Career change....

[av8orguy]

I have been kicking around the Idea of changing career. I am currently a professional pilot and am fed up with my cut-throat industry. When I started college my initial major was nursing but I bombed anatomy (I didn’t really apply myself) so I changed my major.
Anyways, enough about me, here are some questions I have about becoming an RN.

1.) What would be the quickest way to get through school and start working? I would have to quit flying all together and go back to school due to my schedule (6 days on and 4 days off) or can I take an online course?
2.) What is that starting pay these days for a nurse?
3.) What type of schedule are nurses working due to the shortage?

Thanks for your time. I’m sure I will have many more questions.

[cassioo]

I have been kicking around the Idea of changing career. I am currently a professional pilot and am fed up with my cut-throat industry. When I started college my initial major was nursing but I bombed anatomy (I didn’t really apply myself) so I changed my major.
Anyways, enough about me, here are some questions I have about becoming an RN.

1.) What would be the quickest way to get through school and start working? I would have to quit flying all together and go back to school due to my schedule (6 days on and 4 days off) or can I take an online course?
2.) What is that starting pay these days for a nurse?
3.) What type of schedule are nurses working due to the shortage?

Thanks for your time. I’m sure I will have many more questions.

The quickest way through school is an ADN program which would be 4 semesters and you'd have to have those prereq classes (science, english etc) which can be taken with the nursing it will be full time. If you have some prereqs good. Online courses come later if you want a BSN.

Starting pay for nurses depends on the area of the country you live in and in some cases the type of unit you want high teens to low 20's to start.

you can find full time work anywhere and about all the overtime you want. A typical routine week 36-40 hrs per week 8 or 12 hour shifts. New grads usually start on evenings or nights or a rotating shift but again that depends on where you live and the need.

[stillearning]

AV8ORGUY --
What a good idea!
First, in order to be a pilot, you understand a lot of things that will make you a good nurse -- patient safety (in your case, passenger safety), detail consciousness, safety-checks, equipment inspection and above all accountability for your actions! GO FOR IT.

Now you asked a few questions, and my answers may be different than you'll get from others (take them for what they're worth). . .

1.) What would be the quickest way to get through school and start working? I would have to quit flying all together and go back to school due to my schedule (6 days on and 4 days off) or can I take an online course?

My advice -- especially if you already have a Bachelor's degree in something (I suspect you do) is to find a university offering nursing as a SECOND CAREER who will accellerate you into either a BSN or, in some cases, an MSN (this is what they are doing at the University of Minnesota). Such a choice gives you an incredible "leg-up" on your entry-into-nursing job and will likely launch you toward leadership (not necessarily management) of some kind. Trust me, I have 30 + yrs experience in nursing -- this is a good thing!


2.) What is that starting pay these days for a nurse?

While it is truly "all over the map" there are a few states that are better than others -- Minnesota, California -- two good places. Annually, ADN here earns $45K to $50K; BSN upwards to $60K; MSN upwards to $80K and that's without overtime!


3.) What type of schedule are nurses working due to the shortage?

Staff nurses work (again) all over the map. Nursing is, after all a 24/7 field. Many places will start new staff on day/night or day/evening rotations and you can count on working at least every other or every 3rd week-end if you work for a hospital. However, the educational route I recommended will allow you many more choices AND may be a quicker ticket to business hours on week-days.

Good luck with your search. DO look for the sort of educational program I am recommending, if you find one at an accessible university, at least go for a counseling interview -- you may be pleasantly surprised!

--p

[Tiredofthesystem]

My girlfriend has been a nurse for 10+ years and averages $80k per year with only a 2 yr degree. Dont waste your time or money on a 4 year.. a 4 year actually is about the same thing with only options to go into management, which is just as exhausting. Most nurses know that the work is nothing short of gruntsville whether in management or not.. so............ Save the Extra $20k and get your 2 year. Either way it goes you will end up hating nursing, the nurse to patient ratio really sucks, the beaurocracys, and the a-kissing certainly is imminent, so watch out. and If I were you I would not have an attitude of expectancy that its a very toasty and fufilling job because 90% of all nur:confused: ses hate it. I hope this helps.

[kimmiejs]

My girlfriend has been a nurse for 10+ years and averages $80k per year with only a 2 yr degree. Dont waste your time or money on a 4 year.. a 4 year actually is about the same thing with only options to go into management, which is just as exhausting. Most nurses know that the work is nothing short of gruntsville whether in management or not.. so............ Save the Extra $20k and get your 2 year. Either way it goes you will end up hating nursing, the nurse to patient ratio really sucks, the beaurocracys, and the a-kissing certainly is imminent, so watch out. and If I were you I would not have an attitude of expectancy that its a very toasty and fufilling job because 90% of all nur:confused: ses hate it. I hope this helps.

