If I could hop in a time machine and redo my journey to becoming a nurse, knowing what I know now... I’d take a very different path (and spend a lot less money). In this episode, I’m walking you through what I actually did: From changing majors to juggling basketball and nursing school, and what I’d do differently if I could go back.
We’ll talk about:
✅ Why I wish I’d started as a CNA in high school
✅ How going the ADN route first could’ve saved me thousands
✅ What I learned about tuition reimbursement and scholarships the hard way
✅ The importance of progress over perfection when planning your nursing path
Plus, I’ll share some encouragement for anyone stuck in decision paralysis, trying to figure out their next step. Your nursing journey doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth it, and there are so many smart, affordable ways to get where you want to go.
My free workbook that will help you map out costs, pros/cons of different schools, applications, and more: https://www.freshrn.com/planner/
Sign up for my email list: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up
My nursing degrees and programs learning hub: https://www.freshrn.com/nursing-degrees-and-programs/
Need to take out loans? Check out my partner, Juno, to join a collective bargaining group and score lower interest rates better than the big-name lenders (the 2025-2026 rates start at 3.47%!). Free to join, and it can save you thousands → https://www.freshrn.com/juno
Connect With Me Online!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN
X: https://x.com/Kati_Kleber
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freshrn
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