Tell me about getting into nursing school.

In My Humble Opinion
1

Howdy, everyone; long-time listener, first-time caller.

So I’m looking to get into nursing school. I earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology last year, and frankly, there aren’t many roads I can take with that degree at this point without going to grad school (which makes me want to go all Edvard Munch and scream into the abyss).

The program I want to get into is a ridiculously selective accelerated BSN program in Tampa at the University of South Florida. They receive 500+ applications a year, and take on only 36 or so students. That program is #1 on my list, but it won’t be the only program I’ll be applying for. Since my background had fairly minimal science requirements, I have about a year and a half to get all my pre-requisites out of the way before even applying.

How can I make myself as competitive an applicant as possible to such a program, in the year and a half before I actually apply? I have a good GPA, one that very nearly meets the median accepted GPA of that school, but this specific program looks for more than numbers on a transcript. I’m calling up every hospital around here about volunteering, but in addition to actually spending time in a medical setting, what else could I do to improve my chances of getting into a nursing program, and further down the road, prepare myself for nursing?

2

Get some good volunteer experience - it couldn’t hurt.

Don’t underestimate the value of a good entry essay. It was the entry essay that got me into my second entry nursing program. My marks were nothing to write home about, the rest of my application was unremarkable, but I got full marks for the essay and got in as a result.

3

Why not enter a practical nurse program or associate degree nursing program? In a year and a half you could most certainly be a licensed practical nurse or well on your way to a registered nurse in an associate degree program. Fuck volunteering.

4

BZZZZZZZZ!!!

Wrong answer. Very wrong.

Do not go the ADN - or, even worse, the LPN - route. You will live to regret it in your bones.

Volunteering may help, but you need to find yourself a position in a nurse assistant / PCA role. It doesn’t pay a lot, but the experience is solid gold (and nursing program admissions folks know it).

Do you know anyone at all who is a nurse? Who works in a hospital? There is your key to the door. If not, aggressively and tenaciously pursue such a position.

This is your best bet.

Best of luck.

mmm

5

A friend just graduated with an ASN from a community college. She takes her NCLEX in a few weeks. She’s going to look for a job, and then start on her BSN. I do have a friend who’s been a nurse for a dozen years. I don’t know where she got her degree, but it may well have been at a two-year school. (Or not, but that’s beside the point.) She thinks my friend is making the right decision, and is very supportive and proud of her.

6

A couple of years ago, I thought about going this route - I applied, was accepted to a future RN program, and even started taking the prereqs. But I found I couldn’t both work and study, and not working wasn’t an option. I ended up dropping out. Anywhoo, if I were you, I’d do this:

– take the nurses assistant/CNA course at the local community college. The program I was accepted into was much the same as the one you’re looking at, a RN/BSN program for those who already have a Bachelor’s. And they required a CNA certification anyway, so you might as well go ahead and do it. IIRC, it’s about a 3 week course (at least in MN).

– get as much info about the prereqs needed, then start taking those courses (if you don’t have them already). I was an English major with a bunch of science courses already (like chemistry and physics), but I didn’t have the anatomy and physiology and psych courses I needed. I was accepted into a future nursing class provided I took and finished these prereqs. If you have time now, getting these out of the way first might help.

– After getting the nurses aide certification, volunteer or even seek employment at a hospital or some such. It doesn’t pay much (~$10ish an hour or so), but you’d have some $$ coming in while gaining good experience and seeing directly what you’d be doing in a couple of years. I think it’d be invaluable.

Good luck to you! It’s something I’m still interested in doing maybe sometime in the future. It’s just that now isn’t the right time, sadly.

7

Not all states have 2 year programs; I don’t know if Florida does. If they do, that’s the route I recommend as well. Since you already have a degree, though, I see the appeal of the accelerated program. But you should know that the accelerated programs are HARD. Really hard. Quit your job and tell your family you’ll see them in 2 years hard. I’ve got a friend in an accelerated program at UIC, and in one semester she’s caught up and gone far beyond my entire first year experience. She’s now in her “easy” summer school semester and spends literally 10 hours a day outside of classroom time studying, and she almost got her first B ever (in other words, she’s an excellent straight A student who already has one degree, and she’s working her ass off for A’s in this program.)

My associate’s program, while not exactly easy, doesn’t take up every waking hour of my time studying, either. And at the end of it, she and I will take the same NCLEX and get the same license.

Now, if you want to become a nurse practitioner, as she does, then yes, the accelerated program will get you done sooner, as you do need a BSN for your MSN (or a special program that goes straight to MSN). If you want to be a teacher or an administrator, having the BSN is absolutely required, and really only the starting point for further education. But if what you want to be is a nurse, the AAS (Associate in Applied Science) two year program is just fine. A number of my friends have been through the two year program, and none of them are having any trouble getting a good job for the same pay as the BSNs.

But, what can you do? Get your prereqs, of course. Check with the school what their Point System is, if they have one. That will let you know what you should focus on. My school gives extra Points if you’ve taken some of the classes required for the degree that are not prereqs, like English and Microbiology, and more points for As than Bs. They give 5 whole Points for going to a stupid informational session at the school! (5 Points is a fuckload - you only get 1 or 2 for having a bachelor’s degree!) My school gives no Points for volunteer or PCA work, but they do give 1 Point for a CNA license. So, if you were applying to my school, you’d be better off **not **volunteering and spending that extra time studying to get an A in Microbiology before you apply for the Nursing Program, or even getting your CNA and not using it, rather than volunteering.

