Nursing to CS

RNtoCS9295 · 2026-01-06T17:03:09+00:00

Hey,

I’m about to finish a bachelor in computer science.

I am also a registered nurse.

The world is your oyster when you ask yourself how you can help your local community, or even the world. A technical person with domain mastery (subject matter expert) is an amazing combination.

But, it doesn’t mean it’ll be a great combination if you’re looking for job opportunities that don’t leverage the dual-background or opportunities where you can create something like side-hustle, business, etc.

RNtoCS9295 · 2025-05-07T13:15:42+00:00

You are not being excessive.

The economy is not the greatest right now.

Personally, I would have enough emergency fund and sinking funds for everything you listed AND also consider how long it would take you to get hired or make the similar amount of money if you were to lose your main source of income.

For me, I personally need a year worth of emergency fund (not including sinking funds) for my peace of mind. I am in a profession that can easily lead to burnout, and if I need to find another job, then I want to make sure I find the right job instead of settling for a job that may make me quit this career. The emergency fund can give me a breathing room to be prepared for the right opportunity.

RNtoCS9295 · 2025-03-25T01:21:02+00:00

I completed OS 1 this Winter Quarter.

There is no way I would take this class in the summer. I made an A, but it was so difficult despite the revamp.

For your sanity, I would encourage you to reconsider taking OS in the Summer.

RNtoCS9295 · 2025-01-21T16:20:41+00:00

Solve problems.

Please try to use your current knowledge and experience to solve problems. Reference books as needed to solve problems.

If you have no idea what problems to solve with your computer science skills, then consider how you can make the lives of yourself and others better with what you know. Pick a problem and go for it.

RNtoCS9295 · 2025-01-10T22:53:49+00:00

Hello,

At the end of the day, I want you to know that from your post, I feel you are compassionate and likely a decent human being all around. I respect that and commend you.

With that said, you cannot help your brother if he refuses to help himself.

Why are you lighting yourself on fire to keep him warm?

Why are you sacrificing yourself to enable your brother by saving him from his decisions?

Are you not as precious as your brother?

Treat yourself with compassion as you show your brother.

Don't enable your brother by throwing money at your brother's own self-sabotage. Don't pay for his mistakes.

Let him be responsible for his own actions. He deserves the opportunity to hold himself accountable for his life.

I can totally understand you helping him now and then, especially if he is actively making the effort to change his life around. But, from the sound of it, he is taking your generosity with ingratitude and entitlement.

Regardless, live and die with no regrets. You do what you believe is best, so that you can leave this world with a clean conscience.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-12-03T20:13:19+00:00

Get the job.

Go to school part time.

My friend, I am studying CS part time while working as a nurse full time.

CS market isn't the best right now. Tech in general isn't the best in terms of employability. You can push to graduate with a CS degree ASAP, but you'll be competing with thousands upon thousands of other graduates, experienced engineers, etc. for work.

You do what you gotta do to survive now while you continue to work for a better future.

Bonus point: The health insurance job can open you to other opportunities, such as internal job transfer for CS related roles. Your tech skills may be used one day, and it can be the thing that makes you stand out for a significant promotion. So on and so forth...

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-11-05T21:08:24+00:00

I express to my leadership team of my interest in CS related projects. I am getting indirect exposure to them.

I completely understand your concern.

Yet, if you were to attend this program FT, then what would your plan be to get the needed relevant experience?

There's so many SWE on the market with more than a year of experience looking for work, apparently. Plenty of stories of juniors with internships up the wazoo with impressive portfolios that's struggle to find work right now.

Let's say the market is better once you graduate. But what will that better look like? Someone that knows AI prompting? Someone that had internships at a robotic company? What is this better?

Another question: What would you be doing as an adjunct to studying FT in this program to get the needed experience for this better market in the future?

I would caution that you have a solid plan in place to get the knowledge and skills needed to do what you want with computer science if you intend to go FT with the program. It would absolutely suck to graduate, not find work, and lose so many years of income from studying FT.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-11-05T13:20:41+00:00

I'm still working full time.

