One thing that would be tough for me

One thing that would be tough for me [2007-04-15]
would be the early mornings for nursing school. I think some things start at about 7:00 or 7:30 a.m. If you are an early riser naturally, that will help you a lot. Good luck. It's going to be a lot of work, but you can do it.

I just did the same thing [2006-07-14]
and with the same company!

I have been considering doing the same thing myself! [2006-07-11]
What a good thread! :-) I just wonder about the actual hands-on aspect of it all and how I might cope with that because I have never really been around patients before. It is one thing transcribing it and totally another when the patient is right there and you are in charge of their care. Anyone have any thoughts on this? :-)

The only thing . . . [2006-07-10]
I am worried about in making this change is my age. I am currently 43 and I have three to four years to go depending on the waiting list. I never thought I would be looking for a new career at this age, but with the way transcription is going I don't trust it to be around as long as I need it. Also, since my husband died last August, working at home alone is not a good thing. The last few days I have been seriously thinking about bagging school and getting another medical secretary job in house, but I just don't know. I think part of my problem is that I am currently taking Anatomy and Physiology II in a five week summer session back to back with AP I in the first five week session. That basically equals one year's worth of work in 10 weeks! My brain is fried. Do you think that the physical aspects ofnursing will be too much for me to start at48 or49? I haveto decide before I use up my life savings to pay for school. I could live on 30-35,000 a year with benefits if I really wanted to.

LPN [2008-10-29]
I am doing the same thing. I was going to check out a school that is basically a Vo-Tech for LPN, but decided to go the college route. I am 38 years old, I have some of my credits for college already, so I am a little ahead of the game. However, I am staying away from the LPN vo-tech school because nothing is transferrable to take to your RN courses. I say get the LPN, get working, and most importantly, get your education paid for through the hospital you work for. Most of them have great scholarship programs.

2 professions [2008-10-08]
Definitely go with the RN. Much more job stability and much better pay. Many hospitals now do 12-hour shifts so you could work 3 days a week and be considered fulltime. If you did 2nd or 3rd shift, you'd still be home with your kids most of the time. My daughter is in an RN program right now and those were some of the things she considered when deciding her major. Also it would be a little tough to off-shore a nurse!

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!

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.

Nursing is very versatile [2008-01-28]
Around here you can get into nursing programs at community colleges that integrate the LPN portion right into the RN portion. There is only one program, but if you want to stop at the LPN level (which is a 1-year diploma), you just stop at the appropriate time. If you want to continue onto RN, you just keep taking classes until you have your second year finished (for the associate's degree in nursing). Of course, you can go get a bachelor's degree in nursing. However, you are still only able to take the RN boards and will be at the same level as an RN as far as legality goes. Some employers place a premium on the bachelor's degree. Some of them require that BSN degree for charge nurse positions (in hospitals, not long-term care) or management. The BSN is designed to prepare one for postgraduate learning. If one wants to be a floor nurse starting IVs, participating in a code, assessing Homans sign, placing NG tubes, charting, etc., go with a 2-year CC. Be forewarned, though, that there is more paperwork (or computer work) than you would ever think possible in work as a nurse. Another thing--I haven't met anyone that likes nursing clinicals, so keep that in mind, too. You will spend a good portion of your nursing school in these clinicals. Nursing clinicals are nothing like actually working. They are valuable for some aspects of nursing care, but you will learn most everything on the job, just like with MT. Good luck!

Nope [2008-01-21]
The math you will learn to use is pretty basic and a lot of schools offer review courses and free tutoring. The most important thing to do is to change your attitude about it. (Not trying to be condescending here!) Also, you will be able to use a calculator to do any of the things that you need to do. Remember, most schools and instructors want you to succeed and they will give you all the tools to do so.

nursing [2007-04-16]
I was working as a CNA 32-hour weeks and going for my RN prereqs Mon through Fri. I too wanted to get my RN as fast as possible for the salary aspect of it as opposed to bridging over from LPN. In retrospect, I wouldn What I observed watching the RNs really surprised me. I saw paperwork taking precedence over patient care and the nurses were becoming madder and madder about it. We CNAs were doing more and more of what nurses used to do while they unhappily sat with the paperwork.We barely made a little more than minimum wage while they got the big bucks. We knew the patients better than they did. The patient load per nurse and CNA was too high because of nursing understaffing. What kept us going was the fantastic feeling you get when you help someone who is suffering. The job has to be done from the heart primarily if you want the best benefit of it. When I saw how frustrated and disillusioned the nurses were because of all the red tape for the slightest thinginstead of patient care, and how they were run ragged because of understaffing,I began to look intotranscription as my main job with CNA on the side because I truly do love hands-on care.On someaccounts, I make more per hour doing transcription than an LPN with a lot less hassle. RN might pay more at first as opposed to transcription, but the burn-out rate is high these days and the constantshift changes can do a real number on you. There-- I think itturning to transcription and she quotes their replieswhen asked why. You might want to check that out.I agree with what they told her. You might also want to try doing CNA for a hospitalbefore you make a major leap.Donyou your information -- get in there and try it youself for a while and see if it is what you want. You may thrive on itor you may hate it. I found that on the jobwas SO different than what I was being told in school.Talk to the nurses themselves. They aremore than happy to share their thoughts with you and give you advice when they have the time. As for the respect factor of LPN to RN -- where I worked the nurses were very supportive of anyone who did this, as that is how many of them became RNs.While there were some power-plays at times, all in all it was like a family. If there was real trouble in that regard, I never saw any. As a matter of fact, I was advised by the nurses to do the LPN first and bridge over because I The only nurses I saw who were not liked and respected were the lazy ones who just wanted to take breaks and leave as much of their patient care as they could to the CNAs. Good luck to you whatever you decide! We sure need more dedicated nurses!