So, to make a long post short (too late!) it’s best to ask your *school *what you should be doing, because they’re going to reward some behaviors more than others, and that will vary by region and school.

Good luck!

8

Kinda the same as what Snickers and WhyNot said.

Take the science courses you missed getting your first Bachelor’s. A&P, Micro, Organic Chem, etc. Take the ones designed for science majors, not the ones designed for non-majors.

The accelerated programs are all very competitive and employ a lot of work. The one nearest to me only takes hard (bio, chem) science majors who are within 6 years of completing their BS degrees. Another one near me is harder than all get out to get into. For both, you need over a 3.5 GPA and awesome recommendations, all science courses need to be passed with an B or better. I know someone who did not get in and by all rights was fully qualified to get in. They have their pick of candidates and will pick those with a stronger science background when ever possible.

9

Just wanted to say thanks for making this post because I’m considering the same thing

10

Within 6 years of completing their BS degrees? Is that what you meant? Because that would be high school.

11

Genuine curiosity here: Why do you say this, Mustard? What do you feel is wrong with that route?

12

Thank you, everyone, for your excellent answers.

I’m looking at options other than the accelerated program (which I still want to do, but I’m going to be realistic). I found a CNA course offered by the Red Cross here, which I’m told will make me a much more attractive candidate for whatever program I apply to. I’m also contacting community colleges around here, since most of them are more inexpensive than my dear alma mater.

Thinking more long-term here, how easy is student debt to manage as a nurse? I’m about eight grand in the hole, and make about the same in annual income at this point, and it’s bugging me big-time. I figure I’ll be plonking down about $40,000 more (worst-case scenario, still falls within my lifetime Stafford loan borrowing limit) before I take my NCLEX-RN.

With the understanding that the ‘nursing shortage’ is a lot more complex than it seems, I’m thinking of other ways of not worrying about debt. I’m told there are all sorts of public service forgiveness programs, but my BS sirens sound pretty clearly. I figure there’s gotta be a catch: either they’re insanely selective, or they’re in places with a legitimate nursing shortage for a reason (i.e. no nurse in their right mind would sign up). Either one I can live with.

And, there’s always the armed forces, which I find an attractive option.

I still have questions on actually getting myself into a nursing school, but I’m curious about what to do when I get out (with the understanding that it all might change in the couple of years between now and then)?

13

I’m told they were phasing that out in favor of RN’s.

14

LouiseE

They only take candidates that have completed a BS degree in hard science (usually bio) within the last six years. This program allows you to skip/test out of most of the science courses and go straight to the nursing courses.

15

That’s true where I work. A few colleges have programs now which bridge an RN degree to a BSN, and that’s pretty much required for hiring. But then again, we’re not having anything even close to resembling a nursing shortage. In fact, just laid off a bunch.

Of course, that’s sue to cycle back, I’m sure. With proposed changed in the reimbursement system, a lot of hospitals are looking at a much different service delivery model, and I think we’d look to rely more on nurses than doctors. I’d definitely speak to someone in the career office if I were you.

Here is info on the Loan Forgiveness Program. We’re a hospital that serves a disproportionate number of uninsured, so our nurses sometimes apply.

Also, make sure you time your pre-requisites right. You don’t want to do them so early that they time out before you can use them.

16

Thank you much, everyone, for your answers.

So I’ve just found a CNA course offered by the Red Cross, and will probably be taking that in the fall sometime. I just ordered a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer (and spent five minutes practicing how to say that correctly), and just filled out a few volunteer applications to some local hospitals. I figure experience wouldn’t hurt, even if only to figure out if I really want to do this.

Since I missed the fall deadline for applying at my university, I’ll try for spring. Luckily, if all goes well, I’ll have my pre-reqs done in time to apply for my program of choice (and any other program I can find). If I get held up somehow (a possibility I’ve learned to never discount), no biggie — I can always re-apply and keep piling on the experience.

17

Welcome to the Dope, SOTJ! Do you live in Florida?

18

[quote=“Mean_Mr.Mustard, post:4, topic:544853”]

BZZZZZZZZ!!!

Wrong answer. Very wrong.

Do not go the ADN - or, even worse, the LPN - route. You will live to regret it in your bones.

Volunteering may help, but you need to find yourself a position in a nurse assistant / PCA role. It doesn’t pay a lot, but the experience is solid gold (and nursing program admissions folks know it).

Do you know anyone at all who is a nurse? Who works in a hospital? There is your key to the door. If not, aggressively and tenaciously pursue such a position.

This is your best bet.

Best of luck. mmm
This is so funny–so you didn’t see my comment that I’ve been an RN since 1980? I hope the OP doesn’t take your comment seriously. In what states are you licensed as a Registered Nurse?

19

Born and raised.

20

ADNs are fine, because it’s easy to do an accelerated program afterwards to get your BSN. They tend to be quite a bit more intense though because you need to learn the most important material over 2 years (as opposed to the 4 years you would in a regular BSN).

Don’t, whatever you do, become an Practical Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse. I have never talked to a single LPN who didn’t regret the decision and wished they went to an RN program. You will do practically the same job, for so much less money (possibly half the money) and opportunity. Many hospitals won’t hire them, will actively try and get rid of them, and many LPNs are stuck working in nursing homes.