Terrified 28 y/o in SoCal Needing Advice

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Specializes in Case Management.

Hello everyone! Grab a cup of coffee this is a long one - But I hope someone out there can give me some words of wisdom :)

I've been posting and following AllNurses.com now for about 9 months during my journey to finish RETAKING 10 year old pre-requisites to apply. I'm finally done with classes, taking my TeAS tests, amassing letters of rec, etc and have officially submitted multiple applications to RN programs in SoCal... For your reference:

ADNs - Grossmont, Palomar, Miracosta and will be applying to Southwestern (Not due till Jan '17)

BSNs - CalState San Marcos & WGU (SDSU was too competitive and too long)

I'm a 28 y/o with a BS in Physiology from UCLA 2009, and a MS in Healthcare Management from a CC in Vermont 2014. I'm currently employed with an Insurance company as a case Manager / Transition of Care coach making a ~60K/yr. I finally decided to pursue nursing as multiple people (friends, coworkers and supervisors) have encouraged me to do so given my aptitude for the medical field, as my drive and passion for it, and the fact I'd get a much higher wage for the exact same work I currently do not if ONLY I had the RN experience... Besides, this has always been something I wanted to do but kept putting off for one reason or another aka LIFE stuff that got in the way.

But now that I've submitted applications for my first time

--- I am getting cold feet!! :(

My husband got out of the Navy last year and he had to take a huge pay cut on his income ~50%... Now that I am considering nursing school the reality has set in that I myself will also have to leave what he considers to be my "NICELY PAID CUSHY" job to pursue this dream, essentially bring us down to about 25% of our previous income of 2 years ago.

ALL the programs have warned me against working ANY hours whatsoever during the entire 2 yrs due to the difficulty. But my husband says I will ABSOLUTELY need to work at least 20 hrs a week so that we don't foreclose on our home, default on our vehicles etc.... I'm terrified and have started to feel very guilty for wanting to do this "now" and not wait another couple of years. (Taking pre-reqs is a pain and some would expire by then so I'd have to retake them for a third time)

If I would get accepted to CSU-SM I'd accept immediately, but their tuition is 55K for 2 yrs. So, how selfish of me would it be to not only quit my job to go to school but also load us with an additional 55K in debt....

If I get into WGU, tuition is only about 24K + I'd be able to continue working for the first 6 months as it is all online didactic classes... but after that I'd have to commute from San Diego to LA (yikes!) for Clinical multiple times a week!! More so once I was towards the end of my 2nd year, I'd probably have to stay up there for a week at a time.... Also, their NCLEX pass rate is only 66% which sucks...

The local CC ADN programs are only 5-8K for the 2 yrs, so I guess that really is my only option if I decide to move forward even though it isn't my ideal situation...

NOW ACTUAL QUESTIONS:

- Anyone out there in a similar situation currently or previously - How'd you manage!?

- Will pursuing an ADN instead of a BSN for financial reasons be a waste of my time in an area like San Diego county where magnet programs seem to abound & the market seems to be saturated? (Moving isn't an option for us at this time)

- Did you take out student loans to cover tuition as well as living expenses? Regret it or not?

- Anyone out there that did manage to work even after a school scolded them not to? What kind of jobs did you do, did your grades suffer significantly?

- Will my years of other medical field experience and additional degrees be of ANY help to me as a new RN grad on the hunt for her first job?

THANK YOU SINCERELY FOR ANYONE WHO MADE IT THIS FAR. My head is a ball of anxiety and I am really at a loss of what to do... I want an RN so badly now, but fear it may cause havoc on so many levels. I just need some real nurses to give me a reality check!

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

- Will pursuing an ADN instead of a BSN for financial reasons be a waste of my time in an area like San Diego county where magnet programs seem to abound & the market seems to be saturated? (Moving isn't an option for us at this time)

Possibly, but the "popular" SoCal areas are over-saturated with new grads regardless of ADN or BSN and if you do live in popular/big areas such as LA, SF, SD, etc, you will find it harder to get a job at an acute facility. I live in the Inland Empire Area (about an hourish drive east from LA) and the job saturation isn't too bad. I've read here and heard from friends of friends that jobs are fairly open when you go to the less populated CA areas such as the desert, Bakersfield area, etc.

- Did you take out student loans to cover tuition as well as living expenses? Regret it or not?

Although I went to a community college/ADN, several of my classmates took out 5-10k loans for tuition and living expenses in hopes of getting a job after the NP and pay it off, and it's working out for most, if not all of them.

- Anyone out there that did manage to work even after a school scolded them not to? What kind of jobs did you do, did your grades suffer significantly?

I'd say about a third of my class of 60 students worked part time. Very few worked full time. Most of us had caregiving or CNA-type jobs. I worked 12-24 hours (1-2 night shifts) a week as a lift tech at a local hospital. I honestly think if I didn't work, my grades wouldn't be as high. I had extra time to study and review working nightshift. Reading during nightshift actually kept me awake haha. It all comes down to you personally. Each person was different. I had classmates that couldn't function with just school alone where both work and school kept them in line. Others couldn't do school if they worked.

- Will my years of other medical field experience and additional degrees be of ANY help to me as a new RN grad on the hunt for her first job?

It should and definitely keep in touch with your previous jobs, especially if related to a hospital. Networking is just as important as previous experience or even a nice resume.

I don't know anyone personally that "banked" on nursing. What I mean is that I don't know anyone that quit their previous job and had somewhat intense income limitations where they would end up in a bad situation if nursing school didn't work out. Reading out your income and your job situation with your husband, you probably need to really think this through.

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If you decide to work, advise you not to disclose this info to personnel at the school. As long as you meet your requirements, it is none of their business, and if you do have some problems, you definitely do not want to give them the ammo to use against you. This advice is gleaned from my own experience as well as the reported experiences of others.

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Specializes in Case Management.

I greatly appreciate our detailed response!! I suppose I haven't really given thought to the idea of nursing school not working out, blind arrogance maybe... While it is a definitely possibility I feel that my exposure to what a nurse is/does makes me "not liking it" very unlikely. I've always like academics and "stress as a student" is quite the norm for me. I did my entire masters degree while working full time and while it wasn't always fun I did find it challenging and enjoyable.

Tha k you again for your insight I truly appreciate it :)

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Specializes in Case Management.

Wondering if any other nurses out there have any additional pebbles of wisdom for me :) ?

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