Teacher Going Into Nursing- Need Advice!

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Hi All,

I am a former teacher of 5 years with Masters in Education and preparing to switch to the nursing career. With a M.A. my salary is in the $30s while in most other careers if you have an advanced degree you get paid much more.

I am completing prerequisites and hoping to get into an Accelerated Option one-year program (for people who already hold a BA in another field) but my worry is that in big cities like Miami, it is EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE to get into! As I rack my brain studying for chemistry and anatomy and doing all these things to prepare for a career in nursing it is scary to know that I might not even get a chance. I don't know. Can anybody advise on this?

Also, what is the general starting annual salary for an RN?

I just got offered a position working as a Humane Education Coordinator that pays $41 but I don't know if I want to get into another "job that I'll love but make little money." UGHH!

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Hi All,

I am a former teacher of 5 years with Masters in Education and preparing to switch to the nursing career. With a M.A. my salary is in the $30s while in most other careers if you have an advanced degree you get paid much more.

I am completing prerequisites and hoping to get into an Accelerated Option one-year program (for people who already hold a BA in another field) but my worry is that in big cities like Miami, it is EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE to get into! As I rack my brain studying for chemistry and anatomy and doing all these things to prepare for a career in nursing it is scary to know that I might not even get a chance. I don't know. Can anybody advise on this?

Also, what is the general starting annual salary for an RN?

I just got offered a position working as a Humane Education Coordinator that pays $41 but I don't know if I want to get into another "job that I'll love but make little money." UGHH!

It is difficult to say without knowing which state you live in and which part of that state. New RNs, in NYC start at $55,000. In Florida $25,000. See what I mean.

Grannynurse :balloons:

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you may want to refer to the post that jennifer posted about wanting to be a nurse. i made quite a long reply about nursing. everyone in my family are educators. my father was a professor at a university for 45 years. my husband is a retired teacher. my hubby had his masters plus 60. his ending salary after 34 years was about mid fifties. i am the only one in my family with a degree in the health care area.

pay depends on:

1. the hospital

2. the area of expertise

3. the area or where you live.

nursing used to be about synonymous with teachers as far as pay. however, through the years, i have seen the nursing profession go leaps and bounds above our teachers. i live in utah where teachers are paid quite low. however, as i mentioned in my post to jennifer, my daughter made 50 grand her second year out of school.

you will find a way to get accepted. you are smart. very smart. that is another good thing about nursing, is there are always options. i vote for you to go for it. you will have more options than the rest of us in the end.

i have known some teachers that are nurses. they take a nine months contract and work at a hosptial prn. they may work a shift every other weekend. when school is out for the x-mas holidays, they may work one or two shifts. then when summer vacation comes, they work full time for two months or even three.

although nurses are paid more in our area, as a whole, teachers get a better compensation package. they have more retirement benefits. you should consider that as well.

is $41 an area good pay in miami? is it a job you like? what type of advancement. maybe take the job while you do pre-requisites in nursing. wow girl-friend....you have options galore!

good luck. you rock!

i am a former teacher of 5 years with masters in education and preparing to switch to the nursing career. with a m.a. my salary is in the $30s while in most other careers if you have an advanced degree you get paid much more.

i am completing prerequisites and hoping to get into an accelerated option one-year program (for people who already hold a ba in another field) but my worry is that in big cities like miami, it is extremely competitive to get into! as i rack my brain studying for chemistry and anatomy and doing all these things to prepare for a career in nursing it is scary to know that i might not even get a chance. i don't know. can anybody advise on this?

also, what is the general starting annual salary for an rn?

i just got offered a position working as a humane education coordinator that pays $41 but i don't know if i want to get into another "job that i'll love but make little money." ughh!

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thank you for your kind words and advise. to answer your question:

is $41 an area good pay in miami? this job is to help educate the public about pet overpopulation and recruit volunteers for the animal control- a job i would love. but i have to be careful about falling into another job that i love because i know i have to consider the pay as well (didn't do that when i got into teaching!)

what type of advancement? good question! i don't know if in the future i could become a director of animal services? that is who my new boss is if i take the job.

maybe take the job while you do pre-requisites in nursing? i just can't study and work anymore- it's gotta be one or the other. i am so tired of flip-flopping too. just want to focus on one thing and do well in it, you know?

so, monday i will talk to the director who offered me the humane education coordinator job and see if the salary can be negotiated. if they increase it, then i think i will take it. if not, i will tell them i have to think about it.

