Let Me Recommend...a Nursing Degree

[RBOWMAN]

Okay, here's the scoop. Some 8 yrs. ago I talked my wife into going back and becoming a registered nurse at 50 yrs. of age. She went to Excelsior..completed the course work and proceeded to go from being an LVN to an RN. She then went into nursing mgmt. and became a director of nursing . We have decided to move back to Dallas and she began to interview for dirctor of nursing positions. She received 4 firm job offers in one week and yesterday accepted a position as dir. of nursing at over $90,000.00 a year with insurance totally paid and bonus potential as well. I couldn't be prouder of her and her willingness to go back to school and get all she deserves. The moral to this story is ..the medical field is alive and getting better. Hopefully, all the nursing students out there will take heart, finish up there degrees and enjoy the security of knowing how much in demand you will be.
A proud husband ..who is enjoying his wife's success!!

[anar579]

I couldn't agree more about nursing. It's a career in which you'll never go jobless. The earning potential is extraordinary, and the variety of sub-specialties is endless.

The only problem with a person starting from scratch in nursing is getting into nursing school. Excelsior offers RN and more advanced nursing degrees, but they do not provide clinicals. You'd have to go to a brick-and-mortar school and obtain your LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and get your clinical experience there. Then you can go on to get your RN and further degrees and certifications easily, since you already have the clinical experience required.

There is a shortage or nurses, and in the last few years students have noticed, and have gone into the field in droves. Because of this, there is limited space in many nursing programs; colleges have been unable to keep up. There are even fewer nursing professors; in order to teach you need a masters degree, and teaching jobs pay less than practical jobs, meaning less folks to teach classes.

The local community college here has a huge waiting list of people waiting to get into the RN program, and if your grades on pre-requisites aren't the greatest, you can be on that waiting list forever.... This may not apply to every geographical area, but it's something to look into.

So in short, there are tons of nursing jobs, but not enough spaces in many nursing programs. Jobs... one nurse I work with says he looked into one of the local hospitals for nursing positions, and they had a list that was literally 10 pages long.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, but it's just something to consider if you're interested in this field.

[dhlvrsn]

Some of the nursing programs here are booked through 2010 with accepted applicants. But, as Rob pointed out, opportunities abound once you get there. Slow and steady wins the race?

[spazz]

I agree, my sister became an RN and is going back for her masters and my brother graduated from masters with a hospital adminstration degree and is now right below the CEO, which he will take over in a few years making in the upper 200k. It is all about job demand though, nursing would not be a job I would want just because of the actual work you have to do. But if you can deal with it, the money and security is good. Also a traveling nurse or med tech makes even more money with all expenses paid for, would be a good job for someone young with no attachments.

[anar579]

Originally Posted by spazz

I agree, my sister became an RN and is going back for her masters and my brother graduated from masters with a hospital adminstration degree and is now right below the CEO, which he will take over in a few years making in the upper 200k. It is all about job demand though, nursing would not be a job I would want just because of the actual work you have to do. But if you can deal with it, the money and security is good. Also a traveling nurse or med tech makes even more money with all expenses paid for, would be a good job for someone young with no attachments.

Hands-on nursing is tough, and most nurses get sick of the hospital after a while. I work in a health insurance company, and there are lots of nurses. Nurses can work in office settings using their clinical knowledge. I know of several people who have obtained Bachelor's degrees in Health Administration, and want an RN license to supplement because the clinical aspect makes you so much more marketable.

[spazz]

Originally Posted by anar579

Hands-on nursing is tough, and most nurses get sick of the hospital after a while. I work in a health insurance company, and there are lots of nurses. Nurses can work in office settings using their clinical knowledge. I know of several people who have obtained Bachelor's degrees in Health Administration, and want an RN license to supplement because the clinical aspect makes you so much more marketable.

Yeah I agree, but to become an RN you have to work atleast 2 years doing the so called hands-on nursing. So after you get over that stepping stone you can go back for your masters and hopefully get a management or other position.

I also remember her having to transfer schools because her other school was not accreddited by the nursing association, so she could not take the final nursing exam to become an RN. That is something to watch out for, I remember it caused her a pyramid of problems transfering credits.

[anar579]

Originally Posted by spazz

Yeah I agree, but to become an RN you have to work atleast 2 years doing the so called hands-on nursing. So after you get over that stepping stone you can go back for your masters and hopefully get a management or other position.

I also remember her having to transfer schools because her other school was not accreddited by the nursing association, so she could not take the final nursing exam to become an RN. That is something to watch out for, I remember it caused her a pyramid of problems transfering credits.

Yes this is true, they need to get in a couple of years of hands-on work. But you know, 2 years fly by!

[Urbannaja]

On a mostly unrelated note...I finally scheduled my (hopefully) last exam for this coming monday afternoon. Maternal and Child Nursing...8 upper lvl credits... I hope the book I bought to study is good =) My wife is starting to get annoyed at all the annoying anatomically correct statements/facts about the female body I keep repeating from the book =)...