Can I go to a University without going to a community college first and transferring in...?

Until recently I have had no desire to go to college. After graduating in 2001 I feel into accounting, which was fine but not necessarily what I wanted to do as a career. I've recently become interested in the Nursing field for several reasons and have decided that it is the right time for me to begin my education. I have absolutely no idea what steps I need to take and would love any advice that you all have. I am married and need to make some money in order for us to meet our monthly expenses. I don't know if I should peruse a nursing degree through a community college, university, University of Phoenix, other nursing school.
Thank you!

Your best bet would be to go through a university or nursing school. You can get in, regardless of whether or not you have any college under your belt. (I had first-time college students in my university who were MUCH older than you are!)

To be honest, most employers I know discard University of Phoenix applications immediately.

Going to community college first will make your college experience MUCH cheaper, but is not necessary. If you decide to go this route, make absolutely sure with the university that the credits you take will transfer.

Good luck!

since you've never attended college, i would saytake the required classes like english and math through community college and then once you get those out of the way go to a university where you only have to take the classes you need for a nursing degree. You'll have more time on your hands because you don't have a ton of classes and you'd be able to hold down a job. Not a whole lot of places hire people who take classes from University of Phoenix because they only have one class per week and they don't get a lot of skills. My advice is community college and then a regular university

Technically you can be admitted directly to a University assuming your high school transcripts are in order. However now that you're married and have a tight budget, I'd recommend starting with a Community College. Community Colleges are usually very inexpensive and admission standards are minimal. It will also give you the opportunity to study nursing and find out if indeed it's the career for you without going into debt in the process.

You can become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) with only an Associates Degree from a community college, but if you aspire to more advanced job opportunities down the road, it would definitely be to your benefit to work toward a Bachelor's Degree from a four-year school en route to becoming a Registered Nurse (RN).

Since you've been out of high school for several years, it will most likely be easier for you to be accepted to a four-year school with the background you will have obtained at a Community College.

Whatever you decide, good luck and congratulations on your decision to further your education.