What should nursing school admission requirements be?

[hope3456]

i just got to thinking about this after reading the thread about the attrition rates at nursing schools. i just graduated with my adn here in colorado - i figure about 30% of the class didn't make it. it is my opinion that some of these students weren't really done a favor by being let in to the program in the first place, basically because i know they just didn't have the academic ability to pass the classes. also, they didn't really know what they were getting themselves into - not that i am so sure i did either!=-) i know that sounds harsh, but lets face it - nursing curriculum is difficult subject matter to grasp, but there is no getting around learning it. after all, patients lives are in our hands. and you have to pass the nclex.

so anyway, i am just curious to know what some of the different admission requirements are for different schools? i do know that standards vary quite a bit from school to school, as well as state to state.

so what do you all think? i know some nsg programs take the following into consideration - some don't. 1)minimum gpa be for prereqs - is c average okay? 2) should a person have to be a cna (or other medical experience) first before going to nsg school?(or get preference for it) 3) should admissions be based on wait lists or should they be based on competitiveness (the most qualified get in first)? 4) should you have to do an interview or write an essay? 5) should admission preference be given to male students or minorities?

here in colorado, in the community colleges anyway, all you have to do is take the prereqs, pass them with a c and then get on the wait list. it doesn't seem to me that this is fair, and my best guess is that if the student got c's all the way through prereqs, , it is probably a pretty big red flag that they aren't going to make it in the nsg program. however, that is not at all taken into consideration.

the biggest problem i have with this system is - when a student is failed out in the first quarter (several in my class were) b/c they couldn't hack it academically, who is to say that the person right behind her on the wait list didn't have a 4.0 gpa and is still waiting..waiting..waiting.. to get into the program.

i personally like the idea of the point system, which i believe i have heard arizona has- correct me if i am wrong =-) you get preference (points) if you have previous medical experience, have a high gpa, ect.

i am just curious to know how it is done other places......please post opinions and thoughts on the matter....

p.s. sorry if i sound disgruntled or sarcastic - i put my life on hold for 2 years waiting to get into nursing school.

[Kaseyrn2b]

Hi:

The CC I am hoping to attend also goes w/ a point system. You get 50 pts if you pass the HOBET, and weighted points for the science courses. you can take the prereqs anywhere, though. I like the system, as it lets the students who do well get in first. We don't have a CNA requirement though another school I was looking at did, and so I got mine. I don't know, though. I can honestly say I'd never work in LTC, that doesn't mean I don't want to be a nurse though. I didn't like my experience, but it had nothing to do w/ changing diapers, caring for ostomies, etc. I was actually better at the 'clean up' jobs than most of my classmates. I just really want to be a NICU nurse, which nursing school really doesn't help with...anyway I am rambling. its late for me :chuckle

[IWANT2BEEANRN]

In the state where I currently reside, acceptance into the university nursing programs is based solely on GPA. Now what I think needs to be done is:

1) GPA is important, and it does reflect to a point an individual's work ethic. But, sometimes an individual need to work in addition to going to college. Thereby not being able to study as much as an individual who has the financial resources to attend college without working.

(For example, the state that I live in has seen a 37% increase in college tuition within the last three years. Therefore, more and more students are being forced into working to help pay for college). So take a guess who gets accepted into the programs and who does not?

2) There need to be interviews held with perspective nursing candidates.

3) They admissions committee needs to take a look at an individuals life experience.

4) Then base acceptance into these programs on the criteria that I have proposed above.

[infullbloom1]

I attend a small nursing school in Colorado and I would REALLY like to see schools test students on the english language. Not to offend anyone, but we have had two students who have a poor concept of the language- enough so that it is nearly impossible for even the other students and teachers to understand them. They have also had some difficulty understanding nursing terms and basic concepts due to this barrier.

Also, I agree with previous posts that suggested working somewhat in the medical field as a CNA prior to school. That would certainly prepare students.

[SarasotaRN2b]

Considering the grading system in many nursing schools is different (C=75-83, B=84-94, etc.), there should definitely be a higher minimum requirement (at least a 2.8). I also think that having a pre-entrance test would also allow those students that are really serious get into school.

