RN program in community college really worth it?

Soup Turtle · Dec 20, 2007

Hi every one Im fresh out of High School (6 months) and started this pre-nursing rn program at a local community college. I actually heard good this about the program but my problem is that I feel that I need to be in a lpn program or something less drastic on the FIRST day of class my A&P teacher was talking about tissues and atomical positions and all types of things! I dont think anything could have prepared me for this coorifice..yeaaaa i studied but it was like every day we learned something else and while in lab ALL the tissues looked alike so i dropped the class and now i feel bad but maybe I need a lpn coorifice instead or a teacher that can explain better??? I know its not suppose to be easy but gee wiz give a kid a break!

I heard the lpn programs move along very quickly, as well.

jessbee · Dec 21, 2007

I think that class would seem overwhelming to most kids coming right out of high school. Honestly I'd start out taking all your general ed prereqs first, math, english etc. then move on to the science courses needed to apply to a nursing program. If you do this you will have an easier time understanding college level instruction and you'll aquire the critical thinking and study skills needed to learn at that faster pace.

You can do it though and you have to believe in yourself first!

Good Luck!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2007

Stick with your goal of being an RN and continue on. It's tough, demanding and overwhelming no matter which way you go, so keeping your eye on what your future goals are is best.

We've all been there and we all made it through and you can too. It's quite the reality schock to go from high school to college A&P, but perservere wtih discipline, while having fun and taking care of yourself. You can do this.

LaruaRN · Dec 27, 2007

My nursing program requires us to take the nurses assistant training and become certified before starting the RN program. This is a great way to get an introduction to the nursing field. Many people in nursing school work part time as nurses assistants too. Good luck to you!

Jules A, MSN · Dec 30, 2007

We had to have the exact same A&P 1 and 2 for the LPN program as the RN students. I agree in getting your feet wet with the basics like English or maybe a fluffy elective, underwater basket weaving anyone? :)

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2008

I personally enjoyed Music Appreciation and 20th century history....probably because I've heard a lot of stories from GP on years of 1900-1950.....not to mention curing tobacco 101...true course...

To OP...I'll be honest...when I went from HS to College, it took me 2 years of gen eds to really get a handle on what I thought about doing...did accounting, then realized that I hate numbers....I like people...so I went back. People always tell me that I must be really smart....I'm not, I just know what the game entails by now....Many of the classmates I knew right out of HS could NOT pass...they just didn't understand the concepts of what we were talking about. AP is tough....maybe just focus on that, and know that after 1 it gets a little more interesting...but 1 lays the foundation....

Ginny Weasley · Jan 4, 2008

Take a CNA course. It doesn't take long, and then you can find out weather you really like nursing or not. Taking all those hard pre-req courses your first year out of highschool is very stressful, and from personal experiance (having not passed very many of them do to some issues ^^ if I had to do it all over again, I would have taken the CNA course first before venturing into college. As for LVN or RN, I would pick LVN because you don't have to spend 2 years taking under graduate classes and you can be done in less than 11 months. After that, you can go for your RN and it will be a lot easier because you'll already be a nurse, and you won't have to worry about the pre-requisites (which in my opinion are a waste of time anyways ^^. I hope that was somewhat helpful.

flightnurse2b, LPN · Jan 4, 2008

Hi every one Im fresh out of High School (6 months) and started this pre-nursing rn program at a local community college. I actually heard good this about the program but my problem is that I feel that I need to be in a lpn program or something less drastic on the FIRST day of class my A&P teacher was talking about tissues and atomical positions and all types of things! I dont think anything could have prepared me for this coorifice..yeaaaa i studied but it was like every day we learned something else and while in lab ALL the tissues looked alike so i dropped the class and now i feel bad but maybe I need a lpn coorifice instead or a teacher that can explain better??? I know its not suppose to be easy but gee wiz give a kid a break!
I was also wondering if it it better to start as a CNA or LPN to get more experience. I have my mind set on getting my BSN but how can i do that when i cant even stand a a&p coorifice?

A&P 1 and 2 is also required for an LPN course, and the LPN course is usually at at a much quicker pace (usually 12-18 months).

try taking the class again, with another instructor, and just be prepared to focus... most CC's have excellent student resource center with tutors and extra help. nursing school is really hard, no matter how you work it.

getting your CNA would definately not hurt you in the long run. the experience would be invaluable. if you are already on the pre-RN course, continue that way, get good grades and get into the RN program!

RNgonewild · Jan 4, 2008

I say keep plugging through. I did the same right after high school and it took 3 years at the local community college and I never regreted it.(well maybe some rotten days). Why dont you just take one class at a time and work parttime. It might take longer, but you can save up some money for when you get to the nursing classes and wont be able to really work. CC classes are pretty cheap compared to other schools.

lorabel · Jan 7, 2008

Hang in there kiddo! If you really want to be a nurse, you can do it! It takes lots of hard work and dedication. I would find out how much clinical time you have in the community college program. I went to a community college. I would not recommend it. the reason is, my program only had 12 clinical hours a week and at the small community hospital.........they had the reputation for making us book smart with a NCLEX pass rate of 97%. I passed my Boards with only 75 questions..........BUT.....When I hit the floor as a new RN...I realized I had limited clinical skills. So...when i took my first job only 4 months ago...it was overhwleming. I not only had to learn the unit routine, I had to learn their needleless IV system, organization and everything else. I saw things my first week of work that I only heard of in a book or saw in nursing lab! Needless to say, I was so overwhelmed that I quit after only 4 months! so..research the different programs and see whats out there. You can do it if its what you really want! I agree with taking other pre-reqs before tackling your A&P and micro classes. They're a bear but VERY important! Get a good base in A&P and you wont regret it. Good luck!

Brand new RN · Jan 8, 2008

Hi every one Im fresh out of High School (6 months) and started this pre-nursing rn program at a local community college. I actually heard good this about the program but my problem is that I feel that I need to be in a lpn program or something less drastic on the FIRST day of class my A&P teacher was talking about tissues and atomical positions and all types of things! I dont think anything could have prepared me for this coorifice..yeaaaa i studied but it was like every day we learned something else and while in lab ALL the tissues looked alike so i dropped the class and now i feel bad but maybe I need a lpn coorifice instead or a teacher that can explain better??? I know its not suppose to be easy but gee wiz give a kid a break!
I was also wondering if it it better to start as a CNA or LPN to get more experience. I have my mind set on getting my BSN but how can i do that when i cant even stand a a&p coorifice?

Oh, I think it's worth it. I'm quite a bit older than you but if it is your dream to become a nurse, just be persistent and have faith that it will pay off with all sorts of rewards.

I'm at a local community college, in my first year of a two year RN program. That said however, it doesn't mean that I'm in my first year of college coursework. Far from it. I've got about 3 years in the tank. I had all my general ed classes done before I began this LPN yr which I highly recommend. This is a really tough year with 12 nursing classes only credits feeling more like 22 and I know my classmates would agree with me. As I understand it, next year--the RN year is very similiar, with just a few less nursing credit classes to manage is all.

So understand that when someone says that they're a two-year RN, they've probably got at least closer to three years of college unless they didn't eat, sleep or generally live beyond school and actually got it done in two. Seriously, I've never heard of anyone getting it done in two, even though they call it a two-year RN program.

Just my opinion, but I think others would probably agree.