Re: Nursing school

[EvanMaddieMouse]

I had the majority of my prereqs when I decided to go to nursing school. I had to take Anatomy & Physiology (I took the cadaver class!), nutrition (cake), and Pathogenic Microbiology, which I thought was the most fun class ever, but then I'm kind of a nerd.

I started my nursing classes in October---my community college started 4 classes, in August, October, January, and March. So I was taking Micro for 8 weeks along with the first 8 weeks of nursing---definitely NOT recommended! I was also waitressing and had a 2 1/2 year old DS and a semi-absentee husband, so it was rough, but I made it work.

Your husband may have a better chance of getting in to nursing school, simply because he's a man, it's "unconventional" (still!) so for the whole diversity-in-nursing thing, that alone might help him. Have you looked into financial aid at his school? At mine, they had programs for "Single Mother/Displaced Homemaker/(something but it had to do with a man going into nursing, or a woman going into a "male-dominated" field)

That might be worth asking, it would ease the worry a bit about finances. After his first Med/Surg rotation, he should be eligible for a Nurse Intern/Nurse Tech type job. In Michigan in early 2000s, pay started at $14/hr. If he can swing a hospital job financially, I'd say absolutely go for it. The experience will make classes easier, things will make sense since he's seen it, and then class experience will help on the job.

Tell him best of luck and welcome to nursing!

 

[TinkerbellRN]

Hubby knows he will be expected to do heavy lifting, more difficult at times jobs. He's told me that's partly the reason male nurses are so needed.

all nurses do heavy lifting at all times. i am 5'3'' and have never asked one of the male nurses i work with to help me lift or move a patient just because they are male-- make sure he doesn't get taken advantage of!

He should be prepared to face a land slide of predigest from female Nurses. They try to bring sexual harassment charges. They will resent him in ever way there is. They claim anger issues.

Dh has had the hardest 25 years imaginable. Because in most work situations he is the only male. And the females can't cope with a man doing their job. It truly has sucked for him. He wants out but can't find anything that pays as much.

Also be prepared to never make much money. Teachers in our area make more money than he does. And you know how everyone says that they don't get paid much. Raises are really slow. Especially if he isn't in a union. The raises he gets will never match the cost of living.

Don't ever get a credit card, or a new car, or a new house you won't be able to afford the interest payments.

I would suggest not being a nurse but to go to radiology, respiratory or phlebotomy, or specialize in some kind of lab work. Or become a Dr.s P.A.

Good luck!! you will need all you can get!! Others will nay say what I have told you.
But I really truly speak the truth.

wow. this post is so full of generalizations. in 6 years i have never encountered any of the "anger issues" or sexual harrassment against male nurses. the only problem i've ever seen is when they try to act like some big deal because they're male-- which quickly gets nipped in the bud.

your husband has had the hardest 25 years imaginable because of his career choice. not because of his gender. nursing is horrible sometimes. i've watched 3 kids die this week because of things that could have been prevented with a little common sense. THAT is horrible. It is just as horrible for me as it is for any of my male co-workers. And as far as females not being able to cope with a male doing their job? It has been my experiance that NURSES have a hard time letting ANYONE do their job, if it is different than we do it ourselves. If I have a coworker, male or female, helping me out with something, and they tape up their IV's differently than I do, for example, you can bet that as soon as I get time later in my shift that IV will be retaped to how I like it done. Nurses OWN that room that they are in. That is MY room, MY patient, MY IV. And we dont' like other people touching our stuff. So maybe that is what your husband is dealing with, and projecting it out to be gender issues.


As far as compensation for work performed-- there is no money in the world that can match what we do. How much money is is worth to have someone save your mother/father/son/daughter? exactly. But as far as wage/salary goes-- yes, nurses have it pretty good. and on top of that, it's the job security. I can go anywhere, at any time, and since i have that license I have job security. I know, particularly in my area, it is so over saturated with teachers that even if they do make more money, you have to find a place to hire you first. So as far as that goes-- there's always going to be something that you can make more money at. Always. But healthcare workers have it pretty good in that respect.

perhaps other will nay say what I have told you. but these are MY truths.

