You can take your courses on line, but your actual clinic

You can take your courses on line, but your actual clinic [2007-08-06]
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If you are thinking about LPN . . . [2008-05-27]
Maybe you should think about an associates degree in RN? It is only 1 semester more of schooling than LPN (LPN course 18 months RN course 24 months), and you have a lot more opportunity for RN (as well as a lot more job openings). As an RN you can work hospital, clinic, and nursing home. As an LPN, you are lucky to get anything outside of clinic, thus less work opportunity. I have done a lot of research on these courses, so let me know if you have any questions. Also . . . it may be different per state, but as of right now, the only difference between an associates versus bachelors in nursing is $1/hr pay. Good luck. It is never too late to change your profession.

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.

RN....... [2008-05-10]
You might be able to get some preliminary classes out of the way, but you would definitely have to do your student nursing in an actual hospital and I don't know how they would set that up or oversee your work. My niece is an RN but she is taking classwork for pediatric physician assistant. She is doing coursework online through Vanderbilt University but she has to drive up (several hours one way) once a week to do actual work up there and seminars. It's that actual clinic work that you definitely couldn't do online, so not sure how they would set that up. Check it out.....you never know!!!

HEALTH CARE CAREER [2008-04-15]
If a profession directly concerned with human service magnetizes you, it will be perfect for you to switch on your career in Health Care. Here you not only cultivate your knowledge on medical services but you can also share the same platform with the doctors other medicalexperts. The utility of Health Care in modern world is so urgent that your exertion for Health Care training will never go in vain. To know about Health Care you should run your glance on this article. Healthcare jobs are become the craze for many people. But they had an experience with a doctor, dentist or nurse that went beyond the call of duty and was inspiring in their personal lives. It is not necessary that they should excel in the sciences in school and project themselves to find a career which will allow them to focus on that branch ofknowledge. People in the healthcare field have a common trait: they are passionate to work with and help people. If it suits you, you might be absolutely perfect for health care training and education that pursues your dream of working in a health care profession. One convenient way is to take online classes. By attending the Internet classes, you can receive a quality education at your pace. From a wide variety of healthcare careers, you can choose according to your choice. For example, if you are biassed for a Patient Care Technician. This is a diploma program offered through accredited colleges, and after the training you can perform tasks related to hematology, phlebotomy and urinalysis. Your skills are very necessary to work in a hospital, extended care facility, a nursing home, or to participate in a home health care team.Patients, affected with diseases or injuries can benefit from physical therapy. You may choose to begin a career as a Physical Therapist Assistant. You can assist those sufferings to improve mobility, relieve pain, and restore function to patients under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. You can complete this program in two years and will result in an Associate's degree. If your choice goes for working with people and computers, you have to look into a degree in Health Information Technology. You need your computer skills to work in compiling and managing health information databases. People in this career can engage into the work in a wide variety of venues, including hospitals, insurance and managed careorganizations, and more.A related health care career can be fit if you are animal-lover. Youmay opt a career path as a Veterinary Technician. You will work under a Veterinarian's supervision to perform medical tests, treat and diagnose medical conditions in animals. You need an extensive training on anatomy and physiology of domestic animals, animal nutrition, animal nursing and large animal care, diagnostic imaging, and training in common labprocedures.There are a wide number of choices in health care for which training is available. Utilizing the ease and convenience of online courses from accredited colleges and universities has never been easier. With best regards Linda

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.

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.

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.

Don't know if this helps... [2007-11-20]
I believe Kaplan onlyoffers Associates RN to residents in Florida (presumably for clinicals???). However, just yesterday I checked with my local community college and they are offering an online RN program! Clinicals are1 or 2days a week at a local hospital. The rest of the classes, however, are online. Perhaps your local college is offering that as well? The only obstacle I can see is that they require previous direct patient care. Oh, I asked and MT is not considered direct patient care...dang! I'm going to see if they will accept volunteer patient care (most hospitals/hospice will let you volunteer). Sorry, this doesn I With nursing, though, the opportunities seem endless. PS. I also checked into Excelsior online to CLEP some college courses in order to be able to apply for nursing school by their March deadline. If I had taken a whole semester, I would have had to wait for my grade in May and not apply again till September. Turns out, the local college allows you to CLEP at the school for only $60. Hope this makes sense! Good luck!

