Convince Me Of Your Number 1 Career Choice

After much debate and research I have concluded that becoming a NICU nurse would be the best career path for me to pursue. Some of the things that influenced my decision was the amount of time spent in school, the salary, and the fact that I will be challenged to think outside the box.

The minimum requirement for employment as a NICU nurse is a RN license. There are nursing programs out there where you can obtain an associates degree in nursing in as little as eighteen months. I am not looking to be in school another four to five years. Going this route, I would still be able to work in my career choice without attending school all those extra years.

The salary of a NICU nurse depends on the cost of living in that area and the level of experience. According to PayScale.com neonatal nurses can expect to earn between $50,421 and $82,975 per year, depending on their qualifications and experience. I'm not looking to make a million dollars, however I believe this is a salary my family and I could live on comfortably.

Because you are dealing with some the most precious and fragile life you have to on top of your game. Working in a NICU can be very fast paced at times, and it will require you to use your critical thinking skills. My adrenaline gets my blood pumping when I have to think on my toes. This is definitely a job that will always keep you on your toes, and keep you thinking outside the box.

This career is not for everyone. I certainly believe it is just right for me. It's ideal for me because the amount of schooling fits perfectly into my schedule, the salary is terrific, and it will always challenge me to use my critical thinking skills. No matter what I know I have made the right decision.

Compare And Contrast My 3 Career Choices

There are many directions you can go in once you become a RN. Soon I am going to have to make a choice on what area I want to focus on. I have said before that I have an interest in specializing as a NICU RN, a nursing instructor, or a CRNA. Although there are some things that are the same in these careers, there are also many things that are different.

First off to go into any one of these areas you must have attended an accredited nursing program, and have a license as a RN. Whether you are a neonatal RN, nursing instructor or CRNA they are all educators. As a NICU RN you are constantly educating the parents and family members of your patients. Nursing instructors obviously are constantly educating their students about safety and on how to be the best nurses they can be. As a CRNA you are also constantly educating your patients and their families on how anesthesia works.

When considering these fields you have to understand the education levels for each one are different. For a NICU RN the minimum degree is an associate’s however, a bachelor’s degree is ideal. Nursing instructors requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree yet again, a master’s is ideal. As a CRNA you must have a master’s degree from a CRNA graduate program. There is also a difference in the salary for each of these careers. A NICU RN average salary is $79,500 per year. A nursing instructor salary can range from $35,000-$65,000 per year. Not surprising, a CRNA leads the top of the field with a salary of anywhere from $92,000-$158,000. These salaries can be more or less depending on where you live, and your experience.

Regardless of which one of these career paths I choose I don’t believe I can go wrong. Sure there are differences and similarities. I know they all require me to be an RN and an educator. I also know that there is a little more education involved, and there are differences in pay. Regardless of these differences I believe I can’t go wrong with whatever career field I choose. Since being a nurse is something I have wanted for a long time, I know I will get enjoyment and satisfaction no matter what direction I choose to pursue.

Why Did You Choose Bryant & Stratton?

I choose Bryant & Stratton for a few reasons. While looking into colleges I was looking for one that offered a classroom setting, didn't keep me on a long waiting list, and really wanted me to succeed. I ultimately found that at Bryant & Stratton, and that is what influenced my decision to choose Bryant & Stratton.

I bought into an online LPN to RN program about two years ago, and have done nothing with it. It was one of the programs you would do online at your own pace. After two years of trying I was not really getting anywhere. I decided I needed to be in a classroom setting with deadlines in order to finally get something accomplished. Bryant & Stratton offered the traditional classroom setting that I needed.

Some of the other nursing programs I looked into had waiting lists on average of two years. Here at Bryant & Stratton I will be done with my program in 18 months. That alone mad a huge difference to me. I began to think it doesn't make sense to sit on a waiting list for two years, then spend another two years in the program. By the time I am done here at Bryant & Stratton, I would just be coming off the waiting list at another college.

After coming to Bryant and Stratton to tour and speaking with some of the people from the different departments, I got the feeling they really want the students to succeed. I have been to many schools and I have not had that feeling. Many schools only care about how many people they can get into the seats. I felt like that was not their main goal here. They gave me the feeling that once I was accepted into the school they would do whatever it took to help me complete my journey.

