Roll call for new AZ CAN/LPN/RN students

PhoenixGirl · Sep 30, 2004

Hey David! Looks like we are near eachother. I drive by the Banner Estrella sight on my way to school twice a week. :) Congrats on finishing up your prereqs.

I am Rebecca, 23 years old, sahm to two boys: Nathan and Aaron. I was studying business at GCC (and before that at a different CC out of state) but my heart wasn't in it. I've always been wildly interested in healthcare stuff, diseases, reproduction, how the body works, everything! So my hubby and I talked about this awhile and we both thought nursing was something I'd like and be good at. If how much I'm enjoying school is any indication, I think I'm really going to enjoy nursing. Not sure what field I will get in though. David, are you interested in anything in particular?

I used to think L&D would be my passion but now I'm not so sure. I think that they do a lot of things in a hospital setting that would go against the way I think things should be done. (Routine circ, formula advertising, inductions for convenience, etc) It would probably really bother me. So I think I'm going to get into a totally different field altogether. Who knows! Lately I've been reading the ICU and oncology boards a lot.

I'm not sure where I'd like to work after I'm done with school. A friend of mine works per-diem in a hospital and makes good money. I hear travel nursing is also popular. I can only imagine what I may fall into. That is why I'm excited about this field, all the wonderful opportunities. After I get my ADN I'm hoping to go right into an ADN to BSN program.

klone, MSN, RN · Sep 30, 2004

Hi, I'm Kerry. I'm 31 and the mother of two children (6 and 4). I've worked at home since my oldest was born (I'm an herbalist and have a retail herbal business, and I also work part-time at home as an editor for a market research company). We moved to AZ 1 1/2 years ago from Minneapolis, and we live in the Prescott area.

I enrolled at Yavapai College a year ago to work on my prereqs, and I'm now in my first semester in the nursing program. I have been and currently am working on my science pre/corequisites through Rio Salado.

I'll be graduating in May of '06 and plan to jump right back into school in an RN-BSN program (probably NAU), as well as working on my certification to become a board-certified lactation consultant (which will hopefully happen in '07).

Anyway, that's me.

Anyone planning on attending the SNA-AZ convention on October 9th?

mendocino · Oct 1, 2004

Hello, Rebecca and Kerry ...

Rebecca, if you're in the SW valley, you can see all the medical facilities going up around us, boding well for people like you and me as nursing students! I'm assuming nursing is similar to other educational pursuits, in that while one subject area may be wildly interesting in the beginning, only after you're in the program for awhile will you discover your true interests (frequently, things you never knew existed); in that vein, I'm approaching nursing with eyes wide open, not focused on anything in particular. I'm sports-minded, so orthopedics is interesting, but my heart is probably more into palliative care, such as hospice, or oncology -- the tough ones in which patients and loved ones need support in addition to quality care. I've always been good with the elderly and those less fortunate, so those are areas I'll watch out for.

Having 3 kids (and loving MOST moments of having kids!), and still in total awe over the whole process of conception/gestation/birth, I'd like to go into L&D, but I don't know how far I'd be able to go as a male nurse in obstetrics!

I agree with the BSN right after ADN, that's my course as well. There are online options for this, one in particular in Jacksonville (I think) that completes it in about 2 months (I'd assume curriculum in that would be heavy and fast). I don't know how feasible it would be to work FT and have a facility fund the BSN - particularly for parents like us, probably better to just keep going and finish it off. More education always helps - I saw somewhere the vast gulf between numbers of ADN's and BSN's - huge disparity. Something like 50,000 ADN's graduating each year, vs. 3,000 BSN's ... the numbers may be off, but the proportion isn't far off.

Personally, I'm just happy to get away from my 20-year office cubicle dwelling ... on to something more meaningful (and probably more stressful)!

Kerry - I checked out your website and will forward to my wife, who's quite the consumer of herbal products. Welcome to AZ, by the way ... my wife and kids and I came here about 6 years ago, after 8 years in Oregon and I think we're finally drying out! I've lived in the 50 below winters of Montana, the horizontal downpours in Oregon, the foggy summers of the California Peninsula, and the muggy summers of Boston; all in all, the non-hot months of AZ (for me, November through March) make up for the hellishly summers here ... now if they could just get an ocean (and the breeze) a few miles away, I'd be happy!

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2004

Hi everyone!

