So, long story of my life… I lot my job suddenly at the beginning of this month. The past few weeks have been a mad dash of applying for unemployment, applying for jobs, and generic panic. I was unhappy at that job, but I had planned to leave on my own terms, and with something else lined up.
It’s also been a time of reflecting on what I want with my life and out of my life. I ended up in my college major because they make you declare something eventually, and I liked science. I ended up in my master’s program because I didn’t know what to do at that point, and I was offered an assistanceship in that department. My first job in that field was a disaster, and the economy changed and that field has shrunk significantly.
So… now I’m 30, no kids, divorced and no job. So, I was chatting with my mom today and telling her I wish my life had gone differently. So, she suggested I fix it, and if not now, when would I? (Moms are insightful like that sometimes). She said I’ve talked about healthcare a lot, and have said more than once that if I could go back to 18-year-old me, I’d tell me to major in nursing.
So, now I’m starting to look at the options. There are a number of accredited accelerated nursing options (Second degree BSN) out there, and that seems like the most reasonable course.
So… anyone done one? Know of them? Have any thoughts?
I did, and it was very hard work but so rewarding. Nursing is shifting rapidly out of the hospital setting and into the community, and in my area (Northeast US) jobs in community nursing are not hard to find right now, though hospital med-surg jobsd are not as easy to come by for new nurses. By “community nursing”, I mean home care, outpatient clinics like wound care or dialysis, and residential or rehab facilities. Nursing school is a full-time job and you will spend absolutely all your time on homework and reading. My school tested the bejebus out of us every semester with pass-fail exams that determined whether we could stay in the program every semester. Very stressful, but we were prepared for what came next. This was to prepare us for the N-CLEX, which is the exam that grants you your nursing license. N-CLEX will be your religion. Got questions? Let me hear em
Have you ever worked in that environment in any way? If you haven’t, I would recommend that you get a CNA certificate first. Since you are unemployed, some job re-training programs may pay for it, and employers will often reimburse you if you agree to work for them for a specified period of time. It doesn’t hurt to ask; my local community college offers this program, and it costs less than $500 for a 6- or 8-week class.
IzzFlrRN - I think that’s what I wanted to hear. Somewhere I can actually get a job, and be in a rewarding place. I don’t mind working hard (my other degrees are in physics and engineering).
nearwildheaven - a very good point; I have done some volunteering in a medical setting and I’m perfectly comfortable with the blood and guts side of things. The parts that are more annoying - the paperwork, office politics, drudgery and tedium - are things that happen in any job.
I looked into an accelerated BSN at a local university, oh, about 5 years ago now. One of their prereqs was a CNA certificate (along with the various science and anatomy courses and whatnot). I’d be surprised if that requirement differed somewhere else. Depending on what other prereqs you’ll need to complete (I had a bunch; I took chemistry but not any anatomy/physiology), it may be worth getting the CNA now as you might need to get it anyway.
