Desperate, Anxiety: get into Nursing THIS year

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

Published

  1. What should I do?

    • 3
      Bachelors in Nursing
    • 4
      Associates in Nursing
    • 1
      LVN/LVN+RN
    • 0
      other medical field (please post)
    • 0
      none, do Acute CNA and go slow

8 members have participated

Hello my fellow Nursing enthusiast!

I posting to this nursing forum because I am open to suggestions and opinions of my future colleagues regarding my chosen career.

As many of you who have applied to nursing schools have found, it can be excruciating experience of applying and waiting for responses.

I have applied to the following schools so far: West Hills College, Chabot College, College of San Mateo, Fresno City College, Los Medanos College, Merritt College, Butte College, Sacramento City College, and Samuel Merritt University. I will still apply to 3 others: Modesto Junior College, Sierra College, and Yuba College.

They are all ADN programs except for SMU, which I applied for ABSN.

As of this posting: I have been placed on the waitlist at CSM at 80-A (not sure what that means), not selected in the lottery for Butte, and I failed to confirm results for Fresno City College in time and was disqualified (that was in February).

Due to the lottery system of these colleges I wanted to apply to as many as I could.

I absolutely need to get into a program this year! Why? Because, I am attempting my second career in nursing and I'm married for nearly five years. If I cannot get accepted into a program this year, and have no backup plan, she will divorce me! She is tired of waiting. So, I'm in a tough position! My life will either get very exciting or fall apart this year or based on my application results!

What is my backup plan? Pursuing the LVN, and LVN to RN program. Today, I have found out Unitek provides a program, and it is relatively easy to get in. I talked to them a few minutes ago to set up an appointment, then did some research online. I do not like what I see so far! How can I go Unitek with a massive debt (plus my previous Bachelor degree debt) and gamble the chance for a job after I graduate! My life may surely be broke then!

I cannot wait to apply to state colleges, its too late, they are too long, and expensive. I was always looking for a degree in less than 2 years. That's why I was applying to the above.

I started my prerequisites for the LVN in 2012, then gave up the idea of LVN in favor or RN requisites. I am qualified for most colleges, except for a few. My grades are excellent, my TEAS is excellent, I have 18 months CNA experience, I have foreign language, I have a Bachelors Degree. I'm am a highly qualified candidate. Yet, I may still not get into a school.

Some of the best advice I could get, is which college, especially in bay area, could I get accepted into this year. Whether it be LVN or RN, I need one of them!

Unitek is an option, but is there anything else out there?

Is there any advice out there? I would appreciate it.

Specializes in Cardiology.
I stand very corrected.

I don't really understand this reply. I believe we are all trying to be constructive. Unfortunately, the truth of nursing school can crush the excitement of a goal and hopes. I remember the excitement I had when I decided on that second career path and ran with it. I don't think any of us means to destroy your ambitions, but I'm sure some of us wish we had gone in with our eyes wide open, which I why we offer up our insight to you.

I've BTDT with people trying to educate me about a situation they had experience with and feeling frustrated by their responses. All I can say is sometimes they were right, sometimes not. Maybe we are all wrong here- go out there and show us we're all wrong about your situation and become the best NP, husband, and father you can be (no sarcasm there- get out there and prove us wrong then come back and gloat in 7 or 8 years.). ;)

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I was responding to the statements that I should never venture outside my expertise. This is a very serious point. I want to say I will not anymore.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Agree with dandk.

We're not out to be dream smashers. We want you to be successful in your goals; we would be remiss if we just did the "go for it!" route and not give you honest insight-we don't want to set you on your path not knowing.

I had a nurse tell me at a career fair to pursue writing, one of my passions instead of be a nurse; it was in the mid 90s, reimbursements from CMS was changing and the economy sucked (sound familiar?) hospitals started closing in my area, nurses were at a surplus. I understand what the nurse was trying to do; however, I looked at it objectively and went on to flourish in a career that was a fit for me...but I knew of the realities; and that helps me with the challenges.

It has been said on this board: forewarned is FORWARNED; it will serve you well if you continue in this business.

