Tell me about your journey...

PedsNurse1981 · May 3, 2004

As a nurse, what type did you start as: LVN, ADN or BSN?
What area of nursing did you start in as a 'new grad?'
Have you returned for more schooling? If yes, for what? What was your motivation?
What are you doing now?
Any future schooling or other changes expected for the future?
Have a great week!
-j :)

I graduated 2 years ago with my ADN. I plan on going back, just not right now. I'd like to be a nurse midwife eventually. Started in peds hem/onc, still doing peds hem/onc although I need a change. I want to do travel nursing about the next year or so, then get a permanent staff position doing L&D.

Gompers, BSN, RN · May 3, 2004

Decided that I wanted to be a NICU nurse in high school, went to a 4-year college and got my BSN, passed boards and started working within a few months of graduation, went to work in the NICU where I did my preceptorship at the end of my senior year. Been there for almost 6 years now.

Don't want to go into management or be a nurse practitioner, so I really haven't thought too much about going back to school. I'm somewhat interested in staff education so I might go for a simple teaching certification through a grad school at some point, but not really interested in getting my Master's or PhD. I do plan on getting certified in NICU though by taking the NICU certification exam through NCC.

I think my lack of motivation to continue with my education has to do with the fact that I absolutely love my job and can't imagine wanting to do anything else with my life.

Stitchie · May 3, 2004

I started out in life (well, my 20's anyway) wanting to go to law school. ha! I wasn't able to get my financial ducks in a row, so I ended up working as an admin for various companies in different industries.

Then I went to work for a company that ran drug trials and had nurses do the monitoring for these research projects -- I fell in love with the idea. i learned so much in such a short amount of time that I kept working in the health care field.

Eventually, I found out about nursing school programs and applied, only to be turned down because I didn't have any recent sciences. So I went back to school just before my DH and I got married, got my ADN, considered a PA program but decided that I love the nursing aspect and education/advocacy for patients.

I worked first on a respiratory unit w/step down trauma and vent patients. I stayed there for 7 awful months until I quit, took a month off, then went to work in the ED. I am completing my BSN now and plan to get my NP eventually. The ED is the only place I want to work; I could never go back to floor nursing.

My career goal is to be an NP in the ED; I may also get this awesome JD/MSW/NP degree and be able to do real advocacy for the Department of Children and Family Services. Of course, I'll never be out of school, and my husband just shakes his head and says 'Thank goodness for school loans'! Amen!

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 3, 2004

I have my ADN RN.

I started out in a Medical and Oncology Floor. It was kind of a mish mash of all kinds of medical and low dose chemo patients. No surgical patients.

I've taken a few course here and there to advance onto a BSN, but haven't made the commitment to get it, and at this point I've decided not to.

I have however, continued my education in many ways taking all kinds of continuing education courses, including college credit courses for the CEUs and learning experiences.

I've also studied for and have my Med-Surg Nurse certification. (Let it expire once and passed it again. :))

I've stayed in med-surg my entire career, working from the med/oncology to medical-surgical, to med-surg trauma, neuro, and currently doing medical-telemetry, with stable vented patients. The last 12 years at my current facility. We are hopefully going to become a more intermediate unit with more complex patients, within the the next year, so I'll need to further my education. My first step is going to be to get my ACLS certification this summer.

Always something to learn, even in med-surg.

lisaloulou · May 3, 2004

I started out at 18 as a NA in Psych. From there I was a NA in Ortho. The LPNs I worked with encouraged me to go to school so I did. I was a LPN for 10 years in Psych,CCU,Heart Cath and NICU. At that point there was a lot of discussion about "getting rid of" LPNs, so I got my ASN through Regents College. That was 14 years ago..... I have looked at continuing my education but haven't committed to it at this point. After 27 years of service in nursing, my enthusiasm may have waned a tad :rotfl:

orrnlori, RN · May 3, 2004

Was in business and banking for 20 years. Decided I wanted to do something different. Started college part-time, applied to the nursing program and received my AAS in 1998. Started working in trauma step down and absolutely hated it, switched to the OR and went through 7 months of training and have been in the OR ever since.

Now I'm finishing a BS in Individulized Studies with a contentration in Nursing and Management (because it's faster than a BSN) and now have an application in to a master's program - Nurse Educator. I'd like to end up teaching, but who knows, maybe my husband will win the Powerball. :chuckle and if he does, I won't even bother to clean out my locker at work. House in the country, here I come.

Trauma Columnist · May 3, 2004

Was in the military and then public affairs for ten years. Went to school and got my LPN, stayed in school for the ADN. Ten more years went by and I'm done with my BSN in two weeks. June 3rd - I start the MSN program. I've worked in the ED for most of my nursing career and love it. Would love to be an educator.

purplemania, BSN, RN · May 3, 2004

I started with an ADN, practicing pediatric nursing. Right after I got my first job I returned to get my BSN and now my MSN. I have been in school continuously since starting nursing school, but of course not full time. Education should be on-going, so when I finish this degree program I will be concentrating on continuing education offerings. I feel nurses ought to keep abreast of new techniques and technology, as well as political action and every other facet of our profession. We cannot claim to be PROFESSIONAL if we stagnate.

Purple Hugs · May 3, 2004

you guys are such an inspiration!

Ok.. my limited story...

Worked in offices from leaving school and joined the TA / Voluntary Army as a medic (nearest unit to my home-didn't have a car).

Loved my medic training, and got 98% in the exam so must've been good at taking it all in.

I left the TA after 2 years due to my fear of heights and a fall from the top of an A frame on the assult course (lost my bottle basically).

Continued in office work, and after 13 years of it, I quit to look after my daughter. Now, I find myself with her at full time school and my being able to go back to college, so for the last year I have fully considered what I can see me 'doing' later in life, and my experiences have led me to Nursing. I am between Midwifery and Oncology (leaning toward oncology). Midwifery is VERY popular here (in the uk) so not sure that is the best choice.

Anyway, here I am...

To be continued! hehe

Kyriaka · May 3, 2004

This questionare doesnt really apply to me since I am in school for my BSN. So that is where I am starting. :) But why I went into nursing is an interesting journey.

I am pursuing the field of critical care burns. I am a former burn patient (60%) and was in a burn center for some time. I am the only surivor of a house fire.

But I have been working in accounting for a number of years. In 1999 I was infected with Lyme Disease and Babesiosis (that mean tick!!). I started a support group and truly that is where my interest in medicine began.

But when it came to choosing the type of nursing...there was no question. I wanted to work burns.

Stitchie · May 3, 2004

This questionare doesnt really apply to me since I am in school for my BSN. So that is where I am starting. :) But why I went into nursing is an interesting journey.
I am pursuing the field of critical care burns. I am a former burn patient (60%) and was in a burn center for some time. I am the only surivor of a house fire.
But I have been working in accounting for a number of years. In 1999 I was infected with Lyme Disease and Babesiosis (that mean tick!!). I started a support group and truly that is where my interest in medicine began.
But when it came to choosing the type of nursing...there was no question. I wanted to work burns.

What an awesome story. You have incredible strength to move forward through something like that. Good for you.