Couple of questions about schools-Phoenix

[JD810]

I am a little confused about Maricopa county nursing (surprise). I've tried researching this but I can't find out exactly how everything works...so is this how it works?

You complete your core requirements for your Associates Nursing Degree and as long as you have met the minimum course grades then you get put on a waitlist (which can last anywhere from 1-3 or more semesters wait...normally 3) in order to start your RN coursework. The waitlist is not based on grades or anything else, but rather just who is on the list first? So if someone got all C's and another person got all A's in their pre-reqs it doesn't matter, the person who was on the list first gets the call first?

If this is wrong please let me know. I would think that people's rank on the waitlist would be influenced by course work, grades and job or experience working in a hospital as well as time on the list.

And I wanted to know if there were any private schools in the Phoenix area that have their own RN programs so you don't have to wait. I know this is probably a lot more expensive, but I'm looking at all options. I have also checked out the Banner thing but don't know if I would want to commit for 3 years.

P.S. I have a B.S. in Psychology already and am a male.

Thanks a ton!

[Cursed Irishman]

Yes, that is how it works. Its a community college system, available to everyone; why should someone be delayed or denied the opportunity to attend nursing school, simply because someone after them got a better grade in pre-req classes? First come, first served. If you want elitism, you can apply elsewhere.

Private programs: Apollo, Kaplan, Everest and I'm sure there are a couple others.

You have to work somewhere for 3 years, the committment shouldn't deter you.

What does being male have to do with anything?

[Cursed Irishman]

After re-reading my post, it comes across overly catty. I acknowledge that and don't mean for it to be read in that light.

[JD810]

lol...it did come off a bit mean. But thanks for the info!

Don't get me wrong...I never get stellar grades (am a B and C student) and this type of system is likely the only type that I will have a chance getting into as others in my area are more competitive GPA wise in that they are all based soley on GPA :icon_roll and the things I mentioned in the other post. I'm just not used to this other system in AZ (which I prefer) Also I have a really bad transcript from one of my previous universities.

I was hoping that it was only based on time because I never get great grades, but all the programs in my current state including community colleges are grades based that I have found.

I put in that I was male because I was wondering if that had any influence either? I guess I should have specified why I put that in there. Again...don't get me wrong, I don't think that it should have a difference, but I've read there is an increasing demand for male nurses (whether true or not I don't know) so I didn't know if that was something that would help or hurt chances of getting into nursing school or getting into a program with say Banner Hospitals.

Again thanks for the info, it helps out a lot in some of my decision making!

[Cursed Irishman]

If time dependent programs are what your looking for, MCCDNP is probably the one for you...and alot of other people. The wait is atrocious (there are quite a few other threads here regarding it).

When you do submit your grades, most programs around here, asu included, only look at a select group of classes (mostly science oriented classes and freshman comps, again, there are other threads covering this topic). So say you bombed some electives or your original degree classes, your gpa can still be quite good, assuming you did well in the selected classes. The community colleges only want to see that you passed the selected classes. Bear in mind that in nursing school, below a 76 is failing.

Banner seems to like diversity, so being male doesn't hurt; besides no matter where you work, there's always a need for muscle to lift patients. And with an ever expanding obese society, the need will grow.

[JD810]

Thanks for the additional info! I don't really mind the waiting as I could use the extra time working and making money to help pay for school...I am sure that I am smart enough to keep my grades above 76% I just didn't apply myself as hard as I should of at the beginning of my education career (was young and dumb) until later on.

I'll have to give Banner another look!

Thanks again for the great advice!

[yelnikmcwawa]

depending on what your pre-req gpa is, Grand Canyon University might work for you. you can get a bsn in 20 months after you've completed your pre-reqs. it is actually quicker to get a bsn versus an asn for those of us who already have a bachelors degree. gcu is private so they are expensive but not as competitive as other bachelor programs like asu. you need close to a 4.0 to get into asu, so based on what you said...that might not be a viable option for you. have you done anp, micro, and chm? if so, what were those grades? if not, get them started and make sure you get as if you want to apply to one of the bachelor programs. good luck!

[serenity1]

I agree with Grand Canyon, especially since you have a Bachelor's degree. You probably have a lot of prereq's done already with that. I would check out the Banner program, too. You have to attend their information meeting to receive an application. You also have to have the prereq's done and be on the waiting list in order to get in. If you finish the Banner program and decide to go somewhere else, you just have to pay them back what they paid for your program. The big plus is that it pushes you to the front of the line and into a 16-month accelerated program. Keep in mind that there are many Banner facilities in about 7 different states that you can work at for those three years. I'm so happy I listened to a friend and applied for the fellowship. I was still waiting on the list after 3 semesters for MCCC. We have 6 male students in our program. They all do very well and are very well received at clinicals. Best wishes to you!!