Best wishes.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
True I don't know specifics, I only give general reasons for things. Like "Why must I get weighted everyday?"...well the nurse needs to know you weight usually because they must calculate the dosage for your medication or see how its affecting you or even if your eating. Many medications have a very narrow therapeutic range which the dosage is determined based on weight. Something general like that.
But that is not why they are weighed every day. So what you are telling them is wrong.

People will now look at you as an authority. Whether you are an CNA a MA or a nurse what you say is taken as accurate and medical advice. This can get you in deep water when you are wrong and the patient believes you. Be very careful what you say....you are held accountable now for what you say.

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I think this is very appreciated that you guys are telling me this. Because, I can have the tendency to go outside scope of responsibly, and I haven't been told this enough before. I really need to be careful with what I say.

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Taking BSN directly is a good choice if you can pay.

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Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

A few thoughts here....

Your wife is Chinese, and by the phrasing, grammar and all around word useage, I wonder if English is your second language as well.

If you are not a native English speaker, it must be hard for you to express yourself in a way that others understand. Some of your posts are very difficult to read/understand for me.

Also, as others have said....Be very careful about giving advice.... ALWAYs refer to someone that is more qualified to give the advice, such as a licensed nurse, therapist, etc., as you can be legally responsible for what you say as well as morally rsponsible if you give incorrect advice and someone follows it and has a bad result.

As far as schools and jobs go... Missouri is not a bad place to go to school and work as there are less schools there than some other states such as California. however, the trend is for BSN at least in hospitals and even in some Nursing homes. LPN/LVN have fewer job opportunities, although LPN/LVN jobs exist in Missouri, especialy in LTC, Corrections and State hospitals, Habillitation centers, group homes.

I would not have made it through LPN or RN schooling without the support of ny husband and children. You will need the support of your wife--NOT her threats. Oh, BTW, women over 30 have babies all the time... They have babies and keep working for years and years. LOL.. I sure did.. athough it IS a nice dream to have a baby and NOT have to go backa to work....at least it would have been in my position.

Best wishes and my advice.....don't let your wife push you into anything, work on your goals together and only by doing this as a team will you succeed in both school/carreer and marriage....

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Just an update...

I've been preliminarily accepted into the ADN program for Yuba College, and accepted into West Hills for Fall 2014. I've been trying to get some immunizatations records located, and working on getting a blood test for my antibody levels. I have lost the lottery for 4 and one alternative slot for Sacramento City College in Spring 2015.

There are four I havn't heard from yet including SMU. Some may take much later, but at this point they are inconsequential. I am still waiting for Samuel Merritt University to get back with me for my application. The faculty have it in consideration and should have a response by May 9th. Cross fingers. Pray for me. SMU is what I am really after.

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Congrats and keep us posted! I'm also coming from a very different career...I'm a professional oboist! I do get weary of the question, "How does one go from music to medicine?" Well I guess a lot of people don't know that musicians tend to be good at math and science and that people can have more than one interest in life...I've always been interested in medicine. I want to be a PA and got wait-listed at one school, I'm now applying for a 2nd time but when schools are sometimes getting 1800 applications for 38 spots having a Plan B is certainly called for. That was the school I got wait-listed for so that speaks to my strength as an applicant BUT still with those kind of statistics it's somewhat a crap shoot to get in. SO....I am also applying to nursing school, with hopes of being an NP at some point after...ABSN programs only...don't know if that's the best idea or not but I just can't go to nursing school for 2 years...and hoping and hoping and hoping I get in because after 4 years of prerequisites and working as a CNA with 2 little kids as a single mom to say I'm tired and feel at the end of my rope sometimes would be an understatement. Anyway, congratulations and don't let anyone discourage you! But, even if the job market isn't perfect it's still better than for just about any other profession. And, about your wife, well that doesn't sound like the healthiest marriage of all time, no offense.

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Ok.

DON'T go into nursing just bc your wife is threatening you. She seems to be at her wits end / unsupportive of you at this point, and you will NEED to have a good support system in place while attending nursing school bc it's highly stressful and time consuming!!!!

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