Many things went into my decision to choose Bryant & Stratton. I sat down and weighed all my options. Ultimately it came down to me needing to be in a classroom setting verses online classes. I also liked that the program had no waiting list, and the fact that Bryant & Stratton is genuienly interested in me being successful in my area of discipline and not just a financial gain. At this point I think this was the right choice for me.

What 3 Careers Within Your Discipline Are You Most Interested In?

In the nursing field there are many areas you can persue. That's one of the great things about this field, you don't have to be tied down to just one area. Some of the areas I am interested in looking into would be specializing as a Neonatoal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)Registered Nurse (RN), a nursing instructor, or that of a Certified Registered Nurse Anestitist (CRNA).

After having kids that spent time in the NICU I told myself I would go back to school to become an RN. Once I became an RN I wanted to specialize and become a NICU nurse. The time I spent in the NICU really inspired me. I was amazed to see how these tiny beings would pull through when most thought they would not. I just want to be apart of helping the most precious, fragile people on this earth.

I have also played with the idea of being a nurse instructor. The thought first came to me when I was going through my License Practical Nurse (LPN) training. I saw how dedicated some of my instructors were at making sure we would be the best nurses we could be. I have that passion and I believe teaching is something I could really excel in.

My ultimate goal would probably be to become a CRNA. I have always been fascinated with surgeries. What better way to be part of it than to become a CRNA? Being an RN is an accomplishment in itself, becoming an CRNA is the mountain top of the profession. Being entrusted to provide the ultimate nursing care is something I desirer.

It's nice to know that I have chosen a field where I am not limited on the potential areas I want to persue. The nursing field will give me a broad choice on what I want to do as a nurse. I have decided that I would be most interested in specialing as an NICU nurse, a nursing instructor, or a CRNA. If for some reason I don't like one of these areas I have chosen; it's nice to know I'm not just restricted to it.

What Are My Weaknesses?

Pointing out my weaknesses is not something I typically want to do. I'd rather talk about what I am good at. Since I know that no one is perfect and even the smartest people in the world have a weakness; I don't mind sharing mine. I am generally weak in the math and science area. I know I can also use some improvement in having some patience, and improving my writing ability.

I have always been someone that could catch on fast. That doesn't really hold true when it comes to math and science. Throughout my schooling I have always had a problem with those subjects. By far math and science have always been a weakness of mine. Luckily for me I have always passed my math and science classes however, it required me to invest a lot of time into it. Those subjects were definitely no walk in the park for me.

You would think after having two kids I would have developed some patience. Maybe I should have however, I have not. I have no patience for ignorant people. I have no patience for people that procrastinate, and I have very little patience for kids that don't listen or pay attention. This is one of my weakness I have worked on and have had some improvement; but I still have to continue to work on it.

Oddly enough writing is also a weakness of mine. I have no problem formulating thoughts in my head, but when it comes to putting those thoughts on paper I start to run into problems. I always feel like my sentence may not make sense to the person reading it; and that my work is all over the place. I always feel I can never get my grammar and punctuation correct when I am writing. Because I know this is a weakness of mine, I always have to get a head start on any writing activities I need to do.

Everyone has their own weaknesses. Mine just happens to be math/science, being impatient, and writing. Overcoming them is the big challenge. My goal is not to become an expert in the areas I am weak in. My goal is just to gradually improve in those areas I am weak in.

What Are Your Strengths?

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I pride myself with some of the strengths I have. One of my strengths I would say is I’m a quick learner. I also feel communication is a strong point of mine, and also my self confidence.

Whether it was in the classroom, in life, or on the job; I have always been able to pick up things fairly quickly. I am more of a visual person therefore, if I am shown something rather than told or reading something from a book I pick it put pretty fast. Don’t get me wrong, I pick up things faster than most people even when things are explained to me. Normally someone can show me or tell me something a couple of times and I get it. I am not without flaws. There are times that things don’t quite register. However, for the most part I learn fast.

