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Location: Tenn. | I am wanting to go back to school since I did complete 3 years at a university and would hate all of my education/money go to a complete waste. Since having 2 children and pondering on what I have wanted to do for a while now I am wanting to get my RN lisence and work in labor and delivery. Just curious how many of you enjoy being an RN? Is it worth getting your bachelors or is an associate degree the way to go? Also do you feel like you have plenty of time for your family, & your hobbies? |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
 
| I would a rn with a 4 year degree. Or something to check into, like get a general studies or some thing simular. Go back get a PA physican assistant degree. |
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  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
  
Location: Dubach, LA | My daughter is in a two year RN program. She already has a BA in Physcology. Smart girl-never saw her crack a book until nursing school. It's about to kill her, so be ready to commit to no sleep for the duration of your program. It's a tough course no matter where you go. Check the board passing rates if you have choices in your area. We have two two-year programs and one four-year program for RNs. The four year has the lowest passing rate. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| RN especially in the hospital requires a lot of shift work, some hospital are 12 hrs shifts, and some are 8's
The down side of labor and delivery is sometimes you can't save them all, you need to be comfortable with death, compassionate with families to facilitate their grieving process.
As for degrees, I cannot tell you as in Alberta it is a requirement to have a bachelors to obtain your RN now. |
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Regular
Posts: 56
| Tell her to get her BSN. Most hospitals nationwide are requiring one. All in-patient nurses work "shifts". I don't know of any that still do 8 hours, most do 12. I love my job, I'm a pediatric nurse. You have some really sad cases but then it's not about you. It's about the patient and the famlies. You laugh with them and you cry with them. I love the difference I can make in someones day. There are so many places for nursing, schools, hosptials, clinics, the OR, Industrial nursing. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Central Texas | Get your BSN. Many hospitals are starting to require it, and its better to just go get it now than have to juggle starting a new job and going back to school. I was an RN for 8 1/2 years in the Pediatric ICU. I loved it! I recently went back to school to get my master's and I am now a pediatric Nurse practitioner. Nursing is a hugely rewarding career, but you have to be prepared for the lows as well. Those 12 hour shifts are physically and mentally draining, but I will say I miss working three days a week. I am not married, but I do have two horses and two dogs. My horses would go for several days without being ridden because of work, but then I would have multiple days off to ride and barrel race. As with any job you do have to make sacrafices in your personal life. In nursing, it's a 24 hour a day 7 day a week job. In the hospital you will be required to work some weekends and holidays. You won't get to barrel race every weekend. However, if you do L&D you will get to be there for some very special births of babies. Good luck in whatever you decide! |
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Expert
Posts: 1446
Location: California | I work 12 hour shifts. Three days a week is full time. Get your BSN, as it will become a requirement in a couple of years. Labor and Delivery isn't always easy to get into, as a lot of people want labor and delivery. I love being a nurse, but it truly is a dirty job. I would suggest shadowing someone before making a full decision. I work with so many people who don't love nursing like they thought they would. |
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 Thick and Wavy
Posts: 6102
Location: Nebraska | I graduated in August with my BSN. I would go the BSN route rather than just getting your RN because a lot of the hospitals in my area are requiring a BSN by a certain year. I work on a step down unit and love it. As for having time for the horses, I haven't really had a chance to find that out yet. I've been able to ride a few days here and there but the weather hasn't been completely cooperative either. My unit self schedules and I work every 3rd weekend so I'm hoping that opens up more options for me to ride. I also work nights. Nursing school is hard. Be prepared to eat, sleep and breathe it. I chose to go the traditional (3 yr) route because I had to work to put myself through school. I was still able to work 20-30 hrs a week and ride. I have never worked so hard at something in my life and school usually came easily for me. Good luck with whatever you choose to do! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 371
| I am in a technical college right now getting my associates degree. I also work at a local hospital as a CNA. At the hospital I work at you will be hired as a RN with an associates degree BUT you are REQUIRED to get a bachelors within 6 years of hire. My school has the higher pass rate then the college that has a 4 year program in the same city. So I am saving money going to the technical college but I will defiantly be getting my bachelors asap. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 271
Location: Texas | I'm an RN in a pediatric ICU and I love it. It's hard but rewarding career. |
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Regular
Posts: 63
Location: B-F-E | I would make sure your class credits that you currently have are still relevant and figure out which ones can count towards your nursing with which ones won't. You'll probably have to complete pre-requesite classes before even getting accepted into the nursing program. Just getting accepted into the program is also very difficult as they keep the classses smaller to keep it more indepth and hands on for students. I got my BSN in 2.5 years since I already had a prior BSN in Exercise Science and I did pre-requesites before even getting in. The nursing program itself is grueling! Never studied so hard and for so long in my life! It'll be hard with kids but a girl in my class was divorced with 5 and she managed so it can be done. I'm currently a resource RN so I make my schedule and I can go to all the horse shows I want :) But being a nurse is very stressful and intense. Honestly it's harder dealing with the families more so than it ever is the patient! They don't tell you that in nursing school...And like any job, some days you love it, some you don't. It's a great profession, you'll always have a job, and if you don't like one area of nursing, you can always switch to something different. Some hospitals mandate you to stay a 16 hour shift so make sure you ask if they mandate in an interview. Being mandated sucks when your a mom with **** to do at home. I see it all the time. |
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