I would definitly go for the Bachelors... higher pay bracket.

Best of luck!

higher pay bracket if 15 years down the road you want to go into management. I have worked in 4 MAJOR hospitals and 1 smaller hospital and the biggest difference in pay i've seen is 10 cents for staff nursing.


best of luck to your husband. if he is going into this for the right reasons, and it sounds like he is, he will be successful. he will not love it every day, you will not love it every day, especially with the rotating shifts and weekends and holidays, but it's worth it. at least IMHO.

 

[FirstTimertoDiz]

I have really been enjoying this thread, and it is perfect timing for me because I have just started looking at the possibility of going to back to nursing school. I have a BS that I completed 10 years ago (Yikes! Has it really been that long?!?!) in athletic training, so I am hoping that a lot of my classes will transfer. I am waiting for transcripts to check on that, so hopefully I will know sometime this week.

I love athletic training, but I have had to give up working at a high school because I never saw my family. I am working now at a running store doing biomechanical gait analysis for people on treadmills. My current job location is possibly moving further away soon though; making the commute from 30 min to about 50 minutes each way. That is why I have started to look at other options, and nursing seems like it may be a great fit for me!

I think the only pre-req that I would need to take is micro, and the thought of going back to school now is admittedly daunting! I talked to a friend of mine who is a nurse, and she suggested that I take a cna class and then I work as a cna during nursing school, as I will need some type of income for my family even during school.

The whole process is a little overwhelming to me after so many years of being out of school, but I am really starting to feel like it could be a great investment into not only my future, but for the rest of my family as well!

Thanks to everyone for all the input here on this thread!

PS- To the op, I can only hope that my dh will be as supportive of me in this endeavor as you are with your dh! That is awesome!

 

[Princess Amy Lyn]

A question for all you nursing students...

My third son is graduating from high school this week. He is dual-enrolled in our community college for some of his classes. He thinks he wants to go the nursing route but in order to apply to the nursing program in July of 2009 (instead of December 2009) he would need to take Biology and Lab this summer. That is a one month summer class. I just don't see how a person could go through one of those big biology books and do the labs (biology 4 mornings a week, lab 4 afternoons a week) plus spend every waking moment doing the homework and do it all SUCCESSFULLY. Have any of you had experience with this? Would you recommend not taking a class like this during a one-month summer school class? Or do you think he could do it and then start working on his other pre-reqs in the fall? He already has both his Englishes and his math out of the way through the dual-enrollment program.

Thanks!
Belle5

I took a full year of Biology in the summer before I went to nursing school. For me it was fine. However, I had already had a BA from college. So I had a lot of experience in college. I found that it was nice just concentrating on one subject in a small amount of time, instead of 5 in a few months. If you are a slow learner it would be hard...it is a lot of information. But, if he is a good student it should not be a problem. I still had time for other things too!



As far as male nurses goes...when I was in nursing school there were quite a few in my class. Most did not have any trouble....I can just remember that in the L&D they did not get much experience because the patients had to be told that we were student nurses...and they could say if they did not want us there...most of them would say no to male nurses. But, in my experience...in the ped's rotation...the little kids loved the male nurses. Playing games with them...it was so sweet! The ER is a good place for male nurses...its fast paced...they don't usually get assigned the heavy patients. The other good places are ped's and the NICU.

 

[dolce]

A question for all you nursing students...

My third son is graduating from high school this week. He is dual-enrolled in our community college for some of his classes. He thinks he wants to go the nursing route but in order to apply to the nursing program in July of 2009 (instead of December 2009) he would need to take Biology and Lab this summer. That is a one month summer class. I just don't see how a person could go through one of those big biology books and do the labs (biology 4 mornings a week, lab 4 afternoons a week) plus spend every waking moment doing the homework and do it all SUCCESSFULLY. Have any of you had experience with this? Would you recommend not taking a class like this during a one-month summer school class? Or do you think he could do it and then start working on his other pre-reqs in the fall? He already has both his Englishes and his math out of the way through the dual-enrollment program.