Communication in my opinion might be my biggest strength. That may be due in part to the fact that I love to talk. Communication comes in handy in both my personal and professional life. I have to be able to communicate in my field of work. I am very verbal in communicating my feelings and concerns in my personal life. I know one complaint I will never hear from anyone is she can’t communicate.

One may ask why I would say self confidence is one of my strengths? I have a simple answer to that question. I believe in myself. I would be lying if I said I don’t have days when I don’t believe in myself. We all have those days. Once I get over that initial fear I have no doubt in my mind I can do whatever I set my mind to. Some people may say I’m cocky, but those who truly know me say it’s one of my strengths.

Of course these are not my only strengths. In order to list them all I would have to write a book. As I stated before, I pride myself in being a quick learner, a great communicator, and believing in myself. I am not perfect by far. Even so I believe my strengths outweigh my weaknesses.

What Skills Do You Need To Be Successful In Life?

What skills do you need to be successful in life? This is one of those questions that is hard to narrow down to just a few answers. I can think of at least a dozen answers off the top of my head. In order to be successful you have to be focused, set goals, then go out and make it happen. These simple skills are just a starting point.

If you want to be successful in the game of life you have to be focused. People who are not focused do not go far in life. You can’t walk around forever with your head in the clouds, and with no direction. It’s easy to go throughout life and never have an idea of what you want and how to succeed at it. If you want to have success in your life you have to put your head on straight and focus on what you want out of life.

Once you get focused then you have to set goals. Many people that are successful in their life have set goals. I once heard the famous comedian Steve Harvey say when he first started off his goal was not to be an instant millionaire. His first goal was to make $10,000 doing what he loved. Once he reached that goal his next goal was to make $25,000. When he reached each goal he set higher goals for himself and that contributed to his success. Your goals may start off small and grow from there, but the point is you have to have goals.

After you set your goals the next step is to go out there and make it happen. I have found that many times in life if you want something and you wait for it to come to you, you may not get it. Whether it’s learning how to ride a bike or applying for a promotion, these things just don’t fall in your lap. If you want to learn how to ride a bike you have to get out there and do it. If you want that promotion, you have to go out there and work hard to get it. If you want to have success in your life you must be willing to be a go getter.

Life will through you all types of curve balls. In order to be successful in life you first have to focus. Once you have that down packed you must set goals for yourself. Then you must go out and attain those goals you set. There are definitely many things you can do in order to have success. These skills are a good start. You can build from there and you are bound to be successful in the game of life.

What Skills Are Necessary For Success In Your Career?

Right now I am studying to become a registered nurse. I am going to take so much pride in the work that I do, but I know there are certain skills I must poses in order to be successful in my career. You if are not caring, dependable and a critical thinker then the nursing field may not be the right career choice for you. There are many skills you must possess, but these are a few of the skills I think are critical for success.

Why go into the nursing field if you are not a caring and compassionate person? You have to care about the people you are taking care of in this field. You can’t be successful in this field if you are cold hearted and nasty. I know if I were sick I would not want the person caring for me showing up with no compassion. It just makes the person that is sick stay a little bit better when they know the person that is caring for them cares about their well being and health and wants to see them get better.

Many people depend on you when you are a nurse. Some of the people that depend on you would be doctors, nurses, family members and most importantly the patient. If you can’t be counted on to be at work when you are needed, and do the job that is required of you when you get there it can be detrimental to everyone. Doctors depend on you as the nurse to be there to follow through with his orders. Your fellow nurses expect for you to be there to help with the patient load and also to relieve the nurse that you are expected to take over for. There is nothing worse than working a 12 hour shift and your relief person does not show up. People expect you to be at work no matter what. These patients still need to be cared for. Family members and patients depend on you to take care of their loved one, and help with their recovery process. Not being dependable can really mess with the dynamics when caring for someone.

You cannot be just a surface thinker in the nursing field. Thinking just at the surface level at times can cause harm and even death to a patient. Being a nurse requires some critical thinking skills. Sometimes a cold or a fever is not just a cold or a fever and you have to be able to recognize that. By not thinking outside the box you can potentially cause death to a patient. You don’t get a second chance in this field. If you choose to only see things at the surface level you can bring harm to your patient, and there is no correcting your mistake. No one wants that.