My name is Janice and I am a student in Phoenix as well. I am currently enrolled in CNA classes and will be starting BIO 202 in a few days at RIO. I was looking to apply to the RN program at a local CC in October, but am now torn as to whether I should just go ahead now and get my bachelors. I am married, three years, and have no children yet. I looked into the BSN at ASU and it looks like you only need a few more classes outside of the nursing classes. I am 28 years old and would like to finish before I try and start a family. I don't know what area I want to go into, but I am very investigative and wonder if Nurse Researcher or Educator wouldn't be something I would want to do someday. It is for this reason I question getting the BSN instead of my original plan of the ADN. What do you all think?

Currently, I work "behind the scenes" healthcare. I know I am MEANT to do something healthcare, but to tell you the truth I am really not sure it is nursing. Doctor is probably more me, but I don't know if I have the discipline or the time. I think I like the authority. I can have that in nursing too can't I?

I am staying at my current job mostly for the $$ right now since we all know CNA jobs don't pay much. But eventually, if this is the path I choose, I will plan on biting the bullet and taking a pay cut for the experience. I can also work closer to home as a CNA. I also want to look into work-study programs thru the local hospitals.

Kerry.. Disregard my other post in another thread. Prescott...I am in PHX. Oh well. Your school sounded great though. I know a girl that graduated from there. Good Luck to you.

Yeah, Banner is hiring a TON of CNA's. Estrella is far away from me though. I live more north. I am actually looking to volunteer in my hospital of interest to sort of scope it out before I try to get a job there. For ten bucks an hour, it has GOT to be close.:)

Well, that's it for now. Talk to you all later!

Janice

PhoenixGirl · Oct 4, 2004

I enrolled at Yavapai College a year ago to work on my prereqs, and I'm now in my first semester in the nursing program. I have been and currently am working on my science pre/corequisites through Rio Salado.

Have a question. You say your doing the nursing program and some coreqs at the same time? How is that? I start the LPN program at the CC here in Phoenix and was thinking about taking one class each semester online at Rio but didn't know if that would be too hard. I don't work but I do have two kids (although lots of study time because my husband stays with the kids downstairs while I study upstairs...) So for someone like me who would be in school 4 hrs a day 6 days a week after the program starts, I wonder if taking an online Rio class would just put me over the edge or what.

How do you balance your time between all that and your business?

Thanks!

Rebecca

PhoenixGirl · Oct 4, 2004

I agree with the BSN right after ADN, that's my course as well. There are online options for this, one in particular in Jacksonville (I think) that completes it in about 2 months (I'd assume curriculum in that would be heavy and fast). I don't know how feasible it would be to work FT and have a facility fund the BSN - particularly for parents like us, probably better to just keep going and finish it off. More education always helps - I saw somewhere the vast gulf between numbers of ADN's and BSN's - huge disparity. Something like 50,000 ADN's graduating each year, vs. 3,000 BSN's ... the numbers may be off, but the proportion isn't far off.

Wow, I did not know that about the gap between ADNs and BSNs. I would love to just get the BSN right away, but for someone like me with two kids it just seemed easier to go the CC route first.

I think an online program would seem great. Wow, 2 months?! That would be hard. HOw long is an ADN to BSN generally for anyway? I thought probably about 2 years or am I off base? I think U of P sounds like a good option for someone like me.

Rebecca

PhoenixGirl · Oct 4, 2004

I am 28 years old and would like to finish before I try and start a family. I don't know what area I want to go into, but I am very investigative and wonder if Nurse Researcher or Educator wouldn't be something I would want to do someday. It is for this reason I question getting the BSN instead of my original plan of the ADN. What do you all think?

Hmmm...if it was me and I had no kids and all that time to dedicate to school during the day, I'd probably go the ASU route first. Although you could apply both (MCC and ASU) and see which one has a spot for you first? I am going the MCC route just because I want to get my RN as quickly as possible, and start working. I haven't worked in 4 years (I'm a sahm) and I'm ready to get back out there!

Rebecca

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 4, 2004

You say your doing the nursing program and some coreqs at the same time? How is that? I start the LPN program at the CC here in Phoenix and was thinking about taking one class each semester online at Rio but didn't know if that would be too hard. I don't work but I do have two kids (although lots of study time because my husband stays with the kids downstairs while I study upstairs...) So for someone like me who would be in school 4 hrs a day 6 days a week after the program starts, I wonder if taking an online Rio class would just put me over the edge or what.
How do you balance your time between all that and your business?
Thanks!
Rebecca

I don't sleep much. :chuckle

No, it's not too bad, you just have to budget your time REALLY well. Right now I'm taking Fundamentals of Nursing and A&PI (which, thankfully ends in three weeks, but then I'm jumping right into A&P II the following week). For the first three weeks of school, I was also finishing up Micro, and that was HELLISH. I got REALLY sick due to stress and sleep deprivation. Compared to that, simply taking Fundamentals and A&P seems positively EASY! :chuckle

