Starting out...can anyone help with advice?

[pmeagher]

Well here it is... I am in my mid 30's and a man so some people give me grief when i said i was going to go to nursing school. I was a firefighter/EMT for a fire dept for 8yrs and also wrked in a hospital doing pre sugical testing such as H&P's, EKG's, and blood draws (yes I have my Phlybotomy Cert.).....ANyway, I went away from the medical feild for a while when I left the fire dept and now really wanting to get back into it. I have decided to try to find a night job that will give me he time i need to go to LPN school during the day. However I am finding it hard to get things together and get started. First off I was told that I needed to be a STNA before I could start my LPN school. Checking into that I found a few and i was like a two week class for around $650.oo...Also trying to find a job at nursing home or hospital without my medical licenses is tuff. So, here it is, what I am asking...I live in Cincinnati and trying to start all this...is there anyone out there that may have some info for me or places I could start looking for in house training while I work, which leads me to where can someone like me go to try to get a job starting out while i go to school?......CAN ANYONE HELP ME?????

[bethann27]

Congrats on making the decision to become a nurse! It really does not matter what your age or gender. I highly recommend making an appointment with the advisor of the program you wish to attend. They will have the answers you seek for your specific situation.

Don't know about your area, but we have many men (young & older) in our nursing classes here in AL. Also, there is a section for male nurses somewhere on this site that might be helpful. Good Luck:loveya:

[pmeagher]

Thanks there dear... I got an appointment with one Monday morning.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Yes, your school should tell you what is required, so, don't take everyone's word as gold...each school may have their own criteria for entry. Some programs do mandate that their students become CNAs first, while others either don't or leave it optional. Good luck!