Pre-nursing school. Advice?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi all, my name is Leah. I am new here and need some advice. First, here is a little background. First and foremost I am 27 years old (will be 28 in Aug) and I would just be starting on my college career. I have always wanted to be a nurse and actually that was my plan after high school (graduated 1999) but I fell in love, got married, and had a baby daughter instead. Now since then I have also had a son and I am pregnant with our 3rd and last (due in Aug). I am still very much in love and very much enjoy being a mommy, but my life is also missing the ME part and honestly I still feel the nurse inside of me. I have made the decision to go to school and I plan to be an RN. I know that I am behind the game as far as when I am getting started, but I do finally feel like it is my time. I will hopefully be starting in the fall semester taking some online course (since I'll have just had a baby) and then really getting started in January.

So, that was my background. Here is my question. We have a local community college that has an RN program. I was wondering what is the differences between a university RN program and a college RN program and ultimately what is better and why? I will probably take at least the Fall semester at the local college simply because, like I said, I will have just had a baby (via c-section for that matter) but after that....We have several universities near by (since I live in between Beaumont and Houston Texas) and assuming I get accepted, I kinda have my pick of good schools as far as my location is concerned.

Anyway, any information that anyone may have would be great. Experiences, anyone who maybe started school later in life with a family at home? Thanks all.

Specializes in LTC, rehab, medical review.

Hi! Good for you in deciding to become a nurse!:up: That is what I am doing currently. I will be graduating with my LPN June 25th and will be going on for my RN following. I am going to a community college, so I cannot really offer advice as to go to a CC over a university except that CC is usually cheaper. There are more opportunities for you if you go for your BSN at a university, I know that, so it depends on how quickly you want to be done with school and what area of nursing you want to go into. In my case, I decided to go with LPN first over my ADN as my DH doesnt make very much money and I know what I want to do with my life, he doesnt. So we decided that the 10 month LPN would be best for us and then continue for my RN part-time while I am working. I am your age myself, 27 (28 next Feb) and I am actually pregnant as well, due in July with my 4th child (a boy, and I have two boys already and 1 girl), so I know how it is going to nursing school with a family AND being pregnant. I have just made sure to devote my time to studying (mostly on the weekends when DH is home). My husband helps out where he can and even picked up a second job so I didnt have to work while in school (what a wonderful hubby!:redbeathe). And actually in the program I am in, most of the women (and the few men lol) are in their mid-to-late 20's with children, so you would probably be surprised at the age range you would find! I hope this helps you and good luck in your education and congrats on the baby!!

~Missy

I was an older nursing student with a family and graduated 12/2008 - still job searching. My best advice to you is that the world, society, economy and job outlook will probably change while you are in school. I had an AA and was told my MANY people that it didn't matter whether I went to a 2 year or 4 year school - "just get your RN, start working.... it makes no difference during interview". That all changed while I was in school. After being waitlisted at ALL of the local schools then taking that first one that made an offer, a 2 year school. I now have 2 Associate Degrees. With the changes in the economy some of the best hospitals prefer or require BSN.

Also check with the schools that you are looking at and verify where they complete their clinical rotations. Clinical rotations are actually an extended job interview both for you and the facility. I live in NE Florida, the school I chose to go to only offers clinicals at 3, very limited, very small, NON-HIRING facilities in Clay County. There are other schools in the area, in a close but nearby county with clinical rotations at the big, teaching and growing hospitals in the area.

It was my lack of knowledge at the time to check into clinical locations. Now unable to find a job everything is being blamed upon the conomy. Maybe when I started school the hospitals in this nearby county were accepting new grads from my area but with limited positions available for new grads the local hospitals within 30 minute drive from my home (in the other county) - probably 4-5 - are not posting openings and filling their new grad needs with those that have done clinicals at their facility.

My last bit of advice.... either find a hospital with a scholarship program that will pay for your school in turn for 2 years of work or in your last year of school go to the facility that you want to work and get a job, ANY job even clerical and you will probably be kept on as an RN. Two years will fly by and then you have the experience and training to go anywhere you want to go. You will also be spared the situation that many of the people who comment on this site are in, trying to attain that first job.

Good luck to you. The fact that you have a young family should not hinder you much if you have a support system. You should get your schedules at the beginning of each semester and if you have dependable child care available, someone able to pick up a child or stay with a sick one, you'll be fine.

Hi and congratulations on your new venture!

I just finished school, but with older school-aged kids, and I went the community college route. For me, it worked because it was close to home, much less expensive, and the program was spread out 2 years so it wasn't as intense.

My advice for you is to sit down with a sheet of paper and list the following qualities for each program: location, expense, reputation, prerequesites needed, where and times clinicals are held, online class availability, NCLEX pass rate, time involved, etc (these are just off the top of my head) and start filling in the information for each program you are interested in.

You will start to see a pattern, and you can more easily determine what is more important to you. Every person and every situation is very different, and what is important to you may not be important to other people. Do what is right for you and your family, and don't let anybody else tell you why you are wrong for what you choose!

Also, the poster above said that you will probably be surprised at the age range you will find - especially in community colleges. I had classmates from 20-55 yrs old, and the majority were people just like you - 30 somethings with kids.

Good luck whatever you decide!

Whether you go the university's BSN route or the community college's ASN route, you end up taking the exact same NCLEX and receiving the same title as RN.

Look into pass rates and accreditation before you choose. Also consider what you want. If your goal is to stop at the RN (as opposed to going into a master's program), why not save some money and go the community college route?

It is true that the acedmics are the same, the test is the same, the title is the same. My angle came from having all of the above no job. I've missed out on some very good internships, nationwide, for not having a BSN and 2 of the local hospitals are magnet hospitals which prefer BSN. There is so much competition out there now for new grads, that edge would have been helpful to me. There are many jobs and internships posted for Texas maybe it will be a different situation for you. And as said before - who knows what the world will be like when you graduate. Again - good luck to you.

If at all possible financially and with your family commitments, choose the BSN route. I was an older student when I changed careers and decided to pursue nursing. I choose this route and have been ever grateful that I did. I am now a Master's level NP. Despite the economic dowturn, salaries for NP's in my geographic area are ranging in the mid to upper $70K's, along with impressive bonuses and leave policies. The previous posters were correct in the statements that many hospitals, esp those associated with teaching medical or nursing students, prefer the BSN. In many there is also a differential paid hourly if you have one. Also, they were correct in stating that with the market the way that it is, choose a school that trains students at clinical sites where you may want to work. I got my first job out of school in the NICU after doing a clinical semester and a final preceptorship there. They were impressed with my skill enough to consider hiring me as a new grad even though that was not the norm. This can help when doing your job search after graduation. Also, the BSN is a must for any advanced nursing training. If you desire to become further your education after the RN, choosing the BSN now will make that a whole lot easier later. Whichever you choose, nursing is a great profession and with an RN license and a little experience, the world is your oyster!

Hope this helps!

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