Applying for certificate IV in nursing for 2009

I am so excited about the possibility of returning to school and being able to start a career.
I have been in admin/cust service for 9 years as didnt know what i wanted to do out of high school.
Now I have decided to become a nurse, spec in care for mothers and babies to work in post natal care.
I will be studying part time, working part time and raising 2 kids under 3.
Am i crazy??????
I would love to hear from anyone else on how they manage all the work and how to ensure my relationship with hubby and kids doesnt suffer from the workload.

I say good for you to consider it!!!!!!

Deancey - I have done cert IV nursing. I was a single mum at the time i did it and my dd was only 3, i had alot of support from family but i managed it fine, it was difficult at times especially when on placements as the hours were usually early and being on my own it was hard dragging dd out of bed at 6am etc. I absolutely loved it though, and i think you will be fine, just need to be organised. It was 4 days a week for 12 months then and i worked 2 days so i was very busy. I am thinking of going back to more study also, just not sure if i want to continue on that path or go business.
Im sure you will be fine, and they are usually fairly helpful if it gets too much at sertain stages you maybe able to drop a subject and pick it up later on. I say go for it.

WOW Abb i didnt know you were a nurse thats excellent i will be able to pick your brain if I get in LOL
It is offered full time however i dont want to over commit myself. 2 years isnt a long time really in the grand scheme of things.
I will be elligable for long service at the end of 2009 so that will come in handy during placements

ok well i sat the entrance test today and am hoping that I went ok, I am feeling confident about how I went.
Now the long wait to get results, up to 2 weeks.

Good luck Deancey but i am sure you wont need it. I have my fingers crossed for you.

Tracey- i think its GREAT that your planning to return to studying. You have a great DH by the sounds of things and its fab you finally know what you want to do... (i am pretty similar... Been in admin as i wasnt sure what i wanted to do.still trying to work that out)

Your very brave but i'm sure you'll be fine... Good luck and hope ur results come back soon. :cheer:

UPDATE - I passed to entrance test and now have interview with 1 tafe, VU and am waiting for test results so I can post them to kangan and hopefully get an interview there also.

its such a long prcoess

Woot WTG Deancey... COngrats... Good luck with the interview,...

Hope things are going ok... Been a while since we've seen you in our Baby group...

That's fantastic! Congratulations. Good luck with the rest of the process.

Well done... I remember how long it took for the whole process befoer being givin a place. Good luck with the interview, im sure you will pass it with flying colours.:)

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I am so excited about the possibility of returning to school and being able to start a career.
I have been in admin/cust service for 9 years as didnt know what i wanted to do out of high school.
Now I have decided to become a nurse, spec in care for mothers and babies to work in post natal care.
I will be studying part time, working part time and raising 2 kids under 3.
Am i crazy??????
I would love to hear from anyone else on how they manage all the work and how to ensure my relationship with hubby and kids doesnt suffer from the workload.

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Hi Deancey,

I was just doing a google search for "Certificate IV Nursing 2009" and came across your thread so I have just registered to this site to message you (hopefully have done this correct). I too am in a very similar situation to yourself. I have a son almost 4 (bday Mar 2005) and also a 5 month old boy (July 2008) - love them both to bits. I am applying for either full time or part time cert IV Nursing and really hope to start something early 2009. Some of the part time courses are only 1.5 years so that would be my preference if I have to do part time, although the idea of only 12 months is also appealing but 4 days full days school may be a bit full on. I too have been doing customer service roles for 9 years and am currently on maternity leave and decided a couple months ago it was time for a change and to do nursing. Eventually and slowly working towards working with children / babies. Add to the mix that we want to add a third baby somewhere along the line it will be a busy mix. I have sat the entrance test and did pretty well (36 & 39 out of the score of 40) but no interviews as yet. Some of the direct applications only just sending and they close early Jan and because I only made the decision not so long ago I have missed out on some applications that have closed. Would love to know where you are at in the process know and how it is all going.....would be nice to share the experience with someone in very similar situation. Belinda.

i am a registered nurse. in nsw.

i wasnt pregnant when i studied but fell straight after and have managed to work 5 days a week shift work since my DD was 6 weeks old.

i am planning on going back to study in the next 3 years depending when baby #3 comes along.

if you need any support or questions just ask

Belinda I hope you get into the course next year, it would be awesome to have someone in a similar position to chat to, I am actually getting a little nervous about how it is all going to fit into my already hectic life. OH well I am sure it will

Kellz thanks for the support. I will def be calling on any support I can get next year. I cant wait to get into it.

