Why Is It So Hard To Get Into Nursing Programs If There Is A Shortage For Nurses???

Nurses General Nursing

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Why Is It So Hard To Get Into Nursing Programs If There Is A Shortage For Nurses??? Then you have schools that only accept 30 students a semester. It's so frustrating.

On that note, it is impossible to "slip by with D's" once you actually get in to most nursing programs. My college required that you get at least 74 © or higher in all nursing courses (won't even take a 73.999) I have heard of some schools that require 80 or higher. I'd be concerned about any nursing program that doesn't have a minimum grade requirement of at least C (depending on what a C is in your area.) I do agree that programs can't just let anyone in.

My program req'd C's in all pre-requisite coursework, but if you didn't have upwards of a 3.5 gpa, you probably wouldn't get in. Then, you had to have an 80% in each nursing class to continue with each course during the 1st year and an 87% average to move on to the 2nd year.

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This is the question I always asked myself, though I already knew the answers. Truly an unfortunate situation.

That is the reason why I feel the pressure and the urgency to finish all my pre-requisites asap with as many A's as possibly can. I am in my 40's and time is not on my side.

Again, getting a high GPA doesnt necessarily mean that they will give first preference; especially for someone without any health care background. It is tough but I am going to try my level best and pray for the best outcome.

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My school only had 10 openings in my RN program. It had nothing to do with only wanting the best grades. Many people with 4.0's didn't make it in. The school was only able to accept 10 RN students. End of story.

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The FACT that it is HArd to get in is a challenge.. It's actually good that it's hard to get in because by the end of the Program, or those who are actually IN the program and had successfully Finished the Program itself is somewhat eligible to become a nurse..

Another thing, it's a good thing that they have quota to actually control the incremental Enrollees that would take nursing. Here in the philippines, there are so many students taking up nursing, and from what i heard, last 2007 there was about :eek:70,000 registration for NURSING Board EXAM alone and 24,000 of that 70 only passed.. We dont have a lot of Hospital here, imagine where will we be able to PUT that 24,000 newly licensed nurses?? Yeah, they are expecting to have the opportunity to work abroad but :rolleyes:DUHHHH!!!! you have to have EXPERIENCE to be able to do that... A lot of them are actually working for CALL CENTERs or so...

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If you do well in your prerequisites, it isn't hard to get into nursing school!

Not true!! At least in my area. My community college ASN nursing program has only 80 spots open for 400+ applicants a year. Many students with 4.0 GPAs are turned away or designated to an "alternate list." Most of the applicants are excellent and dedicated students who can't get a spot in the program because there is both a lack of instructors and clinical space.

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Specializes in acute care.

I chose to go the expensive route. Sitting around waiting for cheaper schools to accept me was not an option. Are you only applying to the cheaper schools (ex. CUNY) or are you also applying to schools like SUNY, Beth Isreal, LICHSON, etc.?

Well in NY, people with 3.5 cant get into programs cause they are taking all the 4.0's first. It like your GPA has to be perfect or you will be put on a wait list that may never even call you. The expensive $750 a credit schools are taking students but its like who can afford that.
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My school only had 10 openings in my RN program. It had nothing to do with only wanting the best grades. Many people with 4.0's didn't make it in. The school was only able to accept 10 RN students. End of story.

Exactly, this is my point, even the students who do meet the standards dont get in. 10 students a semester that's crazy. I thought 30 was bad. :no:

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I chose to go the expensive route. Sitting around waiting for cheaper schools to accept me was not an option. Are you only applying to the cheaper schools (ex. CUNY) or are you also applying to schools like SUNY, Beth Isreal, LICHSON, etc.?

Well i started at CUNY, then i realized it wasn't working for me, so now i'm applying to Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center school of nursing. hopefully they will call me soon.

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Specializes in Future ICU nurse.
Why Is It So Hard To Get Into Nursing Programs If There Is A Shortage For Nurses??? Then you have schools that only accept 30 students a semester. It's so frustrating.

We do not have enough nursing instructors to teach everyone who applies to nursing school. Most nursing instructors take a pay cut in order to teach.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

I know that was the stumbling block I faced -- there just wasn't a seat for 100 miles, even though I had a 4.0 average, all the prereqs done, etc. I lucked out, but lots don't.

What I worry about is since the schools have very little ability to pick and choose between potential instructors since not many RNs sign up to teach, what quality of teacher are we getting? I'd be happier if there was the same overabundance of qualified applicants for the teacher side of the house as well. I've seen good, bad, and oh crap!

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
Carol:

You made some good points.

Where are you getting the statistic of 500,000 nurses that are refusing to come back to the hospital because they were treated badly? :) Iwas able to find it on the AFL-CIO website, but nowhere else yet. I can't really consider a Union an unbiased resource.

That being said...I am willing to believe that there are half a million nurses not working as nurses. How many of them are not working because they are in their 60's or older? How many of them married a spouse that could support the family while they stayed home to raise the children? How many decided that they would rather be an accountant because working holidays was not for them?

I think it would be almost impossible to truly survey nurses and find out why they left nursing. The people who are angry at the conditions they are forced to work under as a nurse would send that survey back in about 1 day! The people who decided to become soccer moms might not feel the same way about getting that thing in the mail.

I said many, not all.

I am not a union fan, a fact well documented on this BBs.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if someone left Nursing because they were "too old", or because they preferred accounting, or they became irrepairably injured, chances are they would let their license lapse as they would no longer need it. For that matter, many license renewals requiring attesting to a certain amount of hours worked or volunteered, or they may be shifted to "inactive" status at their discretion.

Someone that liked Nursing but could not hack the current conditions, might presumably either keep an active license or perhaps an inactive license. Almost no one ever wants to write NCLEX again, if you let it lapse.

The question would be how many of the 500, 000 which gets bandied about on this BB)hold inactive or active licenses? One would think that if someone renews a license, they have some potential intent to work again as a nurse.

As the median age of nurses is around 42-45, depending on the survey, there are fewer cases of leaving to have children these days. And with this current economy, I would think single income families are fewer and fewer (unless one wage earner got "down-sized")

As far as surveys go, I truly dislike my current job (holding it merely to work near my mother to do repairs on her home, and will be moving on eventially), but wouldn't return it within 1 day because: It would take a week to write all the problems down and I would be too overworked and stressed out to dwell on it on my days off.

I don't even read my email but once every 10 days, I am so busy.....do ya really think I would answering a survey in one?

I meet dozens of "former" nurses in other professions. And most of them say that they just couldn't do it anymore, due to stress, injury, disrespect, etc.

Whic brings up another point. Accountants work in their 60's and early 70s, Lawyers do, shop clerks, politicians, teachers. Retirement age is going up.

How many nurses do we see in the age group working? Very few.

As a note, I graduated from NS in 1993. My class started with 72, and only 24 graduated. In 2003, only 6 were still working in Nursing.

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Here in the philippines, there are so many students taking up nursing, and from what i heard, last 2007 there was about :eek:70,000 registration for NURSING Board EXAM alone and 24,000 of that 70 only passed..

70,000 graduates take the NCLEX in the Philippines, and only 24,000 PASS?!? In the US, the success rate for first-time NCLEX takers is about 85% the last I heard, last year. And according to what's in the quote above, only 34% pass in the Philippines.

How scary is this to anyone?

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