If the nursing field is something someone wants to pursue I would say ask yourself these questions first: Am I genuinely a caring person? Can I be depended upon no matter what? Am I ready to think outside the box? If you can answer yes to these questions, then this maybe a field you want to explore. If you answer no to just one you may want to look into another career choice.

What skills are necessary for sucess in College?

This is a really good question, but I could probably give 100 answers to what skills are necessary for success in college. I will try it narrow it down to some of the important things I feel are necessary in order to be successful. One has to be organized, attend class, and be able to communicate in order to make it through college.

Organization is a very important part of being successful in life period. However, if you show up to college and think you can fluff your way through it without being somewhat organized, you are going to be hit with a hard dose of reality. I know many people show up at first and are not organized. They quickly realize that if they don't organize themselves somewhat they may get lost in the mix. I am a little obsessive compulsive when it comes to organization. I am not saying you have to have OCD like myself, but you have to organize just a little. If you aren't organized you can find yourself not turning in assignments and projects on time. The more classes you take the more difficult it is to keep when things are due and when exams will be administered. If you organize your life somewhat you won't have an issue with this.

Attending class should be a no brainer however, it's not. Some people think they can not show up to class and still walk away with a passing grade. That is so far from the truth. Most colleges now days factor in attendance and participation as part of your grade. If you are not attending classes then you are not going to do well in that area. When you don't attend class you may miss out on good information the professor may give that is not included in your book. A really good reason why you should not miss class is after so many absence it starts to affect your financial aid if you are receiving it. Plain and simple the government feels like if you are not in class why should they pay for it? In the end if financial aid does not pay for a class you are ultimately left holding that bill. Who really wants that?

Communication is also very important. We all learned this skill pretty early on, but what I mean by this is sometimes in a college setting we get a little intimidated and we don't ask questions. When you are in a class with many people and it seems like everyone around us is getting it except us, it can make us a little timid. You there is something you feel you don't understand you have to be able to communicate that to the teacher and ask for that extra help if need be. You can't sit at the back of the class not understanding what is going on, but you are too embarrassed to ask questions. The only dumb question is the question you didn't ask.

These are just a few things that I am using to my advantage to try and be successful while I am attending school. There definitely are more things you will have to do, but in my opinion these are the fundamentals. Attend all your classes, be organized when you show up to those classes, and communicate if you are having any issues. If you get these skills mastered you are bound to have no problems making it through any degree program you may pursue.

Kashawna-Who I Am?

Kashawna is my government name. Since people sometimes have a problem with saying it, I also answer to Shawn or Shawna. I really don't have a preference on what I like to be called. I will pretty much answer to anything. I really dislike talking about who I am. I am one that really does not like the focus on me, therefore I would prefer to be that person that listens to you telling me who you are. Since that is not an option I guess I am forced to tell you a little about myself.

As I stated above my name is Kashawna. I was born February 6th in beautiful San Diego California. I spent my childhood and teenage years in California before moving to Northern Virginia. I moved to Virginia a little over six years ago, after visiting on vacation. I fell in love with the area and my family could not convince me to move back to California to save my life! I just love the cultural diversity, and the idea that we experience all four seasons. You don't have that luxury in California.

When I moved out here I did not just bring myself. I came with two daughters in tote. No I didn't experience two separate child births, I just happen to have them both at the same time. That's right I am the mother of twins! When I was first told this I thought "it was going to be the worst thing in the world that ever happened to me". However, after experiencing it it's really not that bad at all. I enjoy being a mother and my girls keep me on my toes at all times.

Although having kids can sometimes make it challenging for me to have a personal life I do try to have one. TRY being the operative word. When I do find time I like to go to a movie and maybe to dinner with my girlfriends. I like live performances so a play would be right up my alley. One thing I love probably more than anything is football. Go Cowboys! During football season every Sunday you can catch me in front of homebody's TV watching a game. My friends already know not to call, text, email or anything else while a game is one.

I could go on and on about who I am, but I will spare you the long drawn out version of that. I hope I have given you an idea of who I am. I sure this will not be the end of me explaining who I am and what I like. I have a feeling we will be doing a lot of sharing. I look forward to see what else is in store for us. Until then this is Kashawna saying farewell.