I'm so frustrated about the wait list for clinical entry at my community college. I understand that they can't disclose where you stand on the "list" but I'm hearing all kinds of discouraging stories about having to wait 2 to 3 years for entry. Can anyone share their experience with this? I'll be finished all of my core classes this summer (06); clinicals are all I'll need at that point. I'm worried I'll be waiting 2 more years!

My school tried to tell me that they couldn't disclose what number I was on the waiting list and I wouldn't stand for it-neither should you. You are a consumer of the services of the college and as such you are entitled to your number. At my school, there is a lot of corruption and nepotism that goes on, and I wanted to make sure that no one got moved ahead of me based on who they knew etc. I had to throw a huge hissy fit and ultimately had to contact the president of the school but I got proof of my number and I got it in writing. Stay strong and don't let them BS you....

Thanks for the response. I'm going to try to get somewhere with this situation on Tuesday morning - I'm prepared to speak with the President of the College if I get blown off by the Nursing Administrator; I just hope it doesn't backfire on me. Thanks again!

Have you looked at any other options, even if it means traveling a bit or doing BSN instead of ADN? I didn't have to deal with this because in North Carolina, ADN programs are a dime a dozen, somewhat difficult to get into, but not 2-3 years waiting, but back home in Michigan, programs that have waitlists (some are done on points system and not waitlist) run anywhere from 2 all the way to 5 years. What I found hard to understand is that in areas that had the 3-5 year waiting lists for the ADN programs, there were BSN programs in the vicinity that had no waitlist at all. The only reason I didn't go straight for a BSN was because I got accepted right away into an ADN program and because the closest BSN program was over an hour drive each way. Even so, my ADN program is not the one in the town I'm living in, it's actually a 35 minute drive, but it was going to take another year to get into the one where I live. Anyway, that was a lot of rambling to basically say, have you checked all your options? Is it possible for you to travel an extra 30 minutes to get to school if that is even an option? I worked with several people who complained all the time about wanting to go to nursing school, but saying it would just take too long at the local program because of the waitlist, when there are 4 different ADN programs within 40 minutes driving distance of where we live. It seems a lot of times people let tiny obstacles become insurmountable hurdles in their heads and prevent them from doing what they want to do. I think you should also take a stand and try to find out where you are on the waitlist, but if they say 2-3 years and you don't want to wait that long, see what other avenues you can take to get where you want to be.

I've never heard of having to wait for clinicals or not taking them in conjunction with your core classes. For example, I'm taking Med/Surg 2 the first 7 weeks of the semester and Psych the last 7 weeks. We go to clinicals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I would think that would be harder to go all that time without putting the skills you learned to use. I could never do it like that but I wish you the best of luck.

Mel

BSN student - 1 year left!!!

Future CNM

I'm so frustrated about the wait list for clinical entry at my community college. I understand that they can't disclose where you stand on the "list" but I'm hearing all kinds of discouraging stories about having to wait 2 to 3 years for entry. Can anyone share their experience with this? I'll be finished all of my core classes this summer (06); clinicals are all I'll need at that point. I'm worried I'll be waiting 2 more years!

To tell you the truth, in my school, we don't take the core classes by themselves and then the clinicals by themselves. I didn't even know they had waiting lists for the clinicals. Go figure. My advice to you is to talk to the program director, the dean, the president, whoever you need to speak in order to know. If they tell you that it is confidential, don't stand for it. This is YOUR education you're inquiring about, not anybody else's. If I were you, I would do all I have to do in order for me to get what I want. Like a previous poster said, throw a hissy fit if you have to. Good luck, doll!

I've never heard of having to wait for clinicals or not taking them in conjunction with your core classes. For example, I'm taking Med/Surg 2 the first 7 weeks of the semester and Psych the last 7 weeks. We go to clinicals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I would think that would be harder to go all that time without putting the skills you learned to use. I could never do it like that but I wish you the best of luck.

Mel

BSN student - 1 year left!!!

Future CNM

What OP means is the he/she is in prenursing (taking the pre-req's). He/she is applying to the school's nursing program to take the clinical portion.

It is not a direct entry program.

It took me 3 years at my CC. That news is discouraging people though and they are going through the list more quickly now. Some changed over to dental hygeine or surg tech, went to other schoole etc..

what op means is the he/she is in prenursing (taking the pre-req's). he/she is applying to the school's nursing program to take the clinical portion.

if that is the case (which it sounds like) that's not all she has to do... just a warning to the op- unless you took nursing theory, it's not just clinicals, as you put it.

Wow I have never heard of taking the core nursing classes without the clinical portion coensiding with it. I have been reading alot of posts in the subject of waiting to get into nursing. It amazes me that there are long waiting lists when there is such a nursing shortage and predicted to get worse by 2010. I am a distance education student and when I applied to the practical nursing program which is an ADN program here in Minnesota, I got in right away. I guess it never occured to me that I would not be accepted (thats how sheltered I have been living here in North Dakota). I applied took the entrance exams, passed and signed up for my pre-reqs. From that point on I was in the nursing program. I feel for all of you who are waiting! How hard it must be, it just doesnt seem fair.

How many out there are done with their nursing classes and are waiting on clinicals?

I've never heard of taking nursing classes without clinicals, either. Certainly not at any of the schools in my area.

Speaking of....studentnurserachel, it sounds as though we may be neighbors. I'm at Wake Tech in Raleigh which is smack dab in the middle of several ADN programs.

At my school- you take the pre-reqs first(a&p, dosage calc, a writing class and a history of nursing class) and then you get put on the waiting list. Once you get in(we dont go by GPA or grades-wish we did) you take your nursing classes which are both lecture and clinical. I had sent off a application to a BSN program because I got aggravated but the hospital where I work started this new program where they have an agreement with the CC. They take employees that are on the waiting list and put them into the program(there were 7 of us and the hospital hired us our own clinical instuctor) I thought this was great because this at least was somewhat merit based. You had to have good work evaluations and they used GPA as part of the determination.

Thanks for the advice. I've checked around at a couple of schools and the situation is the same. Schools seemed to be overwhelmed with applicants. I did however make some headway at school today and got some promising news - nothing 100%, but I should know soon.