CNA class

CNA class [2007-12-07]
I took my onsite in a nursing home. I think it lasted like 6 weeks or so. The test consisted of a written (fill in the bubble) and a practical where you had to wash your hands first and do whatever tasks you were told to do. Good luck!

Torn between 2 professions [2008-10-08]
Right out of high school I went into nursing school but never finished b/c of personal reasons. I then went into medical transcription and have been doing it for the past 5 years. I have always regretted not finishing up my nursing degree and am thinking about going back but am very torn. On the one hand as an MT I work from home which is nice because I have a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old. But, with the way things are going in the MT field, it is hard to find a good company, and if you do it seems everyone is running out of work. As a nurse, I am worried about not having as much flexibility with hours, as I would miss the time away from my 2 children but know that I could provide for them better finanically. I have been accepted into a nursing program and in 2 years would be an RN. Any suggestions, tips, just overall feedback. I could really use anyone's advice as I am really really torn!

OH MY GOD are you KIDDING me? [2008-10-08]
get out of the MT field, get out NOW while you can! this business gets worse every day and the MTSO's keep bidding on jobs at lower and lower rates. pretty soon we'll be making what they make in india with the cost of living in the good ole usa! if I had anything else to do I'd be gone now!

TEAS test [2008-08-15]
Does anyone know anything about the TEAS test? I am in WV and applying for the nursing program, and was told that I will have to take the TEAS test. I was going to order the study guide but want to make sure I choose the right one...any help would be appreciated! Thanks

A&P [2008-07-15]
Everyone gets something different on the NCLEX. You can probably count on questions of delegation of duties being on there. Some people gets lots of pharmacology and some get none. You will have to take A&P in nursing school, and it is quite the class! You will have to understand how the body works at the level of an RN for purposes of school and eventually working, not just the NCLEX. However, I doubt there are any questions solely about A&P. However, you may encounter questions about how pain medication works, for example, and that requires an understanding of not only what the medication does but the A&P of different pain mechanisms. Do NOT let that website scare you from nursing!

how close are you to Nevada? [2008-06-28]
I know a respiratory therapist who royally screwed up when he was young and dumb, did his time and has never been in trouble since, in his 40's now, one of the best RT's and workers I have ever seen. He was saying TX and Nevada were only a couple of states he could work in. Good luck.

getting into nursing [2008-06-26]
I was wondering, how hard is it to become a nurse in California with a felony record? my felonies are from 12 years ago and have lived as an upstanding citizen since. any info would be great as i do not wish to pay for the training just to find out i can't work. thanks.

going to nursing school [2008-06-18]
I too have been a Transcriptionist for many years, 17 years actually. When my current boss asked me how I got into transcription I laughed and told her stupidity. LOL I am older also but probably will be working another 20 years for sure from now but probably longer than that. At least with nursing, if you get burned out on hospital settings in general, being an RN is in demand in a lot of different areas.

I've had enough as well - I'm 58 and in nursing school. [2008-05-26]
Hi there, believe it or not I just finished my 1st year of R.N. school, but it is going to be a 4-1/2 year course. I Transcription supervisor trying really hard to screw up my school by demanding attendance of daytimedepartment meetings. Courses arevery hard, so I can I It seems there is something new every week to mess with your production, cheating on lines, on and on. I say go for it. What can it hurt, except give you more knowledge.

no expanders [2008-05-18]
you know, you could still type your Expanders and the spell check will stop for them and then you can plug in the expanded words. You just have to make sure none of your expanders are real English words though. Not perfect, I realize, but it is a work-around.

The last straw... [2008-05-17]
I have begun to realize I'm sick to DEATH of medical transcription, as it's the only profession I know where you're punished for being fast and accurate, held back, obstructed, etc. Now my company has announced we have to go to company computers and NO WORD Expanders will be allowed on their pristine, sanctified virgin computers. I've always been wistful about nursing. I'm 58 but would like to keep working at least another 10 years. Wondering if there would be any hope for me to get into an LVN (LPN) program at this late date. Pros: I care about people, especially elderly and disabled, been doing MT for over 20 years, and would like to work among human beings, not locked up in a room all the time like Rumpelstiltskin trying to spin straw (BS) into gold. Cons: Horrible with math (maybe 6th grade comprehension at this point) could I possibly pass entrance exams? Anybody ever made this transition at such a late date and with such drawbacks?

