Colleges are full?

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Hey This is my first post, hopefully i'm in the right spot. I'v been interested in attending college and getting a degree in some field of nursing. I'v done research and it shows that Nursing is the #3 growing career in America. The Community College here in Morro Bay/Slo County in CA states that they are unable to take anymore nurses untill 2011. Is this true for other parts of The US? Is the demand for Nurses eventually going to be filled?

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

We also have a shortage of nursing instructors and schools, so probably not. I know the wait at the local community college is like two years, here. I got straight in back in '98. But we only graduated 27 of the 50 that started.

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Specializes in Psych.

If you are willing to move to go to school there are still some places with programs without wait lists. Here in Southern Nevada there are private colleges like University of Southern Nevada and Touro University with no wait lists. Demand is very high in Nevada.

Dee

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Yeah I think it's like that all over. They say there is more qualified applicants than qualified instructors to teach them. Schools in my area don't really do waiting lists. You get in or you don't--and you reapply next year and go through the admission process again. I guess it keeps money from application fees comming in!

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Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.

I was on a wait list 2 years, i was lucky it was that short and i got in!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

It's a nationwide problem, students who want to be nurses but not enough slots and long waiting lists, and near-impossible standards such as requiring a 4.0 in pre-reqs. (Back in the day there weren't even pre-reqs).

Most sources say the nursing shortage will last in the coming years as the baby boomers age and get sick, and as the huge number of baby boomer nurses retire from nursing. Although this may not be nation wide.

Check out this link: http://www.discovernursing.com/nursing-programs-without-waiting-lists

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18 month wait for an ADN program where I live. I am taking all my pre-nursing reqs and getting CNA certification (required for this school) while I wait.

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Thanks Tweety, Huge help I'll look into it.

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Specializes in SICU, PACU, Public health.

one point to hone in on is that the majority of students that enter the program never graduate with a nursing degree. Our school alone has approximately 100+ students per semester enter the program, by the end of the first year more than 75% of the original group is gone. The remainder of the class is fill in from students that withdrew or are retaking the previous semester. The class got smaller and smaller as we drew closer to graduation. I am sure most schools are like this because as we all know...school is HARD!!! My school now has a limit to one withdrawal and one retake for the entire time in nursing school. It used to be unlmited. I remember hearing of a nursing senior taking the final semester 4 times before passing finally.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

http://www.allnursingschools.com

another resource for you!

good luck. It will be worth the wait.

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Specializes in ICCU - cardiac.

I read an article recently about CA in particular struggling to accomodate the massive influx in nursing students. They closed many programs way back because the demand wasn't there. But alot of research and shortage has brought the issue to the forefront and apparently there will be many colleges now offering nursing degrees. You live there so u can do some research of your own and figure out where the openings are. U may have to move. I think the problem out there like it is here in MI and everywhere else is finding enough instructors to accomodate the huge increase in applicants. I waited 18 months and finished up all my co-req's while waiting.

Good luck!

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Hey This is my first post, hopefully i'm in the right spot. I'v been interested in attending college and getting a degree in some field of nursing. I'v done research and it shows that Nursing is the #3 growing career in America. The Community College here in Morro Bay/Slo County in CA states that they are unable to take anymore nurses untill 2011. Is this true for other parts of The US? Is the demand for Nurses eventually going to be filled?

Quotas are tight. I was able to get in an accelerated RN program on my first try.

Start taking your prereqs and work on getting very very good grades. It wouldn't hurt to make appointments with pre-nursing advisers to get some face time and guidance. One strategy for getting in is to use that face time as a way to get known. If a last minue vacancy appears when you are ready to enter then it may just be handed to you. (The old I know she is squared away so I will call her directly.) So have your financial aid and everything ready to go for every admission cycle. If you are not tied to your local schools it may pay to widen your school search. Wish you the best of luck in getting started on your career.

(You may want to check out joining the Naval Reserve or Army/Air guard of your state. If you can get trained as an HM or 91W then you would have alernate experiences to strengthen your app.) Or consider picking up your EMT/First responder as another strategy to strengthen your resume. Alternate experiences can help demonstrate your motivation to enter the profession.

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