Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Why Should I Be A Nurse?


Thank heavens, nurse don't wear these anymore!
I tend to be pretty sceptical, if you haven't noticed, and am looking for a new career. I thought I'd look at nursing and try and figure out, by writing this narrative, why I should be a nurse.

From what I can see, a nurse’s job is a very rewarding job. I came across another perspective Why Do You Want To Be A Nurse.

By performing your responsibilities as a nurse, you directly make an impact on another person’s life. If you are a person who naturally loves interacting and revolving around people, this is one career which you may find very interesting.

The job of a nurse can be physically and emotionally draining, but what job isn’t? For the right kind of person, though, it can also be the best job.

The nursing profession is one of the most respected jobs in the world. Alongside physicians, their job is to heal people. It is often said that doctors cure, while nurses do the caring for the sick.

You will never find yourself without a job as a nurse. Even if you ultimately tire of working in hospitals and alternative non clinical settings, a nurse has job opportunities in offices, schools, factories and many unusual places.

Nurses working in the Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation industry are some of the highest-paid nurses in the country. A nurse can even work from home as writer, medical billing encoder, teacher, insurance agent, medical transcriptionist and nurse consultant.

Nurses enjoy high pay. According to the BLS, the median for nurses in May 2013 was $66,220 per year ($31.84 per hour). Those in the industry of Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation make around $87,000 a year.

If you have an inclination toward a particular area in healthcare, you can become a specialized nurse in that field.

The demands in some fields are higher, and the pay increases with demand. Certified nurse midwives work with obstetricians; they even see their own patients and provide routine care for expectant mothers.

Critical care nurses work in ICUs; gerontological nurses treat the elderly; health policy nurses study laws and regulations affecting the profession.

Many of these specialty areas entail additional years of schooling, but a lot, too, only require specified hours and certification. It's also possible to go from a CNA to RN in less than 3 years. 

The same holds true if you are an emergency medical technician. To go from an EMT to an RN is less than a few years as well.

The nursing career has grown not only in number, pay, and the usual statistics.

Nurses are not the traditional white-uniformed professionals with cap anymore; they have now branched to every aspect of the healthcare profession.

Nursing does sound like a good career, and I think I'll look into it more.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Should I consider Buy Here Pay Here?

http://bhph.club/
CC BY 2.0
I need a different car because mine is falling apart. Tires are bald, check engine light is on, and it barely stays running. But I'm strapped for money. I'm trying to find a creative way to afford basic transportation.

I've been doing some research on the interwebz at bhph.club and came across car donation articles but am not sure if that is an option for me.

I've also came across local dealers near me who offer buy here pay here. Because I'm in the Knoxville, TN, area, I've found a list of buy here pay here car dealers in Knoxville at http://bhph.club/buy-here-pay-here-knoxville-tn/

The problem I am having is that many of the cars are expensive as all get out when looking at their mileage.

I found a 2000 Mazda with almost 150K miles for $4000 but it has a lot of mechanical issues -- needs tires and makes funny noises. Granted, I realize that the KBB price ranges from 3K to 4K for this car but with tax, title, and license, it seems way too expensive.

The only benefit I can find is that I can pay at the dealership. I probably should try and apply for a loan through a bank. The interest rates nowadays are insane.

I thought about ditching the car and just riding a bike. I don't live too far away -- about 10 miles round trip. That's doable, I think.

I read some stuff on bikeforums.net where people were commuting way longer distances, so I think it's possible. But I don't have a good bike, anymore.

I may look around the area and see if I can get a better deal at a car dealership and do a lease.

From what I'm seeing, a lease on a Ford Fusion would be around $129 per month for 24 months. There would a $4,173 lump sum due when signing, though.

I would not own the car but I don't think I would have problems with it, though.

For my own benefit, I might as well figure out how much is will cost to lease vs do a buy here pay here program.

Lease: $129 a month x 24 months = $3,096
Down payment: $4,173
Total 2 year cost: $3,096+$4,173=$7,269

Sample BHPH financing: $4,000 for purchase x 20% average interest rate, with 24 months to pay off balance = $1600 for interest
Car issues because of buying used = $1500
Total 2 year cost: $4,000 + $1600 + $1500 = $7,100

It looks like the cost to purchase a used car from a buy here pay here dealer is almost as much as leasing a car. The difference is that you won't own the car through leasing but on the same token you won't have a piece of junk that doesn't run, either.

Well, I can see a buy here pay here dealer is not for me.