Confused Student Needs Advice!! FCCJ/UNF

[Nedix9]

Hi, Everyone! I'm an 18 year old pre-nursing student completing pre-reqs for my local nursing schools, FCCJ and UNF. I am currently a freshman at FCCJ, but wish to complete my bachelor's. Although this is my ultimate goal, UNF only admits 48 students twice a year and I do not have a lot of time to wait on a list as I really need to be in a career soon. My GPA is 3.80 right now, but I've yet to take Chem. or Micro. so it probably will go down. Do you think that I should complete my Associates in Nursing first then do a bachelors or should I just keep my heart on UNF?

By the way, in December I will have my AA degree, then I would probably go on to nursing school at FCCJ for another 1.5 years only to recieve an AS. I could wait, however, until the summer semester, and hope that I get in UNF. If so, I would only spend one more semester and recieve a bach. degree. The RN-BSN takes at least 3 to 4 semesters, time I do not think I would commit when I began to work full time. I have scholarships which should pay for everything providing I attend school without interruption, so If I were to go for an AS then take a semester off before the RN-BSN program started I would forfeit my scholarship.

I am from Jacksonville, FL. Does anyone know if Baptist Hospital, Shands, or St. Vincents pays for an RN-BSN program for its nurses? If so, then maybe I should deeply consider going for my AS first then BSN. My worst nighmare would be postponing nursing school for 2 or more semesters to try to get in UNF only to be rejected:crying2: .

Sorry for the long post. Any insight would be appreciated.

If anyone has ever attended FCCJ or UNF's nursing schools could you give me any info about the programs. What kind of hours do/did you attend school?

[RNBrekkie]

Hi from a current UNF nursing student!

I love UNF, there is a lot of paperwork and things that might be considered "busy work" but I feel that overall it will help me with all of the thinking aspects of nursing. And I really don't know what people are talking about when they say that they are turning down 4.0 GPA because I definitly did not have a 4.0 and they let me in :) Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do!! But think long and hard about any decision that you make!

[Nedix9]

Soooo..I'm kinda hearing a lot of pros and cons on each side. I guess I'll just apply everywhere and accept where I get in. Hey, at least I know they are all good schools! I'm going to career counceling Monday. Hopefully, I'll have a better idea of what I want to be when I grow up (haha)!

Thanks,

Nedix9

[BlaineCM]

Oh what a relief to hear that a 4.0 isn't necessary to get into UNF! I have an interview at UNF on March 10th and was starting to freak ou!

[lmh47]

St. Vincents pays for an RN-BSN program for its nurses, actually i think most every hospital does. there website is jaxhealth.com

I work there and plan to just become an RN from fccj and then have st. vincents pay for me to furture my education

[LGB2010]

Just to respond to this message regarding UNF turning down 4.0 GPA interviewees--I was just turned down with a 4.0. They do an interview so that they can determine who gets in based on the interview. They say they consider it along with GPA, but they can probably rate you so low in the interview that a 4.0 doesn't matter in order to exclude you and to make sure others get in that interviewed. I interviewed with 5 other people and I didn't think that I stood out in either a negative or positive way over the other interviewees. I think their program is just heavily weighted towards taking the candidates they want. The average interviewee had a 3.7 they said so the fact that you got in means that they rated you very highly in the interview for their subjective reasons. But good for you! This is the real world and politics and personality play a big part.