Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Ive been hemming and hawing with this for years now, Im ashamed to say how long and I let my husband discourage me for many, many years.

I've wanted to make a career change from Accounting to RN or PA.
To make a long story short I decided yesterday Im gonna pursue RN. I just need to step out and do it.
As a child I wanted to become a nurse.

Now..the pre-req classes (Bio, Chem, Anatomy)are fulll for nights the coming term at SCCC and Farmingdale suny..so Im looking into sat and sun classes.

I was thinking of working nites in a hospital or nursing home but from looking online they all want a certificate or experience. plus I dont know Medical Terminology, billing etc.

So..Ive been looking into some Wilson Tech/Western Boces program.

My questions are:

Does anyone know of Wilson Tech. Is it a good school? I know some are NOT accredited like Bradford etc

Is the Medical Assistant more highly regarded than the Practical Nursing or Nurse Assistant?

Are those good courses to do in the mean time to gain experience while I pre-req and wait to get into a RN programme?

Also about the pay rate is it good for those??, just cause if a day job or programme is my only option then Im going to have to pay for afterschool/ childcare for my 3 kids who are in elementary.
(I plan to work nights when Im RN).

Also, the Practical Nursing is $17,000. So is it good to do that and then having to pay for the RN programme?

Hope my questions are clear. Its 3am and Ive been tossing and turning about this.

Thanks so much.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

I would do a LPN or RN program. Once your prereq's are done, several hospitals have programs where you go through school ( through SCCC) with them and then you are guaranteed a job with them with you finish. I know Mather and Good Sam have programs like that. I don't think any credit at Branford or wilson tech is transferable if you decided to get a nursing or med assistant and then do a RN program. I know someone in the RN program and when they finished, they worked the nightshift at the hospital ( 3days, 12 hrs) and is making 60K right out of school. Good Luck

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

I became a nursing assistant. I got lots of great valuable experience while I went to school for my RN. And while I worked my job paid for it!

You can take a course to become a certified nurse assistant and I think it will be fairly easy to find a job in a hospital or nursing home.

My hospital will be phasing out LPNs and has been strongly encouraging LPNs to go back to school for their RN. Yes LPNs are nurses too but I think it will be better just to go for the RN.

Good luck.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply ladies.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

I've worked as all 3! sending you a FM

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Hi Terri,

I worked as a medical asst while i went to nursing school, ive been a nurse for 4 years now. if you are going to become a nurse i would get your RN instead of LPN, if you want to work in a hospital they are hiring mostly RN's not LPNs. I would also go to a school and get your BSN if you already have your bachelors, you can go into an accelerated program, where you can get your BSN, adelphi is great, molloy.You get the most bang for your buck working at a hospital. Plus having 3 kids, working nights and 3 nights a week 12.5 hour schedule might be great for you. Let me know what you decide.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Thanks again everyone and for your fm's.

I AM SOOO EXCITED!!! I registered for A&P and Psyc. sat and sunday classes.
I cant wait to start.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

I agree with the other posters. I would definitely go for your RN. I dont even think my hospital hires LPNs.

When I was in nursing school I remember some hospitals offering contracts where they would pay for your school if you guaranteed them a certain number of years after you graduate. Also, many hospitals will pay for you to go to go school, even if you start as a nursing assistant/aid.

Feel free to FM me if you have any other questions.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

im an LPN... sending you FM!

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Thanks ladies, ure all so wonderful and helpful.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

I am here thanks for the FM. Definitely follow your dreams. Sometimes you cant let folks know what you are doing because the will discourage you. I am so upset that i let my love ones discourage me for many years. If I knew what I know now I would have been finished along time ago. I am in SCC nursing program and I love it. it is a great program and the professors are awesome.
I too had to take pre reqs on Sat but it paid off and God willing in May will be done.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Hi there,

I just took all the prereqs, and now am in the program, Let me know if you have any questions. What you are doing is great, i too wish I did it a long time ago....

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Lisa, Congrats! thats great.

Lulu, its the best feeling to be finally starting isnt it.
Where did you do the pre-reqs.

Im doing one at SCCC and one at Farmingdale......

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

I too am going back to school for nursing. I have all the pre reqs except A & P I & II and micro. So in order to start the RN program you have to do those. So I figured I would get my LPN in the meantime and once I finih that I will do the RN program and work as an LPN whike in the RN program for experience. Also, if you do the LPN program then do the RN program a few ofthe classes you wont have to take becuaser you would have already taken them. I also am going to SCCC!

What class are u taking at suffolk??

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Webb, that great! Im doing A&P1 at sccc and Psyc at Farmingdale. Micro and AP11 I will do winter.
Are you doing both the pre-reqs and LPN at sccc? Initially I had looked into Wilson Tech for that.

Lulu are u at SCCC for the program?

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

is it too late to registar and start the classes at SCC ???

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Posted by longislemom

Lisa, Congrats! thats great.

Lulu, its the best feeling to be finally starting isnt it.
Where did you do the pre-reqs.

Im doing one at SCCC and one at Farmingdale......

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

what exact prereq's do you need? are they different everywhere? It seemed on SCC to be 2 BIO's and a lab, 2 A&P, 1 English, I pshyc

I'm about to look all this up now, including Stonybrook, Nassau, and Farmingdale

btw- which classes did you take online??

is it also true that to get into the nursing program at SCC you need straight A's on the prereqs?

sorry I am just looking into this over the weekend and it is hard to focus with 2 teething babies

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Lulu thanks for all your information. Can you tell me what classes you did online? I was looking at the syllabus and I agree about getting all the non-nurs outa tha way.

Sultana, I got ur fm ill reply lata. im rushing. babysittin today and theyll be here anyminute now.lol

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Thanks

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Posted by lulugrrl

this semester I am taking the nursing seminar online. I have a little boy, so i try to do as much at home as I can...I HATE being away from him.

Re: Medical assist VS Nursing?? more regarded?

Hello Ladies! I believe SCC is having an open house/coffee info regarding the nursing program tomorrow just in case anyone is interested. I'll try to post the info when i get it
Hope all of you are doing well