Seeking advice from Nursing Assistants w/BA or BS degrees..

[sgrho99]

Hi everyone,

I am seeking advice about school and a cna job offer. Basically, I am interested in nursing school and took a cna class to get a feel for the environment. I did apply to LPN school in the past in 05 and was unable to attend, due to my husband being laid off from his job. Fast forward some years, I am still interested in nursing and have a few options to consider.

LPN program- requires cna employment in order to apply, however a part-time option is available.

2nd degree BSN- requires me re-taking courses due to the time limit on when the classes were taken and of course the wait period for the program. Plus, I would not be able to teach and go to class.

ADN program- point system for entry, teas test is really important, evening option only offered on odd years and one cannot apply for both the day and evening cohorts. You are required to make a choice and apply.

I have decided to apply for the LPN program, because the ADN director gave me the impression that it is a little easier to be accepted into the bridge program instead of regular entry.

The problem that I am having is that I really wanted to teach while attending school. None of those options are possible except the ADN night program offered on odd years. I must now decide on working as a cna (which I am unsure of due to horror stories) and apply to the LPN program or continue teaching, re-take my science classes and wait and see if I get accepted to the ADN or BSN programs for 2012 and go from there on employment options.

The issue though is that I was offered employment at a local nursing home and not sure that I really want to do this. I only have a few days to make a decision. I really don't want to burn bridges and the hr director really is pushing me to work full time for a month and see how I like it. Since it is summer and I am on break, it is feasible, but when I explained to him my uncertain feelings about ft he dismissed them. The director basically said I will know if nursing is for me or not by working there. I don't know if I agree... does anyone care to share their thoughts.

Thanks for reading.

[juliaann]

I have a B.A. in history. I started working as a CNA (actually just an NA, I got certified about a year later) a little over 2 years ago in a hospital. I love working in a hospital. Working as a CNA in a hospital did prove to me that nursing is right for me.

Working as a CNA in a nursing home, though, I wouldn't be so excited about. I did my CNA clinicals in a nursing home, after a year of being a NA in a hospital...and, well, they're different. It really depends on the type of person you are and what sort of field you want to practice in when you're a nurse. I like working in a hospital because I'm a code junkie, I love trauma and rapid responses and the ICU environment. Working as an aide in the hospital has been a fantastic experience for me because I want to be a nurse working in a hospital.

Since you are on summer break, what's the harm in giving the CNA job a try? There's nothing wrong with saying in August, "this isn't for me, I'm going back to teaching," just give the nursing home proper notice and be professional about it. I wouldn't worry about burning bridges.

I'm planning to quit my job and take out *lots* of loans and do an accelerated second-degree BSN next summer. I know I can't work and go to nursing school, first because of conflict of time like you're having, and second because an accelerated BSN is way too intense for me to feel like my attention and time are divided between studying and school. I figure it'll be worth it to stop working for a year and a half, take those extra loans in order to get done with nursing school quickly and effectively.

Are you sure you can't get credit for your classes from a previous degree? I thought I wouldn't either (most of my sciences are over 5 years old), but to my surprise when I started looking at programs two separate programs at two different schools in my area BOTH said they're eliminating their "must be within 5 years" rule! So I got credit for all of my coursework from my first degree. I've been taking my pre-reqs (mostly online, others as night or weekend classes) and working full-time for the past year, and it's been working out well for me.

[caliotter3]

Nursing assistants come and go. The management at the LTC facility expect this. As long as you give proper notice when the month is up, there should be no problem. If you want to stay on in a very part time status, you will have that option also. I would aim for the BSN program if I were you. Easier in the long run.

[sgrho99]

caliotter3,

I appreciate your feedback. I know that the BSN and eventually MSN are degrees that I would like to earn. I looked at the LPN cert because I knew the pay wasn't that bad in comparison to teaching and I could work while continuing my nursing education. It is a very difficult decision when choosing paths, especially when one considers a change after earning a very decent salary in a respectable position. I am going to try the cna job out for the remainder of the summer and if it doesn't work out, then I at least gave it a shot.

[sgrho99]

juliaann,

Im glad you mentioned the science requirements and I will check to see if they have changed. It's very frustrating though to go back and re-take classes and wait to see if you will be accepted. Lots of patience is needed. There isn't an accelerated BSN within a reasonable distance here. That would be ideal, because the time committment is shorter and it is easier to focus on changing the way you are living for say 12-15 months vs. 2 years or more.