Questions regarding Maricopa CC's Nursing program

AZmom · Oct 7, 2006

These two sites will give you some idea of where their wait list is at:

http://https://web1.dist.maricopa.edu/CFIDE/docs/hcies/studentStatus/index.cfm

http://web1.dist.maricopa.edu/CFIDE/docs/hcies/placementWtBd.cfm

A faster route to getting into the nursing program? Get a job at one of the hospitals which offers a program in conjunction with MCCCD (see above link for a partial list -- basically if it shows slots open for spring semester it's likely a special program giving preferential placement to its employees).

If you're not enrolled in school presently and want to get moving now, check out Rio Salado College. It's a MCCCD school which offers all online courses, with new courses starting every 2-4 weeks. If that's something you can handle -- and it's NOT for everyone -- it'll give you a head start on your prereqs vs. waiting until spring semester (plus I found that the Mesa CC courses for nursing prereqs fill up sooooo fast).

I don't know much about accelerated programs. Pima Medical Institute offers a 2 year accelerated diploma program (96 weeks straight), which includes all prereqs.....but the price is hefty. Tuition runs $34,500. (Ouch! If you haven't another degree already you may be eligible for some student loans to cover that; something to check into if you're interested.) Their last session began....huh, it says 5/29/05 but I remember calling last spring (06) and another session was starting then. I'm guessing they might run a new program starting every end of May/beginning of June, but don't quote me on that.

I know nothing about Pima's reputation but heard Ethel Bauer School of Nursing (in Mesa I think?) is one of the better nursing programs and cheaper than PMI if I remember correctly. Don't know if it's accelerated or not, but since it's a smaller private college it should be much easier to get into the program right away.

Otherwise, wait list it is to go through MCCCD. While waitlisted there may be some core curriculum courses you can get out of the way. Or ya just sit it out and twiddle your thumbs I guess.

peeesh · Oct 21, 2006

the wait is horrible... they need to come up with a better system

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Oct 22, 2006

the wait is horrible... they need to come up with a better system

What better system is there? It's not the system, it's the increase in the number of students wanting to become nurses, and the lack of qualified, educated nurses to teach.

No system is going to invent Instructors.

mattsmom64 · Oct 22, 2006

What better system is there? It's not the system, it's the increase in the number of students wanting to become nurses, and the lack of qualified, educated nurses to teach.
No system is going to invent Instructors.

I agree.....plus there isn't enough clinical rotations available to accomodate all of the students. I'm in Block 2 and we are constantly trying to find enough patients to care for. When you have 5 or 6 students per floor trying to pick 2-3 patients to care for and there are only 10 admits then it gets pretty frustrating.....the hospitals need nurses but at the same time they are getting overwhelmed with the large amount of studens in clinical rotations.....

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Oct 22, 2006

You're right. I forgot that part. We only have 2 hospitals in town that have Peds departments, so we can only allow so many students at once in that rotation!

NewJA · Oct 22, 2006

What better system is there? It's not the system, it's the increase in the number of students wanting to become nurses, and the lack of qualified, educated nurses to teach.
No system is going to invent Instructors.

To me, some examples of a better system would be:

-Take students GPA's into consideration when choosing who to accept. That by itself would eliminate the problem for a lot of people, including myself.

-Pay the instructors enough to entice enough people to teach.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Oct 22, 2006

To me, some examples of a better system would be:
-Take students GPA's into consideration when choosing who to accept. That by itself would eliminate the problem for a lot of people, including myself.
-Pay the instructors enough to entice enough people to teach.

Hey, I'm all for having a point system with GPA being one of the considerations. But, not only will the schools lose out on fundingif they start to reject students (and thus not be able to pay teachers), but we would lose out on good nurses. I know plenty of people who had piss-poor GPAs who are doing just as good as job as I am with my 4.0. I discussed this with one of my former teachers, and they said that they would lose money if they instituted GPA requirements, because of the populations that it may exclude.

Secondly, there's just not enough money. Schools need a lot more instructors, and they just can't compete with what they can make at the bedside.

AZmom · Oct 22, 2006

I think a better system might be to offer those wait-listed the opportunity to take some nursing-necessary courses during that time. Nutrition and Pharm are currently rolled into the nursing program though MCCCD. I've seen some other colleges allow for the taking of those two courses anytime before x Block. If nothing else, it lightens the load for when one does get into the program, that they have more time to concentrate on the clinical nursing stuff.

I also think that it was a bad move to remove the CNA requirement if for no other reason that it may have weeded a few out who weren't cut out for nursing.

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2006

I took a few prereqs at MCC. I remember meeting with an advisor there when I decided I wanted to get more info on getting into the nursing program and she said "oh no ..... couldn't you have picked an easier area?" lol, gee thanks lady ..... what a big help she was!

So I moved off to TX and went to school there

Good luck!!

Kyanny · Oct 27, 2006

I agree with all the above comments regarding finance and educators. However, it would be nice if we could enter the wait list provisionally earlier in the pre- req state. If a student's number should come up and they have not completed the pre- reqs, throw the number back in. It seems this way it would be a more continuous process rather than waiting so long after completing the classes. It will most likely be 17 months out of pre-reqs before I start ns, how much of all that science studying will still be in my brain after so long?

NewJA · Oct 27, 2006

I agree with all the above comments regarding finance and educators. However, it would be nice if we could enter the wait list provisionally earlier in the pre- req state. If a student's number should come up and they have not completed the pre- reqs, throw the number back in. It seems this way it would be a more continuous process rather than waiting so long after completing the classes. It will most likely be 17 months out of pre-reqs before I start ns, how much of all that science studying will still be in my brain after so long?

I agree. Also, I think that MCC's arrangement for applying is absurd. It is also very complicated, and apparantly very difficult to get clear explanations of when, how, where, and why we have to do all of the items on their list of to-do's for the application process.

I had a phone call with the nursing advisor at Mesa C.C. 2 days ago which lasted almost 30 minutes and after the call, I had no more of an understanding of what I was supposed to do (and when to do it) than I did before the call. On the contrary, I was considerably more confused after the call, and I decided that I will just have to call someone at another Maricopa CC and ask them.

I couldn't agree more about the prereqs/waiting set up. That is the most complicated and senseless part of the process. I have not yet found out when I will be able to apply, or what is the difference between "provisional" and "full" applications, and what is the difference between "time stamped" and "pooled" applications, or what is the advantage of any one of those over the other, despite asking the advisor all of those exact questions.

I ran into no road blocks at all in trying to aquire information about ASU's BSN program.

EDIT: I am going for the BSN, and I plan to go to grad school also to become a nurse practitioner in time - No M.C.C. for any of that.