My personal career goal is to work in the field of nursing. I would like to work as a Critical Care Registered Nurse. This will take a lot of hard work and dedication. My decision was made after much consideration. Finding a balance so that I could juggle family, work, and school was tough. It took a lot of planning, but now I have my career goals in place.
I did not know I wanted to be a nurse until about two years ago. I worked as a Veterinary Technician for eight years before my heart was led to the medical field. I started applying for jobs at local doctor’s offices and eventually landed a position as a Medical Assistant. I caught on very fast and I learned that the patients were very receptive to me. I got a lot of response from both coworkers and patients. I knew I had what it took to do more with my skills. It was after doing some research that I found all the different types of nurses you can be. I knew I wanted to work in the ICU.
The occupational website provided, onet.org, gave me so much information on the type of nursing I want to do with specific detail. The responsibilities and duties are broken down nicely and I learned a lot about this type of nursing I did not know. NurseJournal.org also gave me a lot of information including additional certification requirements. I will need Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and in places where pediatric critical care is provided, I will also need a certificate for Pediatric Advanced Life Support. I looked at geographical location, skill, and experience. Glassdoor.com showed the national annual salary ranging from $44,000 to $72,000 with the average around $54,000. When I narrowed my search down to Georgia it showed the average annual salary was $55,529. This salary would be double the amount I earn working as a Medical Assistant.
There was a lot of critical thinking involved in determining my career path. I had to collect all of the information I needed to support me being able to go back to school. This was a big decision that would affect both mine and my family’s lives. I also had to make sure it was a realistic goal. I had to sort things out and make sure I could still work and continue to be a good mom and wife to my daughter and husband. I also needed to make sure I understood exactly what being a nurse would entail. I spoke with the Nurse Practitioner I work for and she gave me so much information. Before she went to graduate school, she was an ICU Nurse for five years. She gave me a lot of insight after describing some of the situations she encountered and sharing what her day to day was like. After that, my mind was made up!
My career choice requires me to have a minimum of either an Associates or Bachelor’s Degree in Science of Nursing. I will be completing my Associates in Arts at Georgia Military College. From there I will apply for the BSN nursing program at Piedmont College in Athens, Ga. I was approved for some financial aid for college. What I was approved for will help, but it does not cover all costs. I will be using student loans I am approved for to cover what is left. My goal is to maintain and keep a GPA of 3.0 or higher so that I can be given a scholarship through HOPE. Since I did not finish high school with the required GPA for this scholarship, I was not able to start with it. They re-evaluate your grades after a certain amount of hourly credits. This scholarship covers the cost of college entirely. I can receive my degree with GMC in less than eighteen months. The nursing program will take two years. If I am able to stay on track, I will have my Bachelor’s Degree in less than four years.
The decision to go back to school after ten years was difficult. There were so many things that had to be considered. This project helped me see my goals more clearly. It showed me a more concrete path I need to take and it led me to the more specific goal of Critical Care Nurse. I now have a better understanding of what is required and the steps I need to take to achieve those requirements. This project made me really dig into my career goals. I am so much more confident now and I am ready to dive in head first! Coming soon, Veronica Griffin BSN, RN, CCRN.
