The only pre-requisites I have left to apply to nursing programs are science (I have a previous bachelors so some stuff transferred). Since I also need A's in these courses, for me this means taking them one at a time -- for reasons that are a mixture of coming from a non-science background, having small kids and also trying to dis-entangle myself from my current profession.
What's frustrating is, in the meantime, having no idea what actual hands-on patient care is like -- the overall medical world I'm working so hard to be part of. A lot of my classmates are medical assistants, LPNs, EMTs, etc. I envy their access to the "world of healthcare" and at times feel silly pursuing this RN fantasy coming from a 100% unrelated field.
While I know my focus should be on mastering these pre-requisites as much as possible, scoring well on the TEAS, etc -- I also wonder if it would make sense to volunteer in some capacity? I don't have tons of time to commit to unpaid work, but would be willing to do what I can. Or should I invest in becoming a medical assistant (no idea what costs are for that) or start at the LPN route first?
I think what interests me most is palliative care, but open to any ideas that would give me a hands-on experience (where I could also not be in the way of the "real" medical pros of course).
Thanks for any ideas :)