DB in NJ Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I am thinking about going to school while I finish my homeschool career (3 years to go). Maybe something in the medical field at the local cc? Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I'm a nurse and would encourage nursing school. Well paying job with flexible hours and lots of diverse opportunities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabella Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I would just go with something you love, or at least like quite well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 What does the CC offer that looks interesting to you? I think being an x-ray or ultrasound technician would be kind of cool. I hear that degree at my local technical school is highly competitive because it's so popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I think if I were looking at a cc, then I would probably look at OTA or PTA programs, though in our area most employers have cut those jobs. :( (but I'm in a very economically depressed area) But still, it's a good career, pays decent, and seems like enjoyable work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 And I want to add that there are bridge programs for OTAs wanting to become OTs. So if you wanted to pursue it more in the future, that could be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Well I am a pharmacy technician and starting online classes for health information technology (associates and completely online through a local cc). My pharmacy tech was a one year certificate (wish I would have done the 2 year for iv training but I have since moved) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I would say Nursing or some sort of business (office) degree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I would also say nursing as us baby boomers , tons of us, are only getting older and will be needing medical care. p.s my dd and her 2nd best friend (a single mom) are both going into nursing we have 3 extended family members that are nurses (one is a nurse practioner) and they said that the flexible hours are great, especially when their dc were younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I assume you don't want to do a RN? radiology tech, (I know one woman who does this in a major trauma center. she's x-rayed limbs before their owner arrived. she likes being able to send uncooperative and vomiting patients back to the RN to clean up.) sonography tech surgical tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 our local cc offers a 2 year degree and also I believe a certification that takes 1 year in nursing. Dd's friend is taking her nursing classes at the local cc this year and will be transferring to probably Eastern ? University which is near Villanova where dd will be going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 OT or PT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Nursing is truly a rewarding career, SO many different specialty areas you could choose from. But as a heads up, generally programs are intense and competitive. Where I live, bachelor's degrees are preferred, and most of the hospitals are now requiring that as entry level (including their existing RN's!). All of the programs here require you to have CNA certification first, so you could try that to see if nursing is the way you want to go. If you feel a passion towards it, go for it!! If a BSN is your goal, you could take all of your prereq's while you are still homeschooling and get those out of the way. I had no trouble transferring my prereq's toward my BSN, but you may want check into that. Once you start an actual nursing program though, prepare to devote a majority of your time to it. Other ideas: surgery tech (as a previous poster suggested) is a good job, may involve on call time, anesthesia tech, PA, medical assistant, dietician, xray tech (I think programs are intensive, similar to nursing, but those are generally great jobs too), respiratory therapist, dental hygienist (they make a lot of money where I live!) I would contact as many people as you can that might have the above jobs and just ask lots of questions. With the Affordable Care Act, the medical field is really going to be changing, and many more people will be insured than ever before and seeking healthcare (especially preventative). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I was considering graphic arts/design until my research showed that it is very competitive, very demanding, and took a dive with the economy. Accounting is another good option and pays more than graphic design. DD-inlaw is a new nurse with a 2 year degree and she is making very good money for a beginner!! She's in ICU, works weekends graveyard shift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 How are you at STEM (science technology engineering mathematics)? I always did fine at math in school, and my homeschool journey taught me that I actually like math more than I did when I was younger. I am now in school in computer science with the goal to become a software engineer. It's a skill in very high demand that pays very well, and has lots of flexible work-at-home options, and is a lot of fun. You can combine other talents or skills with computer science and be a lot more marketable (it's difficult to get a job as an artist, for example, but if you can bring art talent to ability in computer graphics you are super marketable). And you can be involved in creating new technology that has the potential to change the way the world works. It's not a field that women going back into the work force typically think of, but it has a lot going for it. If you aren't afraid of math and want something in the health care field, look into radiation therapists (the nurses who help cancer patients go through radiation therapy, not the people who do x-rays). I understand they get paid more than nurses because of the three-dimensional physics they need to understand to do their job. It's a field in high demand and has reasonable hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I am thinking about going to school while I finish my homeschool career (3 years to go). Maybe something in the medical field at the local cc? Any ideas? Yeah, reconsider a health degree, and get an asociate's degree in computer science, communications, something of that nature. While doing so, pick up certifications in one or more of the following:CISCO, Juniper, Oracle, CCNA/CCNP, etc. Then, go work as a cell tech, NOC tech, switch tech, systems tech--something of that nature for a telecom like ATT or Sprint. You'll make as much as most nurses, more than many, you'll have set hours, won't be exposed to super pathogens, won't be in a field dealing with litigation and health insurance reform upheavals, and in an industry that is growing. Also, this field is still male dominated, so it means HRs are looking for qualified women to hire, increasing your opportunity. In this field, it is common to start around 45k, and quickly move up and increase salary. After 4 or 5 years, it is not at all unusual for many techs to be making in the range of 80 to 100k a year. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 For myself, I'd go with something computer related, but then I like computers. If I was going to go into nursing, I'd go with a minimum of an LPN degree. I did a lot of CNA-type work in college (though I'm not a CNA, they were just desperate) and it's really, really hard. Physically demanding, and often pretty yucky. I wouldn't be able to do that for more than a few years before I'd get burned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonesinIndiana Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Nursing! In my area, you can go to school for a year or 10 months and get your LPN. Then go to the CC for your 2 year RN. Depending on where you work, your employer might help with tuition and books. You could then go back to school and get your BSN, if you wanted, too. A huge blessing with nursing is the flexible hours. Straight Monday thru Friday 8 to 5 if you wanted to work in a doctors office, 2nd or 3rd shift in a hospital or 3 - 12 hour shifts, weekends while hubby is off, really, it's just so flexible as a home school parent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Where I used to live the hospital was phasing out 2 year RN nurses and requiring a BSN. If you already have a college degree you can get a second bachelors in nursing. The programs are about 18-24 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Thank you all! You've given me much to consider. Many moons ago, I started nursing school. I was on a waiting list, so I took as many CLEPs as I could and then took the remainder of all pre req's. All that was left was the actual nursing courses themselves (I missed the cut off by 4 spots that summer. Grrr....it was either wait another year until the next start and do absolutely NOTHING while I waited since I had already taken everything I possibly could take OR go get a job and move out of my MIL's house. I became a paralegal, and we moved). I am so not computer'ish ;) I'm going to go check out our cc's website for some options. Thanks again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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