Career Change-Need Help Where to Start

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Hello! So, I am back in school looking for a career change. And I am racking my brain back and forth figuring out what to do. Would appreciate if anyone can give me advice.

My background-

-currently have a bachelors degree (non health related) but with a low g.p.a 2.26

-All schools in Bay Area with a nursing program is impacted (sfsu, city college sf, samuel merritt, etc) and it's difficult for me to get in the program.

-Im currently enrolled to take nursing pre-reqs at a Junior College. My junior college g.p.a is 3.2.

I'd like to become an RN sooner, so , should I just pay the $35000 for the LVN program or Gurnick medical academy for a year, and then do the LVN-RN bridge program, or should i just do the pre-reqs at junior college and get my C.N.A certificate to gain experience and keep applying to nursing schools?

Again, thank you all for reading this and I cant wait to hear from what you all have to say. thanks!!!!!

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Specializes in Nephrology Home Therapies, Wound Care, Foot Care..

I'm also in the Bay Area and just graduated from a JC ADN program. I had a counselor suggest I go the LVN route and bridge, I think because I'm an older student. Sooo glad I didn't listen to him. Getting into a bridge program is at least as hard as getting into a RN program! Unless you go the private route- which I hope you don't do. First of all, in our area, most hospitals no longer hire LVNs. I know of a great CNA, working at Kaiser- she's actually an LVN, but can't get hired there as one. Have another friend with whom I did pre-reqs, she's an LVN, can't get into a bridge program anywhere in the state. While she's been trying, I went all the way through the RN program. In California, and especially the. Bay Area, bridge programs are every bit as impacted as RN programs. Ya gotta ask yourself why, and it's that hospitals in this state prefer BSN prepared RNs, so an LVN is much less desirable. And in the actual hospital- not that there aren't a lot of non-hospital jobs, but the hospitals pay the big bucks, there are LVNs working as aides, because they want the pay and benefits of a hospital job. My advice, for what it's worth- go to a Jc and get amazing grades in your sciences, take whatever easy classes you need to in order to get your GPA up, then apply to every program in the area. You'll get in, it may take a couple of tries, but you will. Good luck!

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Specializes in SRNA.

35K for a LVN? No that is the cost of an ABSN program.

I'm paying 27K in tuition for a 12 month ABSN. Take the longer route.

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35K for a LVN? No that is the cost of an ABSN program.

I'm paying 27K in tuition for a 12 month ABSN. Take the longer route.

wow, i wish the ABSN tuition in San Francisco was only $27k. It's $85k here. UGH!!!! but yes, i guess ill take the longer route, even though i am an older student.

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Specializes in SRNA.
wow, i wish the ABSN tuition in San Francisco was only $27k. It's $85k here. UGH!!!! but yes, i guess ill take the longer route, even though i am an older student.

Well, the tuition alone is nearly 50K but with scholarships, it came down nearly half.

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