Ready for a career change...

Boxer Mama · Dec 5, 2012

I am not sure I would agree that schooling is minimal, especially if you can only attend school at night and work full time while doing it. I am just finishing up my second year of classes to even apply to a nursing program (one more semester left). These classes have been very intense and very time consuming. So, while working full time, it would be very hard to be a full-time student. Also, what else caught my attention was that there are other jobs and careers you would probably like better, but it seems like you are "settling" for nursing. In my area, there are no programs that you can take at night for a degree in RN - ADN or BSN. They require full-time attendance for 2-4 years. So, I would research your local schools.

Also, nursing is a hard profession. There are not a lot of jobs right now for new graduates; pay no attention to those articles talking about the nursing shortage. I would go out any try and talk to actual nurses and get their feedback about the job. Unless this is a career that you feel strongly about, you might find it very disappointing since this is a tough job, full of thankless tasks and messy jobs. But, all that said, if you really consider this career and decide that nursing is where you would like to be, then I would say go for it and look into starting to take your re-req classes and go from there. Good luck!

angiesm123 · Dec 6, 2012

Thanks for the information and insight! I do agree school while working full time is going to be a challenge. I didn't mean to downplay what is involved to get an LPN/RN - I think my thought was that if there was a LPN program that you could get a degree in 12-16 months (full time) vs. a BS in Biology (4 years full time) the amount of time in school will be less. Of course with working full time any degree program is going to take much longer for me to complete. I do need to talk to a nurse about what is involved and decide if this is something that I will enjoy. I can say I want to make a difference and with my current job I don't feel that way. Considering becoming a nurse wasn't something I really thought about before so it is kind of like settling but I have always wanted a career that would be science/biology related. I just keep running into issues with classes because labs etc. are for the most part done during the day. I have a lot to consider for sure. Thanks again!

calinursestudent818 · Dec 6, 2012

I think in your case since time and the fact that you have to keep working full-time while going to nursing school is a factor, I think doing an evening LVN program now and then doing an LVN-RN bridge program in a couple of years will be your best route. :)

Good luck to you!

dkmamato3 · Dec 6, 2012

"The pay is good and schooling is minimal. There are probably some other jobs/careers that I may like better but working full time these degrees are not attainable to someone like me who has to work during the day."

I recommend a little more research....I think that you will find that I even the LPN programs will have pre-reqs that you need to consider. Depending on what is required, these can take considerable time. Most programs will have requirement for classes with labs and they often build on one another.

I would also make sure that you want to do nursing. Maybe volunteer at a hospital or do some job shadowing especially if there are other things you may like better. I would research all your alternative before you commit to a decision.

loriangel14, RN · Dec 6, 2012

What lead you to believe that nurses have "minimal" schooling? Nursing school is very demanding and time consuming.It's not the length of the education, it's the massive amount of information you have to learn in that time frame.

angiesm123 · Dec 6, 2012

Again, by "minimal" I mean a standard amount time to complete a degree with full time schooling (for example at my age I wouldn't even consider going to school to be a veterinarian due to 8 years of schooling). I'm sure I could have phrased that better but I feel that 2-4 years of schooling is very reasonable considering what you will learn and be able to accomplish once finished. I have already done research and understand what will be required to complete the requirements for LPN/RN. The education and the amount of learning required is something I look forward to and I do well under those types of conditions. My reason for this post was to gain more information from people in the field that may some insight on starting out as a LPN vs. RN. My goal is to start over in a new career as soon as possible which is why I was thinking about the LPN career path instead of RN. I am looking for pros and cons of getting an LPN (and later completing the LPN to RN) vs. just proceeding with the RN.

Of course there are other jobs I would rather do but having responsibilities, owning a house, etc. does drive my decisions differently. It would be great to work in a vet's office as a tech but there are no advancement opportunities, benefits aren't great and the pay is really not good. I really enjoyed the work there so that is part of the reason I am considering nursing. I have a real interest in anything medical.

Thanks Calinursestudent818 for your suggestion!

MyOwnBlueSky · Dec 6, 2012

I have been considering a career in nursing on and off for several months now. I am 30 years old and work a full time job in the mortgage industry. I know I want a career change. Nursing appeals to me for several reasons - I have always been interested in medical/science. I worked at a veterinarian office and loved it (but it does not pay enough to make it into a career). I would prefer a job where I am on my feet. The pay is good and schooling is minimal. There are probably some other jobs/careers that I may like better but working full time these degrees are not attainable to someone like me who has to work during the day.
My other concern is if I go to school to be an RN and find a program that I can complete the schooling in the evening it will probably take 4-5 years. What about an LPN? It seems like these programs are easier to find for evening classes and it takes a about a year to finish. I know the pay isn't as good as an RN and responsibilities and functions are different. RN would still ultimately be my goal.
What would the negatives be to become an LPN and then completing the LPN to RN program? I'm thinking that once I have the LPN I could atleast start working and gaining experience in the medical field while working towards the RN. I cannot quit my job or work part time but I really am ready to start a new career somehow.
Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or advice.

I'm a 'retired' mortgage broker after 12 years and currently pre nursing student. 39 years old, 2 kids, and going back to school to pursue a BSN in nursing seemed crazy at first but I'm loving it. I initially was going for my ADN but have now decided on the BSN because of some new changes in my area that are now only hiring BSNs.

I recommend doing tons of research and on this site alone one can gain more insight into making a decision. The required pre reqs alone can take several semesters to complete depending on your situation and the programs available to you in your area. Start with finding your local nursing schools and visit their websites to find out the list of requirements. Some schools are super competitive so getting in may not be easy.

Good luck!

Boxer Mama · Dec 6, 2012

I was thinking more about your post and I have a few ideas to start researching the LPN vs. RN. On this site, do some research of where RNs and LPNs are being hired because this might influence what you decide to do regarding if you want to work in an acute care setting or a long-term facility. Also, as a personal note, if being an RN is your goal, I would go straight there. This is a second degree for me as well, so I understand that life does not stop because of school, but there comes a time when you just want to be done with school, the classes and be working as a nurse. As I said before, good luck and I hope everything works out just as you want it!