Nursing - How did your DC figure out that's what they want?

[Anonymous]

My DD has expressed maybe wanting to be a nurse and go to a top nursing school. She's based this on knowing it's a good, dependable field but hasn't had more exposure to the field than that. My question is how to expose her to the profession during high school so that she can be certain she would like to go this route? Watch Scrubs? Grey's Anatomy? I think nursing would be a good decision, but I went to a liberal arts school having no idea what I wanted to do and I worry about her changing her mind.

[Anonymous]

I do think TV shows, while not incredibly realistic, can help inform decisions like this.

[Anonymous]

Many kids in our district who want a medical career train as EMTs in high school

[Anonymous]

Just one note: she does not have to go to a "top" nursing school. She's going to make the same money as other RNs with equivalent degrees, regardless of the school.

[Anonymous]

mine announced it for the first time in 11th grade. we just kind of thought, ok, whatever, we'll see, lots of people change their minds. apparently, she wanted to be a nurse since she was a little kid.

she stuck with it all the way through and is now a high-acuity nurse at a top hospital. she works part-time (6 days per month) and makes about what a teacher makes full-time, so pretty flexible.

if she is sure, easiest and cheapest way is CC for pre-reqs and then straight to nursing school. she will also probably have better grades at CC then she will at regular university. these good grades will help her get into nursing school.

[Anonymous]

Nurse practitioner here - it IS a great field with a lot of flexibility, opportunity for life/work balance, and growth. The best way to get a sense of the field is obviously spend some time in a health care facility that has volunteering/shadowing opportunities for high schoolers. That may be tough to find (it's hard enough for RN/NP students to get placed) I'd start by asking someone in high school guidance office what opportunities they know about as they are likely the best versed in this.
On the "going to a top nursing school" issue - that is definitely relevant for advanced practice (NP/CNM/Nurse-Anesthetist) but for RN level education it really is just a matter of covering the nursing content needed for the NCLEX and getting clinical placement time. 4 year bachelors is preferable to 2 year associates degree, that is the only real distinction. Where I think the "top school" issue does become relevant is she may think she's all about nursing, and then decide to pivot to public health or PT or something else health related. So I'd find schools she likes that have a range of options for healthcare related careers so she has a chance to explore this a bit. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:mine announced it for the first time in 11th grade. we just kind of thought, ok, whatever, we'll see, lots of people change their minds. apparently, she wanted to be a nurse since she was a little kid.

she stuck with it all the way through and is now a high-acuity nurse at a top hospital. she works part-time (6 days per month) and makes about what a teacher makes full-time, so pretty flexible.

if she is sure, easiest and cheapest way is CC for pre-reqs and then straight to nursing school. she will also probably have better grades at CC then she will at regular university. these good grades will help her get into nursing school.

Wow! She only works 6 days per month?? Please can you clarify this?

[Anonymous]

*than

[Anonymous]

yes, a regular nurse job at a hospital is 3 12 hour days per week. she had a baby and went part time. part of the part time decision is that child care is set up for people with a normal work schedule. she would only need care 9 days a month. 3 of her workdays must be weekend days. so she would have to pay full month daycare while only needing half the days.

so at part time she works one weekday per week and a couple weekend days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nurse practitioner here - it IS a great field with a lot of flexibility, opportunity for life/work balance, and growth. The best way to get a sense of the field is obviously spend some time in a health care facility that has volunteering/shadowing opportunities for high schoolers. That may be tough to find (it's hard enough for RN/NP students to get placed) I'd start by asking someone in high school guidance office what opportunities they know about as they are likely the best versed in this.
On the "going to a top nursing school" issue - that is definitely relevant for advanced practice (NP/CNM/Nurse-Anesthetist) but for RN level education it really is just a matter of covering the nursing content needed for the NCLEX and getting clinical placement time. 4 year bachelors is preferable to 2 year associates degree, that is the only real distinction. Where I think the "top school" issue does become relevant is she may think she's all about nursing, and then decide to pivot to public health or PT or something else health related. So I'd find schools she likes that have a range of options for healthcare related careers so she has a chance to explore this a bit. Good luck!

What is your basis for saying this? My DC and I have talked with a variety of nurses/NPs/CRNA and they have all said this is really not relevant at all. In one instance, the student went to a "low ranked" (acc to pple on here) school for bio, then nursing degree and is now at an ivy on the PA track. (Stat sample of 1, i realize. But is consistent with what we've been told from many other nurse/health care providers in terms of "does undergrad matter"?) There was also another post on this recently and the overwhelming response was it doesn't.

I'm just interested on why this is your take as it seems to be the outlier in the opinions I've seen.

[Anonymous]

She could do a CNA program now and work weekends in a hospital or nursing home.

[Anonymous]

If this still is available, have her volunteer in a hospital or medical facility.