you are right- there are many options in nursing which is what i like. you can go into administration, anesthesia, cosmetic, home care, surgery, etc, so you're not stuck in one area that you don't like. what kind of nurse are you? do you like it?

ally

you may want to refer to the post that jennifer posted about wanting to be a nurse. i made quite a long reply about nursing. everyone in my family are educators. my father was a professor at a university for 45 years. my husband is a retired teacher. my hubby had his masters plus 60. his ending salary after 34 years was about mid fifties. i am the only one in my family with a degree in the health care area.

pay depends on:

1. the hospital

2. the area of expertise

3. the area or where you live.

nursing used to be about synonymous with teachers as far as pay. however, through the years, i have seen the nursing profession go leaps and bounds above our teachers. i live in utah where teachers are paid quite low. however, as i mentioned in my post to jennifer, my daughter made 50 grand her second year out of school.

you will find a way to get accepted. you are smart. very smart. that is another good thing about nursing, is there are always options. i vote for you to go for it. you will have more options than the rest of us in the end.

i have known some teachers that are nurses. they take a nine months contract and work at a hosptial prn. they may work a shift every other weekend. when school is out for the x-mas holidays, they may work one or two shifts. then when summer vacation comes, they work full time for two months or even three.

although nurses are paid more in our area, as a whole, teachers get a better compensation package. they have more retirement benefits. you should consider that as well.

is $41 an area good pay in miami? is it a job you like? what type of advancement. maybe take the job while you do pre-requisites in nursing. wow girl-friend....you have options galore!

good luck. you rock!

i am a former teacher of 5 years with masters in education and preparing to switch to the nursing career. with a m.a. my salary is in the $30s while in most other careers if you have an advanced degree you get paid much more.

i am completing prerequisites and hoping to get into an accelerated option one-year program (for people who already hold a ba in another field) but my worry is that in big cities like miami, it is extremely competitive to get into! as i rack my brain studying for chemistry and anatomy and doing all these things to prepare for a career in nursing it is scary to know that i might not even get a chance. i don't know. can anybody advise on this?

also, what is the general starting annual salary for an rn?

i just got offered a position working as a humane education coordinator that pays $41 but i don't know if i want to get into another "job that i'll love but make little money." ughh!

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i am happy to help. i think it is interesting to get isnights from others. salary versus what one love's can be tough. my husband, as i told you, taught 4th grade. he loved it! he was lucky. most males don't last in elementry education due to the pay. however, for him being content was fisrt in line. of course, there are other things you give up.

my mainstay in nursing is newborn intensive care. that would be my speciality.

i worked for procter and gamble for five years as a nurse consultant. it was more of a "corporate american" type job. i loved it.

i owned a nursing agency. i liked some of it. however, i dropped it to do travel nursing, which i do now. i am at an age where it works perfect for me. when and if i get grand kids, i may feel more settled.

i always go back to my babies. i love the babies i take care of in the nicu. it by itself has been quite rewarding.

i have complained a lot during the years about nursing. but, when i look back on my life, being a nurse has really been pretty good to me.

oh, and i understand about concentrating on one effort. i'm past the time in my life where i can have too many things going on at once. sometimes i wish i could quit work and go back to school. i'm thinking that is the only way i would or could do it.

i love business. perhaps if i were to do it again, i would go into business. but on the flip side, a business degree doesn't make you an expert on owning a business. generally owning a business comes with having a skill, or having knowledge of a particular industry.

if money is the real issue, i think nurse anethestist are one of the highest paying jobs. so, if you really like that sort of thing, it may be perfect.

education and nursing and business is a great threesome. maybe we should go into busines. lol......

tell me how the interview goes. :) :) if you need any interview tips, i have all kinds of information from corporate america on the interviewing process. :flowersfo

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:confused: wow, $55,000 dollars in nyc doesn't sound like much. it is so expensive to live there. i live in utah and pay rates aren't very high, but not as low as $25,000 to begin as a new grad. my daughter is 2 years post new grad and makes over $50,000. since i do travel, i'm not sure what i'm worth as an oldie here in utah.

:melody:

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It is difficult to say without knowing which state you live in and which part of that state. New RNs, in NYC start at $55,000. In Florida $25,000. See what I mean.

Grannynurse :balloons:

Hi Grannynurse,

I just wanted to know which parts in FL are that low in pay. I live in the south of FL and the starting salary here for a new grad is $45000 (this is base pay without shift differentials). The lowest I have heard so far is $17/hr in the Jacksonville area. I want to avoid those areas if possible... :)

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