Looking in to RN courses

[Tammy Hope]

I've had a lot of advice to look into an LPN/RN degree because they are in such high demand that a job is assured and the pay is outstanding (albeit you have to put up with a lot of crap)

I had thought that given how much schooling I already had that i couldn't afford it since it would be (so i wrongly thought) so much more school - BUT

I've discovered that i can, with the course i have already and the ones I can grab online over the summer, I can do it in two years.

The trick now is whether i can pull enough financial aid to supplement my meager unemployment and keep my family supported during that time. (in lu of finding an actual job)

I'm supposed to talk to a rep on Monday - have to decide fast because the deadline for applying to the school of nursing is April 1 for the fall semester.

I can't say i love the idea of being a nurse, but i could imagine a future in which i get the license, work a LOT for good money while financing transition and after surgery, then perusing a masters in counseling and try to get into a gender therapy situation.

means to an end, as it were.

That's of course, assuming i don't write the Great American Novel or win the powerball first...

[annette]

Hi Tammy

Two years look reasonable, in my country it took 4 years to be a nurse.
4 years of poor finances.
I don't know how it is in the US but here you can follow courses(if you're selected) for
a specialized nurse like the ICU, ER, CCU.
It took me 7 years to do this all but the payment is a lot higher than a RN.
And you're not loving the idea of being a nurse?
When you see what you can do for people and how usefull you are, I think that idea will change.
It gives a lot of satisfaction.

Good luck and wisdom by making your choice

hugs
annette

[danielleclark1987]

Tammy,

I would highly recommend nursing! There are countless avenues one can take as an R.N. and the money and time spent is well worth it! It's hard (besides being a transgendered woman, it'll be the hardest task you embark on) and there will be many, many sleepless nights and tearful days! Remember, though, it's so worth it!

Good luck and please do let all of us know how everything goes!

[Tammy Hope]

When i say I'm not thrilled about it, it's thinking of two things -

A friend of mind who spent her life in nursing had some really bad experiences with "politics" - when she reported some unethical behavior and got blackballed. of course it's just her side of the story but she's a very caring person and she feels like you almost have to be cold-hearted to overlook what goes on "behind closed doors"

The other thing is I worry about some of the "drudge work" although I'm not sure how much of that still falls to an RN to do.

on the other hand, i do look forward to the opportunity to be good to people and, hopefully, maybe to be the one who makes sure a TG person doesn't get run over by ignorant people.

speaking of, Danielle, do you know something specific about it being hard for a transwoman to operate in the nursing profession? I'd kind of assumed it would be one of the easier fields to be accepted in.

The one thing I worried about was if there was a bigoted patient who would refuse to let me do my job, but otherwise...

[danielleclark1987]

When i say I'm not thrilled about it, it's thinking of two things -

A friend of mind who spent her life in nursing had some really bad experiences with "politics" - when she reported some unethical behavior and got blackballed. of course it's just her side of the story but she's a very caring person and she feels like you almost have to be cold-hearted to overlook what goes on "behind closed doors"

The other thing is I worry about some of the "drudge work" although I'm not sure how much of that still falls to an RN to do.

on the other hand, i do look forward to the opportunity to be good to people and, hopefully, maybe to be the one who makes sure a TG person doesn't get run over by ignorant people.

speaking of, Danielle, do you know something specific about it being hard for a transwoman to operate in the nursing profession? I'd kind of assumed it would be one of the easier fields to be accepted in.

The one thing I worried about was if there was a bigoted patient who would refuse to let me do my job, but otherwise...

I work at a hospital in Missouri in the psychiatric center for pediatrics. While I am not living as a transgendered woman in the workplace, most of my co-workers and supervisors know that I am a transgendered woman outside of the workplace. My supervisors also know of my desire to transition at some point in the very near future. I am actually waiting for administration to setup a meeting to discuss my transition.

Nursing does have a lot of politics. I have learned to do my job and focus on my patients. It does get easier over time. As far as the profession being open to acceptance/tolerance of transgendered individuals, it more or less is. I have not had a problem with someone harassing me due to my living as a woman outside of the workplace. My supervisors are completely supportive, as well; however, as with any career you choose, there will be a select few that will not tolerate it.

