<p>Thank you all for your thoughts. I will provide a little more background. In my days before children I worked my way up as a cardiovascular technologist. Over the years I did stress testing, holter monitoring, echocardiography, cardiac catheterizations, managed an electrophysiology lab, assisted with research and papers, and assisted in the OR during implantable defibrillator implant surgery. I left in 1990 to become a SAHM. I worked per diem on and off 1990-2004 as an event monitoring tech. I was let go in 2004 along with all the other per diem workers.</p>
<p>As a result of my pending divorce, I need to return to the workforce. I am finding that much has changed in the world of cardiovascular technology. No longer do they hire trained technologists, but there are special degrees, which I don’t have. Telemetry techs are paid $10.00 per hour. (Not enough to live on) Most telemetry positions are RN’s. My idea of getting an RN came from the idea that I could earn a living in cardiology, a field I am very familiar with, but with a higher rate of return. </p>
<p>The idea of repeating Calculus, chemistry etc. is a bit overwhelming. The clinical part does not scare me. </p>
<p>There is a CC near me that offers an AS in nursing. How much does where you get an RN have to do with salary and advancement?</p>
<p>My other option is to go to CC to get a certificate in echocardiography. This will make me eligible to sit for the registry examination. (Which will make me eligible for a job!!!)</p>
<p>Since I need to take the fastest, most economical route to the larger paycheck, I am not considering the PA option. (Wish I had done that years ago) I also want to take into account the limitations that may come with age. (I will need to work for a very long time)</p>
<p>How do I find an accelerated program? Is there a website? </p>
<p>I am also confused about possible limitations by taking the MSN route.</p>
<p>I’d suggest googling “BA to MSN bridge programs” and see what is available in your area. It’s definintely worth researching because it may be the same amount of time as a CC program. If CC is the quicker or more affordable route, don’t worry about being a non-BSN nurse, you’ll still be making good money and can continue your education if you like with your employer paying for a large portion of it.</p>
Around here, none. For a job that doesn’t require a BSN, there is no pay differential for having the higher degree. There *is *often a pay differential for certifications, though. Where you earned your degree is not very important in the nursing world. For your own purposes, it’s good to check passing percentages on the state boards when evaluating schools, though. </p>
<p>Your background clearly shows you’d do very well in a clinical setting & have a high comfort level with patients. That’s excellent, as often it is the clinical side that aspiring nurses struggle with. I’m thinking that the BA to MSN route would be good for your circumstances, as potential employers will see the clinical background as proof of your effectiveness with patients. But most importantly, *you *won’t be blind-sided upon taking your first clinical assignment & realizing, “I really don’t like this!”</p>
<p>I like Crazed suggestion about taking a hospital job that will pay for tuition & reserve a spot for you upon graduation.</p>
<p>Starting hospital salaries for RNs are the same in my area whether you have an AA or BSN. However a BSN is necessary for certain promotions and most managerial positions. Most hospitals will pay for a MSN (or at least most of it) after you have been there for one year. They will also pay for certification courses.</p>
<p>A community college can tell you of scholarships given by the hospitals where their students have clinicals. Usually those scholarships only pay for the 2 years a student is taking pure nursing courses and the student agrees to work for that hospital for x number of years.</p>
<p>For an accelerated BSN program start just put that into the search function of the university’s website. If I did this correctly it should take you to the JHU page for their accelerated program and there is a link to the Prereqs.</p>
<p>Since you haven’t mentioned where you’re located, let me recommend Simmons College in Boston, which has an accelerated RN program for those with BAs in other fields.
<p>I PM’d you following your PM to me.
Then I found your thread. </p>
<p>I’d suggest you meet with admissions at SCC and/or NCC and determine the likelihood of acceptance and also, if you need any pre-req’s before applying.
Your resume/history is very impressive and I hope will make an impact. Also, schedule an appt at Briarcliffe concerning the echo program and their pre-reqs. My friend that is still trying to gain acceptance, is finally done with the pre-reqs. They also wanted experience- observing echo in an office. You may not need that with all your experience. </p>
<p>If you can stand it, I’d vote for RN. More job opportunities no matter where you settle/move to. Even in retirement (or semi-retirement) you will easily get a job in a hospital or nursing home that can give you benefits!!! I am not sure about benefits/health insurance in a cardiology practice.</p>
<p>Again, good luck. Contact me if I can be of any help.</p>
<p>Would def go for RN vs. a tech because of the opportunities and flexibility and variety.
Where are you located? You won’t have to take calculus btw.</p>
<p>I work in cardiology in the midwest. ADN grad, though quite a while ago. Listen to the previous poster about the physical stresses of hospital nursing. I stay in it because I just can’t make anywhere near the pay in any other sort of nursing job, though all of us work less than full time due to the mental stress, much less the physical. If I had a BSN, I’d have a chance at management, public health, some other slightly less physically stressful jobs. My hospital, in my very educated town with numerous nursing programs hires mostly BSNs for staff positions these days. But your experience is golden. Salaries are the same no matter the degree for staff nurses (though not everyplace) but an ADN with your background I’d think would have people begging you to work for them. </p>
<p>Hey, here in the midwest, no certification is needed for monitor techs, and we’re hiring right now, though not sure of the pay. I’d think more than $10 per hour. Cath lab techs as well. With all your EP experience, have you thought of contacting one of the pacemaker companies to see if they’re hiring? Company reps are present for all ICD and bi V implants, keep the stock up, train newbies, troubleshoot and bring quality chocolate at the holidays to pacemaker nurses! Hard work but good income. You’ve probably met a few of them. </p>
<p>Echo tech sounds like a quick route to a job skill, and I wouldn’t necessarily dismiss it till you learn the pay scale. Less physical stress, and no weekends aside from call, with hospital benefits. Just go into a hospital HR department and see if they’ll tell you starting salaries. Ask about their tuition reimbursement while you’re at it.</p>
<p>I feel for you, as it sounds as if you’re facing numerous transitions at once. Best wishes.</p>
<p>I don’t know what the pay differential is where my wife works. She never wanted to work in a hospital, and is employed by the company that owns the hospital to do hospice work. Same union, but I’ll have to ask her about the wage differential. It is not particularly physically demanding, though there is a reasonable amount of driving (and she gets paid the same amount per hour for driving time), always gets overtime for paperwork when it runs over (time-and-a-half), and pretty much is in control of her daily schedule, other than meetings. She is also getting paid (at the overtime rate) to take some classes in the evening in medical Spanish, and the same when they institute a new computer system shortly.</p>
<p>Being an ECHO tech may be better for you than a nurse- H is a cardiolologist and from his comments (I’m a physician also) you may enjoy it more than going the RN route.</p>