Thanks!

Belle5

im taking my last biology this this summer (microbiology), but i am taking the "longer" summer which is 2 months. anatomy 1 and 2 are not easy, its alot of information and i would never attempt to do it in a month. Nursing program i am applying for is very competitive and based on grades, so if that is the same case with your son, then i would try to make that A the first try.

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

I do wish him the best. Nursing is (like other occupations) a tough career at times but also very rewarding (even though it can be frustrating too!) As long as he enjoys it, he should be happy with his career choice.

It's also great that you are so supportive and looking out for him!

Thank you! I'm sure we'll both get frustrated at times but I'm just glad he's finally doing what he's always wanted to do!

I'm sorry I didn't read through every one of these posts...actually I NEED to get off this computer to go study for my Stats final!!! I too am soooo anxiously awaiting news from a NS I applied to. I'm in Stats and AP II now, and have Micro, Biomedical Ethics and Intro to Nursing left before I'm finished with my pre-req's. Of course that's if I pass Stats! Having problems..not my strongest area! I'm trying to get into NS for Jan 09. I work and have an almost 4 yr old DS (May 8), so it's tuff sometimes. Like now for instance. We had a party for him yesterday and told him we were taking him to WDW so now of course all I want to do is plan since we can finally talk about it in front of him now! I have a final tomorrow, a final Thurs, and a final next Tues. Can't wait til it's all over. No summer classes for now but if I'm lucky enough to get an interview for NS and I'm accepted than I will most likely have to take Intro over the summer. Although I'm thinking it's not going to happen since it's so close. I would have to get the interview and find out I was accepted in a matter of a month and I don't think it works that way. If I don't hear anything about an interview by next week I'm going to call. NET scores were good, GPA isn't bad, and most of my classes are finished so I can't imagine what would hold me back now. Oh and by the way to comment about a previous post, the men at (hopefully) my future NS apparently get the royal treatment! I know one personally that is going there now and at work I've heard many comments about how men get treated much better in NS than women. They don't get hounded as often and are handled with kid gloves. Obviously I don't know from experience but we actually just had this exact conversation a few weeks ago at work. Sorry for being long-winded, tell your DH good luck, I'm sure he'll be fine. Sounds like he has a very supportive DW!!!

Welcome! Don't be concerned about talking too much, as hubby says I could talk someone's ears off! Good luck with finals, they can be intense. And good luck with micro, it was hubby's toughest bio.(he loved both anats, micro was just loaded with content.) I think people who go to school and raise children deserve medals! Our 2 boys are certainly reliant on their dad and he's a very doting daddy! I have a friend who is taking classes, working 2 jobs and practically raising her children by herself. It certainly is not for the faint of heart! Congrats about the WDW trip though! I keep trying to figure out a way to finance a trip without breaking the bank but I'm trying to be responsible and remember it will be tight for a few years. Although I did tell hubby once he graduated we were getting aps! Good luck with NS. Hope you get accepted!

A question for all you nursing students...

My third son is graduating from high school this week. He is dual-enrolled in our community college for some of his classes. He thinks he wants to go the nursing route but in order to apply to the nursing program in July of 2009 (instead of December 2009) he would need to take Biology and Lab this summer. That is a one month summer class. I just don't see how a person could go through one of those big biology books and do the labs (biology 4 mornings a week, lab 4 afternoons a week) plus spend every waking moment doing the homework and do it all SUCCESSFULLY. Have any of you had experience with this? Would you recommend not taking a class like this during a one-month summer school class? Or do you think he could do it and then start working on his other pre-reqs in the fall? He already has both his Englishes and his math out of the way through the dual-enrollment program.