Hi i though i would add my 2 cents aswell!

Im in my 3rd year of university doing my RN's and have worked almost full time the whole three years, i have one more year left next year but am quitting work due to undergoing IVF but there are ALOT of mature age students in my degree some are even grandmothers and mothers of 5 and do much better then the younger more care free ones. You will be fine, maybe even go part time? good luck!!!

ME 21 NEWLY ENGAGED as of Dec 23rd
DF 21 89% abnormal sperm - on menevit one and a half months
TTC # 1 for 2 years!!!
blighted ovum May 08 :(
COUNTDOWN TO JAN 12!!! - making 1st FS appointment (clinic is closed)
CD 23 of a clockwork 28 HURRY UP!!!

thanks for the info, I think i might actually be in the median age in the course. I will be 29 in a just over a month.
wishing you luck TTC 21andTTC#1, it wasnt easy for me to have my boys so think positive and I think good things come to those who wait

I was actually thinking of becoming a nurse too! But I have no idea where to start or even get any information specific to QLD.

Can any one help!

Good luck with it deancy!

Scone- Hi are you looking to do your RN;s or EEN's? EEN is 18 months at tafe and you can go on to be a RN at uni which is an extra 2 years or you can go straight to uni and become an RN which takes 3 years. Ive been doing my RN's for 3 years and finish at the end of this year which will be my fourth as i went part time for a while. Also it depends on your age if you are over 21 you can do whats called adult entry to uni or tafe and this means your highschool grades arent needed. if u are under 21 then it will depend on you OP. Also with tafe im pretty sure u must pay before u start whereas at uni u can get the HECS loan and it works out about 25 grand at the end of it but its interest free and u only start paying once u earn over 35 000 which is the first year out though! the money is quite good 45 grand roughly on level 1.2, which is what a new grad is. You will need to apply through QTAC online but unfortunatley its over for the year so if u decide to do RN;s you cant start til next year but im pretty sure for the tafe EEN's there is mid year entry round june or july, I hope this helps if u need anymore info just PM me also I go to griffith university and its really great I go to logan campus.

ME 21
DF 21 89% abnormal sperm :( on menevit one and a half months
TTC#1 for 2 years!!!
blighted ovum May 08 :(
CD 25 of a clockwork 28 - cycle 21
COUNT DOWN TO JAN 12TH - can make 1st FS appointment!!!

Goodluck for today 21andTTC#1. My sister in law not long had a little boy after going through IVF as my brother in law had an extremely low sperm count too. Thinking positive for you!
Still no news here on the nursing side of things - looks like a lot of people back to work this week so hoping for some news soon - the weeks are running out and I'm getting nervous (I've lined up creche in the hope of getting in to a course and I will have to cancel or at least reduce days if I dont get in and I wont be able to get the spots back for the year because they are so full!).

HEY! guess what! i dont need to do ivf at the moment as im pregnant! i still cant believe it! miracles do happen though! you will get there in the end if my pregnancy goes to full term i will have a new born and 8 weeks placement at a hospital! good luck let me know how u go!

Hi deancey,
I was wondering if you were successful in getting into your Nursing course at Tafe?? Fingers crossed you were. You sound exactly like me. I became a Division 2 or EN at Tafe then went to university to become an Registered Nurse while working as an EN for 2 years. Doing it this way really stands you in good stead if you do go on to become a RN. It helps so much to learn time managment and basic patient care before adding in the extra responsibility of being an RN. I worked as an RN for 18 months before applying for my midwifery degree. I worked in a maternity ward and undertook the 12 month post graduate degree. WOW that was a crazy 12 months especially since I fall pg during it too. It was all worth it as now I'm a MIDWIFE and absolutley love it. All of my studies did impact on my time. During all my three courses there were parents with kids of varying ages who coped differently depending on how well organised they were. I wouldn't have made it through without an extremely supportive DH.

Sending you the best of luck and feel free to contact me if you think I can help with anything.

Nurse Dan

Thanks for yur words of support, I hope I am as succesful as you in my studies.
I did get accepted and start on 4th Feb, so next week OMG
I am SO exciting and ready to get into it.