One summer of that was enough to remove the medical field from consideration, back when I was picking a college major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nurse practitioner here - it IS a great field with a lot of flexibility, opportunity for life/work balance, and growth. The best way to get a sense of the field is obviously spend some time in a health care facility that has volunteering/shadowing opportunities for high schoolers. That may be tough to find (it's hard enough for RN/NP students to get placed) I'd start by asking someone in high school guidance office what opportunities they know about as they are likely the best versed in this.
On the "going to a top nursing school" issue - that is definitely relevant for advanced practice (NP/CNM/Nurse-Anesthetist) but for RN level education it really is just a matter of covering the nursing content needed for the NCLEX and getting clinical placement time. 4 year bachelors is preferable to 2 year associates degree, that is the only real distinction. Where I think the "top school" issue does become relevant is she may think she's all about nursing, and then decide to pivot to public health or PT or something else health related. So I'd find schools she likes that have a range of options for healthcare related careers so she has a chance to explore this a bit. Good luck!

What is your basis for saying this? My DC and I have talked with a variety of nurses/NPs/CRNA and they have all said this is really not relevant at all. In one instance, the student went to a "low ranked" (acc to pple on here) school for bio, then nursing degree and is now at an ivy on the PA track. (Stat sample of 1, i realize. But is consistent with what we've been told from many other nurse/health care providers in terms of "does undergrad matter"?) There was also another post on this recently and the overwhelming response was it doesn't.

I'm just interested on why this is your take as it seems to be the outlier in the opinions I've seen.

PP here (who is an NP) I think we're saying the same things. For nursing (education for RN license) it doesn't matter where you go. You may have better new grad opportunities if you have a 4 year bachelors rather than 2 years associates but even there the differences aren't huge. For someone interested in advanced practice work after getting their RN (NP/CNM) there is some consideration to "prestige" of program, particularly if one is interested in scholarship or teaching down the road. You can certainly get a job with an degree from schools that are not as well known but the clinical placement experience might not be great and that's really important in advance practice training. Well integrated clinical and classroom components are pretty critical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nurse practitioner here - it IS a great field with a lot of flexibility, opportunity for life/work balance, and growth. The best way to get a sense of the field is obviously spend some time in a health care facility that has volunteering/shadowing opportunities for high schoolers. That may be tough to find (it's hard enough for RN/NP students to get placed) I'd start by asking someone in high school guidance office what opportunities they know about as they are likely the best versed in this.
On the "going to a top nursing school" issue - that is definitely relevant for advanced practice (NP/CNM/Nurse-Anesthetist) but for RN level education it really is just a matter of covering the nursing content needed for the NCLEX and getting clinical placement time. 4 year bachelors is preferable to 2 year associates degree, that is the only real distinction. Where I think the "top school" issue does become relevant is she may think she's all about nursing, and then decide to pivot to public health or PT or something else health related. So I'd find schools she likes that have a range of options for healthcare related careers so she has a chance to explore this a bit. Good luck!

What is your basis for saying this? My DC and I have talked with a variety of nurses/NPs/CRNA and they have all said this is really not relevant at all. In one instance, the student went to a "low ranked" (acc to pple on here) school for bio, then nursing degree and is now at an ivy on the PA track. (Stat sample of 1, i realize. But is consistent with what we've been told from many other nurse/health care providers in terms of "does undergrad matter"?) There was also another post on this recently and the overwhelming response was it doesn't.

I'm just interested on why this is your take as it seems to be the outlier in the opinions I've seen.

PP here (who is an NP) I think we're saying the same things. For nursing (education for RN license) it doesn't matter where you go. You may have better new grad opportunities if you have a 4 year bachelors rather than 2 years associates but even there the differences aren't huge. For someone interested in advanced practice work after getting their RN (NP/CNM) there is some consideration to "prestige" of program, particularly if one is interested in scholarship or teaching down the road. You can certainly get a job with an degree from schools that are not as well known but the clinical placement experience might not be great and that's really important in advance practice training. Well integrated clinical and classroom components are pretty critical.

I'm not entirely sure we are saying the same thing, actually. Because the bolded is not my understanding at all after talking with a LOT of current practitioners. So now you have me concerned.

So you're saying that unless my kid goes to a "top" nursing school, they won't be placed in, for ex., a critical care unit due to where they went to school (that sort of experience is necessary for some advanced degrees)???? (I understand that there are other considerations, as well.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many kids in our district who want a medical career train as EMTs in high school

+1 see what classes your HS offers to allow them to get some direct experience like EMT. My sister is a nurse and was able to volunteer in a hospital through most of HS, but those roles seem to have been scaled back a LOT because of patient privacy, liability issues. Might also look into volunteering at a nursing home/seniors home.