Nursing school will kick your butt! It will break you and the instructors will make you cry and beg for mercy; however, that makes you a stronger nurse and it weeds out the individuals who cannot handle crisis situations (of which you will face everyday of your nursing career). You have to be thick skinned but very compassionate.

[Tammy Hope]

Update -

Good news: Made the deadline (filing my ap to nursing school tomorrow ahead of Friday deadline) and counselor says my excellent ACT and GPA should make acceptance likely;
Bad news: i have student loans in forbearance so Stafford loans are out (and credit won't support private loans);
Good news: Workforce Investment Act funds will pay for up to 4 semesters which is what the RN course is;
Bad News: one of the qualifications for nursing school is having completed A&P 1/2 in the previous summer session.

The WIA money can't be stretched to cover that (expected to cost about $1,000) and I can't produce it. The Employment office guy said go ahead and apply and if/when I'm accepted he'll be able to - he THINKS - swing a Pell for the pre-req's

I'm highly skeptical - everything else I've heard says you can't get a Pell once you've got a Bachelor's. but I have no other option but to let him try.

Another plan has to do with Hospital sponsorship programs. More research is necessary there.

oh, and one other worry - on the list of things that you need, beyond academics, to get into the school of nursing - alongside things like no criminal convictions and a clean health record and vaccinations and so forth...is a list of characteristics like good hearing and manual dexterity and so forth.

one of the items on that list is "mental stability" - can you imagine why I might be worried on that score?

[Tammy Hope]

Another update-

Found out today that by the points system necessary to get accepted to the school of nursing (it's competitive) you need to shoot for a total of 30 points or more - and I've got 30 from my ACT score alone, and 10 more besides. Gotta think that puts me in good shape.

Also...
I spent the afternoon at NEMCC and touched on the name issue. I ask the admissions clerk could I get Tammy on my student ID, and she sent me to the housing office that makes them, there I was told they could only print what was on the record and sent me to the IT guy, who said it was technically possible but would have to be authorized by the registrar (which in the admissions office, donchaknow) and HE said he'd never been ask before but he's going to ask some of his peers at MSU and Ole Miss and so forth how they handle it.

But he was very sweet about it and said if there was any way to swing it he would. He also offered to handle the registration himself privately, and to E-mail my profs about using the correct name. I was really impressed.

Combining that with the lady in the nursing school (who should know me from BMC but didn't act like she recognized my name) saying (when I asked about the "mental stability" thing) that any hesitation would probably be covered by non-discrimination policies - I'm 99% sure that "gender identity  is not in their policy and 100% certain it's not in state law, but I'm not pointing that out - and I'm feeling rather good about their willingness to be accepting.

The only thing mentioned all day that I might feel a bit negative about is this - the nursing school lady said it was POSSIBLE that the hospitals where we did clinicals might balk at a non-legal name on the id...but my guess is that the college id serves as the working ID when you are at the hospital and they won't question whatever the school sends.

All i can do now is wait for the letter of acceptance and then go back to the money man and see if he can pull a rabbit out of his hat.

[LordKAT]

I'm looking forward to your posting saying you receive one big fat rabbit.

[Tammy Hope]

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!


SO pissed off right now, and no one to be pissed off AT!!!

The Registrar e-mailed me this evening and he's found out that the ham-fisted rules insist that my legal name appear on all official documents - of which the student ID is one.

Head >>> bang

He'd do different if he could but apparently he can't. I'm going to try to find out who makes the rules and if there's any way to appeal for a waiver, since the "where do I pee?" question gets very damned sticky if I've paraded a male name to the entire campus.

[Lacey Lynne]

Tammy:

FANTASTIC choice, hon!  Make it so.   Wishing you well.

   Lacey

[V M]

Go for it Tammy... You can do this... Don't let the various obstacles stop you... I bet you'd be a great nurse and the world needs great nurses