Getting a "head start"

tsm007 · Oct 14, 2017

Take anatomy and physiology if it's offered in high school and medical terminology. Those two classes will help you a lot to be ready for the college level material.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Oct 14, 2017

Also, volunteer at a hospital if you can.

allnurses Guide · Oct 15, 2017

Depending on your age, you could also take a CNA course and then get a part

time job as a CNA.

TriciaJ, RN · Oct 15, 2017

I can't improve on the above advice. I do want to say if you like medical TV programs, watch them for entertainment purposes only. They NEVER portray nurses in a realistic light. Not even close.

I'm wishing you all the best on your chosen career path.

HalfBoiled, BSN, RN · Oct 15, 2017

Work as a CNA in freshmen year of high school. Some nursing programs gives extra points to applicants who already have paid hospital experience.

verene, MSN · Oct 16, 2017

Work as a CNA in freshmen year of high school. Some nursing programs gives extra points to applicants who already have paid hospital experience.

You usually have to be 18 in order to work as a CNA in the U.S. Most freshman are 14/15 so this is probably not a good option for the younger high school students, though a greet idea for a senior (if old enough - summer b-day seniors may graduate at 17).

That being said, OP, if you are younger than 18 you may be able to work as a life-guard or other position of responsibility in the community that includes some basic medical training. (E.g. summer camp aid, youth sports ref). Or get your foot in the door of a nursing home by working as a dishwasher or wait staff.

Some hospitals also have a jr. volunteer corps for students under 18. It isn't direct patient interaction, but it is time in the hospital environment. (Usually as a greeter or helping in the gift shop).

It is important, at your stage to focus on getting good grades and becoming a well-rounded applicant. Most colleges are looking for a combination of good grades, leadership positions, volunteering, work, and life experiences with grades weighted most highly.

GourmandG · Oct 16, 2017

Congrats on knowing what you want to be at such a young age!

Where I'm at, high school students can also take community college and state college classes concurrently. So if you're looking to get ahead, definitely take classes at the community college while you're in high school and/ or during summer breaks.

Research RN programs that you are considering (community college nursing programs, state college, etc) and make a list of the general education classes that you need to graduate from the college itself as well as the prerequisite courses that you need in order to apply to the nursing program. Go to each school's website to view the prerequisites and/or make an appointment to see the counselor. Compare a few so you have more options and can apply at multiple schools. Once you know the classes you need, you can start taking them. They don't all have to be pre nursing classes. Take some general education classes too in case you change your mind, these units won't be "wasted".

Get a copy of the nursing prescreening criteria and application checklist from the college's website. This explains how you earn the most points which increases your chances of getting into a nursing program especially if it's a lottery system. Here is an example from my program, in the grade point average sections, "Minimum 3.0 GPA in Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology". This lets you know how important it is to do well in these 3 classes so you can plan your semester better. For example, you can take 1 "hard" class per semester to ensure you'll get an A or B and then take 2 or 3 "easy" classes another semester. It's different for each program.

You won't get any nursing experience from volunteering at the gift shop or hospital. They won't remember you so volunteer/work part time later after getting into nursing school so that you may network and increase the chance of the hospital hiring you as an RN. You'll learn the skills once you're in the program so the best thing to do is start taking those classes now. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish. Good luck.

neogirl · Oct 19, 2017

You could also volunteer at nursing homes it will give you another perspective on nursing.

Also I love Khan Academy, they do all kinds of Youtube videos on different subjects. They have some written with nursing content in mind, especially on body systems. I suggest watching a few that interest you. It is alot of info to take in so don't worry about memorizing it, but it just gives you a better awareness of how the body really works.

Khan Academy NCLEX-RN

- YouTube