Hi! I was hoping from some of these posts that you folks could help me obtain some information. I'm a burned-out nurse seeking to change professions. I have had a computer hobby since the 70s and I have 4 computers that I built myself in my game room right now. I like problem solving and I'm pretty good at teaching myself. I'm thinking of becoming a software engineer, perhaps in the health care industry, since one of the big complaints in my workplace is how poorly the computer system and programs are written for a bunch of 50 year old technophobic nurses to use. I have to work a lot of overtime so classtime is pretty difficult to arrange. I'm wondering if I could study at home and perhaps get a BS in computers from Excelsior, which seems to have been recommended fairly highly on this board. Does this seem possible for an organized self-starting amateur? Most of the people I have read about who got this degree already worked in the IT industry, so I was uncertain. Thanks for reading this
As a starting point, I suggest you get Bears' Guide to the Best Computer Degrees by Distance Learning. It will only cost you about $10 (and John apparently needs some vitamin E and/or cup of coffee, so the meager revenue will be welcome). The book doesn't really describe the best computer degrees, but it does provide a survey of the types of degrees out there (software engineering, computer science, information systems, etc). This might be helpful to you to direct your thinking.
Magpie -- Not only could you get a computer-related BS from Excelsior, but many master's programs in IT are designed specifically for folks who majored in other fields. I can't actually think of any offhand, but I do know they exist, for whatever that's worth. Good luck! Cheers,
If you're an RN (and therefore have a BS), the Tom's idea about going for an MA or MS is good, particularly if you want to stay in the medical field. One idea is to work towards an MA CIS (or BA CIS as the case may be) with an emphasis on computer security, because this is a hot topic in general and especially in the medical field. This is so in part because of the new HIPAA rules regarding privacy of medical records. I have a friend who is earning very large consulting fees because he has become completely immersed in HIPPA (no small effort) and has an IT background. I think security will always be important in medical IT, but HIPAA may have something of a Y2K atmosphere to it; the present panic about the huge penalties associated with non-compliance with HIPAA may go away in a few years, so there may be a limited entry time to ride the wave of panic of this specialty. You will probably have a far better feel for this than I and may be able to enter this field before you finish the degree. (HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/ )
Hi, If you don't have a undergrad check out http://collegedegrees.tripod.com They have a whole list of business related degrees along with some tech degrees. Also check out http://geocities.com/BA_in_4_weeks/ If you do have a undergrad degree check out the bottom half of my article in http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6367 Also check out http://www.regis.edu programs. Good luck, -Paul
If you're an RN without a BS, you can get a BSCIS with relative ease from Regents/Excelsior--transferring in all of your RN credit in the process. That's what my mother did a few years ago to go from an RN to a BSLA (emphasis psychology and sociology), and I'm sure the CIS transfer requirements are equally friendly. Cheers,
Hmm … homebuilt computers, experimenting with them since the 70s but professionally trained as a clinician? Same church different pew, Mag, although I did have some formal training since I substituted computer science for a foreign language in grad school. I’m a psychologist of like vintage and as you are no doubt aware, there were few computer-literate clinicians in our age cohort. Chiefs of staff at the medical center where I work assigned me as a clinician representative to all sort of committees over the years and about five years ago part of my FTE was assigned to an MIS program. I decided to update my decades-old skills and after a brief stint in the UMUC BS CIS program I transferred to the online BS IS program at UMass Lowell, which has been a great experience. I decided in favor of going the BS route instead of doing a bridge to an MIS program to ensure I learn the basics. The instructors have been knowledgeable, the courses have been substantive and challenging, the tuition is modest with no out of state differential, and the school was very generous in awarding credit for 30+ year-old undergraduate coursework. I would encourage you take a look at this program. Feel free to post any questions you might have. David
Hi Mag, One of the good things about the BS in CIS from Excelsior is that you can take Microsoft certifications for credits. I got 15 credits for the MS exams I took, and 3 of them being upper-level credits too (you need 15 upper-level credits in computer courses). I'm taking the MS exam 70-219 this Friday. This exam is worth 3 upper-levels credits. I just need 9 more now. I started the degree in August and like it so far. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck Mike