I have been considering nursing also. [2007-11-15]
Graduated from high school then a 10 month medical transcription program with no other college. Do you have any college? Is the Kaplan Nursing School you mentioned the online school? Why did you buy entrance exam books? Will Kaplan take you from start to finish for an R.N. with no other college courses? Sorry about all the questions. So curious. I really feel like I could have a leg up on other students as well with my 18 years of anatomy, physiology and terminology. Just trying to work up the courage and find a way to get it down while still working.

nursing vs MT [2007-09-30]
I would say that fiancial reasons are a good one to consider a career change. I hate when people get high and mighty and say people should not consider RN for the salary. Look when you make cents per line for years and make less and less each year a decent RN salary looks pretty darn good. However, I do understand you have to have an appitude and ability to handle patient care. But with the MT job market such as it is is it no wonder people are looking for other fields. Itfields, particularly ones that cannot be outsourced overseas - such as RN or any other hands on type of career. I think that salary is a motivating factor - an enticer, but people should research and go into the field of nursing with eyes openand know that you will be doing more than just collecting a paycheck. If you think you can handle what is entailed in nursing, nursing school, etc go for it. I am taking my prerequistes right now. As a single Mom the salary is a big factor but I also am quite aware of what I am facing and have a true desire to help people and not just in it for the money. I also am in it for the job security. With over 10 years as an MT I have had too many jobs go overseas or watched the line rate get less and less with each passing year. There is no security in this field. I too enjoy transcribing. I like my job - but the field doesn't like MTs back and the hospitals all outsource and most services are just interested in their bottom line. It's just time to get out.

older but wiser [2007-08-13]
I am in my mid 40s and have completed all my prerequisites for the nursing program at my local community college. Now I am just sitting on a waiting list. I was a litte nervous about making such a huge leap at this point in my life, but I feel my future as a MT is limited. I am doing the same work I have always done and yet each year I make less money. I figure once you have that RN behind your name there will be a great many opportunities available. Most people do not think beyond working on a hospital floor, but there are other options out there which I think may be more suited to my aging body! Bottom line for me is if I have to work 15 years or more, I want to be doing something that fulfills me and allows me to support myself, and MT no longer does this. Good luck in your future whatever you decide.

old hag looking into nursing [2007-08-12]
I am another. Although donold hag tag. I am 39, soon to be 40. I have 3 more classes of prerequistes and then on to the nursing program. while I have some reservations about transferring to patient care after being in profession with no patient care contact such as MT. However, I feel confident Nursing has a much better future than MT and I am willing and dedicated to making this career change work for me even though there will be obvious adjustments and lots of hard work required. I too worked as an MT as a single mom for the past 9 years. I too am tired of working for pennies. When I started out as MT I could make 14-16 dollars an hour as a newbie. I did start at 10 per hour as a trainee but after trainining I made the above-mentioned, which wasn yet QA nitpicking you to death on dictators the best Transcriptionist would struggle with. You are lucky to make a decent livable wage. While nursing has it's on unique challenges and I am sure problems, at least you are considered a professional and paid accordingly - not peanuts or by the line... I would encourage single to continue into nursing.

nursing [2007-07-16]
NO, but I am in my mid 30s and considering it. My sister is a nurse and they way I look at we both have many years before retirement. I was looking at taking a bunch of online courses.

Thanks mting. sm [2007-07-16]
I'm planning to take some nursing preparatory courses too. If you don't mind, mting- please give me a link to the online school of your choice. I wish you the best on your new career.

Research [2007-07-16]
I have done a lot of research on other careers. I'm in my mid 40s. How much time are you willing to put in? What hourly wage to you need to replace? To become an RN may take you 3 or 4 years, depending on whether you have had prerequisites such as chemistry before. Since you have been out of college for a while, you'll have to take a math prerequisites, and possibly other classes. That's why even an associate RN degree can take so long. What department do you see yourself working in? Are you prepared for the long hours, short staffing and call of hospital work? Or do you want to work in an office where you could have actual weekends and holidays off? If you want to work in the operating room, many hospitals are using surgical techs. You may find a 1- or 2- year course for that with fewer prerequisites. They don't use as many RNs there anymore in some places. Do you want to work in labor and delivery? Some places are using RNs and surgical techs there too. As a surgical tech, you can make $20 and more right out of school if you are certified. If you want a pleasant office job, many offices now use medical assistants. The money isn't like what an RN makes, but it might compare with what you make now, with very pleasant work and weekends and holidays off. If your MD likes you he/she is going to reward you to keep you IMO. There are many other allied health positions to consider. And if you really want the RN pay without the weekends and call, consider becoming a dental hygienist. Great pay. I've looked into vet tech, but the pay is very low for what looks like a very challenging education.

