Switching career at 30 -PIMA? Need your advice

[abqfavorite]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum, but am so happy to be here. After years of working in accounting industry I was thinking more and more about career switch. I want to do something meaningful with my life and I have now thought about nursing for awhile. I applied to volunteer at my local hospital's hospice too and looking forward to starting that soon. I dont want to spend years on the states school waiting list, so have been looking into enrolling in PIMA nursing program.

I have two questions for all you current/former students and would appreciate any information, that you have to share.

Question one: can you keep your job, while getting your AND or is it a full time commitment (you don't have any time to work).I am currently working full time and supporting myself, so I am concerned about means of being able to support myself ,while in school. How did you support yourself through school financially?

Question two: I probably would not qualify for FAFSA and I don't have 40 K saved-what two year nursing program at PIMA costs this days ,is there a way for me to finance my education with other supplemental loans? How did you finance your nursing school? Anyone had any previous good/bad experience with PIMA's financial aid?

I would be grateful for any advice/words of encouragement, please share your personal experience-if you have been working in a different career and changed to nursing was the change worth it for you? Do you make more money now, while being a nurse than in your former career? I am making $16/hr now, so thinking becoming a nurse would definitely be an upgrade for me financially. Are you happier with your work days or do you wish you haven't gone through the career change? Would you do it all over again given the chance?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I worked full time all the way thru my ADN, BSN and MSN programs, but you have to be totally focused. My employer paid for the last two degrees and I won scholarships for the first so I really got off easy. I would talk to the financial aid department of the school as their job is to get students in the school with paid tuition. You might even talk to an advisor from the nursing school to learn about other possibilities. Don't forget the librarian - especially at the school. They have a LOT of resources. And yes, I only wish I had started this career sooner. Nursing is hard work, but it is flexible and never boring. You will work with a lot of smart people. Good luck

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

I'm going part-time at my local community college -- total cost is only going to be about $10K.

I'm also working "full-time" (I'm salaried, still doing all my regular duties but on only 3.5 days/week in the office, with occasional nights/weekends to finish things up).

Working full-time and doing school full-time would be extremely rough, in my opinion, although it can be done. I prefer to see my son once in a while, so the part-time program (which is half a day of lecture and one day of clinical each week) works for me just fine.

[hudabelle]

PIMA in wa state (they don't have an RN program here though) will help finance you, at least for the RT program (it's 33,000). It's sooooo expensive though, because it's a private school. I decided against it just due to cost and I am trying all other avenues first. I so very much do not want to come out of school owing that much money, especially when it's looking like it's pretty tough to get a job within 6 months (the general lag time between out of school and starting to pay your loans).