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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
I should have gone to school for nursing.
I went to a fundraiser with my mom last night for an awesome organization, and many of those involved are nurses. Once again, I was kicking myself for not being smarter at 17 when I went to my 4 year liberal arts college.
Sigh.
I am looking into whether I can start picking away at the couple of pre-reqs I would have to take to complete a nursing degree. Since I already have a 4 year degree, there aren't a lot of classes to take, though there are clincals.
Anyone have any experience in this?
Re: I should have gone to school for nursing.
I think that if you should definitely look into it though!
I thought at one time I should have been a nurse and then I spend four weeks in the hospital and realized, thank god I didn't become a nurse.
Doctors are assho!es, patients are whiny, lots of dirty work, lots of paperwork and CYA type stuff, lots of rules to follow, too many patients too litte time, long stretches of boredom if you work overnight, constantly changing schedules, etc.
I volunteered as a candy striper for a year and that helped move me away from nursing.
Where I went to grad school they have an 18 month accelerated BSN for people who already have bachelor degrees.
We have a few 15 month, but they're full time only... I can't not work for 15 months, and still pay for child care.
I totally think I missed my calling as a L&D nurse. Then again, I'm not ready to give up my weekends and holidays.
My sister graduated in 2010 with a chemistry major and biology minor, worked in research for a couple years, and this summer is going back to school for nursing. She had to take a few pre-reqs before she applied to nursing schools, and I know she was able to do them during the evenings after work, but I'm not sure of the specifics. The nursing program she'll be in is two years full-time.
I know there are some programs here for 4 year degrees that want to go into nursing, but most are full time accelerated programs. I think about it sometimes when the kids get a little older.
ME!
i am currently finishing my pre-reqs for nursing. you can totally do it!
i will add, i have a 4 year degree so the only pre-reqs i am taking are science classes that i didn't take.
i am doing it through a kommunity kollege (as i have no desire for another bachelors degree). my pre-reqs will be finished in december. i will apply for nursing school then, and hopefully get right in. it would start in august and is one year long.
the school i am at offers a nights and weekend program, which i will be doing. two nights/week 5-8 and then 10 or 12 hour days on saturdays.
so take your pre-req, take the teas test and then apply when you're done. then keep working and quit when you can go to nursing school. by that time you may not need to pay for daycare!
I know I'm just a lurker, but I got my 4 year degree in Parks and Recreation. I thought about changing my major to nursing, but decided against it (and regretted it!). After I couldn't find a job after graduation, I started applying to schools for nursing. I got my 2 year degree in Nursing in 2008 (it was the quickest way to go for me - mostly because I needed stats before I could do the ABSN program and the 2 year didn't require it). Now I'm in school for a Master's in Nursing.
I say do it. I love my job and I'm an oncology nurse. Sure, there's some dirty work and some doctors are asshats, but you'll find asshats at any job. You don't even have to work inpatient. I did for 4 years before moving to an outpatient clinic (it's my personal opinion that every RN should work inpatient for at least a year). When you find the right job, you'll love your patients and love your work. It's really rewarding.
There's a community college in my area that offers a night and weekend program. Maybe there's one near you that does that? If you really want the 4 year, you can always do the 2 year and do the RN-BSN completion program later. Good luck!
You've heard what I've done, not what I've been through.
If you were in my shoes, you'd fall the first step."
That's how I got my nursing degree (BSN). I have a BA in microbiology, so already had a lot of the science courses. My program was a 15 month accelerated full-time program which was pretty much just nursing courses and clinicals. The pre-reqs i needed were: pharmacy (2 quarters), Anatomy and physiology (1 full year/3 quarters), Human Development (1 year), pathophysiology (1 year), statistics (1 quarter), medical anthropology (1 quarter), and Health care policy (1 quarter).
I was working full time as a research assistant in a lab, and wanted to get out of there asap. Here's how I did them:
Health Care policy: online course at a community college
Statistics: Weekend class at the same community college
Med Anthropology: evening class that met 1x/week
Pharmacy: 1 year of classes at the main undergrad campus of the school I wanted to attend
Anatomy and Physiology: 1 quarter of classes (including lab) at the branch campus, then realized that I probably knew more than the professor, so I signed up for an equivalency exam for the other 2 quarters required.
Pathophysiology: bought the book, read it (that thing was effing huge), took the equivalency exam
Human Development: bought the book, read it, took the exam.
If you find a program that gives you the opportunity to take an exam instead of a class for your pre-reqs, and you feel relatively comfortable w/ the material, do it. you'll save a lot of time and $$ that way.
I'm happy to answer questions about the program/different degrees/etc. PM and I can shoot you my email if you want.
Have to run now, but I'll be back on later this afternoon/evening.
This is what I thought too. Then I shadowed a nurse in the NICU, and found that practicing nursing there is a whole different ball game than nursing on a med/surg floor, or for anything involving adults. There's still crappy parts of the job, I felt a lot more respected there than a number of my former classmates reported they felt on their adult units. NICU nurses (as I'm sure you know) are pretty protective of their patients, and the neonatologists know that they know their stuff (and won't back down), so there's a lot more collaboration there than other places.
I think this goes for Oncology, too. Or any specialty that's not gen med. We are VERY protective of our patients, too. Even though they're adults, it's just a different field. If I had to be admitted for anything (besides L&D), I'd probably ask to go to their Onc floor (especially at my old hospital).
You've heard what I've done, not what I've been through.
If you were in my shoes, you'd fall the first step."
I feel like I have a good understanding of nursing, and its realities. My mom has worked in the hospital for 35+ years running the residency program in OBGYN, which has a clinic in hospital. I have two cousins and two friends who are nurses (ER, L&D, and I don't know the specialty of one of them), so I hear a LOT of stories from them. Another family friend just retired as an Onc nurse.
I would love to be an L&D nurse, I think.
I hope it didn't sound like I was downing nurses. I have huge respect for them the handle a lot with grace and aplomb.
I def agree about the NICU. NICU nurses are salt of the earth. We have several we still keep I contact with. If I were going to be a nurse I would want to be in the NICU.
I think hospitals need to be more considerate of nurses. When I was in the hospital, I would see a nurse on night shift, then on day shift, then evening, all within the same week. I don't know how they do that. Daylight savings time messes me up for weeks.
Lurker here!
I have a BA in Biology. Decided I wanted to be a nurse. I did all of my pre-reqs at CC. I needed a few because my biology degree was more envio science centered. I then did the CNL program at university of MD (which is a Masters, but still entry level). It is 16/21 months, full time. They say you can't work but I worked part time all but 8 weeks in my final semester. I now have 2 sons but I had 1 in day care at the time. Honestly I thought it was very doable.
Financially maybe not that smart of a move personally. I took out loans for living expenses beyond what was covered by my part time work and my husbands full time job. If we would have cut more from our budget I could have taken out less in loans. I'm kicking myself now for that.
An associates will cost you a lot less probably 1/4 of a BA price and maybe 1/6 of a MA price, you can be a very successful bedside nurse but in some areas with only an associates you are not promotable and some hospitals (esp those with Magnet status) are shying away from hiring new nurses with associates.
PM if you want more info.
No and yes. My old hospital (a very well known and respected hospital) is a Magnet recognized hospital and promotion is very much a doable thing. Also, they hire new ADN nurses. My current hospital (another well known and respected hospital) is starting to no longer hire ADN prepared nurses. So it's really hit or miss. If I were planning to be a beside (or clinic) nurse forever, I'd be happy with my ADN. I only wish I had done my BSN because it would have made my MSN track shorter.
You've heard what I've done, not what I've been through.
If you were in my shoes, you'd fall the first step."