Getting into nursing school. Advice?

BeeBeeRN · Jan 22, 2009

I don't live in your state so I don't have any knowledge about their schools or reputations. My advice would be to go to the Oregon Board of Nursing's website and look for accredited programs. And then I would make appointments at schools to talk to an advisor for the school of nursing and find out where your are at with their requirements and what you can do to get in their program. Take your transcripts with you when you go. Sometimes it is better to talk to someone in person. Best of luck to you!

rn2bnwi, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2009

Best of Luck to you Chris.

I would look into an second degree program. I think you are right that your gpa could be a little bit of a problem but some of the accelerated programs only consider a small number of classes when figuring that gpa. for instance my total gpa is 3.7 but the gpa they used was a 3.94. best of luck!

doesdad · Jan 22, 2009

Just curious triumph, why so against a for profit school such as University of Phoenix, DeVry, etc. Faced with all the challanges with getting into CC why not consider a school like DeVry? Sure you pay alot more but you sit for the same exams at the end of the program no? Just wondering?

triumph1134 · Jan 23, 2009

Thank you for your post. I'm sorry, I only get access to computer once a day, so my responses will come a little late. I understand your point about sitting for the same exams. That is completely true. The main problem is money vs. reputation. If I were to go to a for profit school, whether it be true or untrue, there is a reputation attached to it. When it comes to the application process when getting a job, the truth is this: Employers will take the better school when all else is equal. It is also very, very expensive. It's not that I'm downgrading the schools, it's just the reality of the situation.

liteskin_qtee · Jan 23, 2009

Have u considered going the LPN route 1st then LPN to RN...or retaking some of ur pre-reqs to bring up your GPA....

doesdad · Jan 25, 2009

That is what I was going to suggest too Chris.

An LPN program should be easier to get into and you will be a nurse in a year or so, then you can go for a LPN to RN bridge while working.

I don't think you have to be too concerned about the prestige of the LPN school either. I understand what you said about reputation but like some say it almost doesn't matter where you get your undergrad degree,what matters is where you do your grad and post grad work.

For what it's worth this my statergy. I'm 54 years old and don't have time to waste waitng for a seat to open up in an RN program. I think for me, the sooner I get to work in the field the better the chances of getting ahead.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

triumph1134 · Jan 25, 2009

I apppreciate all your advice. I might want to look into LPN. I do know an LPN. There is a problem in this state getting a job as one (according to his advice), but I think you might be right that it is a good jumping off point.

badphish · Jan 26, 2009

how about paramedic to RN that is what im in the process of....

VYisgod · May 29, 2009

Hello,
I am a 30 year old male who is looking to get into nursing school. I live in Portland, OR. This is an area where nursing school is the major du jour. There are routinely 600 people applying for 50 spots which only allows the elite to get in (by the way, that's for community college).

That's disheartening to hear. :cry: I graduated from UT-Austin and I heard Portland was amazing, kinda like Austin, so I was hoping to do an accelerated 2nd degree program in Portland. Is it really that competitive up there? What do you mean by nursing school is the major du jour?

triumph1134 · May 31, 2009

What I mean by major du jour is that A LOT of people are choosing nursing as their major. It's in the top 5 majors in the country. Out here in Portland, it has to be at the top. My A&P classes were all packed at 75 students per class. Almost all were there for nursing. Community college nursing schools are typically accepting at a 10% rate. The schools usually give us the statistics, so it's not an embellishment. You saw my qualifications. I applied for 6 schools. Three were Portland metro schools. Three were rural. I was rejected by four right off the bat. One all out rejected me with a 3.9 prerequisite GPA. For the last 2, I did the interviews. I'm waiting to hear back, but I know that I am a longshot for both.

I don't want to sound like I'm bitter or a jerk or anything like this. It's a constant battle out there. It's tough not to be shellshocked by the process. In Oregon, there aren't many four year schools out there. They are OHSU, Linfield, Concordia, and University of Portland. While I didn't apply for any of those schools, I do know this: All but OHSU are private (40k a year at least). All are considered great schools. All are ultra-competitive. OHSU is the only one with an accelerated program (I believe). I talked to people about this one. It's also ultra-competitive.

Portland is a cool place. Unfortunately, things are a little on the tough side out here. Like I said, I don't want to discourage you. The problem is, there is no school infrastructure for nursing. Looking at my catalog, it seems that Texas does. Our 3 largest universities don't have nursing programs. When you become a nurse, there are few better places to live. The problem is becoming one out here is very tough right now.

Once again, I'm sorry for my harsh rhetoric. I just want us all to be successful. Reality tends to help more than a bunch of embellishments and half-truths.

KateRN1 · May 31, 2009

Are you in a position that you can relocate for your education and then move back to Portland once you're an RN?