Career Change to RN - TCC or RSU?

Published

Hello All:

I'm a 27 year old male (married, no children) in Tulsa, OK and I'm going to soon be making a fairly dramatic career change into the world of nursing. I graduated from OSU with a business degree in 2005 and I've been working as a project manager for a technology firm. Tulsa's technology climate has been a roller coaster for a while and I'm looking for a more stable career and one in which I feel like I can add value as opposed to the dog-eat-dog nature of the business world.

So, I'm going back to a career path that I chose directly out of high school only to change to business - the RN and possible CRNA career path. I love science and the medical field is so interesting to me but peer pressure drove me down the business path.

Anyway, I'm starting my pre-reqs at TCC this semester and really looking forward to it. The only struggle I'm having is to which ADN program to go with. My first 2.5 years of college were horrible for me as I had a little too much fun and not enough study/class time. I made a 3.2 GPA my last 2 years and ended up with about a 2.55 cumulative. I'm worried that I won't be able to get into TCC's program in the Fall of 2009 even if I make all As in my pre-reqs (which I'm very confident I can do). Whereas Rogers State University only looks at the grades in your 5 pre-reqs (I'd only have to take 4) and not your GPA so I'm confident I could get in at RSU. Only issue is that RSU is in Claremore, which isn't too far, but some of their clinicals are in Vinita, Pryor and other out of the way places for a Tulsa resident.

Do any of you have suggestions or recommendations for choosing an ADN program? I looked at the RN test pass % and both TCC and RSU are 90% and above so it seems like they are both good programs.

Thanks in advance for your help! By the way, this is an awesome site for a future RN!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

By the way, I have looked into the BSN programs through OU-Tulsa and they would be ideal since I already have my BSBA, but my cumulative GPA is just not competitive enough so I'm going the ADN route and then will do the RN-BSN program somewhere.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac Step Down.

i was in the same boat that you are now. my advice is to not even mess with tcc and do all pre-reqs at rsu. while they only look at the five classes you do get extra points for having taken the classes at rsu which helps if your gpa is below 3.0 and if the competition is high they year you apply.

my gpa was 2.6 and i was turned down by tcc and actually laughed at by ou. they told me i would never get to be a nurse with grades like that. i went to rsu for my pre-reqs and got accepted to the nursing program for fall of last year. i love the campus and the instructors are great! they are really tough but they prepare you completely for nclex and for working in the real world.

today i am starting my second year of nursing. i love it!! over the summer i got my lpn so that i can actually start working as a nurse while finishing my last year.

if the clinical sites are a concern you could try to network with fellow students and carpool. i lived in mid-town and car pooled with other students from ba and bixby to our site in vinita. it was an easy drive on the turnpike and i only had to drive it three times. not bad. my other clinicals so far have been in claremore and at st. john's in tulsa. please don't let distance make a decision for you. it is worth it!

good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the reply! I'm actually taking Biology and Comp 1 (retaking this one to get a better grade) at TCC this semester and I was planning on taking Anatomy/Physiology next semester at TCC and Dosage Calculation online at RSU. I'm fairly certain I can make an A in all of these classes.

RSU is also about twice as expensive as TCC. I've talked to St. Francis about thie scholarship program and I'm planning on applying. The recruiter said that basically, as long as you have at least a 2.5 GPA and don't bomb the interview, you're guaranteed to get in. St. Francis is where I want to work after graduation so I don't mind the 2 year work commitment.

Do you know of any other scholarships that are available through RSU?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

today was my first day in the rn program at rsu.

i agree that rsu is a good choice. they only look at the grades for the 5 pre req classes. it is worth a call to make an appointment to come in and talk to them. awesome supportive people.

i took comp i and bio at tcc and the rest at rsu.

i am in the saint francis scholarship program. i don't know what all they look at but i believe they have changed the 2.5 to 3.0. i get a check cut out right to me for 1750 a semester and a job when i'm done with school. that has given me a great deal of peace of mind.

good luck

oh i was told that i can use the general ed classes i have for my bachelors in bio program as the gen ed for the bachelors in nursing....so that's only the core nursing courses and 1 additional year to go to get the bsn.