Graduate Nurse [2007-05-14]
Hi! I just finished the RN program at the local community college, and I I am 41 years old, am married, and have two children. I worked full time and part time as an MT during the past three years (my employer has been very flexible with me...probably because I have worked for them for about seven years). Be careful about thinking you can transfer your AP courses. At the institution I attended, they required that you take anatomy and physiology I and II again if you took them longer than five years ago. You really want to have all your prerequesites out of the way before you start your nursing classes. That I already had almost all of them done, but I had to take the AP classes, microbiology, a speech class, and this Choices for Life course. My parents were VERY supportive, and my husband did the best he could. During clinicals, we had to actually be at the facility ready to go at 6:30 a.m. Let me know if you have any questions.

If you're doing this for a better salary.......sm [2007-05-08]
please direct your efforts in another direction. Nursing is not a field to get into just for the money. You have to want to be a caretaker, or you will be miserable inside of 2 months of taking the boards. I transcribed my way through nursing school. I had wanted to be a nurse for my whole life but fell into transcription and it was a good job for many years. When transcription started going bed, I took the opportunity and ran with it. Many in my RN class (including me) took the LPN exam after 3 semesters, then worked as LPNs while we finished the RN courses. This may vary state to state, but where I live you can do this. You can get a Baylor shift job at a nursing home (work 24 hrs per weekend, two 12 hour shifts, and get paid for 36 hrs) and this really helps -- both with expenses and with clinical experience -- as you continue with your schooling.. Good luck -- just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons.

just saw your post... [2007-05-04]
I just started back to school to become an RN. I also have an associates degree from years ago. I am taking all the pre-reqs now and will apply to the program in Sept. I am going to get my associates degree (again), but after you work for a year as an RN, you can return to get your bachelors on line. I am in New England and an RN starting right out of school starts in $20s. If you do not like the fast pace of a hospital or getting lost in paper work, you can always work in a clinic. I Hope you are too! Good luck.

Need advice on becoming RN [2007-04-15]
I am currently an MT who made $300 last week typing my butt off. I am seriously thinking about going to school to become an RN. My cousin got a job right out of school making $18/hr. As much as I love this job, I am tired of typing for peanuts. This company I am working for hired me 2 years ago and started me at 7.5 cpl. They just told me they would raise me to .08 cpl in 6 weeks if my accounts are all maintained within TAT. Thanks for the $20 more in my paycheck. That Enough of my griping. I just need to get different opinions on this. I understand it can take a litte longer getting into the actual program after your prerequisites are done, but my sister is going through our local community college and said I should do my LPN first, work until I get into the RN program. I really do not want to go through 10 months of schooling for one license and then have to do more later on. I Do I have a better chance of getting into the RN program if I was to be an LPN? I would like to hear as many opinions and advice on this as possible. Thanks!

I hate the idea of it taking 5 years to get an RN-AD degree [2006-11-19]
We have a huge wait list around here, looking at an approximate 2-3 year wait list to get into the RN-AD program (associate degree), and there is a wait as well for the BSN programs. Granted, we can get our general education courses and prerequisites out of the way in that wait timeframe to have a ligher load once we get into the program, but it seems crazy for it to take 5 years to get a 2 year degree. Is anyone else having these problems where they are at? There seems to be such a shortage of instructors to teach the programs, as well as a high number of people trying to get into the program competing for spots. I know, it will be worth it in the end right. :)

Thinking about becoming a nurse [2006-08-25]
I have done medical transcription. I have a Bachelor's in PreMed but never went to med school. I have a one year old and am pg again. I am hoping to work from home but I keep hearing how hard it is to get into the transcriptions business. What I would like to know is since I have all the gen ed/ and most of the required courses that nurses need to take would I be able to go to school and just do the nursing classes and the clinical aspect of the programs. Also I have heard that there is such a shortage of nurses in some places that they will pay for you schooling. Is this true? Where would I find that information? I am 32 and don't know if I want to put us more in debt by returning to school!

nursing [2006-08-25]
Good luck on nursing school if that is what you choose. Most science courses are only good for 5 years and then you have to retake them. It would be up whatever school of nursing you apply to if your credits will transfer. Me, I'm going from RN to MT and glad of it. lp

nursing [2006-08-25]
There are some online courses but unless you are an LPM and have actual experience it doesn't work too well. It seems like it's hard to get into MT work also.

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.

I originally was going to go for PA but [2006-07-29]
the school I would have attend is a 1.5 hour drive. The program is 27 months straight (with a few weeks off between sessions). I still have a 5th grader and a high school freshman and just couldn't see maintaining that kind of schedule and keeping my family together. The University where I am getting my BSN is 30 min away and has the NP program, with evening classes, on line classes and even part time. It's generally set up for people already working. Once I took a look at the job postings and saw a lot of them were for PA/NP, then I felt comfortable with taking that route. Good luck with your schooling! I've seen orthopedic PA's make $100,000 and that was 10 years ago. Of course, it helps if you are a 25 year old male - because they will work your butt off LOL