Brett Said:

Nursing as a career? Where to get a degree from?

We Answered:

Having another language is always a plus.
That you have a degree is not really relevant.
Search your local community colleges for nursing programs and see if they have a "ladder" program--after a year you can be an LVN/LPN. However, with one more year, you can have the RN and that's far more employable.

You MIGHT be able to find a "skills center" sort of offering for an LPN/LVN degree as well. Typically you need to have had certain core courses within a short space of time for them to count towards a nursing degree (or anything in patient care) so this may take you longer than you think.

Rebecca Said:

Funding an accelerated nursing (BSN) degree?

We Answered:

Speak to the financial aid office staff at your school. Also, there are programs that will forgive student loans for nursing programs if you commit to working in an underserved area (for instance, a rural hospital).

Terri Said:

nursing as a career..?

We Answered:

you could go to one of those ITT tech facilities or you could transfer to a university, and get a reallygreat degree in nursing. you could directly apply to the nursing school, University of Washington-Seattle has a really great nursing program, and imsure theyre are dozens of great options in California

Naomi Said:

is it hard to get a nursing job if i earned my BSN degree in the philippines and had a 2 yr experience as CNA?

We Answered:

Different states have different requirements for nurses educated outside the US. You might want to start with the state board of where you will be living and see what they have to say.

Joanne Said:

Male nurse as a second career? 39 year old Graphic Designer...?

We Answered:

The nursing profession is not 95% female, nor are 95% of the applicants female.

In a recent survey of BSN programs it was found that approximately 25% of the students in nursing programs currently are male, and the number of male applicants is increasing every year. There are also not designated slots in any programs that I am aware of for males. A large percentage of applicants to nursing programs are rejected regardless of their gender. In 2005 over 147,000 qualified applicants to nursing programs were rejected, and that number has increased since. You can be certain that if a male applicant was accepted into a program at a lower criteria than females who are rejected there would be lawsuits with that number of applicants.

That aside, the career is growing and there will be a growing demand for nurses for the foreseeable future. As other job areas are losing positions or downsizing, many people are considering career shifts or majoring in nursing. This is augmented by a median US income over $60,000 per year for RNs.

Males are respected in nursing, and maturity is welcomed. Statistics indicate that nurses over 30 years old are better able to handle the stresses which are inherent in health care positions, especially nursing. Males seem to prefer working in high turnover areas, such as the Emergency Departments, OR, Recovery Room, ICU and Cath Lab. If you have a bachelors degree already, there are acclerated BSN programs at approximately 170 schools which allow you to obtain the degree in less than 2 years.The educational process is not, in my opinion, academically dificult, but can be stressful, due to the volume of material and the amount of time required for clinical and other obligations.

The LPN programs are usually around 12-15 months and the income is just over $30,000 per year, so the extra time in school is worthwhile. Also, in many areas, hospitals are phasing the use of LPNs out in favor of a CNA/RN model. A large number of LPN graduates are then found working in Long Term Care Facilities (Nursing Homes) and home health care settings. RNs have a much wider scope of practice, and can work in hospitals and many other settings.

Many men also look into progressing beyond staff nursing with further education in administration, nurse practitioner, anesthesia or clinical nurse specialist specialties.

Nursing is not for everyone, but it can be a very good and satisfying career.

Good luck in the future.