How Does Athens Tech Nursing Program Work? Please Answer!!

U.S.A. Georgia

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I am a senior getting ready to graduate and I am interested in Athens Tech. I would love to be a neonatal nurse, but I have a thousand questions about the process of becoming this. So here are my questions!

1- How are you accepted into the nursing program?

2- What is needed to become a neonatal nurse? RN?

3- How many years does it take to receive your RN license at Athens Tech?

4- Does Athens Tech offer a BSN? (I have no idea what that is but I have heard it is very important to have)

5-What grades are needed to be accepted into Athens Tech?

6- How much is the tuition for Athens Tech?

As you can tell, I have a lot of research I need to do! I really appreciate any answers and feel free to add in anything you feel is important! Thank you so much for your time!

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Hello and congrats on deciding you want to be a nurse! I have looked into ATC so I will try to answer as many of your questions as I can! This may get a little lengthy:)

1 - The way that Athens Tech works is you must first be accepted into the school as a Pre-Nursing student. At that time you will begin taking your Prerequisites. The classes that must be completed prior to the application deadline are English 1101(that might not be the right number but it is the first English class), College Algebra, Anatomy and Physiology 1, Anatomy and Physiology 2 and Microbiology. Any learning support classes must be prior to starting Anatomy. The application deadline will fall in January of the year you will start the nursing program...this year the deadline is January 30 to start in August...this means you MUST have these 5 classes finished in the fall semester 1 year before you plan on starting the nursing program. This can make it a little tricky to plan your schedule!

2 - I am not a nurse so I'm not sure exactly what is required to become a neonatal nurse...I think you just have to initially get your foot in the door of a NICU and get experience then I believe there is at least one certification you can get...only after you have experience though. There are also Neonatal Nurse Practitioners...I don't think there are any NNP programs in GA though and that would be a long ways down the road for you! I'm sure once you get into a nursing program the instructors can help you with exactly what you need to go into the field you are interested in.

3 - How long it takes you at Athens Tech will depend on how you map out your prerequisites...if you have a strong science and math background and want to be finished faster, you could start school in the summer and have your 5 classes completed in time for the application deadline for the following fall...this would mean taking A&P 2 and Micro at the same time though. Once you begin the program, it is 5 semesters, which includes the summer between year 1 and year 2. So best case it will take you 3 years but it could take 4.

4 - A BSN in a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Athens Tech offers an ASN, or Associates of Science in Nursing. You are an RN regardless of which degree you have. Some hospitals in the area will only hire nurses that have a BSN. You can get your BSN in 4 years so if you're not dead set on Athens Tech it would probably be beneficial for you to at least look into BSN programs. Most of them will accept you as a pre-nursing student and you will complete prerequisites and then apply to the nursing program. If you go to the Georgia Board of Nursing website they have a list of all the nursing programs in the state...it will also tell you if they have an ASN or a BSN program. IMO the technical schools are not very practical as far as time goes.

5 - I think the grade requirements to get into the school as a pre-nursing student are pretty low...I think as long as you graduate or have a GED they will let you in. The nursing program is VERY competitive. They receive 450 -500 applications every year and I think they only accept about 50 students. I was told you should have around a 3.8 GPA (just in the 5 classes I mentioned above) and get at least a 90 on the entrance exam.

6 - I think tuition is around $130/credit hour but I am not sure. You should be able to look that up on their website.

Sorry this was so long but hopefully it will be helpful to you! Good luck and if you have any more questions ask away!

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Specializes in OR.

milesamelia covered everything pretty well. The only thing I would add is to go to and read the Athens Tech website thoroughly. A lot of the information you need is right there. Also, Athens Tech offers information sessions for their school, the general Healthcare program, and the nursing program. I attended all three before starting my journey, and they are extremely informative. At those sessions, they will also answer any questions you might have that you haven't yet found the answer to.

I know when I attended the school info session, there were a couple of high school groups there. I don't know if your school does that, but it's worth looking in to if you're seriously considering Athens Tech.

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@ [COLOR=#003366]Blue Felt Fedora[/COLOR]

I was wondering if you can give me any advice on studying and preparing for the prerequisites at Athens Technical College.

The A&P 1 and the lab. Compass Testing for the math part? Is it pre-algebra and algebra only? Does it consist of tri and geometry?

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For me I have been dismissed for not passing my 2nd attempt in the program at another nursing school. Will this disqualify me as an applicant? My GPA is really good so I am hoping I still have a chance. Also, do their prerequisites have a shelf life (example, must be no more than 5 years old by the start of the program)?

Thanks!

NNM

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