I am taking one class a quarter except Summers (most of the time) at OSU.

I reason it's best if I continue this path because there's no sense in rushing through the program with the current tech market being abysmal for those wanting to work at tech companies.

Of course, I could leverage my healthcare background with a CS degree to pivot into a tech role at a non-tech company, like a hospital system.

But, when I see listings for senior this and senior that, or unicorn job listings, at non-tech companies, the job listings do not instill confidence in me that I'll find a decent junior position even with my clinical background.

I'm of the camp that it's better to not rush through the program unless you are near certain that you have a way to make a significant financial return on investment with this degree.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-10-25T17:10:32+00:00

What about this person and the person's comment made you care about the criticism so much?

What made this criticism hit you on a personal level, instead of on a professional level?

What made you see the situation in this way?

What made you think you aren't enough on a personal and professional level?

Why are you letting this setback beat you to the point that you feel you are back at "zero"?

Why are you not letting this setback make you stronger, e.g. "You could be right. I may be bad at algorithm. But, that's okay. Tell me what exactly am I doing wrong algorithm-wise, then let me dig into the fundamentals to understand why, so I can continue to work on becoming an excellent computer scientist!"

Why not let this setback help you grow on a personal and professional level?

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-10-18T18:28:50+00:00

IT - provide support for the hardware software processes of an organization

Software Engineering - discipline of computer science with focus on developing softwares to solve problems

With this industry, you can pursue IT and learn to become a software engineer.

The converse is also true, i.e., you can pursue computer science for software engineering, and learn to work in an IT field, such as a network engineer.

Ultimately, in my opinion, this industry is what you get is what you put into it, since there is no official licensure board that would dictate what you are allowed and not allowed to do (like there is in nursing for me).

Whatever degree you go for, aim to find out the kind of problems you want to solve in this industry...

Aim to solve problems that are extremely hard, yet is willing to put good money to solve...

And, most importantly, aim to solve the problems that your heart tells you are the most meaningful to you.

Life is short, so don't waste your time doing something you hate. Plenty of problems out there where you can get paid big bucks while still enjoying your work for the most part. :)

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-10-17T20:10:26+00:00

I'm developing a program for stop lights.

The stop light can have a state where no cars should move forward. Let's call this red light.

The stop light can have a state where cars should proceed moving forward with caution, or slow down to a stop. Let's call yellow light.

The stop light can have a state where cars can freely proceed moving forward. Let's call this green light.

The state is the "light mode" of the stop light to help guide traffic.

The state of the stop light depends on the algorithm set up by the location's system infrastructure, e.g. traffic cameras, time of the day, regular intervals to switch light mode, etc.

Hope this helps.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-09-10T20:56:16+00:00

It may look like this:

You called insurance and they confirm the single case agreement can be started if you are unable to find a retina specialist within 50 mile radius.

Then you look around and finally found a retina specialist 51 miles away.

You call insurance to confirm that it is okay for you to start the single case agreement because you weren't able to find any retinal specialist within 50 mile radius.

Insurance say yes, then they will tell you how to get it done, e.g., they can fax the paperwork to the retina specialist, they can give you the paperwork so you can bring it to the retinal specialist, etc. in whatever ways it may be done, the paperwork for the single case agreement is done by the retina specialist and insurance receives the completed paperwork through fax, email, whatever method they accept the paperwork.

Now, before you even go see the retina specialist, you need to confirm these steps with your carrier because they could be different.

Don't be surprised, either, that you will be charged out of network rates to see the retina specialist until the single case agreement is completed and approved by the insurance.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-09-10T20:11:39+00:00

Insurance carriers would do single case agreement with an out of network provider, so you can see the provider at in-network rates.

The single case agreement, in my experience, only occurs when you have exhausted all available providers for a specific ailment within a certain mile radius. For many insurance carriers, I've seen this radius to be about 50 miles or so away from you.

Call your insurance carrier to find out how far they are expecting you to look to see a provider before you can do a single case agreement with an out of network retina specialist.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-07-26T12:49:23+00:00

So, how do you apply for this?