Thanks!

Belle5

Good luck to your son! I don't know the answer to that but I'm sure someone here can share their experience with you!

I had the majority of my prereqs when I decided to go to nursing school. I had to take Anatomy & Physiology (I took the cadaver class!), nutrition (cake), and Pathogenic Microbiology, which I thought was the most fun class ever, but then I'm kind of a nerd.

I started my nursing classes in October---my community college started 4 classes, in August, October, January, and March. So I was taking Micro for 8 weeks along with the first 8 weeks of nursing---definitely NOT recommended! I was also waitressing and had a 2 1/2 year old DS and a semi-absentee husband, so it was rough, but I made it work.

Your husband may have a better chance of getting in to nursing school, simply because he's a man, it's "unconventional" (still!) so for the whole diversity-in-nursing thing, that alone might help him. Have you looked into financial aid at his school? At mine, they had programs for "Single Mother/Displaced Homemaker/(something but it had to do with a man going into nursing, or a woman going into a "male-dominated" field)

That might be worth asking, it would ease the worry a bit about finances. After his first Med/Surg rotation, he should be eligible for a Nurse Intern/Nurse Tech type job. In Michigan in early 2000s, pay started at $14/hr. If he can swing a hospital job financially, I'd say absolutely go for it. The experience will make classes easier, things will make sense since he's seen it, and then class experience will help on the job.

Tell him best of luck and welcome to nursing!

Welcome! Wow! Micro with nursing courses! Talk about tough! Hubby's favorite classes were the anats and micro has turned him into a total germophobe.(he was bad enough already.... ) He now goes around reading the ingredients for household cleaners to see which germs they kill! Thanks for the info about financial aid. I will tell him to check it out. We need all the help we can get. He definitely would prefer a part time hospital job to anything else and I'm hoping he can get one. Good luck with everything!

all nurses do heavy lifting at all times. i am 5'3'' and have never asked one of the male nurses i work with to help me lift or move a patient just because they are male-- make sure he doesn't get taken advantage of!



wow. this post is so full of generalizations. in 6 years i have never encountered any of the "anger issues" or sexual harrassment against male nurses. the only problem i've ever seen is when they try to act like some big deal because they're male-- which quickly gets nipped in the bud.

your husband has had the hardest 25 years imaginable because of his career choice. not because of his gender. nursing is horrible sometimes. i've watched 3 kids die this week because of things that could have been prevented with a little common sense. THAT is horrible. It is just as horrible for me as it is for any of my male co-workers. And as far as females not being able to cope with a male doing their job? It has been my experiance that NURSES have a hard time letting ANYONE do their job, if it is different than we do it ourselves. If I have a coworker, male or female, helping me out with something, and they tape up their IV's differently than I do, for example, you can bet that as soon as I get time later in my shift that IV will be retaped to how I like it done. Nurses OWN that room that they are in. That is MY room, MY patient, MY IV. And we dont' like other people touching our stuff. So maybe that is what your husband is dealing with, and projecting it out to be gender issues.


As far as compensation for work performed-- there is no money in the world that can match what we do. How much money is is worth to have someone save your mother/father/son/daughter? exactly. But as far as wage/salary goes-- yes, nurses have it pretty good. and on top of that, it's the job security. I can go anywhere, at any time, and since i have that license I have job security. I know, particularly in my area, it is so over saturated with teachers that even if they do make more money, you have to find a place to hire you first. So as far as that goes-- there's always going to be something that you can make more money at. Always. But healthcare workers have it pretty good in that respect.

perhaps other will nay say what I have told you. but these are MY truths.




higher pay bracket if 15 years down the road you want to go into management. I have worked in 4 MAJOR hospitals and 1 smaller hospital and the biggest difference in pay i've seen is 10 cents for staff nursing.


best of luck to your husband. if he is going into this for the right reasons, and it sounds like he is, he will be successful. he will not love it every day, you will not love it every day, especially with the rotating shifts and weekends and holidays, but it's worth it. at least IMHO.