Despite the problems in the nursing profession you just can't stand the thought of someone that actually likes their profession. Because I am a Rn i get 4 days off a week to spend with my family and when my kids are at school play on my computer. You seem to spend a lot of time in this nursing forum when you should be working. If your girlfriend hates nursing so much, why don't you go out and get the job that make $80k per year so she can stay at home gripping about your chosen profession.

Have a nice day

[cassioo]

the playing nice didn't last too long now did it. If she's a ADN nurse in Indiana workig 10 years and making over $80.000 per year how much overtime do you make her work? That will burn you out. You must not see too much of her is that the real problem for you?

[Tiredofthesystem]

Well actually "sassio " . Its her decision to work that much. Shes a pottery barn queen and Im a tree hugger so thats one of our shortcomings. One of yours is that your not being straight up to Goose, and not revealing the arduous road he has ahead of him. I just want to make sure that he doesnt think he's gonna be making smores at bedside and am here to relay the news that nurses dont even get to be nurses any more because of the nurse to patient ratio. Alot of people go into nursing :


a.) for the dough ( work outweighs the $$ )

b.) spiritual redemption ( patient ratio is unrealistically high )


c.) to marry a doctor and gain a meal ticket. ( only ex-hooters chicks recieve such an honor lol .)

If he has intentions other than these, he'll be fine.

[kimmiejs]

Well actually "sassio " . Its her decision to work that much. Shes a pottery barn queen and Im a tree hugger so thats one of our shortcomings. One of yours is that your not being straight up to Goose, and not revealing the arduous road he has ahead of him. I just want to make sure that he doesnt think he's gonna be making smores at bedside and am here to relay the news that nurses dont even get to be nurses any more because of the nurse to patient ratio. Alot of people go into nursing :


a.) for the dough ( work outweighs the $$ )

b.) spiritual redemption ( patient ratio is unrealistically high )


c.) to marry a doctor and gain a meal ticket. ( only ex-hooters chicks recieve such an honor lol .)

If he has intentions other than these, he'll be fine.

It is good to see that you are playing nice and staying out of the "time-out corner" I do not know any nurses that are in nursing for the money. You seem to forget that hospitals are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you are working in a patient care environment there is a good chance you will spend at least 30% of the major holidays at work and not at home with your family. No amount of money can take the place of seeing your kids open their presents from Santa Claus on Christmas morning.

You are right, at many hospitals the nurse patient ratio is too high. Luckily where I work we generally have only 5 or 6 patients.

I do not personally know a single nurse that went into nursing to marry a doctor. Talk about a bad stereotype from TV and the movies. Dam, give us a break.

[Tiredofthesystem]

Kimmy-bear.... didnt mean to rock the boat.

Dont let fame and money come between us. . lol...


::sheeeeeeeeeeesh::: Whens goose gonna chime in?

[Ricu]

Hi Aviator,

Welcome to the forum. I went into nursing as a subsequent career and for the most part, enjoy it. I agree that to fast track into the field, an associate degree would be the best way to get there. Other options like distance or online programs are available once you actually have a nursing degree. Many in the field would recommend getting a baccelaureate degree to secure your future as a clinical RN as there is a movement within the governing body to eventually require a BSN. I plan to do this myself. Once in the field, opportunities are almost limitless. There are many disciplines within acute care that you can work in like med-surg, cardiology, radiology, surgical services, emergency, and critical care. You can also work in long term care, rehab, hospice, public health, and home health care. Outpatient services like day surgery, special procedures and dialysis are available too. Eventually you may wish to go into advanced practice which can be achieved with a masters degree. With this, you can in many states, go into private practice and function as a primary healthcare provider. If the state requires, you can still practice as such but under a physicians license, usually in the same practice. NPs can also practice in emergency medicine, anesthesia, pediatrics and gerontology, just to name a few. Masters prepared nurses can teach in nursing school or in medical facilities as clinical specialists too. To get a better feel for what's happening in healthcare, you may want to subscribe to a few publications like Nursing, American Journal of Nursing, and Journal of the American Medical Association to name a few. There's even a magazind dedicated to men in nursing that I'm thinking of subscribing to. The matter of money is obviously a sensitive issue but I cannot complain. The pay for any almost any job could always be better but I think nurses do okay. I've been at my current position for three years and have been an RN for about ten. I had sixteen years prior experience as an RRT- registered respiratory therapist. Currently I'm an associare degree RN with another associate degree in allied health science, work in critical care and have CCRN certification. My annual income without overtime is around $75,000. I work 12 hour days with one weekend a month, get paid certification differential, health insurance, 401K with employer contribution, profit sharing over and above regular pay, pretax medical spending account, education reimbursement, onsite daycare and more.
Good luck,

R