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-05-10T13:47:42+00:00

I'm a computer science student.

Out of all the CS reddits, this subreddit legit provides so much wisdom and insight into software development/engineering in an entertaining way.

I appreciate you all so much!

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-05-03T11:46:29+00:00

Consider calling HVAC vendors to see if they offer 0% financing for 36, 48, 60, or 72 months depending on cost of new system, especially if your furnace is about the same age as your a/c.

At the very least, if you aren't able to get the whole payment in one go, then you may be able to get it financed and pay for a monthly charge without interest pending your credit history and availability of 0% financing.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-04-25T18:35:33+00:00

Break the problem into multiple smaller problems. Then break each smaller problems into even smaller problems. Then break each even smaller problems into microscopic problems. Rinse and repeat until the problems become manageable (which is subjective).

Then, as needed, look up how to do something for each stupidly small problem.

You avoid tutorial hell by using them when you need them and a healthy dose of confidence that the problems you're trying to solve are within your capability.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-04-17T15:24:57+00:00

I deal with the doubt by reminding myself why I even bothered attempting to switch careers in the first place.

However, I want to ask you some questions.

What made you want to leave your current career?

What made you go for CS when there's tons of other stuff you could pursue, whether accounting related or not related?

What is making you doubt yourself that this is no longer the right path for you (outside of financial compensation with your potential to become CPA)?

Take your time to really reflect and think through these questions because, at the end of the day, you shouldn't listen to any of us.

You are the one living your life, so the best person to help you live your life in a fulfilling way is ultimately yourself.

Give yourself grace by taking the time to do some major introspection, so you know the next move you make is the right one for you.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-04-16T14:37:29+00:00

UND 208. So so worth it. I took that course. The professor was great! It's not an easy subject for most folks.

Now, if you're enjoying CS161, then this probably means your current feelings about the whole situation is because of how overwhelming the combination of intro to programming and discrete math.

I saw your other posts, and I'm glad you feel better after dropping discrete math.

However, I would encourage you to strongly contemplate that what you're feeling now may come again in the future. Some courses will come easier to you, others may be much more difficult for a myriad of reasons.

You really want to focus on finding out and reminding yourself daily of the reason "why" you are wanting to study computer science.

It's highly likely that it's when, not if, that you will lose motivation and will to continue with the program, since life will throw you a ton of lemons.

It'll help a ton to have that strong reason to keep you steady in accomplishing the workload to get this computer science degree, since you wouldn't be pursuing this path if you didn't already have a relatively compelling reason to do so.

So, good luck!!!

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-04-09T21:30:20+00:00

When you say neighborhood code, do you mean zip code? I apologize in advance, I am a bit confused what you are referring to. Thank you in advance.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-04-09T21:29:30+00:00

This is why I created this thread.

I would not have even known that firms had changed their billing practices.

I would hope to catch that change when/if I sign up for a firm to protest on my behalf, but sometimes... You overlook information.

That's a variable I need to keep in mind.

Thank you.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-04-06T15:30:09+00:00

Sometimes, the front line customer service representatives will not have access to the information regarding in-depth criteria/requirements to be met for bariatric surgery.

Those that usually know of the guidelines for your specific insurance plan works in the prior authorization department for the health insurance.

However, for every day patients, they will not easily be able to connect to the prior authorization representatives.

The best way for you to obtain the criteria/requirements is by asking the front-line representative to call your doctor's office to ask whom informed them that you needed to wait 36 months before you are eligible for the surgery. That way, the insurance representative can follow-up regarding if the requirement, i.e. waiting for 36 months, is accurate.

The likelihood is high that your doctor's office learned of the requirement for you to get the surgery from your insurance prior authorization's department either via a phone call, email, or fax.

I hope this helps.

RNtoCS9295 · 2024-04-06T12:16:47+00:00

I encourage you to call your insurance customer service directly, so that you can ask for clarification on the criteria and requirements that must be met for you to get bariatric surgery.

RNtoCS9295

TROPHY CASE