High school student needing help

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Apr 7, 2015

First off, good for you in thinking about your future!! That is awesome! Make sure you keep your grades up, start looking at what kind of scholarships are available (some scholarships are geared towards Juniors).

Take a couple of AP classes. Even one will give you a sense of the work load, and will help with college applications. If you can volunteer at the local hospital, do. Again, will help you with applications and scholarships.

Start looking at schools. See who would offer you the best scholarships and financial aid packages. Then that could help decide where you end up going to school. When you have narrowed it down, make appointments with the head of the nursing program. And a guidance counselor. They can steer you in the right direction.

Most hospitals want a BSN prepared nurse. So I would look to do that first. Then you could go on to be a MSN/NP that specializes in neonates.

Wishing you nothing but the best!!

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Apr 7, 2015

Good for you! Take AP

classes or college classes if they offer them. My daughter did all her prerequisite classes in high school and was able to start her upperclass classes her freshman year in college.

Go go for the 4 year school, most places are starting to hire BSN only. There are no specific classes related to neonates but you may be able to do your internship or capstone Ina NICU, which gets your foot in

the door. Also, call the NICUs near you and see if they allow high school students to shadow for a day. I have had several of our high schoolers come to work with me for a

day and see how we work!

It is so nice to see a high schooler really thinking about her future!

ronchelednik · Apr 7, 2015

Great goals and it's wonderful you have these goals at your age. My wife has 3 bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology and she is a RN with her BSN and is a full time student to attain her MSN to be a Family Nurse Practitioner that she is half way thru at a University. If you don't have the support at home and money is very tight, go for the associate degree in nursing and start working stay focus and go back to school while working to attain your BSN quickly. WHY? In a hospital setting the pay is not much different. With forgoing a RN wages for the additional 2 years of education and the cost of 2 more years of school this comes to over $120,000.00 in loss money and wages. We experienced a loss of $150,000.00 for my wife deciding to go straight for the BSN. The key to be successful is stay focused and don't take time off once you pass your NCLEX's. Get right back into a program. If you take time off you will come up with 100's of excuses not to go back to school.

ronchelednik · Apr 7, 2015

In addition everyone wants to work neonatal (it's something about being around babies.) As a new nurse (even with a BSN) it very rare to get hired as a new nurse in that department. Try for level 3 ICU first to gain some experience for the first year before applying.

babyNP., APRN · Apr 7, 2015

In addition everyone wants to work neonatal (it's something about being around babies.) As a new nurse (even with a BSN) it very rare to get hired as a new nurse in that department. Try for level 3 ICU first to gain some experience for the first year before applying.

That might be true in your area, but it's not true everywhere. My own facility (a large regional referral facility) preferentially hired new grads over RNs with experience in other nursing areas. We found that new grads were easier to teach over nurses with experience in non-NICU areas.

OP, it can be a little bit hard to get into the NICU at first, but once you get into nursing school, see if you can do your final semester (usually called a "practicum") in a NICU, L&D, or a pediatric floor. That will help boost your application. And be sure to apply to many places- not just local. You'll have a better chance if you're flexible on location. And apply to large academic centers like children's hospitals as they tend to be more new grad friendly.

But that's down the way since you're still in high school. What you can do now is to get good grades in school and if you can swing it (and not pay an exorbitant amount), just go straight for your bachelor's in nursing. It's not worth going into debt for $30k in student loans, but it is easier to get into NICU with a BSN versus a community college RN degree (although nothing is impossible).

Best of luck! I'm a NNP and I love my job. We also have a shortage of NNPs that will be exacerbated by many aging NNPs who will be retiring in the next 10-15 years.

canigraduate · Apr 7, 2015

There's a lot of good advice on here.

Here're my two cents:

1) Go whatever route you can afford to begin with. If you can keep your grades up, do community work, and get in honor societies, etc, you can probably land a few scholarships. I would aim for a four year BSN, as that is quickly becoming what everyone wants. Even the places that hire new grad ADNs often want you to be enrolled in an RN-BSN program. I would also do the BSN to start with so you can get into an NP program more easily and more quickly.

2) If you are allowed, go ahead and get a part time job so you can put money away for school. My parents let me work weekends when I was in high school and the money I saved helped me eat.

3) Even though you believe your heart is in NICU, be open to other areas of nursing, as well. Once you're in clinical, you may find that you like Progressive NICU, or Peds, or L&D. All knowledge is good knowledge when it comes to kiddos.

4) If there are any NICUs in the area that allow volunteers, try to become one. It will look great on your resume when you graduate. If there aren't any NICU spots open, try other peds/baby units. Even better, if they offer any kind of CNA/PCT positions, try to get one of those while you are in school.

5) Once you are in nursing school and in your Peds/L&D rotation, take a PALS (Pediatric advanced life saving) certification course if you can afford it. I took the adult version (ACLS) and it helped me get my first job.

Best of luck to you!!

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2015

Good on you for thinking of your future in such practical terms. You could be a really great nurse someday.

I might add to the previous fine suggestions, keep your criminal record clean. Those little misdemeanors (shoplifting, vandalism etc) that they forgot about have dashed the hopes of wannabe nurses just on the verge of getting their licenses. And a felony (injuring someone while under the influence) can keep you from even being permitted to sit for the NCLEX.

Some of the sad stories on this board are from stupid stuff they did as a kid/teenager that came back to haunt them when they finally got serious about being a nurse. It's expensive to hire lawyers to explain to the Board of Nursing why your juvenile record wasn't expunged like you thought it would be.

Be smart about social media. The internet is forever. Employers are media savvy and won't think your selfie smoking a bong in your underwear will mesh well with their image of a professional neonatal nurse.

Best to you.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Apr 7, 2015

I love reading posts from people who are goal driven. Reminds me of me!! tee hee!! I too knew, way back in my childhood, that I would be a nurse. I KNEW it!. I took college prep classes, lots of sciences and applied to 4 year schools. This was a huge battle with my mom who thought a 3 year degree was the only way (she was a 3 year hospital grad). I worked as an NA (nurses aide back in the dark ages of the mid 70's).

Clearly the cost of a private 4 year school is HUGE today, but that is what I did. If you can live at home, (maybe try a public university), go the BSN route before you are tied down with a family and other commitments in your life. Once you are working, it is hard to go back to school. (took me almost 30 years to get my Masters).'

If you have no one else dependent on you, you can focus on you and make it work!

Good Luck!!!

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Apr 7, 2015

Nursing schools are competitive, so focus on getting good grades and don't do anything stupid to cause you to have a criminal record. There are way too many people on this site that are dealing with criminal records that are haunting them when they try to get into school, take NCLEX, or attempt to get a job.

ceebeejay · Apr 7, 2015

Get the BSN. Doing it the other way is a huge battle for both finding a first job and for paying more overall to achieve the BSN you will need anyway. If money is an issue, apply local, volunteer experience counts for a lot and sets you apart. Good luck!

Soran · Apr 8, 2015

Looks like most people are posting what I would say

Get your BSN, getting your ASN to get a job, then to do RN to BSN is a waste of time and money in my opinion

Most hospitals around me only hire BSN because it looks better statistically

Keep yourself driven, like you appear to be now, and you will reach your goal

If you want to impress an employer, try to work as a PCA in the NICU if they have those (I dunno?), try getting your PALS/ACLS before submitting a resume as an RN to increase your chances

I know my hospital doesn't hire new RNs in the NICU, but I'm sure anything is possible if you can make yourself known. If not, pick a department that will assist you in getting to your goal. Peds/PICU.

Good luck!