I've learned to reprioritize and settle for lower grades. At this point, I just want to PASS, I don't care anymore about maintaining my 4.0 (but thankfully, my GPA at Rio doesn't transfer over or affect my GPA at Yavapai).

mendocino · Oct 4, 2004

I don't sleep much. :chuckle
No, it's not too bad, you just have to budget your time REALLY well. Right now I'm taking Fundamentals of Nursing and A&PI (which, thankfully ends in three weeks, but then I'm jumping right into A&P II the following week). For the first three weeks of school, I was also finishing up Micro, and that was HELLISH. I got REALLY sick due to stress and sleep deprivation. Compared to that, simply taking Fundamentals and A&P seems positively EASY! :chuckle
I've learned to reprioritize and settle for lower grades. At this point, I just want to PASS, I don't care anymore about maintaining my 4.0 (but thankfully, my GPA at Rio doesn't transfer over or affect my GPA at Yavapai).

I believe if you take the coreqs prior to starting the nursing program, your load is about 2/3 compared with taking the coreqs WITH the program, right? I'm completing all prereqs in addition to coreqs before starting the program to allow as much time as possible to focus on the fundamentals. Any time left over (if I'm short the FT load) I fill the semester with other classes to help fulfill the BSN. Make sense?

It sounds like having a partner / spouse really helps here. Like Kerry, I'm married (w/ children) and have a lot of support, so maybe ensuring good partner support is a prerequisite. Kerry - I'm curious, you're not stressing about a GPA, yet other posts indicate higher GPAs are necessary ... do you mean that since you're already in the program (rather than trying to qualify to get in), your pressure to get A's lessens slightly?

mendocino · Oct 4, 2004

Hi everyone!
My name is Janice and I am a student in Phoenix as well. I am currently enrolled in CNA classes and will be starting BIO 202 in a few days at RIO. I was looking to apply to the RN program at a local CC in October, but am now torn as to whether I should just go ahead now and get my bachelors. I am married, three years, and have no children yet. I looked into the BSN at ASU and it looks like you only need a few more classes outside of the nursing classes. I am 28 years old and would like to finish before I try and start a family. I don't know what area I want to go into, but I am very investigative and wonder if Nurse Researcher or Educator wouldn't be something I would want to do someday. It is for this reason I question getting the BSN instead of my original plan of the ADN. What do you all think?
Currently, I work "behind the scenes" healthcare. I know I am MEANT to do something healthcare, but to tell you the truth I am really not sure it is nursing. Doctor is probably more me, but I don't know if I have the discipline or the time. I think I like the authority. I can have that in nursing too can't I?
I am staying at my current job mostly for the $$ right now since we all know CNA jobs don't pay much. But eventually, if this is the path I choose, I will plan on biting the bullet and taking a pay cut for the experience. I can also work closer to home as a CNA. I also want to look into work-study programs thru the local hospitals.
Kerry.. Disregard my other post in another thread. Prescott...I am in PHX. Oh well. Your school sounded great though. I know a girl that graduated from there. Good Luck to you.
Yeah, Banner is hiring a TON of CNA's. Estrella is far away from me though. I live more north. I am actually looking to volunteer in my hospital of interest to sort of scope it out before I try to get a job there. For ten bucks an hour, it has GOT to be close.:)
Well, that's it for now. Talk to you all later!
Janice

I was in a situation similar to yours (staying at a job for the $), but I finally had to bug out and go 100% in a new direction. I've seen online courses out there that get RN's their BSN in as little as about 2 months ... so why stop that short of the BSN? If you're the academic or inquisitive type, it seems to make sense to just finish it off (while you've got the momentum), rather than trying to go for it a year or two after you've been an RN. Speaking for myself, I'm aiming to get my RN, find PT work with an employer who pays for continuing ed, and going for the BSN while working as an RN ... employer pays for it, I start my RN experience out of the gates, and a few months later I'm a BSN. Thoughts? Also ... do you have your CNA yet?

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 4, 2004

Kerry - I'm curious, you're not stressing about a GPA, yet other posts indicate higher GPAs are necessary ... do you mean that since you're already in the program (rather than trying to qualify to get in), your pressure to get A's lessens slightly?

Yavapai College doesn't go by GPA for entrance into the program. And, like you said, I'm already IN the program. I DO care about my GPA at Yavapai, from which I will be graduating. However, transfer credits don't count towards your GPA - all they look at is if you passed with the minimum C. I realize that should I want to enter a Master's program at some point, that might come back to haunt me, but I just can't stress about that.