"My hope is that I'll become a traveling nurse after I get a year of local experience under my belt," he said. "It will also give me an opportunity to see places I've never been."
Ronald Marcum can't make the transition from factory worker to registered nurse fast enough.
After all, he's been planning this career change since his 25th year at Borg Warner in Muncie. He's now at the 29 1/2 mark and counting.
He is the last person eligible for 30-year retirement at this Muncie icon.
"I started my job at Borg Warner when I was 18," said the 48-year-old divorced father of two boys, who admits he has suffered from job dissatisfaction for a "very long time."
The plant's closing had nothing to do with Marcum's retirement and pursuing a nursing degree.
"When I graduated from high school, the job was there, and I took it. If you just showed up and did your job, you were paid. It was easy," said Marcum, a quality-control gear inspector.
"But some years later, I decided that this wasn't cutting it; I just wish I had known that coming out of high school," he continued.
Marcum is making up for lost time. He is soon to begin his second and final year- in the registered nursing program at Ivy Tech Community College in Muncie.
How does he juggle a full-time job with an intensive nursing curriculum?
"I started in the fall of 2004 and began with one class," answered Marcum, who was ultimately able to work second shift so he could attend the required daytime classes. "I had to make a conscious decision to make all of this happen. You must decide that wild horses won't stop you from achieving your goal."
One huge incentive for Marcum to pursue nursing was that it's a "white-hot" field, where well-trained nurses are in high demand.
Marcum has definite plans as to how he'll use his nursing degree.
"My hope is that I'll become a traveling nurse after I get a year of local experience under my belt," he said. "It will also give me an opportunity to see places I've never been."
According to Marcum, there are positions available all over the country -- Hawaii, Dallas and Denver -- to name a few. Marcum's hope is that he will eventually settle in the Gatlinburg, Tenn., or Ashville, S.C., area.
"Factory work and nursing are polar opposites," commented Marcum, who is excited at the prospect of a career change. "Now that I have been exposed to the world of nursing, it's so exciting to know that I'm on the cusp of a meaningful career. There is just no comparison between car parts and human interaction."source
Travel nurse job-Travel nurse salary |
