Just graduated and going to community college. How do I become a RN from here?

[rosedith]

So I'm going to Diablo Valley College and I was planning on studying there for 2 years and then transferring to Sacramento State for nursing. Right now I'm starting to rethink this and if this is what I should do to become a nurse since DVC doesn't have a nursing program but I found that Sacramento City College does. Instead, should I go to Sacramento City College and do the Nursing program there so that I can get my Associates? I honestly have no idea what to do. I don't really have a full understanding of how to become an RN and I'm kind of afraid that I might be following the wrong path.

I really want to become a neonatal nurse and eventually study more and become a nurse informatics specialist.

Can anyone tell me a step by step plan of what I should do become an RN? I just need a better understanding of this.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I can understand your confusion. Nursing education is a bit more complicated than just choosing a college major. I am assuming that your goal is a Bachelors degree (BSN) since this has become the requirement for acute care (hospital) jobs. The most cost effective way to achieve this goal is to take your pre-requisite courses at a community college and then transfer to a BSN program for your last 2 years, so you are on the right track. Your community college "major" would be pre-nursing.

In order to figure out which courses to take, you need to contact the BSN programs you want to attend and ask them about their admission requirements. I would advise you to look at multiple BSN programs, because the admission process can be very competitive. Some programs may receive > 50 applications for each available slot and this has a significant effect on the admission process. For instance, a BSN program catalog may state that the eligibility requirement is a "GPA of 3.0", but the actual GPA for admission may be closer to 3.7 due to the high number of applicants.

So - contact those BSN programs for information and go ahead and fill out your financial aid forms (FAFSA) ASAP. Plan on enrolling in your local (inexpensive) community college this Fall to begin your pre-nursing courses. Focus on making the highest grades you can in order to maximize your chances for admission to a nursing program in two years.

Good Luck!!

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

I would contact the programs you're considering attending and finding out what coursework they require you to complete. Since you've mentioned Sac State and Sac City, you should know that they have ONE major difference: Sac State requires Organic Chem and Sac City requires Microbiology instead. If you end up taking both, you'll be able to apply to Sierra College and American River College, not just Sac City and Sac State. I suspect that you'll find that the prerequisites for these programs are also very similar to the prerequisites for many other programs too.

Sac State is primarily a points-based entry, so you'll want to max-out the points possible to get in there.

As another poster has indicated, you should fill out the FAFSA and see about getting a fee waiver for your classes, if possible... It's known as the BOGW, and you must have that FAFSA done so they can determine your eligibility for the waiver.