Kris

[DenaInWyo]

1) I think being a CNA should be required as well. It's not a requirement of our school, but I have mine now and have learned SO much. There's a lot to be said for even just working in that environment..you pick up a lot of information indirectly. Also, I agree that all nurses should have an idea of what the CNA's job is like before they are put in charge of a bunch of them.

2) I do NOT agree with a GPA having to be above a C. First of all, letter grades are only a measure of so much. Secondly, not everyone starts out with nursing as their major. There are those of us who have to find out the hard way that a certain field is not for them..and their GPAs suffer in the meantime. I was very grateful that my school runs on a points system..my GPA at the time was only 2.6, but all of my nursing pre-reqs were As and Bs, and that was what counted. The nursing department really didn't care that I had failed at a computer programming course..but they were interested in my A in A&P.

Deana

[DenaInWyo]

Hi:

The CC I am hoping to attend also goes w/ a point system. You get 50 pts if you pass the HOBET, and weighted points for the science courses. you can take the prereqs anywhere, though. I like the system, as it lets the students who do well get in first. We don't have a CNA requirement though another school I was looking at did, and so I got mine. I don't know, though. I can honestly say I'd never work in LTC, that doesn't mean I don't want to be a nurse though. I didn't like my experience, but it had nothing to do w/ changing diapers, caring for ostomies, etc. I was actually better at the 'clean up' jobs than most of my classmates. I just really want to be a NICU nurse, which nursing school really doesn't help with...anyway I am rambling. its late for me :chuckle

Kasey,

Just to point out a couple of things..

CNAs don't just work in Nursing homes..they work in hospitals, home health, doctor's offices..lots of places.

Also, you may want to be careful about referring to a patient's brief as a diaper. I have a couple of instructors that will take a student's head off for that, and I do see their point. It's not a very dignified term. :)

Deana

[smk1, LPN]

i thinki it should be a points based system with the following items:

3.0 gpa minimum (in applicable classes) with non applicable gpa being used as a tie breaker.

priority given to those who are students at the college they are applying at.

points for having your CNA finished or MA

another tie breaker can be for those who took a heavy credit load and still got the same gpa as others who took it one class at a time.

[SLIY]

Hi I am attending a college in Florida. To get into the PN program you need to have a 2.0 GPA and take 3 classes to get points. The program is based on a point system. Which includes work experience, classes taken, and volunteering.

[mitchsmom]

I think it should be on a case-by-base basis as much as possible.

The only things that probably looked good in my app were good grades in prereqs (high school & previous BA degree grades were 15 years old, maybe around 3.3GPA, prereqs much better) & just life-experience type stuff -even though I'd been a stay at home mom for years before going back to school, I had done a lot with volunteer work and leadership positions that showed motivation in general.

I would have been screwed if my school did some of those things like points for CNA, points for attending that university prior to application, points for being a county resident, etc. - and I'm doing quite well clinically and academically if I may brag!

It's just very hard to predict motivation and future success... think about high school... you know... some of the people who were stars there turned out to be major losers and vice versa.

[smk1, LPN]

I think it should be on a case-by-base basis as much as possible.

The only things that probably looked good in my app were good grades in prereqs (high school & previous BA degree grades were 15 years old, maybe around 3.3GPA, prereqs much better) & just life-experience type stuff -even though I'd been a stay at home mom for years before going back to school, I had done a lot with volunteer work and leadership positions that showed motivation in general.

I would have been screwed if my school did some of those things like points for CNA, points for attending that university prior to application, points for being a county resident, etc. - and I'm doing quite well clinically and academically if I may brag!

It's just very hard to predict motivation and future success... think about high school... you know... some of the people who were stars there turned out to be major losers and vice versa.

Of course i am just thinking of things for my area that would improve the system. We have students who take the A&P series at other schools because it is a far easier class (i've seen the tests and sylabus and one teacher from that school now works at our college and confirmed what we thought) . So those students get A's in A&P and those with b+ or A minus in a far more challenging program don't even get into their own school's nursing program. Also we only have one community college in our county, but there are several in the surrounding counties, some of which won't do reciprocity for credit prices. I personally don't feel a CNA is necessary but if they are going to require before the start of the RN program, then I feel that credit should be given to those who tough out the schedule and get it done before the selection process. Every area is different but some of these ideas i think are sound, and I do agree with raising the mninum gpa requirement to 3.0 in our area because honestly no one is getting in with below a 3.5 anyway.