Another approach... try before you bye (to nursing) Let me address the practical side of what you would like to do. Obtaining another degree at the Bachelors or Masters level, or studying for a product specific certification, may not be the best first step you can take regarding a career change. Right now the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, but why not take a trip there before you buy the farm. My best advice for university students, career changers, or merely interested parties is to take an internship position which will enable you to understand the environment, the level of expertise needed to be successful, and the pace at which an IT organization moves. With the knowledge one or more internships will provide, you can get an idea of whether your avocation will really be a satisfying vocation. This is an inexpensive investment to make prior to committing the time and expense to another degree. You might also find a company that will like you and do either of two things… provide you with full-time employment and enough internal training to allow you to change careers or provide you with full-time employment and pay for a part-time degree program. I would make contact with the Chief Information Officer of several companies or agencies you would be interested in working for in the future as an IT professional. If you do not know who they are, call the company and ask for the name of the CIO. You might also ask to be transferred to the CIO’s assistant. Once you are speaking to the assistant, tell the person you are interested in an internship with the IT department and you would like to know if they have any offices in your area. You do not have to ask about a specific opportunity at this point. Next, you should write a note to the CIO. Make this a simple letter and I am sure you will get a response… and hopefully one that turns into an internship. My strong suggestion is to write this introduction letter on stationary or note paper that is smaller than an 8.5 x 11 sheet. The reason for this is simple. The executive you are writing to probably receives 30 to 100 pieces of mail a day, depending upon who they are and the size of the company. A small, personal looking envelope will be opened, much of the other mail will take a lower priority. With regard to the content of the note: 1. State who you are, “Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Lesley Doe”. 2. State why you are writing, “I am about to change careers and am interested in an internship with your company”. (N.B. No need to praise the company, the person works there and knows if it is good or not. Remember, simple). 3. State any qualifications, “I have built 5 personal computers and program in XYZ 4. State when you are available and how often, I can start on December 1 and with my current work and family, I can dedicate 5 hours a day to the internship”. 5. State that you would like your request forwarded, “If you do not have an opportunity for me, I would appreciate your forwarding my note to others you believe might have an opportunity for me”. 6. Close sincerely and simply, “I appreciate your consideration… Sincerely, Lesley Doe”. If the note is simple, it will get attention. Be sure to include your telephone number, address and email address. Do not send the person an email, even if you are clever enough to figure out the address, unless you are invited to do so. Other ways to get an internship are to talk to the school you received your nursing degree from… If they have a counseling office they may be able to help you obtain an internship outside you field. There are also a number of books that describe internship opportunities. I hope this helps, John
Thanks! Thanks all for your replies Gert, I have the book you recommend but didn't find it useful in answering my question, although it certainly gave me a big head start in wading through the large numbers of programs available now. In fact, Dr. Bear is also responsible for my getting my RN quite a while ago, lol, so luckily I am familiar with most diploma mills and the need for proper accreditation. A major misconception that many people seem to share is that RNs have BSNs. All the RNs but one where I work have Associate's degrees, alas. However, I will check out those Master degree programs just in case David, you don't by any chance work at a VA? My particular interest is in designing programs and systems that are more user-friendly for clinicians, who are indeed generally the most hopeless of users, hehe I have permanently institutionalized schizophrenics on my ward who are more conversant with Windows technology than some of the doctors and nurses...I am the evening shift Computer Superuser at my hospital and I spend about half my shift just fixing people's computer problems at work. I feel that a great deal of the software being used right now is not only useless to the medical and nursing staff but detrimental to to good patient care. Umass at Lowell was the school at the top of my list with Troy State, actually, if I couldn't find a way to just test out of everything, or nearly everything. Well, actually Regis and NJIT are at the top of my list but I can't afford them. John, that's excellent advice about interning, but not workable for me. I have lupus, which is one of the main reasons I am changing professions--working 2 jobs is out of the question, in fact, in a couple of years I won't even be able to manage this one. As a working mom with a chronic disease, I need to find a job that's a bit easier on me physically. Luckily, I have several years experience of working as a computer operator in a hospital with a systems analyst before I entered nursing. Also, the biggest town within 40 miles of me has about 15,000 people in it, so it doesn't contain many CEOs, although we will be moving next year. I was hoping to be able to finish a BSCS before we moved, if at all possible. Anyhow, I was unsure about Excelsior since I read on their website that they don't have testouts for many computer classes and I'm not employed in the IT industry at this time. So, thanks for letting me know that at least they might be feasible for me! I hate to spend money on a credit review if that degree isn't possible at all for me. UMass at Lowell and Troy State University are my 2 other candidates right now, although I haven't finished the whole list of degrees yet. They are both state universitys and reasonably cheap, although not as academically strong, perhaps, as someplace like NJIT. Thanks for your kindness in replying!
