Not sure about nursing. Advice please

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I've been going back (graduated highschool in 78) to school for 2 years now and have all my prereqs done (Micro, 2 psychs, A&PI &II, GEs, etc.) for a bachelors. Along the way I picked up a phlebotomy certificate and have been working as a lab assistant for a large healthcare organization for a year. I love the clinical aspect of the job and working with patients. I'm making around $17/hr in the midwest. I want to provide more security and help my girls go to college (they are 18 and 16) and have been thinking that the job security of nursing, pay of nursing, and challenge of the job (I LIVE for challenges) would be a good fit.

However, I don't suffer fools well. I'm salty (though get along very well with my coworkers regardless of what kinds of idiots they are) and at 57 I don't have time to worry about the little ****. I'm also not interested in working graveyard shift and I assume that, unless I get a job in a clinic (which I think is a high possibility considering my current job), I'm going to be working nights. I am not all that interested in a clinical job because, from what I've seen at the clinics I work at, it won't keep me challenged after a year or so.

I'm planning for a future where my husband looses his job and I have to take care of my aging parents across the country and either being a traveler or having a portable degree is important to achieve stability. All my kids will be on their own in 2 years, right when I would be getting out of nursing school (RN). One huge obstacle for nursing school is that I don't see how I can continue to work and go to school. I might be able to transfer to the hospital and 2nd shift but that is the only way I could financially make it through. So there is that. I'm thinking of maybe going for MLS but then I know I'd miss the patient care and clinical side of the job. I'm wondering if LVN might be a better idea financially as I could work through school but I think I'd be bored at that job pretty easily.

One way or another I'm going to get my bachelor's, as it has been a desire for the last 40 years? or so, but I'm not sure what to end up with (the reason, ironically, I left school back in 79). Oh, I have a 4.0 in all work and took the TEAS and got a 78.7 on my first try. I'm thinking about actually studying for it and getting a higher score because it was ENGLISH (!!) of all things that failed me. :)

Specializes in ICU.

Normally when people tell me they are considering a Nursing career, I tell then to get their CNA or volunteer, and get a taste of what they are getting into; it's not for everyone. You seem to have your mind pretty much make up, and you have some clinical experience as a lab tech, so maybe, but only you can decide that. I wonder about your comment that you "don't suffer fools well" you will meet and work with all kinds of them as a nurse, and you better be able to remain civil, or you won't have a job very long. Make no mistake, I sympathize, my background was in the building trades, and the last thing we worried about was peoples feelings, but nursing is different, and working the floors is alot more face to face interaction than a lab tech gets, so think on that. But you actually seem to have your mind made up and have a plan so go for it, the above considered.

Specializes in Mental Health.

There's a lot of people that get their nursing degree part time. At my school part time students take theory classes one semester and skills/clinicals second semester.

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