Why Community College?

When I started looking into this whole nursing thing, I had basically come to the decision that I wanted to move home. I was living out of state at the time, the only one of my family so far away, and especially since the birth of my first niece, it was really bothering me to be so far away.

Things had come to a screeching halt with my research career. Total melt down with my academic advisor, realization that academia really was not going to be a good fit for me (this article explains part of the reason: The Disposable Academic), and realizing that without my grad student stipend and no immediate job prospects where I was living at the time, it was going to be difficult to get by.

Nursing, and more broadly, the all-encompassing "health professions" were something I had considered in the past. I think I may have first considered nursing specifically in early high school, but my family basically told me I should do "better" and I moved on to other things. It is an idea I have revisited several times since then, and especially since starting grad school.

So when I decided that I was definitely going to pursue a career change, and narrowed my decision down to nursing, I started looking into the various training programs: The most efficient way for me to become a nurse at this point would be one of those accelerated BSN programs. I already have a bachelor's in biology, so I could enroll in one, and graduate all snappy like in 18 months, ready to search for my new job as an RN. The problem with that plan goes back to my yearning to be closer to my family; my family lives in a small-ish town, well-removed from any of the big cities where those programs are offered. Also, those programs cost upwards of 50 grand. Yes, I could take out a loan, and hope that whatever hospital hires me afterward would have a partial tuition reimbursement program, but geez... and there's also a lack of confidence issue there. I already chose one career, pursued it pretty doggedly for about a decade, and then admitted to myself it wasn't for me. I don't think that's going to be the case again, but if it is, I don't want to jump into a huge vat of debt right away.

Conveniently, where my family lives, the local community college has a well-respected ASN program.

The shortfalls are:
* it will be 4 years before I'm an RN (prereq's, application period, 2 year program)
* when I'm done I'll only have an associates in nursing
But on the plus side:
* it's cheap (about $2,000 for the 2 year nursing program)
* I can work part time while I'm in the program (not possible in the accelerated programs)
* the graduates are well-recruited by local hospitals from what I've heard
* I can stay local to my family (emotional and financial benefits)
* I'm tip-toeing into my new career field rather than diving, giving me opportunities to alter my course if necessary
* If I complete the ASN and then decide I need the BSN later, I can easily complete one of those online bridge programs (using my future employer's continuing education reimbursements) while working full time

Until I found local full-time work, I was somewhat doubting this decision, but I feel good about it now.

Family Reaction to my career choice

My family has been for the most part pretty supportive around the idea of me transitioning toward a career in the health professions. Right now they're helping me keep a roof over my head until I can find work again, which is very much appreciated.

But there are some things that are nagging at me:

-My mom insists on saying "nursey-nurse" instead of just "nurse" when we are talking about it. I have told her I find this demeaning and disrespectful, and she didn't say she didn't mean it this way; she said "well how about if I'm allowed to say that about student nurses but once they get their license they become 'nurse'"
-My mom makes little comments here and there about it really would be better if your end goal were to become a nurse practitioner or a doctor, instead of "just a nurse". This isn't too surprising, as several years ago when I brought up the idea of being a nurse as a teen, she told me "nurses just wipe butt".
-My dad expresses concern that it will be hard to get a job as a nurse in our specific town, even though in general nursing jobs are easier to come by right now, because our town is a place where lots of people would like to live.


My dad's comment at least is logical and comes from a place of concern, but my mom's comments I really find distasteful and mean. I read somewhere that nurses (along with firemen) are one of the most trusted and respected careers in the U.S. Why does she have such scorn for them? And why can't she keep her mouth shut when this is something I feel good about and want to pursue?