+6 votes
by (3k points)
Looking for advice.  maybe?Looking for advice. maybe? Idk. Would you. continue to do a job you don’t like while going to school (making $19/hour temp or going full time for 17. 50/hour benefited <- my two options) for pre-nursing and just suck it up. Not spending any money on school and just going with it. OR Put pre-nursing school off for the fall semester, enroll in a MA program online ($4k and go at your own pace, so less then 6 months) and get a job doing something you’ll love, making better money (benefited, around $18. 50/hour) then still go to do all my pre-nursing classes in the fall. Granted I would still be working for my $19 hour pay while going to school for the MA. I will add that if my husband makes WO in a year or so, the MA school will be free because of military scholarship  either way the $4k will get used on the back end for some medical degree. When I write it out it seems obvious just to bite the bullet and pay for school but idk  I’ve put off these pre-nursing school classes for so long, but I dislike my job now and would be so much happier in a different setting in the medical field. money is the root of all confusion for me!  
Looking for advice.  maybe?

5 Answers

+6 votes
by (610 points)
 
Best answer
I’ve been both an MA and now RN. You will make significantly more money as an RN as well as have many more job opportunities. Suck it up and get your nursing degree sooner rather than later for sure! Most MA positions are 8-5 clinic hours which isn’t going to give you the flexibility you need to for nursing school so you might not be able to work as an MA when you get into nursing school.  
by (3k points)
@restate oh yeah, I don’t plan on going to school. My husband is in the military and I’m not going to the one college here for nursing. So it still may be a year or two before I even start.  
+5 votes
by (3.1k points)
Don’t do MA it’s honestly a dime a dozen career with very low pay and hard to get jobs
+6 votes
by (1k points)
Use the money on a nursing degree. Best case scenario, go to a community college that has an arrangement with a university to be fast tracked to a BSN program, then you can still use your military benefits towards an MSN. You will actually have net more money with the benefitted position ( sick & vacation pay) plus they may also have tuition reimbursement). Or just do straight BSN with may take longer. With the AA you can take the NCLEX in two years and can work at triple the pay you are looking at now while going for your BSN which should only take 12-18 months. The BSN will provide you with an even higher pay most likely with more opportunities. Some hospitals only hire BSN prepared nurses (usually Magnet designated). Think ahead!  
+6 votes
by (330 points)
I would not stall on getting your RN. I am in your position. Working a lower paying job while trying to do my pre req classes. I wish I could just job in.  
+6 votes
by (1.9k points)
Depends on what your end goals are. Do you need day hours or can you work nights/weekends? Do you have the dedicated time for nursing school? MA is way less stressful and time consuming You just need to look at your end goal.  
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