Thank you!

I have really been enjoying this thread, and it is perfect timing for me because I have just started looking at the possibility of going to back to nursing school. I have a BS that I completed 10 years ago (Yikes! Has it really been that long?!?!) in athletic training, so I am hoping that a lot of my classes will transfer. I am waiting for transcripts to check on that, so hopefully I will know sometime this week.

I love athletic training, but I have had to give up working at a high school because I never saw my family. I am working now at a running store doing biomechanical gait analysis for people on treadmills. My current job location is possibly moving further away soon though; making the commute from 30 min to about 50 minutes each way. That is why I have started to look at other options, and nursing seems like it may be a great fit for me!

I think the only pre-req that I would need to take is micro, and the thought of going back to school now is admittedly daunting! I talked to a friend of mine who is a nurse, and she suggested that I take a cna class and then I work as a cna during nursing school, as I will need some type of income for my family even during school.

The whole process is a little overwhelming to me after so many years of being out of school, but I am really starting to feel like it could be a great investment into not only my future, but for the rest of my family as well!

Thanks to everyone for all the input here on this thread!

PS- To the op, I can only hope that my dh will be as supportive of me in this endeavor as you are with your dh! That is awesome!

Thank you! I guess you can tell I'm kinda fond of him... Good luck!

I took a full year of Biology in the summer before I went to nursing school. For me it was fine. However, I had already had a BA from college. So I had a lot of experience in college. I found that it was nice just concentrating on one subject in a small amount of time, instead of 5 in a few months. If you are a slow learner it would be hard...it is a lot of information. But, if he is a good student it should not be a problem. I still had time for other things too!



As far as male nurses goes...when I was in nursing school there were quite a few in my class. Most did not have any trouble....I can just remember that in the L&D they did not get much experience because the patients had to be told that we were student nurses...and they could say if they did not want us there...most of them would say no to male nurses. But, in my experience...in the ped's rotation...the little kids loved the male nurses. Playing games with them...it was so sweet! The ER is a good place for male nurses...its fast paced...they don't usually get assigned the heavy patients. The other good places are ped's and the NICU.

Thanks for the info! I don't think he'll miss L&D too much But he does like the er setting and kids so who knows!

 

[chetchetsit]

Good luck to your husand, hope it all works out for him and your family.

I have been a RN for 10 years and love it. I work in the NICU and you really dont see alot of male nurses in that area but we do have a few. I have never had any issues or ever heard of any negative issues when working with them. You really need to work as a team, your days can be long (12 hour shifts) and very very busy, there is not alot of time to worry about silly things like that.

Nursing is a give and take. Compared to my friends, I can work part-time and make almost as much as some people can in a of full time job. But I also work a lot of weekends, evenings, and yes, I have done my fair share of Holidays. We have had a lot of problems with newer nurses getting into the field and thinking they can be off every weekend and Holiday, and it just doesnt work that way. Just go into it knowing that.

You have to really love the job, some days you cry (you never get use to seeing a baby die) somedays you are so excited because you know you were part of saving a baby, and some days you just dont care because you worked so hard all you want to do is sleep, but I wouldnt do anything else.

Good luck and I hope he loves it as much as I do.

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

Good luck to your husand, hope it all works out for him and your family.

I have been a RN for 10 years and love it. I work in the NICU and you really dont see alot of male nurses in that area but we do have a few. I have never had any issues or ever heard of any negative issues when working with them. You really need to work as a team, your days can be long (12 hour shifts) and very very busy, there is not alot of time to worry about silly things like that.

Nursing is a give and take. Compared to my friends, I can work part-time and make almost as much as some people can in a of full time job. But I also work a lot of weekends, evenings, and yes, I have done my fair share of Holidays. We have had a lot of problems with newer nurses getting into the field and thinking they can be off every weekend and Holiday, and it just doesnt work that way. Just go into it knowing that.

