I'm fixing to go into college for nursing... Help?

I am fixing to start college after getting my GED (16 yr.) I began looking into EMS paramedic work, but when I looked into the occupational handbook website, then get half the pay of nurses with more physical work... I'm going to start at a community college, going to enroll and start classes this week. They have a program to get your associates for registered nursing, or pre-nursing, where it would be transfered to a 4 yr. college for a bachlors. I wanted to know how college is for nursing... Different requirements, studing, etc. etc. And how much of a difference it would make getting my bachlors (pay wise)... I've also heard of special area nurses such as trauma, how much extra college is required to become a special area type nurse, and how much difference in pay also... Pretty much any info would help. Thanks

Hi, I'm a ER nurse that travels to assignments. I have been a nurse for 7 yrs and am an associate degree graduate. The pay between a assoc. and a B.S. is comparable, but varies according to region of the nation more than education. The two year degree is great to get and then move onto the bachelors if you choose.
I have worked in trauma centers and rural hospitals. There is no more college requirement between the two. However, you do need to have certifications that you take courses and test for outside of college while you are working. Some hospitals give incentive pay for certifications.
The best thing right now is to plan what you want to do, but keep an open mind. Hang in there and you live through nursing school then pick which area you want to go.

Remember don't sweat the small stuff
Good Luck!

Dear Mr.910, I'm unable to answer your specific question regarding pay rates since my own interests in entering the health field did not take pay-rate into consideration, however, I can only provide some information regarding your last statement when you say, 鈥淧retty much any info would help.鈥? In my own situation I had taken an early interest in the medical profession starting at the age of 5, also started doing volunteer work at an emergency room at 17 and 19, was a premed student in college and was expected to be the so-called 鈥渕edical doctor of the family鈥? but in the end I switched over to nursing because there were too many things within our medical profession that I personally disagreed with. For my own practical reasons I had chosen a Nurses Aide Certificate which was obtainable after a 2-month course, that is, in 2-months time I had graduated the course with my paper in my hand and was able to immediate start doing volunteer work as a Certified Nurses' Aide at local hospitals. Furthermore, I was most interested in doing hands-on work directly with patients while having to do the least amount of paper work. In addition, I did not want to have anything to do with sticking needles or tubes into patients, nor did I want to hand out any medications, therefore, a Nurses' Aide Certificate allowed me the most opportunity to work directly with patients with the least amount of paper work and without partaking in any invasive surgery type of activity, whereas an LPN or RN often needs to spend more time with the paper work which takes away that much more time of doing direct patient work. As I vaguely recall, LPN degrees generally took 2 years while RN degrees generally took 4 years unless one wishes to pursue a doctorate degree in nursing which could perhaps take up another 4 years of schooling. The choice is all yours. Pay-rates aside, what you need is to get ahold of specific college curriculum handbooks at the libraries in order to read and decide which curriculum with their attached degrees best appeals to your liking. Some Nurses' Aides make nearly the same amount of wages as LPN's depending upon the facility, however, if the monies with the least amount of work is your foremost primary objective then perhaps you may wish to consider outside of the health profession, just a suggestion. But just incase if you should happen to go for a Nurses' Aide Certificate, I'd like to tell you that perhaps only a third's worth or so of the Nurses' Aide text book needs to be studied and concentrated on since in the real world it's around a third's worth or so that is used in daily performance rather than the complete information within the Nurses' Aide text book, or in other words, don't let the size of the text book scare you. Also, Nurses' Aide schooling comprised of 2 weeks of classroom, followed by 2 weeks training at a general-care facility, followed by another 2 weeks of classroom, and ended with 2 weeks of training at an acute-care facility.

I don't know your own financial situation or if you might be able to qualify for a grant via Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, but if not, then I highly recommend you request information regarding 鈥淕RANTS鈥?when it comes time to speaking with a college counselor. As an unwritten rule and inside-secret, 鈥淕RANTS鈥?are almost never-ever mentioned when the subject of financial assistance comes up UNLESS THE APPLICANT MENTIONS IT FIRST. If not, then the topic will inevitably regard only financial 鈥淟OANS鈥?of one type or another without 鈥淕RANTS鈥?ever being mentioned by the college counselor UNLESS THE APPLICANT MENTIONS IT FIRST. If an applicant happens to be eligible, then 鈥淕RANTS鈥?are given by folks who don't mind giving money to those who wish to gain a higher education and the money is given free and clear with no strings attached, unlike student loans. All the folks I know of who opted for one reason or another to settle for student loans instead of seeking 鈥淕RANTS鈥?all regretted it afterwards as they all had eventual difficulty in paying off their student loans.

I wish you well, Mr910. And p.s., F.Y.I., during my schooling to obtain my Nurses' Aide Certificate the female-to-male ratio was 21-to-1. Tsark out.

I recently left a 4 year nursing program. In my program (and this is the same with most) there was a 77 minimum passing grade. I got a C- in one of my nursing classes, which would have froze me in the program. So I would've had to take that class over and I couldn't take any higher level nursing courses... meaning I would have to repeat a year. That wasn't in my interest (socially or money-wise) so I left. It's a very difficult program, but very worth it in the end. During school consider studying your #1 priority above anything else. Each year typically is harder than the last.

I'm pretty sure once you graduate the hospital you work at will train you for any specialty you want to get into. In your senior year (at my school) you are able to focus on a specialty (like pediatrics, geriatrics, ...) in your last semester which will help you get a job at wherever.

Hope I didn't scare you with anything. It's a good profession, but a difficult journey. I assure you it's worth it though.