I am due to Graduate this year in May 2016 with a BA in History and Social Science with a double major in Asian Studies and Public Health From Eastern Connecticut State University. My GPA 2.50 and I am projected to graduate in the 2.70 to 2.90 range. I am looking for Nursing schools on the East Coast and preferably out of Connecticut and in the Mid-Atlantic to the South. Also No further than Texas and along the Amtrak line. I'm also looking for Nursing schools that don't require TEAS's testing because i'm not a fan of TEAS test. I am looking to just get my BSN and work with the BOP before getting my NP. I'm looking for a Nursing school that has a minimum GPA of 2.70 to Enter.
I have finished most of my prerequisite such as Gen Psych, Social, Lifespan dev, Nutrition and stats. I am planning to take my science classes over the summer and looking to start in the Fall of 2016.
I am wondering, do Nursing schools allow you to apply even though they are waiting for science prereqs over the summer. I am also wondering can you clep classes to apply to Nursing schools.
Career goal wise is that I want to be a Nurse and work for the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps with the US Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
There is no shortage on inexperienced new grad nurses. In major metropolitan areas the unemployment rate for new grad nurses is 25-48%. There is a shortage of experienced (5+ years recent work experience) specialized nurses (ED, OR, LDRP, PACU, ICU, NICU, PICU, etc).
If your disability prevents you from fully performing all mandated cognitive and physical tasks required in nursing school (very minimal accommodations available. Lifting restrictions are generally not considered reasonable accommodation in nursing school nor is limited exposure to specific patient populations (ex a pregnant student not immune to varicella or rubella may have to sit out a semester until cleared to return without restriction)
You are not academically competitive for most ABSN programs. There is minimal financial aid (no grants) for second bachelor's.
I'm sorry you are feeling that way but I think people are just concerned because of some of your comments. You have some pretty unrealistic expectations such as letting you in with a 2.7, admission with pending pre-reqs, and not considering entry level Masters programs. Then on top of it, your comments lead us to believe that you are going to be funding this through Financial Aid which is going to be limited if you go for a 2 bachelor's degree. I think people are just trying to help you in your decision making process. Do your research, come up with a realistic plan, execute the plan, and have a couple of back up plans. Maybe you don't end up in a program right after graduation and you can use the time to improve your GPA and save money. Anyways, good luck and I hope it works out for you.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I'm sorry that you feel reality orientation is a put down
-there is no nursing shortage. The unemployment rate for new grad nurses is as high as 47% in some areas. There is a shortage of experienced specialty nurses.
-financial aid for second bachelor's is almost non existent. There are no grants only possible what you may have left in loans from your initial duplicate degrees and high interest private loans
-Your GPA is not high enough for most competitive ABSN programs. While the posted minimum may be 2.7, the highly competitive applicants average 3.75 and higher plus have all pre requisite courses completed.
-jobs in the USPHS are very competitive. BoP jobs require 2 years paid experience.
-you state that you are disabled be certain you can meet the mandated cognitive and physical requirements of nursing school. For example no lifting may be a reasonable accommodation in an office setting, it's not in nursing (with the exception of work place injuries)
-a more prudent choice might be to change your two BA degree double unrelated major program to a nursing major to take advantage of financial aid for first bachelor's degrees
-private investor owned schools may be ineligible for many federal financial aid programs. The cost of programs such as ITT Tech, Chamberkin, Kaplan is significantly higher than public or private not for profit schools.
-$80-100 to take the TEAS is nothing compared to the textbook costs for a duet semester student ($900-$1500) plus $200+ for required uniforms and supplies
GRE is the graduate record exam and only used for entry to grad school not undergrad nursing.
Name one Nursing school has no problem filling spots.
How about every nursing school I'm aware of? The school in which I last taught (which I mentioned earlier) gets many times more applicants every year than it can accept. So does every other nursing program with which I have any personal experience. Just a few posts below this post of yours, you mention that you've checked and the ADN programs in your state have a 4 year waiting list -- those are all schools that you now know of personally that have "no problem filling spots."
Name one Nursing school has no problem filling spots.
Every single school that is not a for-profit (education company, not public or private college) has way more applicants than slots. While a high GPA does not guarantee that the student will perform well on skills labs and clinicals, it does indicate that they have the aptitude for the academics of nursing school.
