Nurses, Student Nurses, CNAs, Med Techs? Resource area.

Hey all thought I would throw this out there.
I am currently working to become a nurse.

I already have my CNA, and I am working to become a RN

I am 48 years old and I have been at it now for a year and a half.
I am knocking out prereqs for the nursing program here in AZ.

There is quite a long wait to get into the program here also. almost 2 years. It is a first apply, first served.

This is quite a journey thus far and thought if there are fellow students, in the nursing, medical arena we might share experience, information and what not.

I find that in the nursing community it is pretty tight lipped to get info, not sure why, but nobody gives out too much.

Oh well, for what it is.

Share if you will.

I am looking for information of scholarships for returning to school males...
Have a great week.

 

Scholarships from highschool and student loans got me through college.

Locally we are finding more applicants to LPN school to get into the field then further on to RN because of the long wait.

What other info you looking for?

 

Well I've been a nurse for a couple years, and I hate to say it but student loans will get you through school. However apply for everything because you never know what you are going to get. I would look for the "Workforce Investment Act". I had that throughout college, but it still wasn't enough to cover everything. Thus that's why I have student loans still.

So what is this tight knit group you speak of?

 

Yeah I kicked around the LPN, but nothing more then a glorified CNA in my estimation and perhaps more RN grunt without the pay. At least as a CNA I know that I am a grunt, but happy with my gruntiness... LOL

I personally am looking for grants and free money for vets, males, older folks returning to school.

And I wanted to see who else is out there, as crazy as I and perhaps give them support while they go through this trying, busy, crazy time.

Have a great day!

 

Well Hank, I have noticed that finding out information or requesting through Nursing schools and their administration as well as instructors is a tough go.

Answers tend to be one sentence with absolutely no detail.

When meeting face to face, visits are less then interactive and almost seem to sway one away, as well as being very matter of fact.

Perhaps it is my positive bubbly attitude, I don't know.

One has to do ALOT of leg and web work to find answers. And I am speaking of easy stuff.

And some nurses Ihave spoken with FEMALES, note that there are nurses that are like that. And ifyou are a man, it can be a tad, how should I say, tough.

Whatever. I will go into great detail on another post but...

I am excited, and want to get the most band, and most info I can.

 

Well you are correct on the LPN. I would not ever do that because by 2014 their will be ZERO LPN schools. And all the masters programs for NP CRNA etc... will be a doctorate mandatory. So for people that want to further their education have to be completed by 2014.

Now as far as getting information about the Nursing field in general could be kind of hard to get, I guess. I didn't have any trouble looking up info. Just go to your state board of nursing and start looking around. There are tons of links, articles, what to expect, specialized fields, etc... =f you like emergency, go to the ENA website, Critical Care CCRN website, etc...
As far as the "female" aspect I can say that their are more and more males in the field than you think. Over half my class were males and that was in 07.
You have any specific questions that I might could help with?

 

Same boat you were in 16 years ago. If you want to talk, let me know! I am an RN. Started from the bottom up. Was the only male in my class at CSU Chico. It was hell! Talk about discrimination....was so bad they put a pool on when I would get fed up and drop... I unded up showing them all wrong.

 

Once you graduate and get some experience, get yourself into some sort of critical care area. I did my first year on a telemetry floor and was nothing more than a pill pusher with 6-8 patients. Life is so much better in the ICU.

 

Awesome...
life is funny the way it turns at times in the world of men and women...

 

Yeah if I have my dream, ICU, ER, or Trauma. I used to work on a flight deck as a plane captain, so if that says anything. I like the excitement.

 

Awesome man. I've worked trauma ER since I graduated. You won't be dissappointed. Also something to look into, some hospitals have a critical care float unit. The ones I have heard of you can work in the ER, SICU, MICU, NICU, and PACU. Just a thought.
You should also look into flight nursing.

 

My wife and I work at Scottsdale Health Care Shea. She is a CNA as well but graduates May 12th with her RN. I myself am an Instruments Tech for the OR. My wife will be enrolling with Grand Canyon University to get her BSN soon...its become a requirement at SHC to have a minimum of a BSN to be a nurse there. I think thats great, we're already a Magnet Status Hospital and I think this will definitely improve our quality of care...anyway, cheers guys!

 

That is the dream job...
Flight nurse. Having been in a fighter squadron in the navy, I have dreamed about being a flight anything...

 

would love to go for the bsn but that will have to happen later if at all.
I have to get into the program first and most school have a long wait...

I am almost 50 not that that has anything to do with it, but my wife isn't keen on pulling all the working weight. We have kids and all so the dynamic is time constraints and schools, but I am not at all feeling bad. I just would love the opportunity to get going.

CNA has started my career, but school takes a lot...

I envy you guys.

 

Boo. Flight staff get a patient who's been packaged, stabilized and pretty much taken care of by the ground teams.

Flying would be fun, but you don't get to do as much as the medics on the ground. We've probably already done it all already.

 

That's not actually 100% true.

Yes say about 60% are either transfers (hospital to hospital) or ground has stabilized, but you still must keep them alive. Not evverything always stays that way. Not saying you don't know that since you look like EMT.

You get a mess from the scene and that can keep the crew super busy. I've seen some super sick folks come in that are busted up.

You also have fixed wing flight nursing. Say if you in the Navy or Army they do more of that I believe. We had a group come from South America because they were on a mission trip. They had a dump truck full of rocks fall on them while they were riding in a bed of a truck.The flight crew had been in 6 different countries in the past week. Kinda cool stuff. So their are multiple possiblities for flying.

 

True enough. I just prefer to be in the thick of it, instead of landing, take a patient and take off again.

I may look like an EMT, but don't let that fool you.

PS - Please don't tell my work.

 

Haha nice 1

 

I would like ER for my first choice...

 

Check out allnurses.com. This website helped me a lot while going through nursing school.