I need advice from a nurse with a good sense of humor.

kassady_c · Feb 10, 2009

Hello, I am only 18 but I plan on going into the medical field straight out of highschool. I have done hours of research and have talked to a college director so I hope I can help you in some way. At many colleges there are nursing programs offered. I am going into the Nursing Program at MCC (In New York). I would recommend doing some research for the community colleges in your area. You could very well end up finding a suitable program for your needs. A typical RN program runs for 4 years I believe, some colleges offer the degree in 2 years. If you say you had decent grades in highschool and did well on your regents, even without the advanced placement classes you could still apply to get into a program. You would have to go to the local office at whatever college you decide to attend and they will most likely be able to help you from there. The median age of applicants in the nursing program is around 30 so you will fit right in. If you do not get accepted into the program immediately you could take a few classes in chemistry or anatomy as your liberal arts classes and then apply again. An RN is a registered Nurse, If you would like you could start as an LPN which is a nurses assistant. They are at the low end of the food chain but if your willing to handle the work load then you may want to consider starting as an LPN. Do some research and maybe make some calls. I hope this has helped you!

gracie05 · Feb 10, 2009

I would suggest looking into a local community college. You can take all of the pre-reqs, which would help your GPA and also help your chances of getting into a program. If your local community college does not offer an ADN (associate degree nursing) then look into online programs. There are a lot of programs that do a lot if not all of their classes online. Good luck!

athena55, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

I agree with kassady_c and gracie05:

GO FOR IT.....Look into your city or state colleges....Start the process by sitting for the entrance college placement exams. In NYC (my experience with the city university of new york - CUNY system) is that you'll need to take entry level math and English reading and comprehension exams.

Go to your local college (if they have a nursing program) and check out the courses being offered at the college in the nursing department. Check out what the pre-req's are.....Maybe you could make an appointment with a college adviser (but not sure if one must be registered to actually take classes before you could step inside their office)

I did a quick search and not sure how near or far Lakeland CC is (Matton, IL) but check this out and it should give you an idea

http://www.lakeland.cc.il.us/alliedhealth/index.cfm

Hey, good luck to you....If we can be of any further hellp....

athena

gods_gift · Feb 16, 2009

Hello, I am only 18 but I plan on going into the medical field straight out of highschool. I have done hours of research and have talked to a college director so I hope I can help you in some way. At many colleges there are nursing programs offered. I am going into the Nursing Program at MCC (In New York). I would recommend doing some research for the community colleges in your area. You could very well end up finding a suitable program for your needs. A typical RN program runs for 4 years I believe, some colleges offer the degree in 2 years. If you say you had decent grades in highschool and did well on your regents, even without the advanced placement classes you could still apply to get into a program. You would have to go to the local office at whatever college you decide to attend and they will most likely be able to help you from there. The median age of applicants in the nursing program is around 30 so you will fit right in. If you do not get accepted into the program immediately you could take a few classes in chemistry or anatomy as your liberal arts classes and then apply again. An RN is a registered Nurse, If you would like you could start as an LPN which is a nurses assistant. They are at the low end of the food chain but if your willing to handle the work load then you may want to consider starting as an LPN. Do some research and maybe make some calls. I hope this has helped you!

"An RN is a registered Nurse, If you would like you could start as an LPN which is a nurses assistant. They are at the low end of the food chain but if your willing to handle the work load then you may want to consider starting as an LPN."

Kassady C, I'm sorry someone told you LPN's are nurse's assistants but they are not. LPN's are Licensed Practical Nurses and do very much the same thing that RN's do with a few exceptions. CNA's are Certified Nurse's Assistants and they assist nurses both LPN's and RN's. Also, LPN's are one-step below RN's and are by no means the low-end of the food chain. My first job started me at $45K as a new graduate. I am an LPN and my DR's call me for everything. Not because I'm a know-it-all but because I am an asset to each of them.

OwwwConcussion, if you want to be a nurse, you don't have to jump through any hoops that I know of. Just be determined to attain something and then do it! Just that simple. Research schools that you are interested in. Know that you won't be getting your RN online. You do have to do clinicals. Beware of schools that tell you otherwise. Last time I checked there were none that allowed you in the program unless you were already an RN attaining your BSN. I hope this helps.

caliotter3 · Feb 16, 2009

You do not need college prep to go to a community college. You don't even need a high school diploma. Start at your local cc. You most likely will have to take placement exams for English and math, perhaps one for chemistry when you get to that bridge. Start taking those courses that are a requirement for all: English, math, humanities. Get on the college website and see what the requirements are for a degree and for transfer to four year colleges. Look at the nursing school web page and make note of the prerequisite courses for nursing school admission and get on your way. Make certain that you do your best in the listed prerequisites because some schools factor in a person's GPA to see who will be admitted. Some look at your overall GPA, while others may only look at your GPA in certain classes, i.e. anatomy, physiology, microbiology. That's it to get started. You can become a CNA and start working as a CNA. That may help you gain admission to nursing school. There are some programs where the CNA certificate is mandatory. You will find this out when you look at the school's requirements. Make certain that you look at the requirements for all schools in your area, as you will probably apply to all of them in the hopes of getting in. Good luck.

rn/writer, RN · Feb 16, 2009

Don't look too far ahead or you may become overwhelmed. It's great to have the big picture tucked away somewhere, but it sounds like you need to figure out the next couple of steps on the path.

I would suggest calling the local high school(s) and speaking with one of the guidance counselors. Ask about where they would direct their students after graduation. They would know about community colleges and other resources.

Once you find a college or tech school, speak with their counseling department. Many schools offer diagnostic testing to determine areas where you might need brushing up or even new learning before enrolling. Some also have vocational testing that tell you what areas of study suit your skills and natural talents.

You might be able to speak with someone about a realistic plan of action and what steps you should take in what order.

Once you have a blueprint, you can use your energy in the most efficient way possible.

You're not alone. Many, many people don't make the most of their high school years. Teen-age thinking has different priorities. But you are still quite young and have lots of choices.

Every day, do at least one thing that gets you closer to your long-range goal. It will happen.

I wish you the best.