Career Change Pleaseee!

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Specializes in Trying to get in.

Greetings,

Can anyone advise me how to get into a low cost Nursing School in the US? I have been a teacher for over a decade and i need to make this transition if i am ever going to be happy. I am a Jamaican living in The Bahamas and i am currently doing two science subjects at the ordinary level. Chemistry is beating me up though. Any advice is appreciated.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

It is apparently very competitive right now at community college (lower cost) nursing schools. It is also EXTREMELY competitive in the nursing job market. There are sometimes hundreds of applications for most new grad positions that are advertised.

Those are both generalizations, of course, but I believe they are true for the majority of the country.

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Specializes in Trying to get in.

I thought Nurses are short in most countries; at least that's what research say. Whichever way, it has been my dream, i only did teaching because i couldnt afford nursing in my country and i am terrible at chemistry. Which com coll you recommend that i apply to?

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No, there isn't a nursing shortage in the U.S. Why oh why would you leave sunny paradise to be a nurse in the states?! I think you would regret it.

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Specializes in Trying to get in.

Nola, i dont know about anyone else but i know my needs are greater than sunshine. Like taking care of my son for example and my own happiness that teaching does not afford. Like i said, any advise to get into nursing school is appreciated, please do not ask me why i want to do what i need to do. Every heart knows its own bitterness.

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It is hard for us to reccomend a community college in the US if we do not know where you plan on moving. I am sure there are good community colleges in every state so you will get a variety of answers. I live in MD and highly recommend Howard CC. That is where I graduated from.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.
No, there isn't a nursing shortage in the U.S. Why oh why would you leave sunny paradise to be a nurse in the states?! I think you would regret it.

The lack of a nursing shortage didn't stop me from pursuing nursing as a career changer. And I certainly don't regret my decision. I love my job.

OP, it will be helpful which area of the states you would like to live. I can tell you that California and New York/New Jersey are one of the toughest areas for new grad nurses to find employment.

Sent via iPink's phone using allnurses

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

OP, you need to research WHERE you want to live FIRST before you decide what school you want to attend; you also need to research the market as well. The US is a big country with regional markets in regards to the amount of nurses in the area; for example, I live in an area that had not seen a nursing shortage in about two decades due to hospital closures and health system mergers, which has decreased hospital beds years ago. Nurses are not just in hospitals :no: just something to remember about our business-nursing is everywhere!

Also, look if you need a BSN; my area has such a surplus, employers are asking for bachelor prepared nurses (BSNs), and have it "preferred", but have passed over associate degree nurses (ADNs); however, one can still get a job, in a hospital setting chances are an uphill battle, due to the surplus of experienced BSNs that are in my market; it takes a lot of networking and preparation to land a job before the end of graduation.

Remember, I'm only talking about my market; in other areas, you may have a better chance of getting into a CC program and getting a job, some markets have a high unemployment or underemployment of nurses; also there are differences in cost of living, some nurses make less than their counterparts in another area; ones that make more have nurses desiring to flock to those areas, and even with cost of living may not match up to those high wages either, so looking for an area that has comfortable wages and a comfortable cost of living may serve one well.

Feel free to browse here for international requirements (there may be requirements to establish residency-I'm no expert in that!), as well as wages and education; there fifty states and thousands of areas to choose from.

Best wishes.

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Specializes in Trying to get in.

Thanks alot. I do not have a particular state in mind. i am not coming to stay with relatives, i am coming for school. I dont know if Com colleges allow students to live on campus.

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Specializes in Trying to get in.

Thanks alot Ladyfree, that's a wealth of info.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Community colleges in my area do not have people stay in campus, nor do they have off campus housing; universities have on campus and off campus housing.

You will be considered an international student; most community colleges, at least in my area have requirements as to residency in at least the state, and preference to local students, so if you desire to go to a community college, you have to establish residency.

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I'd think you'd want to find a lower cost of living area to live that has affordable schools. In California that would be Fresno with access to Fresno Community College and Fresno State, however relatively speaking there are more affordable places to live in the Southern States. On a student's income, I'd go to where the rent is most affordable as well as decent schools for your child, unless I also needed to work while going to school and then I'd want to find a place that wasn't economically depressed.

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