I am now back on board with my pre-nursing courses and have registered for the second required course, developmental psychology. When I started my BSN journey previously, their were several ABSN (accelerated bachelors of nursing) programs that I considered, including SUNY Downstate, CUNY Hunter, and SUNY Stonybrook. Now I have decided that CUNY Lehman's accelerated BSN program would be my first choice, with SUNY Downstate being my second choice if I am not accepted into Lehman. So not only did I make the decision to follow through with nursing but I have even narrowed down my choices of schools! Most of the 7 courses that I would be required to take prior to entry would be completed online which is not the most ideal due to the number of science courses I have to take but this is the most convenient option for me at this time. The HESI A2 nursing school entrance exam is also required.
I have also decided that a course in Phlebotomy would also be useful prior to entry since my understanding is that many nursing programs don't teach Phlebotomy and I want to do all that I can to stay competitive. I had initially considered a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) course but I realized that I'd qualify for entry level positions once I complete one semester of nursing school and I am already somewhat familiar with basic nursing skills since I already took a CNA course in high school. There is definitely no guarantee that everything will go as planned (especially since I am essentially putting all my eggs into one basket) but at least now my goals are a little clearer
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Changed My Mind, Again
(Original post from http://gettingmymsw.blogspot.com/)
I have once again changed my mind and decided that a second BSN (Bachelors of Nursing) degree would be the best option for me. I am not surprised I have changed my mind since I have flip-flopped with my decision regarding my future career and schooling for years now. I pray that my indecisiveness will end soon but in the meantime I will be going forward towards a career change in the nursing field. I didn't call it a journey for nothing!
For some reason, I cannot leave nursing alone. Is that a sign? Perhaps. But that doesn't dismiss the fact that I will be presented with a whole set of obstacles that I must overcome before I could become a registered nurse, despite my "calling" into the career.
I have once again changed my mind and decided that a second BSN (Bachelors of Nursing) degree would be the best option for me. I am not surprised I have changed my mind since I have flip-flopped with my decision regarding my future career and schooling for years now. I pray that my indecisiveness will end soon but in the meantime I will be going forward towards a career change in the nursing field. I didn't call it a journey for nothing!
For some reason, I cannot leave nursing alone. Is that a sign? Perhaps. But that doesn't dismiss the fact that I will be presented with a whole set of obstacles that I must overcome before I could become a registered nurse, despite my "calling" into the career.
The search begins
(Original post from http://gettingmymsw.blogspot.com/)
So now that I have decided to go back to school to finish my master's degree in social work, what school do I attend? Initially when I started the MSW (Master of Social Work) program nearly two years ago, I did an online program at the University of New England (UNE) which was great because of the convenience but the cost of the program, not to mention personal issues I was going through at the time, caused me to withdraw from the program. I actually have 12 credits and returning to UNE would be beneficial because my credits would transfer with no problems; however with the current tuition at over $800/credit and the nearly 20 hour/week required for the internship component of the program, I am skeptical about going back to the program without significant financial, professional, and emotional support.
On campus programs
There are variety of on campus MSW programs in my area, including New York University, Hunter College, and Adelphi University but all programs (with the exception of the public universities) are very expensive! Even if expense wasn't an issue, it would be extremely difficult and close to impossible for me to go to classes in the evening and/or Saturdays because I would never know if my husband is working or not, leaving me without someone to look after our children. Traveling to classes from work would also be difficult (with the exception of Adelphi). Graduate school is hard enough as it is. The last thing I need to worry about is whether or not I have to miss class because no one can watch my children or being late to class because I got stuck in rush hour traffic. Weekend childcare could be an option but I already pay enough for childcare during the week.
My choice: an online MSW program
Due to its convenience, an online MSW program is ideal for me and I am probably going to go that route again if and when I decide to return to school. The good news is more and more reputable colleges and universities are adding online components to already established MSW programs. In fact from the time I withdrew from UNE until now the number of accredited online and distance learning MSW programs has probably doubled! Now if only I could find a school that not going to put me in debt for the rest of my life...
