From Filmmaking to Nursing.

Hello.

My name is Jet. I'm 22. Turning 23 soon. I am an independent filmmaker. I went to school for two years and got my degree in that field, but I haven't found a job. As a result of that, I've decided to enter the nursing field because I really want to work for a salary, but I've only done volunteer work at law firms and production studios. Being 22 and having no real work experience... it's not a great feeling. And plus, I like helping people. In the very near future, I will be going to CNA school and hopefully get a license. Then, next year, I hope to go school to be an LVN/LPN.

Problem is, I don't know which private college to attend. I live in the East Bay (in California). Junior College has a long and ridiculous waiting list. I currently have two choices in mind: 1) Unitek College in Fremont. 2) Nightingale Nursing in San Leandro.

I have met with Unitek's people and they have an obvious scheme going on where they intimidate you with how hard the LVN program is so they can get you into the MA program. Pork out an extra ten grand. The place seems okay and they seem a little full of themselves, but the guy was also being realistic. Their tuition is $34,000 for the LVN training. Whew... that is a chunk of change and I am not comfortable with it. I am also very fearful of their $3000 pre-req crash course deal. Microbiology? A and P? Medical Term? And more? In THREE weeks? I come from a FILM background...I'm not so hot on science. And PLUS, they have this thing where if you fail a course, you need to retake the course and REPAY the course. I CANNOT AFFORD THAT. Has anyone done the crash course? Is it really hard?

I have called and left many messages for Nightingale Nursing and they make no effort to answer my questions or call back or even e-mail back with useful answers, though I like that they have full pre-req courses before the LVN program and they cost a lot less than Unitek. $700. And being a CNA is also a requirement. Would anyone recommend this school? Can I do FAFSA there?

I guess what I want here is to have some advice. Are there other schools in the area? Short reviews on these schools? What's the pay rate in the East Bay area for a CNA and/or LVN? Are there any good nursing grants out there? Coming from a filmmaking background, do I stand a chance in the nursing field?

Any help would be great. Thanks. Last edit by Silverdragon102 on Nov 14, '10 : Reason: TOS, pm to member
Hey man, good to read your post. I am just finishing up my RN in December. I'm a 32 year-old man, and worked in professional video for 4 years before going back to school to become a nurse. I was pursuing a BA in Film Studies at the University of Utah when I decided I wanted a good career to fund my filmmaking. I was (and still plan to be) an independent filmmaker and screenwriter, too. Nursing is a great career. There are so many opportunities, and so many directions you can go in. The pay is great, too. I know from what I've seen in the Bay area, RN's make really great money, much better than Utah or any other state.I'm not sure what the schools are like out there, but I would say do not get your RN through any school like Stephens-Henager College or Everest College. There are a bunch of schools like these that offer nursing degrees, but there are big downsides to them. They cost a ton of money (sometimes around $50,000), often your credits don't transfer to a real university, and sometimes these schools either lose their accreditation or their reputation is a bit shaky. This can mean that you might go through school and not even be able to take your licensing exams at the end! It has happened. It also might mean that your clinical experiences might be not so great. A lot of the hospitals around here won't even hire students from those schools because of their low education standards. And you certainly don't want to be learning microbiology, anatomy, physiology and chemistry in 3 weeks for all the classes. There is no way you are going to adequately grasp the concepts enough. Nursing school is hard enough taking these classes the normal way, with each of them as a semester long class. Take the time to study hard and learn the concepts well and do well in your classes. You may feel the urge to take the fastest possible option, but trust me, take the time to learn and enjoy learning. I recommend going to an accredited, legitimate university, especially state universities. State universities are often less expensive because they receive state funding, and their courses usually transfer pretty well. You don't want to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a nursing degree. There is no reason to. Ignore the schools with TV ads and the "quickie" promises and go to a legitimate brick and mortar university or even community college where you can get a thorough education. The main reason I say this is because you are making decisions that affect people's health and lives. That's something you don't want to go into unprepared. I won't like, nursing pre-reqs and school have been challenging and required a ton of sacrifice, but I think it's awesome and it has changed my life, both in terms of my financial position but also about my purpose in life. I understand people more now, and I have a deep desire to make a difference. Plus, experience as a nurse is great for screenwriting. Having that life experience to delve from can lend your stories a lot of authenticity. And don't be daunted by the fact that you don't have any work experience. You'll get there. I started with no healthcare experience 3 years ago. I got my CNA (which you'll have to do too, it's required), and started working for a home health company. It's been a great job to get me through school. I worked hard as a CNA, studied my butt off in my pre-requisite and nursing classes, and just yesterday I received my first job as an RN working in the ICU at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashvillle, Tennessee. All this happened in just three years. It's been a complete life change. I never thought I'd have what it takes to work in an intensive care unit, but it's happening. And you can do it, too! While this all may seem like too much work, you can still have a life. Some stretches you won't, but I've still been able to date, play in my band, and hang out. It's worth the sacrifice. With the economy the way it is, being a nurse is recession-proof. People always get sick, die, or have babies. A nurse will always be needed. Anyway, I'm writing a novel here. Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.P.S.: I would say if you're taking the time to do all your pre-requisites, don't stop at LPN. LPN's don't get paid nearly what they deserve, and they're limited in what they can do. Becoming an RN is only two more semesters beyond LPN, so just grin and bear it and get those two semesters done. Here in Utah, it means almost a $10/hour difference in pay. And that's just to start! That's a chunk of change.

