Hi there everyone! I stumbled across this site while roaming the internet. I am not a nurse, but am considering whether or not I would like to enter into this field. I am currently in law enforcement and have accomplished many goals I had set for myself, but still find myself drawn to the field of nursing for many reasons. (most of them corny, I'm sure) Anyhow, I hope you don't mind me "peeking over your shoulder" to take a look into your world and hope it helps me to make a decision on my own future.

The perfect solution would be to attend school part time until able to leave the field I am currently in...( a girl had gotta eat and pay the bills) ..does anyone have any opinions on this??? How are the online classes??? Searching the internet gives you lots of information, but no one to ask questions of.....Advice is welcomed :)

thanks in advance!

I bet you would do great!   Some classes are harder than others.   I know the delimma about paying the bills while in school, but it can be done.   Maybe you could schedule a meeting with a staffmember of the school your interested in and find out what kind of schedule they need for their students, and see if he/she can help with prioritiizng classes.   There are many online programs, and some of those help you prepare to clep many core classes.  I'm doing that for my BSN, I have my ADN, and have a couple more to do before I actually finish and have the BSN.  I have noticed that its hard for me to stay focused with the onlie stuff...........and my husband does this thing that doesnt help.  He forgets im studying, and thinks that when I'm on the computer or Im reading........that this is school work.   He says "oops, I didnt know you were studying!".   If you choose to do online.....for the nursing classes, be sure to check to see if it's an accredited program, not all are acredited.  Good luck in school.

 Not crazy at all, there's a reason you feel drawn to the Nursing field and you won't know if its a fit for you until you get your feet wet, I agree with the CNA course idea, because you can go into many different settings (Hospital, Hospice, Nursing homes etc), and see which environment would be a good fit or field of interest for you...There are several CNA courses available a low or no cost to you, particularly at Nursing Homes, so you really have nothing to lose, gain some very basic knowledge, meet new people, and get your hands a bit dirty (sometimes a lot!), and decide if Nursing really is your calling.

As far as online nursing classes, they never worked for me, but I am the kind of person that needs to be in a classroom setting, so it depends on your learning style, plus on line and accelerated Nursing Programs do come with a hefty price tag. In my case I completed an LVN/LPN program which in most states is between 12-18 months, which allowed me the opportunity to put my skills to practice right away and I was able to secure a very good paying job on the weekends while I attend RN School during the week at a State University, also community colleges will place your name in the front of the (RN waiting list) line if you are an LPN, and this way you don't end up with a huge student loan to repay. 

Good Luck!