High School Senior Looking to Become a Nurse

[Resonance]

i sure hope this is the right forum :)

so i'm going to be a senior starting next year (year 2012) and i've already taken my sat and act.

here are my 'stats'

cumulative average (in the past three years) : ~93% (about 3.6 gpa i guess)

i heard that you need to have outstanding chemistry and biology scores. what i'm lacking at is in the chemistry department (err, i had a 70 in the chem regents)

sat scores : math - 670

reading - 600

writing - 650

act - (will receive after june 25th)

are extracurricular activities imperative? i don't have any.

here's my plan

since i come from a low-income family, i'm going to go to a community college then transfer to a university.

what i'd like to know

what steps did you take to become a nurse?

are my grades enough?

are there any requirements tests i should be aware of?

how many years does it usually take to become a licensed nurse?

are nurses required to have a positive and cheerful personality? (it may seem like a dumb question, but i'd had my fill of bored, uncaring nurses in the past)

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[td=width: 66%]the pre-clinical sequence includes:

• english 12
  
• psychology 11
  
• science 25
  
• biology 11
  

does that mean you have to take 12 english classes, 12 credits of english class, or take the english 12 course?

is it possible to enter a nursing program right after high school? if so, how? and how much is the cost?

ever met an anti-social nurse before?

the easiest and the quickest way to become a nurse right after high school is to opt for the certificate in nursing. the certificate in nursing is a one year course which can be opted online as well. applicants will be taught the theoretical concepts and given some practical application classes and be prepared to enter the workforce at the earliest with all the necessary knowledge and skills. those who clear the certificate in nursing program will than sit for the licensure exam and be licensed practical nurses.

how do i apply for this?

can you tell me the differences between lpn, rn, msn, and ms? (and if there are more)

is the path to becoming a nurse expensive?

what can a community college offer in regards to nursing? any degrees? programs? basic training? etc.

forgive me for all the questions, but i'll need all the information i can get. please bear with me :)

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[willowita, ADN, RN]

Wow, lots of questions but I'll try to take a stab at it....

The difference between and RN and an LPN/LVN varies from state to state. There is a lot of info about the differences in this thread: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/lpn-vs-rn-230306.html

I know that you're concerned about money but coming from a low-income household can mean that you qualify for grants and funding for your education. I didn't come from much but I was able to attend a 4-year university and received financial aid for my bachelors degree. Of all the things to worry about, I don't think money should be the lynch pin. You should at least apply to a university that has a BSN program and apply for financial aid before giving up. If after you apply you realize you won't be getting enough money, then you can go to a community college. It's worth a try.

Moving on...

I don't think that you can go straight into a nursing program (ADN and BSN) right out of high school. You may be admitted as "pre-nursing" if your school offers that. Almost all schools have pre-requisite courses that they require you take before admitting you into the nursing program. You'll have to check with the college you go to and see what their pre-requisite courses are. Meet with a counselor. They'll help you navigate through the requirements and also help you out with your general education (GE) courses. An RN program at a community college is an associates degree in nursing, so along with the core nursing classes, you also need to take general education courses. It's highly advisable that these classes be complete and out of the way before starting a nursing program. Usually the nursing schedule doesn't leave extra time to take non-nursing classes. You also need GE classes for a BSN. Most ADN and BSN programs have an entrance exam. Either the TEAS, the HESI, or something else. It depends on the school.

The info you posted is for an LPN certificate program. You can go straight from high school into that program (according to what you posted). How? You'll have to talk to someone running the program for specifics.

The 12 in English 12 refers to the course number. All classes in college have course numbers to differentiate between the types of classes. English 101 might be Freshman English while English 102 might be English Composition. All schools have different numbering systems.

[alannah_smth]

Oh my, that is a lot of questions. I agree with the above post; apply for multiple schools, ADN, LPN and BSN and see what kind of aid you get. Then go from there. Your grades look fine to me, it generally just depends on what each school wants.

What degree type you get is a personal choice. There are ups and downs for each one. Each state does have their own nursing practice act that states what sort of things each degree can do and each area differs on what sort of degree they want to hire. For my area, if you want to work in a hospital you pretty much have to have your BSN. That does not mean you cannot get a job with another nursing degree, it just may take more time and energy depending on what your area wants and what sort of job you want. There are many, many degree types. My school just stopped their MSN program and switched to a DNP program.

My particular university let me go into the nursing program as a freshman without any test. The first year was spent on all general education/prerequisites. The second year was mostly spent on prereqs but added one nursing class. The last two years were pretty much all Nursing courses. First year was all bio and chem. second year was all anatomy and phys.

I suggest being a nice person when you go into nursing. It is a hard career and can be very demanding. It is very rewarding but if you don't like people, I do not see you enjoying your career as a nurse. And during clinicals, if your instructors feel you are being 'antisocial' they may take points off.

My best advice is talk, talk, talk to all the colleges! Look into all the degrees and perspective colleges. Make a list of colleges and their programs, look up emails of who you should ask questions to and start asking!

Good luck! If you have a calling to nursing, you will get there and it will be so worth it!