did you not mean physician???

  • Author
You are very young compared to my nursing class. I think average age is somewhere in the 30's so don't worry you have plenty of time. We have people in the 50's in my class. I'd also do the bachelors if I were you, since you are young. And when you say you want to be a physician, maybe you want to go to medical school rather than nursing??? Did you not mean physician???

well, a nurse practitioner is a mid level physician since one can prescribe and diagnose and refer patients to a specialist (i think you can also sew lacerations).

i heard that the nurse practitioner position is good becuase it allows you to move around.

also, once im done with my prereqs, is it true that i can contact local hospitals, and they would hire me as a low level technitian and put me in one of thier alotted seats in the nursing program (assuming i sign a contract to work with them after i graduate?)?

  • Experts
well, a nurse practitioner is a mid level physician since one can prescribe and diagnose and refer patients to a specialist (i think you can also sew lacerations).

i heard that the nurse practitioner position is good becuase it allows you to move around.

also, once im done with my prereqs, is it true that i can contact local hospitals, and they would hire me as a low level technitian and put me in one of thier alotted seats in the nursing program (assuming i sign a contract to work with them after i graduate?)?

Ed I don't know where to begin. A Nurse Practitioner is NOT a physician. They are Master's degree prepared Nurses who have taken the NP track. Yes they can independently practice and do a LOT more than just write prescriptions and sew up people.

In every state an Associate degree and a Bachelor's degree in Nursing will qualify you to take the NCLEX examination. Should you pass it you will be titled an RN.

There are very few Hospital nursing programs where I am, but up north in Pa for example there are quite a few. You apply for school with the diploma hospital program just as you apply for University/College Nursing programs. You don't get hired for a low level job so they will put you through school. That day has long passed.

What you can do is take a course for Certified Nursing Assistant and then apply for a job as a CNA. That is an unlicensed care provider. Some states do have a certification-not a license (different things entirely).

I think you need to get in touch with some Nursing programs and talk to the people there to get an idea of what you really want to do.

"also, once im done with my prereqs, is it true that i can contact local hospitals, and they would hire me as a low level technitian and put me in one of thier alotted seats in the nursing program (assuming i sign a contract to work with them after i graduate?)?

This is done at some hospitals here in Oklahoma. They do a preceptorship

during summer off time and pay to help with college.

Look at Salary.com™ Job Salaries & Compensation Survey Software for idea of pay rates.

  • Experts

I believe he is talking about a hospital hiring him and putting him through school totally. But I haven't heard back so we may both be wrong.

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