Dec 29, 2012, 07:32 am
Last edited Dec 29, 2012, 07:32 am
update #2
Apart from the gender worries, I went through the same dilemma you are experiencing! I'll give you my advice, but I should explain to you how I became an enrolled nurse and how I am nowset for my bachelors next year.
Sorry if this is a bit lengthy, but here goes...
I had always wanted to be a nurse, and after 12 years working as a nanny I was miserable. I was 30, hadn't studied since I was 18 and was absolutely petrified of the fact I was giving up regular wages not knowing if I would succeed. Here's the path I decided to take....
I enrolled in the Cert IV nursing course to become a division 2/enrolled nurse. I had to attend classes 4 days a week for 6 hours a day and had four 2 week clinical placements - aged care, rehabilitation, acute care(neurosurgery) and in a geriatric evaluation unit. Juggling adult life and full time study was hard to begin with, but after a few weeks I sorted my routine and it became easy. Being a mature age student meant that I wasn't fresh out of high school or constructively spending my class time glued to my mobile phone texting or updating my face book status. I was able to dedicate my time to achieving the best marks I could by studying hard - having no social life and a passion for what I was learning definitely helped!
I still had to find money for rent, utilities, food etc. I cleaned a childcare centre for 4 hours a day Mon-Fri , 2 houses each Sat(6 hours) and one on Thursdays( 4 hrs). I was able to clean the childcare centre anytime between 6pm and 6am, so ended up going before and after course on Tues and Thurs and early Sat before cleaning the houses. It was a hell of a drag, but I chose to do it this way so that I would have time to spend with my man, my dogs and have some nights where I could work on assignments and study. It was annoying getting up at 3 am, knowing that I still had to go to course AND go back and clean again before I would get the luxury of sleep. Coffee became a very good friend over the year I can tell you! I not only managed to earn more than enough to get by but as I was working as a self-contractor, I was able to claim many tax benefits, earning over $40,000 after tax and receiving a refund of just over $4000 due to business write offs and expenses.
It has been less than a year since I graduated and I am working full time in a neurosurgical ward of a private hospital as part of a graduate enrolled nurse program, having completed my first 6 months in the emergency department. I have just accepted permanent fulltime employment on my current ward who are going to support me whilst I complete my nursing degree by allowing me unpaid leave and 12 hour shifts so I can still do full time work and complete clinical placements. My uni has an agreement with my work (a fellowship program) where I'll complete all of my clinical placements in different sites of my facility and do all of my course tutorials and practical classes in my hospitals sim lab, taught by our hospital educators. My uni has online lectures and assessments so I only have to go in for end exams.
PHEWW!! Sorry that took so long to explain.
Now the advice.....If you want to be a nurse I wouldn't even with bother the aged care course (unless your passion is in aged care) You have some other options...go straight into the bachelor's degree - many places will employ you as a AIN/PCA (assistant in nursing/personal care attendant) if you are studying a nursing degree. Or alternatively, if you study the diploma at a TAFE that is affiliated with a university, you will usually receive 12 - 18 months credit towards your degree, be able to register as an enrolled nurse and can begin working in hospital's and many other facilities, not just aged care. You are also guaranteed a place in the bachelor's degree to become a registered nurse.
Go for your dreams and don't let people with archaic and close minded views on who should or shouldn't be nursing stop you from achieving your dreams. Let me know I if I can give you some pointers for mature aged entry application for uni if things change.
Good luck, and thanks for persevering through my post!
