What to do?

[rylee]

I am currently a MA and wanting to be an RN. What is the best way to do this? I am a single mom and looking to do this as quick as possible. Was thinking of going to Concorde for LPN, then do the LPN to RN bridge through Excelsior. I figure it would take about 2.5 years.

The admissions rep at Concorde said with all my clinical experience as a MA, I would not be happy as a LPN in a nursing home. But I'm hoping with all my clinical expercience (7 years) I could get a LPN job in a clinic or hospital instead of a nursing home, but that's not a guarantee. He suggested I try to get hired as a MA at Kaiser, work there for 2 years, then they will pay for my nursing. I have no college credits (I went to Apollo for MA), so I need all my prereqs before I could do the nursing program. If I'm working full time and going to school part-time, I think it might take 5+ years...not really sure. So 2 years of employemnt at Kaiser, or any hospital, plus 5+ school, am I really looking at 7 years before I a become a RN if I go that route?

Like I said, I'm a single mom and going into my 30's, I just want to this as fast as possible, but I'm I screwing myself up if I go to a technical school instead of a tradional college?

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

One single mom to another I would start with one class at a time, and try to get on with Kaiser.

I just graduate this year and I started out taking 1 math class at a time while working full time, then went to full time in school to working part time, it took me 5 years to finish.

Not only time, but think of the cost that it would take you, if you went to a trade school like Concorde, it is going to cost you 2x if not more than if you went to a Community College.

I did my pre-reqs at CCC with a scholarship and grants, then went to PCC for nursing school and again had grants and the last year I finally took out loans.

Both CCC and PCC have co-horts from Kaiser and the State Hospital.

In one of my co-req classes at PCC there was a nursing student in that special cohort, they only have 20 students and their program is only 18 months long and because there company was paying their tuttion they also had a job when the graduated (which is soooo hard to come by right now)

Don't count on just working for a hospital that you will have a job when you graduate you need to get it in writing, I had many friends from nursing school, who were told that yeah once you graduate from school you can have a job here, it wasn't in writing and guess what happened when they graduated, there was no job.

I understand your worry about the time it will take, as my oldest is now 11 and all he has known was either mommy talking about going to school or mommy has been in school and I have always said, "when I am done with school we will do (fill in blank)/buy a house...ect.

However now it has turned from not when I am done with school, but when I have a job

[WeirdNurseKelly, BSN, RN]

Rylee, hate to say it but in all honesty there isn't really a "fast" way to get your RN. I went to Western Business College (now Everest) for my MA degree too. Graduated in 2001. I just graduated from nursing school. I started ALL over again at community college. CCC actually. I graduated from a program at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, OR.

Kaiser is a good place to start, also the providence facilities are great too. Like the other poster said, jobs are hard to come by. I haven't gotten any leads on hospital jobs. Closest I got to work are 2 on-call positions. I had to quit one because it was just too crazy and the orientation was HORRIBLE. I should have went with my gut instincts when I first walked in the door, they hired me just from my great references (pat on the back to me). But it was horrible.

Anyways, I do recommend trying to get a job with a hospital like Kaiser or Providence. Some of them may help pay for your school if you sign a contract saying you will work for them for X amount of years. 2 students in my class worked for Providence as CNA's, one of them has a job through Providence. The other didn't because they just didn't have an opening in the department she worked in as a CNA. I think she did find a job at providence though.

Good luck to you. You are the only one who can make the best decision for yourself and your child.

[Up2nogood RN, RN]

I would try to stay away from the technical schools, you will end up paying 4x what a CC will charge and still only end up with an LPN degree. I did it this way and will pay dearly for it for awhile. All the pre-reqs you take at a technical college usually does not transfer to a CC also. Have you started pre-reqs? You might look at the Prov scholar program, a lot of the new grads I work with went that route and wont have any loans to repay after 3 years of employment. Good luck!