So now that I have decided to go back to school to finish my master's degree in social work, what school do I attend? Initially when I started the MSW (Master of Social Work) program nearly two years ago, I did an online program at the University of New England (UNE) which was great because of the convenience but the cost of the program, not to mention personal issues I was going through at the time, caused me to withdraw from the program. I actually have 12 credits and returning to UNE would be beneficial because my credits would transfer with no problems; however with the current tuition at over $800/credit and the nearly 20 hour/week required for the internship component of the program, I am skeptical about going back to the program without significant financial, professional, and emotional support.
On campus programs
There are variety of on campus MSW programs in my area, including New York University, Hunter College, and Adelphi University but all programs (with the exception of the public universities) are very expensive! Even if expense wasn't an issue, it would be extremely difficult and close to impossible for me to go to classes in the evening and/or Saturdays because I would never know if my husband is working or not, leaving me without someone to look after our children. Traveling to classes from work would also be difficult (with the exception of Adelphi). Graduate school is hard enough as it is. The last thing I need to worry about is whether or not I have to miss class because no one can watch my children or being late to class because I got stuck in rush hour traffic. Weekend childcare could be an option but I already pay enough for childcare during the week.
My choice: an online MSW program
Due to its convenience, an online MSW program is ideal for me and I am probably going to go that route again if and when I decide to return to school. The good news is more and more reputable colleges and universities are adding online components to already established MSW programs. In fact from the time I withdrew from UNE until now the number of accredited online and distance learning MSW programs has probably doubled! Now if only I could find a school that not going to put me in debt for the rest of my life...
Return to MSW
(Original post from http://gettingmymsw.blogspot.com/)
I have recently decided to forgo my decision to change careers to nursing and stick with my previous plan of getting an MSW (Masters of Social Work) degree which would be an expansion of my current job. Although I had some reservation about going into nursing for a variety of reasons, I have my reservation about formal social work as well but hopefully the positives of pursing a MSW degree will far outweigh the negatives. I just hope I don't change my mind yet again and just stick to one plan.
I have recently decided to forgo my decision to change careers to nursing and stick with my previous plan of getting an MSW (Masters of Social Work) degree which would be an expansion of my current job. Although I had some reservation about going into nursing for a variety of reasons, I have my reservation about formal social work as well but hopefully the positives of pursing a MSW degree will far outweigh the negatives. I just hope I don't change my mind yet again and just stick to one plan.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Bye to a possible nursing career
After much dilemma, I have decided against a second career in nursing. Although I do not doubt I could have excelled in the field both academically and professionally (actually received an A in my first pre-requisite class), I do not believe, at least not at this time, that nursing would be a good career for me. Nursing is a great field and perhaps if my circumstances were different I would have still went along with my plans but they are not and that is OK. Although I am still relatively young, I am not in my 20s and I have a lot of responsibilities at this time that would make pursuing a career like nursing not very practical. A great deal of sacrifice would be needed for me to pursue a nursing career at this point in my life and although the salary potential would have been good, I could possible lose others benefits that are not based on salary, including stable childcare, predictable work schedule, and a pension. These are not things that I can take likely and being home with my children every weekend and on every major holiday is something no money can replace. The job market right now is tough and the nursing field is extremely competitive right now. I like the idea of being a nurse but I cannot say for sure if I have a passion for it (and passion is needed to get through nursing school!).
My plans now are to go back to my original career goal of getting my MSW (Masters of Social Work) degree and possible work in the areas of health and mental health. Despite the relative low salary of a LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) initially, my salary should increase after a few years. I may even pair my MSW with an MPA (Masters of Public Administration) degree but that may be a bit ambitious at this time. Regardless of what I decide to do, I have to do what is comfortable for me and my family and not just something that everyone else is doing or for the sake of money. I already made that mistake with my first degree so now its time to try something different.
My plans now are to go back to my original career goal of getting my MSW (Masters of Social Work) degree and possible work in the areas of health and mental health. Despite the relative low salary of a LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) initially, my salary should increase after a few years. I may even pair my MSW with an MPA (Masters of Public Administration) degree but that may be a bit ambitious at this time. Regardless of what I decide to do, I have to do what is comfortable for me and my family and not just something that everyone else is doing or for the sake of money. I already made that mistake with my first degree so now its time to try something different.
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