| As an LVN, she can expect a bump in pay
|
| Thursday
|
When Glenda DeLeos embarked on a nursing program at the Beaumont Adult School, she had doubts.
She wondered if she would have time to go to class and study.
"I have kids," said DeLeos, 37, of Hemet. "My husband isn't around every day to support me."
Her husband, Ian, is in the U.S. Navy and just got back from serving in Bahrain in the Middle East. He was there for about 18 months and expects to ship out again next year, possibly in March. He currently commutes to San Diego.
"So I was like, 'How am I going to do it?' " said DeLeos, who has a 5-year-old daughter and a son who is almost 3. "But then I think if you really want it, you can find time to do it. You can find a way to do it."
DeLeos hopes to complete her studies to become a licensed vocational nurse a year from now.
"I'm not saying that I'm prioritizing my school right now over my kids," DeLeos said. "Your kids are always number one. But then, you're doing this for the sake of everybody."
DeLeos works part-time as a certified nurse's assistant. Becoming an LVN is a step up, career-wise.
As an LVN, she can expect a bump in pay. She could make $15 to $19 an hour, according to Lori Edwards, medical arts coordinator at the Beaumont Adult School.
In some cases, a certified nurse's assistant makes little more than minimum wage, Edwards said.
She is representative of many students who enroll in the adult school's LVN program. Most are women, in their mid to late 30s, work and have children.
"My entire program is based on individuals like her," Edwards said.
This is a rigorous 18-month program. Incoming students are advised they will need to study at least 20 hours a week. Upon graduating, students must pass an exam in order to work in California as a licensed vocational nurse.
"It's a four-hour exam. It's very difficult," Edwards said.
DeLeos is in school three days a week, eight hours a day. When she needs to study, she said, she "locks herself in the bedroom" or goes to the library.
"She is sacrificing a lot," Ian DeLeos said.
DeLeos' advice to other parents considering going back to school is to have determination and believe in themselves.
Registered Nurse |
posted by blogger @ 23:50
  |
|
|
|