Other posters are trying to give you the true reality of getting into nursing school and the nursing profession. You obviously have not spent much time on this site. There are an endless number of threads from students about the difficulty of getting into nursing school (even with high GPAs) and the difficulty of new grad nurses finding jobs (especially the East coast and California). Cali. has nearly 50% unemployment rate for new grads and the east coast isn't much better.
I feel like people here are putting people down and not offering them any suggestions.
I don't see anyone here putting "people" down; I see people trying to communicate to you, a lot more politely than is often the case on this site, that your stated requirements and goals aren't terribly realistic in the current nursing milieu and you may need to make some compromises or adjustments. People are offering suggestions, and you appear to be dismissing them.
And there is no "nursing shortage." There are some areas of the US where the market is not entirely saturated and there is not a large surplus, like there are in other parts of the country, but there is no overall shortage. And there is certainly no shortage of new graduate nurses; as already noted, many are struggling to find employment in healthcare.
I feel like people here are putting people down and not offering them any suggestions.
I'm going to be kind, but let me tell you something...the nurses on this site are some of the best and most knowledgeable out there and believe me, they are giving you good advice. There is no way that you can twist the answers to suit your questions. Reality is just that: reality. Complaining that it's everybody else's fault that you have a poor GPA and not your own is going to get you precisely nowhere. There's only one way to make this happen for you: YOU'RE going to have to make it happen. Get a second job, take on some loans, work your butt off and do what it takes. If you can't do that, then you're never going to make it in nursing. Face adversity head on, find ways around your problems. Problem solving is a major part of nursing. Giving up at the first hurdle and whining about how unfair it is a) wins you no friends, b) creates a poor impression of your character, and c) does not allow you to deal with the crux of the issue. I'm not saying this to be mean. I'm saying this because life isn't fair. Nursing is hard and the harder it is, and the more you want it, the harder you'll work to get there. That will give you a sense of achievement and pride. Success doesn't happen overnight, and is not given to you like a gift. You have to start at the bottom and set small goals. If you don't, then all you have to look forward to is a long set of obstacles with no way over them. I'm sorry you don't like the answers here. Unfortunately there's none that can change the truth.
I feel like people here are putting people down and not offering them any suggestions.
Not the case at all. Everyone is giving you the reality. Be thankful that they are telling you straight forward instead of sugar coating things. Then when you find out the real truth , you feel like a horses rear!
You need to understand how admissions work. 2.7 is the minimum they accept, meaning they get applicants ranging from 2.7-4.0. If there are 30 slots and they get 40 applicants with a 4.0, 20 with a 3.5, etc... who do you think is getting accepted?
If people say you need a GPA of 3.0 or above into Nursing school, how come they are not pushed Physician Assistant school or even medical school..
I certainly hope you aren't insinuating that nurses aren't as smart as PAs or physicians by this comment. PAs and MDs are trained under the medical model. Nurses are trained under a nursing model. My background and scores were more than competitive enough to get into PA or MD programs I *CHOSE* to go into nursing because of the nursing model not because I wasn't smart enough to be a doctor or PA
You should probably reconsider your feelings towards the TEAS and standardized tests since you will need to take the NCLEX eventually. Also most schools need you to have completed your pre-reqs so they can evaluate your ability to complete their program. I think you should focus on getting good grades in these final classes in your undergrad and then spend some time working on the TEAS, if you want to have a good chance of getting to a nursing program. It can be very competitive and expense, why not take your time in preparing for it? Just my thoughts and how I would approach it.
JustBeachyNurse, LPN
13,957 Posts
There is no shortage on inexperienced new grad nurses. In major metropolitan areas the unemployment rate for new grad nurses is 25-48%. There is a shortage of experienced (5+ years recent work experience) specialized nurses (ED, OR, LDRP, PACU, ICU, NICU, PICU, etc).
If your disability prevents you from fully performing all mandated cognitive and physical tasks required in nursing school (very minimal accommodations available. Lifting restrictions are generally not considered reasonable accommodation in nursing school nor is limited exposure to specific patient populations (ex a pregnant student not immune to varicella or rubella may have to sit out a semester until cleared to return without restriction)
You are not academically competitive for most ABSN programs. There is minimal financial aid (no grants) for second bachelor's.