i dont know what tcc cost is but my tuition and fees for 12 hours was just over 2000 and my books (books for the entire 2 year program) was about 1300. now my books for the next few semesters will be nothing compared to 1300!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Also, Claremore regional has a $500 scholarship for RSU students with NO work commitment. The state of OK (Physician Manpower) also has a $1000 semester scholarship that has a "work in OK" commitment. RSU has forms for all these. You can apply for these even if you apply for and get Saint Francis. The 3.0 GPA may apply to the Physician manpower and not the Saint Francis... so I may have that wrong.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks! I'll check into these scholarship opportunities. I'll be working full time until next Fall but my heart (and mind) is already out of this industry. Can't wait to start the program full time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congrats on the choice to make a career change. The one thing I would advise, is don't assume you won't get in somewhere *just* because of your GPA. While it is a competitive point, there is a point system that makes it to where just having a 4.0 isn't getting you in. I know three people out of 24 in my class had below 2.8, and they were not alternates. I also know people I took pre-reqs with that had 4.0's that didn't get in. Keeping in mind, I'm not trying to give you false hope, but honestly what if you got in, think about the fact that you were not even going to apply. Now, RSU is not an ADN program, it's a bachelor's (I only correct you for purposes of the fact that you said ADN programs were more lenient on GPA, which I didn't know). TCC and OSU Okmulgee are the only two ADN programs I know of in the immediate area, while Langston (downtown Tulsa), OU-Tulsa, and RSU are the BSN programs. I would apply to ALL if you are able, you never know what you might end up with! Best of luck :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the advice! The only issue I'm running into is that the pre-requisites for TCC and RSU (and probably other programs) are slightly different and I won't be able to complete all of them before the application period next Spring. So, I'm kind of putting all my eggs into the RSU basket due to the fact that I know that RSU only looks at your grades in the 5 pre-reqs (per the horse's mouth at RSU). The cutoff point was at 3.0 last for this Fall's class and I know I can do better than a 3.0 in the 4 pre-reqs I have to take.

Oh, and RSU does have an ADN program. Here's a link to the program description.

http://www.rsu.edu/academics/health-sci/docs/AAS-Nur.pdf

Up Vote Up Vote ×

FriarTuck..

It is nice to know that someone else is having the exact same issues as I am! I cannot make up my mind between RSU and TCC. I am currently at TCC, and taking classes. But I have been researching RSU lately, and I am leaning towards it. Only 5 pre-reqs and I have 2 or 3 of them.. I will most likely re-take one or two also, if I have spare time to, which it looks like I will.. just to re-assure myself and know that I have the best grades possible for myself.

Do you know if you're taking your courses this semester at TCC? And then to RSU during the spring? I think that is what I'm planning on doing, but I am not positive. I may only take the Orientation course that they require be taken at RSU there in the spring, and the rest at TCC to try and some some $$$!!! Let me know what you plan on doing!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Thanks for the advice! The only issue I'm running into is that the pre-requisites for TCC and RSU (and probably other programs) are slightly different and I won't be able to complete all of them before the application period next Spring. So, I'm kind of putting all my eggs into the RSU basket due to the fact that I know that RSU only looks at your grades in the 5 pre-reqs (per the horse's mouth at RSU). The cutoff point was at 3.0 last for this Fall's class and I know I can do better than a 3.0 in the 4 pre-reqs I have to take.

Oh, and RSU does have an ADN program. Here's a link to the program description.

http://www.rsu.edu/academics/health-sci/docs/AAS-Nur.pdf

I'm sorry, I thought RSU only had a BSN program! Shows ya what I researched and what kind of Plan B I had ;):D That sounds like the best route for you at this point and I wish you the best of luck!!!:heartbeat

Up Vote Up Vote ×
FriarTuck..

Do you know if you're taking your courses this semester at TCC? And then to RSU during the spring? I think that is what I'm planning on doing, but I am not positive. I may only take the Orientation course that they require be taken at RSU there in the spring, and the rest at TCC to try and some some $$$!!! Let me know what you plan on doing!

Yes, I'm taking Biology for Majors and (retaking) Freshman Comp at TCC this semester. Then next semester I need to take A&P and Dosage Calculations. I"m taking Dosage at RSU (you have to) and I think I'm taking A&P at TCC. The RSU lady said she thought the combined class at TCC transfers over but I want to make sure. I don't have to take the Orientation class due to already having a Bachelor's.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion