Career and School Info for RNs (Registered Nurses) in North Carolina

I value the individual. I value life. I value people. I see patients as people. I chose a school that had these values and I could tell that because they valued me and what I had to offer. Plus they challenged me to be better—to be an excellent nurse, not just another nurse. I found a program that believes in and has opportunities to participate in global health. Serving in global health is one of the main reasons I went into nursing. I want to combine my passion for caring for people with my passion for other cultures. So ultimately I chose the program that had opportunities to serve in other countries for the community health rotation. It was and is better than I expected. So my advice on selecting a school is to pick a program that has similar values to you personally.

Advice that I quickly picked up from my professors was to take time for myself. Nursing school is intense, overwhelming and hard. It was important to surround myself with positive, supportive and encouraging people. Find those people in your class and start a study group and find those people outside of nursing school to help you keep a balanced life. My professors believe in us, want us be excellent nurses and they also encourage us by reminding us that there is more to life than getting straight A’s. It is good for the soul to take a walk, go out to a movie, connect with a friend and just take a break after a lot of studying.

For my Master’s Program, I think I was pretty well prepared. During informational meetings, orientations, and pre-semester emails it was stressed that the program would be difficult and time consuming. It was also stressed that the faculty was here to help. My Associate’s Degree Program was a different story.

I would want anyone who is just starting in nursing to know it will be a long hard battle. The two years working toward an RN license were the hardest of my life. You will need to devote all of your time to the program. Tell your spouse and children that you will see them at graduation. Remember, you are working to have a better life for yourself and your family, but until graduation day, you will not see them much.

Whether it is for child care or transportation, have a backup plan for your backup plan. Make sure you have family and friends who are willing to help you out with just a phone call. Have a good support system. You will need it.

The RN program is only two years, and it is well worth it when you graduate. The RN to MSN program is only another three years, and I know it will be worth it in the end. Nurses have a lower unemployment rate than other careers, make good money, and have practically unlimited options. If you are working in a hospital and decide it is not for you, get a job as a school nurse. If you want more patient contact, work in the health department. You would rather help develop policies, you can do that too. Nursing is a rewarding career and worth all the hard work. I have not once regretted listening to my mother.

I am lucky: I live in the beautiful state of North Carolina where there are several quality nursing schools. I have been privileged to attend two of those schools-undergraduate at UNC-Greensboro and currently, graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill. Prospective nursing students should research their choices by researching schools that are accredited, organized, and have staff who are professional, published, and practicing in their field. People considering entering a nursing program should be disciplined and eager to make learning a lifelong activity, remembering the rewards are many. They should also be informed that nursing is flexible and takes on many hats: nurses can be researchers, teachers, work in informatics, open their own practice as advance practice nurses in many states, the list goes on. Nursing has very few limits and many new doors.