Does it really take 8 years to become a NURSE??

[MK6babies]

My high school guidance counselor told me that she thinks I should take 2 years of regular community college for basic stuff like english and math. Then, it will be a 4 year wait to get into nursing school. Then you are in nursing school for 2 years to finally become an RN.

Is this true?

If not, can you please give me a path I could follow in order to become a nurse. Or you can tell me how you became an RN. I am a high school senior by the way.

THANKS!!!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

It might be true in the area you live, but it's not necessarily true at all schools. Unfortunately most schools not only have waiting lists but are competetive taking students only with very high grade point averages.

Are there any LPN or Associate Degree programs close by?

Some private nursing schools (i.e. more expensive) don't have as long waiting lists and the public and state schools. http://www.discovernursing.com/nursing-programs-without-waiting-lists

[llg, PhD, RN]

In my region of the country, you can become an RN in 2 years (after high school) if you enroll in an Associate's Degree program ... or 4 years if you enroll in a Bachelor's Degree program. There are no waiting lists for most programs.

Since you are young and may have the flexibility to go to school in another town, look into schools outside your town if there are long waiting lists in your home town. If you can be flexible with where you go to school, it can be done in a lot less than 8 years. You can start a 4-year university program right after high school -- just like the students studying other subject (like chemistry, English, teaching, etc.). 4-year university programs do not have pre-requisites. You take your "pre-nursing" classes during your first 2 years at the university.

Also, to go directly into a nursing program might require you to apply for financial aid and/or take out a student loan. Don't be afraid to investigate those possibilities. Most 4-year universities offer lots of financial aid to students studying for first degree -- aid you don't have to pay back. So don't eliminate a program for consideration just because you can't afford it. Find out what type of aid you can get before you make a final decision. Sometimes, the "most expensive" school turns out to to be the cheapest because they offer more aid -- and you graduate sooner and start earning a good living.

In short ... keep investigating. Look at a wide variety of schools ... and thoroughly investigate your financial aid options. For a young person who is not tied down by family committments and who is eligible for the best financial aid packages, there are lots of reasonable options to get you a Bachelor's Degree at a 4-year university in just 4 years. You just might have to move out of state to find the right school that will work for you.

[JStyles1]

I dont understand the basis for this whole "waiting list" thing thats out there. are schools not taking the most qualified individuals for each admission periods? are there really schools out there taking people on a first come type list?

[llg, PhD, RN]

I dont understand the basis for this whole "waiting list" thing thats out there. are schools not taking the most qualified individuals for each admission periods? are there really schools out there taking people on a first come type list?

Yes. Many Community Colleges, because they are run by the government and receive a lot of their funding from government sources, are required to accept all students who meet minimal qualifications. Students who exceed those minimal standards are not given any preference. Hence ... a waiting list.

The purpose for the establishment of Community Colleges was to NOT be elitest in any way, but rather to provide general education "to the masses" in their local communities who could not attend the more elite 4 year universities. In fact, many Community Colleges were originally named "junior colleges" to denote that the education they provided was at a lower level -- and that it was a place people could go to "grow into" a Bachelor's Degree.

Over the years, the Community College system has evolved tremendously -- and many of the "junior" aspects are no longer true. However, many still function within their original charters which require them to accept everyone who applies who graduated from high school (or perhaps all those with a "C" average or above.)

Those facts explain a lot about some of the nursing school problems we face today ... why some schools flunk out so many students in the first semester ... why some schools have instituted so many pre-requisite courses before allowing students to start their nursing courses ... the waiting lists ... etc.

[danh3190]

In the Pittsburgh region we have a number of diploma programs, a few Associates programs, and a number of BSN programs. When I looked into nursing the ASN programs had prereqs and it would have taken me at least a year to get in. So I applied to a diploma program, got admitted right away and graduated in 22 months. After I take the NCLEX I'll have the same RN and will be able to work while doing a RN to BSN program.