Career Choice???

I am having a hard time deciding what to do for school.  Do I stick with business and be done in 3 years or do I go with Nurisng and be done in like 6 years?  I would rather do nursing but I am looking for good money.  And a baby by the time im 24 doesn't really fit in with nursing?  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Know anyone or personally hae done either of the two and made decent money.

[babyprayers]

why will nursing take you 6 years??? you can get your associates degree in 2 and thats with no college courses at all, how about a major in nursing wiht a minor in business, then you can choose nursing administration,

[Tanker Chic]

With Nursing you will have a more specific job field.. business is very general and I've known a lot of people who struggled with what to do with their degree once they got it.  That is not to say that you will or that it isn't a good idea, just something to consider.  

I have an Engineering degree and that has worked out great for me.  

[mayflowers]

I think you would make a great nurse.  Great money, always a need, and you can have a flexible schedule.  If I was younger, I would go for nursing instead of business.  Business is often changing and there's lot of "politics" that you have to deal with.  Unless you like dealing with two-faced people all the time, go into nursing.  Go for pediatric nursing.  I think you would like dealing with children all the time.  

[peekawho]

As a nurse, you will always have a job.  You will also work nights for a long time.  

Good luck with your decision.  It does not take 6 years to get a nursing degree.  What most do is to go to a 2 or 3 year school, get your RN, and then go to work while pursuing your degree furthur if that's what you're wanting to do.

[K1990]

See the thing is that I don't want to have to work nights or weekends for long.  In colorado the waiting list to get into nursing school is 3 years.  I have 5 classes of required classes that I have to take before I can even be placed on a waiting list.  That will take me a year to get done.  Then once on the waiting list I have 3 years, so that's 4 years and another 2 for the degree.  So that is why it is such a problem,.... I wont have my degree for another 6 years.

[1nana]

Then you better change your profession, because working nights and weekends is something you will HAVE to do. Of course, you could work outside of the hospital and work as a home/visiting nurse, but even then, you aren't guaranteed to work days only, and weekends off.

[BabyHardiman]

What's wrong with working nights and weekends to get your career started?  You have to start somewhere!  I would not want to base my career decision on strictly the fact that I do not want to have to work nights or weekends for long.  You may enjoy working those shift hours.  My mom is an LPN, and she thought she'd hate those hours but it turned out that those hours worked best for her, and those hours paid more.  :)

[2ndBaby]

What career would make you happier if you didn't have the idea of having a baby before age 24 in your mind?  I understand your 'baby goal' but I think you should still choose the career path that will make you most happy.  You have a long life ahead of you yet and much of it will be spent working.  You might as well enjoy what you do!   Even after you've raised your children and they've left your house, you'll STILL be working.

[BabyHardiman]

I wanted to say the same thing that 2ndBaby said, she is totally correct in that you will be working for the majority of your life, you might as well enjoy what you do!

[K1990]

It's hard to decide because I can't just set that goal for a baby by 24 aside... that is my life dream!  My fiance will work days, I want to be able to work days so I am home with my family the rest of the time.  That is the time kids go to school and he would go to work.  I want all the time I have with my family!  And somaybe that's the deciding factor... give up on nursing to have the most important thing!

[BabyHardiman]

Kaitlin, it doesn't sound like nursing is your passion anyway.  In my honest opinion those who choose the medical field as a career must be passionate about helping people, and it just doesn't sound like that is where your head is.

[K1990]

Thats why I want to doing nursing, I want to help people and I love the feeling of taking care of people, and cleaning wonds but if I have to choose a career over a family.  I will never work, because that is how passinate I am about having a big family.  After our second baby I will stop working anyways and probably do daycare until we are done having kids because it would cost more in daycare.  It's just very hard to think about because it is such a long wait for nursing.  A lot can happen in 6 years... and thats how long it would take before I could work as an RN.  I will be going to get my CNA lisence spring semester and at that point it will tell me if that's what I want to do the rest of my life or not.

[have 2 kids]

Babies don't always come on our time schedule.    If nursing is your dream then follow it.
Although I do think a business degree would fit better into your schedule of wanting to work days only.

[1nana]

You want the "perfect life,' and the 'perfect family'.....it ain't gonna happen!

[Crritter]

I agree, figure out what you want, there may be other nursing programs if that's what you want, I thought you were going to be a nanny.  I can say I work in the medical field and love it.  I have a degree, but it's not the best paying and not quite where I want to be, so I am going back to school for nursing.  I have 2 years to go and will have my RN.  You can always get a job with your CNA and work some in the field.  It's alot of pressure to put on you boyfriend to decide he will be the bread winner solely in a few years down the road.  You never know what will happen and babies are really expensive.  I would love to stay home, but do really well at my job and need to insurance.  My husband's company has bad benefits for what we need.  Keep an open mind and try the field.  You can continue your studies and do the business route while you wait.  A 2 year degree isn't a full bachelors though, I would go for the full blown degree, or you may end up like my boss in high school, she was an assistant manager at a shoe store.  That's all she could do, she went back to school and works at a bank, loves it.  As for baby timing, none of mine came at a planned time, we were caught offguard and we made it just fine.  Nothing will ever be perfect youy just roll with it.  Good luck.

