So, you want to be a nurse??

[angelalyn1975]

So, you want to become a nurse?

The first thing I suggest is to research the medical field to be sure it is something you truly are inspired to do before you take the plunge. It is unfortunate but not uncommon for individuals to spend years becoming an RN with no prior medical exposure only to find that they hate nursing and have wasted precious time and money. If you cringe at the site of blood, can't handle bodily fluids and hate paperwork this job may not be for you.

I believe that the best way to determine if the nursing field is the right fit is to work as a Certified Nursing Assistant prior to nursing school. The certification process is not difficult or time consuming. The amount of school needed is minimal (depending on you geographic location) and the benefits are well worth it. I became a CNA before going to nursing school to be sure it was a career that I could handle both emotionally and physically. This also gave me first hand insight as to how each discipline functioned both independently and as a team. Working in a nursing home was a huge eye opener to the different kinds of personalities nursing attracts and the type of nurse I wanted to be.

Okay-you did your research, worked in the trenches as a CNA and decided that it is the job for you, now what? First of all, congratulations! You have probably busted your butt (but hopefully not your back) dealt with more fecal matter than you have ever seen, and have been introduced to smells you had never imagined-and still you want to pursue a medical career?! Great! You have graduated to the next step....school and how the heck am I going to pay for it......

To Be Continued

[angelalyn1975]

Well, we have covered the need to make sure that the medical field is for you....if you decide to press on, the next step is figuring out how you are going to pay for your nursing education and where you want to go to get it.

Before I discuss financial aide and how to utilize it, I would like to stress a very important fact about nursing school.....IT IS DIFFICULT TO WORK AND ENGAGE IN A FULL TIME NURSING PROGRAM! In fact some instructors will tell you that it is a set up for failure. Don't believe me? Pick a school that has a nursing program and ask the Dean of Nursing or one of the instructors...they will back me on this! If you have children AND plan to work, I'll tell you right now...you are setting yourself up for a stressful roller-coaster! Nursing school is a full time commitment. Now, I say this not to dishearten those who have children and aren't making a ton of money ( I was a single parent throughout my nursing program). I say this because some snub their nose at the very idea of taking out student loans to a) pay for nursing school and b) handle their living expenses. No, it is not illegal, and yes anyone can do it. You have to pay it back, this is not a grant...we will get into those later. A site that will give you more information on student loans and how they work is http://www.college.gov/wps/portal. Notice that when student loans are mentioned, some are deffered without accumulating interest, others will gain interest...at a locked rate. The most important thing to note on when discussing student loans is that you have the option to start paying the loans back after you are out of school for six months or drop below six credits in school. PAY ATTENTION TO THIS! Why? Take a look at the hourly rate new grads in your area are being hired at.....hmmm, could you afford to pay $200.00 a month in student loans on that salary? More than likely! Why stretch yourself to thin by working and going through a grueling nursing program if you don't have to? I didn't!!!

To be continued!

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

I think one important fact few know about is that having a RN license and a BS or MSN does not mean you are a nurse able to get a job right away. What they don't tell you in nursing school is that without hospital training you are not a nurse, without that first year of experience, the possibility for a job is very limited (right now at least). Your rotations in nursing school are as good as a walk in the park, and only real patient care will teach you to become a nurse and be able to get a job. And the trick is that you can't get that until you get a job.