Yes [2008-05-11]
Excelsior College in New York is the largest nursing program in the US. It is a distance education program and limits its admission to LPNs, paramedics, and other very specific persons who have had substantial supervised clinical experience and instruction. You can get your RN this way; they also have a RN-BSN program and some MSN programs. Go to http://www.excelsior.edu for more info. Some states (California and Maryland) do not accept Excelsior grads; a few other states have some other requirements for RN grads to meet besides just the degree. Most boards of nursing accept it just fine as is. HTH!

One more [2008-05-11]
There is a nursing program from Indiana State University that is a distance LPN-BSN that is recognized in many states. It has supervised clinicals that you set up in your own community, I believe. You can take your NCLEX-RN after you graduate, of course. As far as specific states that have their own nursing programs that are distance programs, I don't know for sure about that.

I think I know what the answer will be but... [2008-05-10]
I This sounds too good to be true. Does anyone know anything about this, and if so, please share!

Love health field but [2008-04-20]
Can anyone give me feedback on Health Information Technology? I am a MT but never been able to get hired so I will change to something in health field. May be what is listed above. Any idea Need to know what will stick as far as employment. Nursing is out of the question can not stand nasty junk. Something I can do on the computer. Thanks for your help!! Barb

Rn not MT [2008-03-11]
I would go with RN. That said I was pursing RN at 40 but decided to go into business related field. The reason is you do have to have a lot of strong famliy support. Pursuing RN as a more mature adult can be done but it is VERY difficult for a single parent like myself who not only has to work full-time to pay the mortage, but also there is no other adult to help pull the weight. Ultimately that is why I decided against RN even though Iknow the job opportunities and pay are better. You have to look at your own lifestyle situation. Saying go for RN across the board without considerations to other aspects of your life -- how will you live while you pursue full-time school? Do you have a spouse to help pay bills and watch children? Is nursing your passion or do you prefer more solitary work? Looking at just the job security and pay RN beats MT However, I went into MT because it gave me the ability to work from home. As a young single Mother this was vitally important. I had paid sitters for daycare when I worked outside the home and I didn So for me the lower pay etc was a tradeoff for perks of working athome. Now my kids are getting older I would like to get out of MT. Working on production pay can be great or it can be difficult. There is no security of making the same paycheck, which I am looking for as I get older. So truly assess your own particular lifestyle, personality and what would suit you best. I have seen some really negative changes in MT. I loved it 10 years ago when I started out. The money wasn't bad and you readily could find in-house or at-home work with great benefits. It's much more difficult these days.

nursing reality check [2008-03-05]
I want to be realistic with you. About 12 years ago I was in a nursing program before I went to school for MT. I did the first semester and 1/2 and obviously the prereqs. I regret not finishing now but make no mistake how rigorous these 2-year RN programs are. I was married with 2 young children. It was VERY stressful. You are bascially at the school mostly 4-5 days per week - 2 days of clinicals at the hospital. If you aren't in class or clinicals you are in chec offs or practicing at labs. Not unusual to be at school practicing on weekends. Then, there are care plans to do for your clinical patients after your shift in addition to regular tests and skills checks offs in labs. I just want people to understand and be prepared. YOu need a very strong support system. There are those who work. I have heard full-time even. I have no idea how. I can only think these are younger students living at home. Not Moms with jobs, kids, and homes to take care of. I am not a single Parent and considered reentering the nursing program. I had to retake a few prerequistes. After retaking a few I ultimately realized this was just beyond me. I have 2 kids, a mortage, no spouse to help out and I cannot afford to quit working. In the end I have decided to pursue a business degree simply because I can take classes online without the added stress and hardship to my family. Having a calm family life is important to me because my youngest son has autism. We have quite enough to deal with. However, I am not discouraging nursing. Simply be prepared to work harder than you ever have. Also there is abullying problem in the nursing schools and nursing profession in general. Please be aware you need a thick skin. Docs can be tough but other nurses can to. Just want people to walk in with eyes open so they do not drop part-way through as I did. I guess I didn't have a passion for nursing or all of this would not have mattered - but there lots of people going into the nursing profession because of the high $$ right now and because MT is unstable. Good reasons, but nursing takes a lot more than just wanting $$. I learned that the hard way and decided to ultimately follow a different course. good luck.