[K1990]

I am nannying, that isn't a "job" that you do forever!  I am only watching them for like 9 months and then I will have my cna finished and go to work.  I have been told my several people I know in the nursing field and one of which has her doctorate in nursing and she said there isn't enough of a difference between a bachlors and an associates degree in nursing.  So it's not really worth getting my bachlors unless I plan to go even further with it.  My fiance is finishing school in biology and will be able to make decent money starting out.  I'm going to try it and if it is like I think it's going to be then I will love it and stay in it, if not I will go into business.

[Crritter]

Wow, if you look up salary comparisons out here it's a huge difference.  If you have an LPN or even a CNA, it's harder to find a job and the pay is limited as are the places you can find a job.  Most offices want an RN, pretty much you will get a job at a nursing home with anything else and the pay and hours are not too desirable  based on what you are wanting.   You cannot do many things unless you are an RN, I would do some research on your own and make up your mind, but if you are set, do the minimum schooling, I guess if you don't plan to work for more than a few years, it really won't matter.  Nannying is a career, but I think you need to get in with a service to really be set.  Good luck, I would look into the future and do what you feel you need to do.

[alikat1205]

if you get an rn degree, go on to law school, high demand for an atty with rn license.  i wish i had a bsn instead of an english degree before law school.

[K1990]

I have a lot of people I know that work in hospitals so I wont have a problem getting into a hospital as a CNA, that's not at all the problem.  Just school is going to take forever but I'm going to go for it anyway.  I can have a baby sometime in between there, it may be hard but so what if I have to work for it.  It will make it that much better in the end.  

[peekawho]

In the future, it will be extremely difficult for families to survive on one income--it already is!  

Education first, then children.  Children grow up and leave.  Then what?

[K1990]

I will have a baby by the time I am 24 and that happens before I will be done with school!  We can survive on one income if we need to for the 2 years I am in nursing school, or I will work part time.  Who knows but we will and can do what it takes!

[pertykitty]

can i ask why you are so set that you have to have a baby by  a certain age?  why not go to school and see what happens?  when you are 24 you might change your mind, your fiance might, the money might not be there, could be a number of reasons.  having a good job first can help you to save up if you do choose to become a sahm mom for a time after.  do you want to live paycheck to paycheck or be able to go to the grocery without worrying if you need to go to the parking lot to gather aluminum cans first?  being a nanny is nothing like being a mom.  being a nanny can give you an understanding but you are only there for a short time and their needs from their parents are not what you give them.

you really need to find yourself first, discovery who you are and what you want out of life career wise.  you will  be a different woman from the age of 18 to 24 to 34 ect.  you will have different goals and different challenges, and hopefully your fiance will grow along with you rather than against you.  you have been given so much great advice by women who are older than you that know what they are talking about.  it would be a shame to assume you know more than they do and not take one bit of their advice.  teens do feel they know it all, i did, but when you grow up and realize you were wrong, well its too late by then.  soul search for now.  go to school.  become a woman.  then when the time is right consider having kids rather than getting your timer started.

[K1990]

I'm taking a lot of advice.  I want 4 kids and don't want to be an old mom, I want to see my kids grow and their kids grow.  My fiance should have a decent enough job for us to live off of for 2 years and if I have to work while going to school, I will.  We will find a way to do so!

[pertykitty]

then if you know all the answers maybe you should just journal this instead of opening a post so you can yell at everyone for not giving you the answer you so want to hear.  at 18 you have no idea of what it takes to raise kids, maybe some parenting classes while you are waiting is a great idea.

[K1990]

I'm not at all yelling at anyone.  I appreciate the advice and from everyones replys I have decided to go for nursing!

[peekawho]

Be a surgical tech.  They make more money than CNA's, and its a lot better than washing dirty behinds all the time.

[pertykitty]

well good luck, you can always work in a 8-5 office like a cancer center or heart center.  do really make sure you want it, student loans are a mighty repayment! lol

[K1990]

I will make sure I am doing what I like.  My brother and I are lucky to get school paid for as long as we went to college straight out of high school.

[kjbutcher]

the nursing thing may be great for you.  Soon you will realize it just doesnt work with one income and nursing, that you say you dont want to do at night, may be the perfect thing.  Hubby can work during the day, you stay home with baby, and when he gets home you go to work for the night and you both have some weekends together.  That way you get to be home with the baby and that way baby doesnt have to be in daycare.  You really have a lot to think about.  You may want to find a friend who is out on their own trying to make it in a two person family with one income and see how it is working out.  it is HARD!!! (to say the least)  Most of the time it just isnt possible.  I wish I could show you my finances.  My husband has an above average salary and I get paid like a part timer and we are really having a hard time.  He didnt finish college until my son was 6 months old and now he has a great job but job security is a big issue right now.  We both wish we were a bit more "set up" before the baby came.  It is almost like you want someone to say "just stay home and have babies."  We all wish we could do that and you see threads on here all the time about trying to work from home.  We just cant do it and everyone is trying to explain that.