Thanks for the reply. Congratulations on becoming an RN. That's a GREAT accomplishment. I do appreciate your advice and it's good advice. Believe me, if I could go to a State University here in the Bay Area -- I would. But I believe they have really long waiting lists that's just as bad as community college (correct me if I am wrong). I hear some people wait years. So, I feel like my only choice is a private college. Despite the fact, I feel uncomfortable with that because of the immense amount of tuition money.And I am glad to hear working as nurse helps screenwriting. I love writing scripts and if anything helps improve it, then that's awesome. That's one of the other reasons I'm going into nursing, to fund my films. It's nice to know I'm not the only one doing that. Hahah.

Quote from mister jethello. my name is jet. i'm 22. turning 23 soon. i am an independent filmmaker. i went to school for two years and got my degree in that field, but i haven't found a job. as a result of that, i've decided to enter the nursing field because i really want to work for a salary, but i've only done volunteer work at law firms and production studios. being 22 and having no real work experience... it's not a great feeling. and plus, i like helping people. in the very near future, i will be going to cna school and hopefully get a license. then, next year, i hope to go school to be an lvn/lpn. problem is, i don't know which private college to attend. i live in the east bay (in california). junior college has a long and ridiculous waiting list. i currently have two choices in mind: 1) unitek college in fremont. 2) nightingale nursing in san leandro.i have met with unitek's people and they have an obvious scheme going on where they intimidate you with how hard the lvn program is so they can get you into the ma program. pork out an extra ten grand. the place seems okay and they seem a little full of themselves, but the guy was also being realistic. their tuition is $34,000 for the lvn training. whew... that is a chunk of change and i am not comfortable with it. i am also very fearful of their $3000 pre-req crash course deal. microbiology? a and p? medical term? and more? in three weeks? i come from a film background...i'm not so hot on science. and plus, they have this thing where if you fail a course, you need to retake the course and repay the course. i cannot afford that. has anyone done the crash course? is it really hard?i have called and left many messages for nightingale nursing and they make no effort to answer my questions or call back or even e-mail back with useful answers, though i like that they have full pre-req courses before the lvn program and they cost a lot less than unitek. $700. and being a cna is also a requirement. would anyone recommend this school? can i do fafsa there?i guess what i want here is to have some advice. are there other schools in the area? short reviews on these schools? what's the pay rate in the east bay area for a cna and/or lvn? are there any good nursing grants out there? coming from a filmmaking background, do i stand a chance in the nursing field?any help would be great. thanks.

Thanks for your reply. And thanks for that compliment about my film.Honestly, I got my degree by avoid taking anything scientific. Most of my classes were related to film and humanities. The closest I came was Human Sexuality. But I am willing to learn, but the crash course sounds overwhelming for someone like me. And with being an LVN, I really think it's nice there are bridge programs if I decide to be an RN. For now, though, I just wanna have a precise plan to finish LVN school -- but I need help first. So, any help here from anyone would be appreciated. And everyone who has replied so far, you are awesome.

Do not know if this is a workable idea, just throwing it out there. Once you get your CNA, are there jobs available where you can work as CNA and get paid tuition assistance for going to school part time while working full time? Consider a possible move to another area of the country to do this? Good luck! Have you considered online courses, such as The University of Phoenix?Must agree with above commenter--getting an R.N. or R.N., B.S.N. is the way to go. Last time I visited my doctor, his partner (with whom I worked when he was a resident) stopped by to say hi. He jokingly said, "Looks like we're becoming the patients we used to take care of." Feel free to use this.My best,Retired East Coast Nurse

as far as money is concerned, you should look into community colleges. you take your pre req's, then you are admitted to the nursing program based on your gpa and entrance exams.i am getting my lpn right now. i have a 3.8 gpa, and made a 26 on my act, so i was accepted asap. my lpn program, books, fees, etc.. is 4,800$

$34,000 for an LPN program is insane and it sounds like that school is predatory. I've heard that the government is starting to crack down on those kinds of practices; what they are doing is criminal.You could become an RN for less money and only a little more time invested, and if you already have a degree, some of your credits could transfer over. As an RN you will have many more opportunities.Also, when thinking about how to finance your education, please keep in mind that the job market for nurses sucks right now and you might be unemployed for quite awhile after you graduate -- a lot of new grads are looking at year-long job searches these days....Take a look around the new grad posts on this forum for some info there.I got my LPN at a city vocational school for $6000 total; I was told when I applied that the waiting list to enter the program was 1-2 years; I did the pre-reqs and then went immediately into the next opening LPN program a month later -- a lot of people had just dropped off the list because they didn't want to wait or other things came up.You are young, you have some time to be flexible, do not waste your efforts and money on a corrupt instituion. My suggestion is that you get your CNA so that you learn about the field and you can continue to work in health care while pursuing your education.Best of luck!

Quote from violetkalias far as money is concerned, you should look into community colleges. you take your pre req's, then you are admitted to the nursing program based on your gpa and entrance exams.i am getting my lpn right now. i have a 3.8 gpa, and made a 26 on my act, so i was accepted asap. my lpn program, books, fees, etc.. is 4,800$