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Does this sound like a realistic career path?

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Author Does this sound like a realistic career path?

thundersbeard

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  • Joined: Aug 2012
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Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:08 pm

Hi,

I'm 36, male, and looking for a new career. I've done charity/volunteer work in the past, and have my heart set on nursing.

I have 3 kids and my wife has CIS (Clinically Isolated Syndrome: MS without the multiple) and so I cannot just quit my job and study for 3 years to be an RN. I would have to do it in stages. 

Does this sound like a realistic path to becoming a nurse? My end goal is to become a Registered Nurse, but I don't want to take the chance that I can't get work straight away either.

- Study to be a Enrolled Nurse while still working.

- Get work as an Enrolled Nurse on a casual/volunteer basis to shore up experience.

- Take a package from my factory (which is closing down in a matter of years) 

- Do a bachelor of nursing then (2 years because of previous Enrolled Nurse qualification)

- I should be able to get RN work straight away as I will have some experience as an Enrolled Nurse.

Is that a career path that is acheivable/realistic?

Schizo

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  • Joined: Jan 2009
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Aug 03, 2012, 03:09 pm Last edited Aug 03, 2012, 03:09 pm update #1

What you have mapped out is certainly achievable. If you need to work or look after the family, I would suggest part time at university to be an RN straight up, the process of going to be an EN and then to RN is slightly longer. You also assume that you will be working as an EN whilst doing your RN, it can be taxing. You can still study your RN and work. I have lots of friends who have done it this way, I did mine full time whilst holding down a job but I was lucky, I have my own business and hence could make it as flexible as possible. I averaged about 20 hours a week working, so I missed lectures and tutes by the buckets. Anyways I find that with Uni, you can study at home as effectively as when you have attended lectures.

Do factor in that as you do your EN and later RN - you will have to cut time for clinical pracs. If you go straight to RN, you then omitted having to double up clinical placements that you would have to do being an EN first...this can vary from between 2-6 weeks extra.

Most of my colleagues studying to be RNs work in the hospital (either as Assistant in Nursing  or Undergraduate student in nursing) because it allows them to network. The advantage becomes clear when its graduation time and you need to enter a Graduate Nurse Program. 90% of them secure work within the hospital itself. Hope this helps

modified: Friday 03 August 2012 3:10:47 pm - Schizo

Mirabell

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Mirabell
  • Joined: Jun 2009
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Aug 08, 2012, 07:34 pm

Hi, Sure sound achievable but will be a long and at times, stressful road.  Lots of family and friendly support is always helpful.  I'm not sure what state you are in but when I studied EN, it was very much full time.  18 months long and the days were mostly 8:30 - 5pm, give or take a bit.  RN is different.  The uni I am studying at allows off campus units which has been really good as I live quite a way from the uni.  The cheaper option in my opinion is to do EN first (as you then get time exempt from RN) (that's why I did it that way).  If you want to keep working quite a bit, then doing 3 years undergraduate RN is the way to go; the only time it can prove difficult to work is when you do clinical placements but I know of some student who did 5 days a week clinical placement and then worked on their 2 days off all for 5 weeks.  Good luck.

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