I wonder if you can test for the RN program sm [2007-04-15]
In my state, there are RN programs that I believe allow you to test to see what you If I were you, I would contact that local community college and ask questions. The other thing is you must do clinicals, but I wonder if you could do like part-time transcription and go to school at the same time? I would look into it if I were you. I think you Good luck to you!

No LPN jobs anymore around here [2006-10-09]
I am in the RN program (well taking all my prereqs hoping to be off the waiting list by the time I am done here soon), anyhow I was contemplating doing the 1-year LPN program just to be done while I wait to get into the RN program as I am so sick of typing for a living. Unfortunately, I have found that there are no LPN jobs in my entire metro area. They seem to be hiring MAs in the place of LPNs for lower pay or CNAs for lower pay, and of course an extremely large number of RN positions out there for great pay and benefits. I am no longer thinking of the LPN thing to hold me over, but I was quite surprised of the lack of LPN positions out there. Is anyone else seeing this in their area? The new norm maybe?

the main advantage to being a CNA is if you work at the hospital where you want to be hired later [2006-09-26]
as a nurse. Of course the experience is helpful, not only with patient contact but also learning time management in the hospital environment. But I wouldn't work for less just to be a CNA. At our university (Northern Illinois University), the CNA thing is not required. Also we do not take any tests like the NLN for admission. However, with only 70 students taken out of 1000 applicants and a 100% pass rate for NCLEX, I don't think it's hurting them...

Did you have to take the CNA/SNA course as a [2006-09-21]
I am taking it now, but was wondering if this is going to be a new thing. In my area you cannot be a nurse intern unless you are on the state registry of CNAs (or SNAs depending on where you are I guess). The pay is less than I make doing transcription, but I am wondering if it would look better for me on my resume years down the road once I graduate to maybe make a switch and work as a CNA instead of a Transcriptionist while I finish school? Any input? Thanks in advance.

becoming a pa [2006-08-29]
Not really sure i want to do that and the schools for that are really far from where I live in PA. I would rather do the nursing thing. We are just thinking of jobs that I could do that would provide a second income and that i could work parttime at and still have my family time etc.

You need to check with your school, though, or the [2006-08-25]
I went back to school after THIRTY years, a state university, and every single class I took 30 years ago still counts. The only thing they wanted me to do is retake a math class that I took and got an A in before I went on to the next math class. They thought after 30 years of no algebra I may have trouble going right into the next math class with no preparation, and they are probably right. I don't think you would have to start all over at all. Do you have a nursing school in mind? Talk to them and ask them specifically.

mt-rn [2006-08-04]
Sounds like we are in the same boat, i'm doing the same thing. I did this for the same reasons, no outsourcing, more options for jobs, better salary and hopefully better job satisfaction and stability cassie

the PA program here was 27 months. [2006-08-04]
this is on a full time schedule, with 1-2 weeks off between 8-12 week sessions. It's a master's degree. The Nurse-Practitioner degree, on the other hand, is 5 semesters, with some on line courses, and can be attended full time or part time. It's made for people who work. One thing of note, the NP program has a government grant, if you go at least 9 semester hours and 6 semester hours in the summer, they will pay your tuition for you-- we need more nurses, ya know.

you are smart to do the BSN, if possible [2006-07-15]
it will be the entry level degree into nursing. I understand sometimes people need to get out there and start making bucks but really the BSN is the way to go. I'm in my 3rd semester...it's tough but somehow I'm thriving! btw I'm the one in the class that the instructors ask how to pronounce some words and how to spell others LOL

I have been considering doing the same thing myself! [2006-07-11]
What a good thread! :-) I just wonder about the actual hands-on aspect of it all and how I might cope with that because I have never really been around patients before. It is one thing transcribing it and totally another when the patient is right there and you are in charge of their care. Anyone have any thoughts on this? :-)

MT2RN, I'm back in school full time at 47... [2006-07-11]
I think you will get the hang of studying again as your brain gets adjusted to the frying pan. It IS tough, no doubt about it, but this too shall pass and I think your life will be far more stable and interesting as a nurse than as a medical secretary somewhere. Don't give up! You have a great opportunity in front of you. Just get on the escalator and don't get off.

The only thing . . . [2006-07-10]
I am worried about in making this change is my age. I am currently 43 and I have three to four years to go depending on the waiting list. I never thought I would be looking for a new career at this age, but with the way transcription is going I don't trust it to be around as long as I need it. Also, since my husband died last August, working at home alone is not a good thing. The last few days I have been seriously thinking about bagging school and getting another medical secretary job in house, but I just don't know. I think part of my problem is that I am currently taking Anatomy and Physiology II in a five week summer session back to back with AP I in the first five week session. That basically equals one year's worth of work in 10 weeks! My brain is fried. Do you think that the physical aspects ofnursing will be too much for me to start at48 or49? I haveto decide before I use up my life savings to pay for school. I could live on 30-35,000 a year with benefits if I really wanted to.

Is anybody out there? [2006-07-08]
I am a MTwho recently quit my job at the big MQ due to the downward trend the company had taken since the new Rewards Plan was implemented. I returned to school to pursue a nursing degree and am wondering if anyone out there has done the same thing. It seemed to me that this would be one job that would never be outsourced and where I might be able to use some of the knowledge I had from transcribing to help me through school. It already has helped me in Anatomy and Physiology and I had to a medical terminology course, so of course I got 100% in that one. Just looking for someone in the same boat to commisurate with!