You have to really love the job, some days you cry (you never get use to seeing a baby die) somedays you are so excited because you know you were part of saving a baby, and some days you just dont care because you worked so hard all you want to do is sleep, but I wouldnt do anything else.

Good luck and I hope he loves it as much as I do.

Thank you for the well wishes!

 

[tink2dw]

(I also find it interesting that the above quoted poster stated that her husband couldn't leave nursing because he couldn't find a career that would pay as much but just a few sentences later states that teaching makes so much more than nursing...)

Dh is a Nurse. Not a teacher. Trying to find a job with equal pay is very hard.
We can't trim any more fat out of the budget. Sold our house for way lower rent. Drive craigslist cars. No cable.

What we have cut out the last 2 months is food. Not eating out. Just stopped buying food.

And you think he should lower his wage?? ha ha ho!!!!!

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

Dh is a Nurse. Not a teacher. Trying to find a job with equal pay is very hard.
We can't trim any more fat out of the budget. Sold our house for way lower rent. Drive craigslist cars. No cable.

What we have cut out the last 2 months is food. Not eating out. Just stopped buying food.

And you think he should lower his wage?? ha ha ho!!!!!

I don't think the poster was suggesting your husband quit his nursing job to become a teacher. Your statement just sounded kind of contradictory. Obviously you are going through a very difficult time in your life and I hope it gets better for you. Well wishes for you and your family.

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

Bumping!

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

Update! Hubby has been accepted into his 1st school he applied to! The deadlines for the other 2 aren't until June 1st. So here's another question for you. Since he won't know about acceptance on the others until the middle of June and he has to accept by May 23rd what should he do? He definitely doesn't want to turn it down but what if he gets accepted into the others and they're a better fit? Hubby is in total shock at the moment as he was sure he wouldn't get into this program without his micro. Would it be bad to accept and then change his mind? I know I'm rambling we are just so excited!

 

[emh1129]

Congrats to your DH! I would suggest that he take the seat. They will have NO problem filling it later if he decides to choose another program. People usually apply to more than one program (I didn't, but I think I'm def. in the minority there) so they are used to that happening sometimes.

 

[dislovr]

YAY CONGRATS to your hubby!!! I was thinking about you guys today when I was done with my finals. lol. Anyway...I think he should take the seat. Then he can just then respectfully back out if he gets a seat in another school if thats what he prefers. I am so happy for him!

 

[SarahKathleen2006]

CONGRATS! I am a Junior in the BSN program at Indiana University and I am finishing up my first semester in the actual nursing program. I have one more semester before clinicals start, a year of clinicals and a year of nursing management. ONLY 5 MORE SEMESTERS! In our program you have to have a certain GPA to apply once you have finished you freshman year. Once you have finished your prereqs you can apply to the program if you have a qualifying GPA. They stick your GPA in a computer type in the number of students they allow in for the semester and print of the list. How is this different from what you have experienced? Also, I never thought of applying to other nursing schools (I guess it is late for that hehehe). How does that system work? Honestly, as a 20 year old with NO INCOME FOR 4.5 YEARS. I would take what was given to me first so I could get started in my program and move on with my life . I am sure many nursing students look at things differently because I understand that many nurses choose the career later in life and may already have a family. Also, I know in my program you have maybe a week to accept then they give it to the next person on the list. Moving on, I would love to hear from any and all nurses about their experiences. Soon I will be looking for a job and applying to master's programs. I want to work full time while working toward my master's degree. I have not started clinicals yet but I am interested in OB, Peds, NICU and possibly pysch. What states do ya'll live in and what are the job opportunities like? What are the pay rates? I would love to live in Orlando. Disney and Florida Hospital is currently working on a deal for children's hospital, any updates on that?

 

[SarahKathleen2006]

There are so many individuals out there that want to be nurses and a nursing shortage yet so many students get turned away every year....

