I need information on nursing school...i want to go back to college but im 31 and dont know how to begin again

I went to college for a year after high school but now at 31 and with 3 kids and a husband im not sure which way to go first. If anyone can help me i would greatly appreciate it!

I'm a BSN/RN and didn't go back to school until my 40's. There were two women in my class in their late 50's who had never taken a single college course. Older students bring a great deal of maturity and life experience that is appreciated by their patients and employers.

For some actual FACTS:
1) The US Dept of Labor listed the median salary of RN's in 2002 at $49,840. If any janitors out there are making that kind of salary, congratulations! (patois must not be an RN).
2) By the year 2020, the nursing shortage in the US will reach 800,000. I don't think finding a job will be a problem, lol.

Regarding nursing school - not sure how much time you have to devote to your education. You can get an LPN in a year in many states, and some hospitals will assist you with tuition reimbursement to complete the RN after you are employed. IF you have the time, I would suggest going for the BSN/RN simply because the majority of nurses working now will be retiring within the next 10 years and many believe that hospitals will then prefer to hire those nurses with a baccalaureate degree. As others have said, check with your local community college or nearest university. They will give you specifics for your area.

Lastly, I know of no other field with such a bright future and so many opportunities: hospitals, specialty clinics, doctors' offices, home health, school nurses and dozens of areas in which to specialize should you so desire. YOU GO GIRL! All of us who have gone before you are cheering you on :-) Nursing is a wonderful field and you come home every day knowing you made a difference! Good luck to you!

Concise with a link. Good job.
:-D Report It

I recommend starting out at a Community College. Talk to a career counselor. This is something that I would like to do also. Good luck.

I would go to a community college first and take one or maybe two classes, get your feet wet.

Take a math class and/or an English class. You will probably need them for nursing anyways. It is a great way to get started and you don't have to be away from home too much.

P.S. A friend of mine in California went back for nursing at 45 years of age. California needs nurses and they have big incentives for new nurses (for example student loan paybacks for each year of service). A counselor can help on programs like that.

Go to your local community college and gather as much information as you can. Talk to one of the counselors there, they will be able to advise you as to what classes you need to take to help you prepare for nursing school.

You can also get information about universities that have a nursing program.

I did the exact same thing at 40! But, trust me, nursing isn't a good career anymore. Go back to school and become a junior high school level math teacher. The pay for math teachers is going to become excellent. Nursing pay is lower that janitorial services and is going to get worse.

I agree with mybluemax1. Community college is a great place to start. They have less expensive classes, and wonderful hours. Also talking with a counselor is a great idea. but just some heads up first: find your high school transcript and your college transcript. If you don't have 'em, go back to the schools and request one. (I worked in a high school office for a summer and all I did was rearrange transcripts back from 1970's to current)

Look into some local nursing programs at colleges in your area. Call the nursing departments and schedule an appointment with an advisor. They will be able to answer all your questions and help you decide a plan of action. Start slow and with classes at community colleges. Those classes are a good prep for the hard-core science classes that you will encounter down the road. Community college classes will help you to get back into the groove of studying with more personal attention from teachers. Don't be intimidated! Nursing programs are always full of non-traditional students going back to school after children and for career changes. It's a great field! GO FOR IT!!!!