You are so right. [2008-02-20]
I know this is kind of late to be entering this conversation. But I just had to chime in - as another nurse. Sure, nursing offers opportunities (particularly if RN as opposed to LPN). Either way, it is a field that can suck the life right out of you. I nuch prefer MT even though I earn less. Good luck to all in their chosen professions.

you'll be fine [2008-02-05]
you i just went back last year for RN with associates. i have 4 kids although older than yours. school schedule still allows enough time to get in full time MT work. i work ic so no set hours. good luck.

MT, thinking of starting nursing [2008-02-03]
I have been an MT for over 7 years, but thinking of nursing school,associate I will, however, have to continue working as I canwhile I Is this a realistic goal? I have a hubby and 2 small boys to take care of and still work and go to school. Any thoughts?

Schooling for RN [2008-01-24]
I have been an MT for 10+ years and am sick of it! I have always been interested in nursing, particularly R.N. Can someone fill me in on all the requirements? You have to get a 2yr degree first, correct? Thanks for any info, I am clueless

At my nursing school (sm) [2008-01-21]
we had a class called Metrology. I've not heard of it elsewhere, but it was absolutely required at my school if you wanted to get through the first semester of nursing courses. It was a 0.5 semester-hour weed-out class. The whole premise of it was calculating drip rates, converting medications from apothecary and household measurements to metric, etc. Most other schools integrate this into its nursing courses rather than have a separate course. If you can figure drip rates (it is a little bit of algebra, but it is pretty straightforward), you will do fine.

RN, no question, [2008-01-17]
Being an RN and having a wife that was an MT for 20 years, RN license is much portable, especially if you are not happy with employer, you can easily find somewhere else to work. (notfrom home, though). With voice recognition getting better and work going over to India, it is much harder to find a decent MT job.

LPN after 3 semesters..what state do you live in?...SM [2008-01-05]
I did finish my 3 semesters in the early 80s but stayed in the health field since then (obviously, I I checked out Connecticut, which is my nearest to NY, but they specifically stated 1,500 clinic hours to sit for the LPN from an A.S. program...which just cuts my 3 semesters by about 200 hours, since the first semester was only 4 credits/4 hours. Thanks for the info.

old hag looking into nursing - kat [2007-12-30]
I just turned 40. I had been in the nursing program 13 years ago. Didn't finish due to family problems and subsequent divorce. Oh how I wish I had. About a year ago after raising a couple of kids through infancy and preschool and elementary I on a dwindling MT salary I started back taking prerequits. I was told I had to retake a few classes (A and P 5 year shelf life) and they had added few others (Pharmacology, Lifespan Development, and a Chemistry with a lab). So Passed the Nursing Enteract Test (NET) last spring. Got onthe waitlist and 2 more prequistes to take. (second half of anatomy and pharm). I hope I will be in the program next fall. I have no idea how I will be able to swing finances for the next 2 years while in the program. I am hoping to continue MTing part-time, get a few loans/financial aid, and family help. I am not 40 and wonder if I am absolutely crazy. But as the sole supporter of 2 boys (now 15 and 9) I really need to make a change. Mt just doesn't do it anymore. We barely make the bills anymore.

Go for RN - sm [2007-12-25]
After doing MT for nearly 20 years, it's a dying profession with all of the technological advances. I used to have a fairly flexible schedule but now I am a slave to my job. It's harder and harder to make decent money and I don't see that improving. I'm going back to school now at 40 to become an RN. The long term plan is to get some experience and then go with a traveling company a friend works for. Pick where you want to go, decent money, and I can travel with the husband and kids.