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

Congrats to your DH! I would suggest that he take the seat. They will have NO problem filling it later if he decides to choose another program. People usually apply to more than one program (I didn't, but I think I'm def. in the minority there) so they are used to that happening sometimes.

Thanks! That's what he is going to do. Certainly don't want to give it up and have nothing else come along! This school was his 1st choice but he figured without micro he wouldn't stand a chance so he will have to research the school to find out the pros and cons.

YAY CONGRATS to your hubby!!! I was thinking about you guys today when I was done with my finals. lol. Anyway...I think he should take the seat. Then he can just then respectfully back out if he gets a seat in another school if thats what he prefers. I am so happy for him!

Aww, thanks!! I hope you did well on your finals! He is definitely taking the seat. We are both off tomorrow(with the kiddos in school) so we are going down to check the school out. He is soooo excited and I'm so proud of him! This past year has been a whirlwind of classes and tests. It's so nice to see him have some payoff. I thought he was going to pass out when he saw that thick brown envelope!

CONGRATS! I am a Junior in the BSN program at Indiana University and I am finishing up my first semester in the actual nursing program. I have one more semester before clinicals start, a year of clinicals and a year of nursing management. ONLY 5 MORE SEMESTERS! In our program you have to have a certain GPA to apply once you have finished you freshman year. Once you have finished your prereqs you can apply to the program if you have a qualifying GPA. They stick your GPA in a computer type in the number of students they allow in for the semester and print of the list. How is this different from what you have experienced? Also, I never thought of applying to other nursing schools (I guess it is late for that hehehe). How does that system work? Honestly, as a 20 year old with NO INCOME FOR 4.5 YEARS. I would take what was given to me first so I could get started in my program and move on with my life . I am sure many nursing students look at things differently because I understand that many nurses choose the career later in life and may already have a family. Also, I know in my program you have maybe a week to accept then they give it to the next person on the list. Moving on, I would love to hear from any and all nurses about their experiences. Soon I will be looking for a job and applying to master's programs. I want to work full time while working toward my master's degree. I have not started clinicals yet but I am interested in OB, Peds, NICU and possibly pysch. What states do ya'll live in and what are the job opportunities like? What are the pay rates? I would love to live in Orlando. Disney and Florida Hospital is currently working on a deal for children's hospital, any updates on that?

Welcome! I'm sure that everyone will be willing to give you some great info. I've already learned a lot! All the schools my husband is applying to use a point system. Compass reading score: worth up to 99 points, Anat I, Anat II and Microbio: A=30,B=20 and C=10 and other coreqs and credit for taking courses at that school=11 points. Total possible points=200. Hubby applied to every school in our area hoping to at least get into one so if he gets into any of the others he has a big decision to make! The programs are 5 semesters long and he has clinicals the 1st semester! He'll start in the fall and go straight through(including summer). He is nervous but so excited! Good luck!! I'm trying to convince my hubby to move us to Florida when he graduates. I keep mentioning that huge state of the art medical facility I've heard that they're building to service Disney employees....

There are so many individuals out there that want to be nurses and a nursing shortage yet so many students get turned away every year....

So true!

 

[Xcited4Disney]

I have been a RN for 4 years now. It's a tough job, but I love being a nurse. Best wishes to your hubby and your family.

 

[SarahKathleen2006]

I have a cousin that has a MSN level RN and says that she can't pay her bills in Florida or buy a house. Her husband is Physical Therapist assistant and she says that every year in Indianapolis they received a raise and she has not received a raise since she has moved to Florida. They are begging me to stay in Indianapolis. Also, they stated that FL is in the "dark ages" when it comes to medical technology compared to Indianapolis. I need some unbiast opinions. The live around Daytona. I will ONLY live in Orlando lol.

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

I have been a RN for 4 years now. It's a tough job, but I love being a nurse. Best wishes to your hubby and your family.

Thank you!