Career Change - NURSING - Help Needed

Trauma Columnist · Feb 18, 2004

I don't live in New York, so can't address those concerns. However, I wish you luck. How about contacting the school? Most are very willing to talk with prospective students.

tennyson · Mar 3, 2004

hello
thanks in advance to anyone who is able to help me out with some answers to my questions.
background: i'm in my 30's and looking to change careers to nursing - there are several reasons for this, i won't get into them, but its right for me. i have a bs in business from a good private 4 year college. a few questions:
1) i plan to get my associates in nursing from a cuny school. (one is right by my apt. and most convenient for me) will it be harder to get a nursing job in nyc with an associates degree from a cuny school? is it like on wall street where the top jobs go to the ivy league grads?
2) when applying for admission, will cuny look at my college transcripts and waive any courses? (being a biz major, i think the only relevant ones are an intro to psych and intro to sociology i took) also, will they need my undergrad gpa for admission or is there an admission test? do i need to have taken science classes (i haven't). sorry - but i've already looked all over the web and can't seem to get answers.

3) are there any nurses out there who did not grow up with the sciences being their strong suit? people have already commented - "you were never a big fan of biology when you were in school" - am i making a mistake?

thanks very much!

you do need to take all the science prereqs wherever you go; these are generally chemistry, a&p i & ii, and microbiology. as a second degree student you're eligible to apply to accelerated programs that let you get the bsn in 12-16 months (less than the amount of time you would spend getting an associates from cuny). in new york, nyu, suny brooklyn, columbia, & pace have these programs (although at columbia you have to go through to the msn). suny is obviously the least expensive of these.

if you wanted to do the traditional route, you would not have a problem finding a job in nyc with a nursing degree from a cuny school. hunter is the most highly rated, and bmcc is considered pretty good as well (but they don't offer a bsn as a 2 year college). the problem with cuny is that there are hordes of students who want in to their nursing programs, so you need a super high gpa in the science prereqs to have a high spot on their waiting lists. and be prepared to deal with massive amounts of red tape to get registered and receive financial aid.

also, you need to be a student at hunter for at least 1 semester before even applying to their nursing program. getting into hunter at all is difficult due to high # of applicants, and then once you are in, getting into the prereq classes is difficult since they all fill up quickly. with your bachelors, you won't need to take an admission test, and they will transfer pretty much all the classes you would need to get the bsn so all you need to take are the nursing courses.

i too always avoided science classes, but i've found if you're interested in the material and motivated, they really are not that bad!

good luck!

SBUalum03 · Mar 12, 2004

Hi NYCNurse2b, I am also changing my career (even though I just graduated college with a BA in Psych). One thing I found out about the CUNY schools is that a lot of them have waiting list. You should call the Nursing Depts of these schools to find out how long are the list. I'm applying to College of Mount Saint Vincent which in is Riverdale(Bronx), BUT they offer the nursing classes at their Manhattan campus. They also offer the pre-req. courses at the Manhattan site. They are expensive $580 a credit but they give you 75 credits toward your BSN if you already have a Bachelor's Degree. Go on the website and check them out. Also LIU Brooklyn campus has a evening/weekend program for nursing, however they are also expensive and a 4 year school. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!

malenursetobe · May 31, 2006

Dear NYCnurse2be,

I myself am changing careers from business to nursing. I have a four year degree in marketing. I have done sales and marketing for over 9 years. I am also in my 30's and live in Kew Gardens, Queens. I have done a lot of research into nursing, schooling and prerequisites.

I have heard from some sources that a four year degree is preferrable in some NYC hospitals, but for the most part, the nursing shortage prevents them from cutting out two year nursing graduates.

I applied to Hunter. They took 89 of my credits. I still have to take my prereqs there. A&P I & II, Chem I & II and microbiology. I will take them there and see if I can get in. I was told that it is very competitive because the nursing program is inexpensive and reputable. They base your application on GPA and your score on the Pre Rn exam.

I like bio but I don't like Chem very much. I know I will manage it somehow. Good luck.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Jun 2, 2006

For answers to your general pre-nursing questions, check out the nursing student/prenursing forums.....there's a lot of good stuff on those forums...

Best of luck!

nycNurse2b · Jun 2, 2006

For answers to your general pre-nursing questions, check out the nursing student/prenursing forums.....there's a lot of good stuff on those forums...
Best of luck!

Hi,

This is actually an OLD post of mine that somehow has re-surfaced. I have actually completed all my pre-reqs and am waiting to hear on my nursing school acceptance! Thanks anyway!

barbnyc · Jun 4, 2006

Hi NYCnurse2b,

CUNY will take all of your credits that are applicable to the nursing degree. If you start with an ADN, they will transfer only those courses you need for the Associate (there are no electives in the nursing associate degree).

I've been taking my pre-requisites and co-requisites at LaGuardia. Since I did not have any biological sciences in my BA, I was only able to transfer 12 credits (Eng 101, Eng 102, Human Development & Sociology). I've had to take Biochemistry, Psych 101, A&P I and A&P II. I have Microbiology this summer and start nursing school at a private nursing program in Fall 2006.

If you transfer to a 4 year college with an accelerated RN program, you can transfer at least 50 credits but you still need to do the biology classes.

minnielynn · Jun 4, 2006

Hi NYCnurse2b,
I have Microbiology this summer and start nursing school at a private nursing program in Fall 2006.

If you don't mind me asking, what school did you apply to? You can PM if you like. Thanks

Lynn

glenwood · Jun 24, 2006

Don''t bet on being accepted by CUNY. Apply to Pace University and several others. It is hard to get into nursing school right now. very Competitive. A business background can be an asset and a lot of Nurses get MBNAs later on in life.

mb1949 · Jun 30, 2006

I am a student at Bronx Community college, which is a zoo -- the nursing school is hard to get into and the classes fill up immediately. Do your pre reqs at a cuny and apply to the hospital schools Cochran in Yonkers, Mt Vernon and Beth Israel in the Bronx get your ADN and you can get your BSN in no time. Plus you avoid all the hassle of the Cuny

Shuffler · Feb 14, 2007

I used to write about Wall Street in NY for seven years and I graduated from an Ivy league school in the 90s. Then, i attended Hunter at night for sciences and finished up my second Bachelor's at a SUNY school in Sept 06. Here's my advice about the transition. Be sure this is right for you. Schools are picky about having the right pre-reqs so your biz background will not count, except perhaps, statistics. In terms of your ability to suceed in the sciences--if you're smart, it will not be a problem. Nursing school is not that challenging and the science aspect is pretty straightforward and practical. It's just memorization. Nothing in nursing school is as difficult as organic chemistry. The bigger challenge for you will be the culture of nursing. Nursing needs to go along way to catch up with other professions when it comes to professionalism. Spend some time in hospitals to make sure it's for you. It takes a lot of time and expense to make a career change so I would really think it thru. It may be easier to make a switch within your skill-set. I am glad I made the change because I think down the road nursing has a lot to offer. However, in the short-term it's a tough transition. I miss the professionalism and respect people have for one another in my previous profession.