1. I was always under the impression that for community colleges (to do the ADN), it was based on just a waiting list. However, I read that they do look at your GPA. Anything else that they consider? Also, how difficult is it to get accepted (without taking the waiting list aspect into consideration).
2. I also had another question:
If you decide to do the BSN, and want to become a nurse for a couple of years (to gain experience before becoming a NP), what's the process like to get accepted to a MSN school? Do you only have a certain number of years until you can apply to a MSN (after already completing the BSN). I personally think that it would be a better idea to become a nurse for some years, and then become a NP with all of the prior experience. However, I don't want to re-take classes before I can apply to MSN, just because it's 'too late'.
HACC has a lot of non-traditional students. they make up the majority of those who will be going on and completing the process. as a 45 year old man with a past career in heavy industrial manufacturing quality assurance and a penchant for falling asleep in lecture i am an unlikely candidate, but have planned to hold on until i get the gold ring, which is FNP. count me in.
You're my kind of classmate! I'm 40, and have an extensive background in factory manufacturing. I've built tires, inspected tires, built cars, and assembled garden equipment in my past. I got tired of the layoffs and uncertainty, so I went back to school. Who would have thought that a factory worker could be one of the top students in the class? Just goes to show that what someone does for a living doesn't define who they are or how bright they have the potential to be.
To the OP...for my ADN program, we technically have very few pre-reqs for acceptance. I already had a lot of stuff completed when I transferred to my school so I really don't recall what is required, but I think we have to complete or test out of a pre-algebra class, have placement into English 101 either by testing or a lower level class completion, and complete Bio 101 and Chem 101 (unless you took them in high school within the past 5 yrs) which is a pre-req for A&P. I completed my A&P at a school that didn't require Chem and Bio 101 for A&P, so I was able to bypass that. And, we have to take the TEAS test. But in reality, I think you need a lot more than the basics to be accepted just because so many people apply.
The classes that can be completed along with the nursing courses are Sociology, Psychology 101 and also Psych - Growth and Development, A&P I and II, Microbiology, English 101 and 102, and a Humanities/Fine Arts elective. Most people have it all finished by the time they apply because it improves the chances of acceptance...and it also makes nursing school so much easier not to have to worry about the co-reqs while you're focused on nursing classes.
I'm confused though. This is for the ADN program that you're referring to, correct? I thought that the ADN was just two years, and already included those science classes (intertwined somehow). So for the ADN program you also need pre-reqs, too? So in essence, you'd be doing 4 years at a community college (2 years for all of the pre-reqs, and then another 2 years for the ADN program)? Or am I misunderstanding something?
this varies by school, but AP 1&2 and Micro are usually pre-reqs for admission to clinical studies even for the private schools which actually provide a true 62 credit "2 year program".
most community colleges are open admission (anybody can go, regardless of previous GPA). everybody has to take a placement test, and some have to take remedial courses to get to college level.
once students are at college level the CC then typically use a stack of college level pre-reqs as a sorting mechanism to weed out people who will not pass the clinical segment. it guarantees that those who enter have a reasonable chance of completion, but as i have noted, only 30-40% of those attempting actually make the degree, typically. lots of people want to be RN, but most are simply not suited for it, educationally, socially, or emotionally.
in penna
pre-nursing pre-reqs include:
algebra 2 (in high school or as an 051 class in college that does not apply to the degree but is a pre-req)
high school chemistry and biology as pre-reqs (or can be taken as 100 level college courses).
the college level pre-reqs are:
12 credits of AP 1&2 and Micro
25 gen ed credits
this is 1 hard year (2 semesters at 15 credits each, and a summer at 7 credits).
this is followed by competitive selection giving consideration to:
completion of the entire pre-req set
GPA in the 12 credits of science courses
overall GPA
the selection takes a full semester, so typical students can complete pre-reqs in august, apply in sept, and start in jan. late students finish pre-reqs in dec, apply in jan, and start in sept.
then you have 2 years of clinicals, which are only rated a total of 35 credits (the school certs full time status so your loans stay in abeyance). these 35 credits are tied to uncredited lab time, so it is a full time schedule without summer school.
sure, the schools advertise it as a "2 year program", and it is at a few private schools that are 450$ per credit hour and degree at 62 credits. at community colleges ($190 PCH in penna, cheaper in many states) the truth is that you will be in school for 3.5-4 years if you have a good starting position, and will wind up with a 72 credit degree.
are the CC being honest in their advertising ADN as a 2 year program? HELL NO! HAAC even displays a typical course schedule on their web-site as though it were an integrated program in which clinicals and gen-ed run concurrently over 4 semesters, but this plan is not offered in the school, no way, no how. their staff avoids discussing this with students until the students are "hooked" and have too much invested to walk away. they refuse to discuss the fact that the final 35 credits cannot be done in less than 4 semesters with anyone who is less than 2 semesters invested. the truth is that it takes a minimum of 6.5 semesters to finish the course.
so why not just do a BSN at a traditional college? maybe start at a CC and get the transferrable credits you can before transferring to the higher priced college or university? well, you can do just about the same thing by using your down time while waiting clinicals to take transfer credits toward the BSN before you even enter the ADN clinical. then, when you are ADN complete, you are only 25 credits away from BSN at your local UNI. (just make sure your CC and UNI have a good transfer relationship).
CC class structure is more conducive to learning, in my opinion. class sizes are smaller and interaction is promoted. campuses tend to be smaller. teachers tend to be 2nd career and pretty world wise. final cost is usually half or less for same credit. downside is that you are surrounded by non-performers for the first year till they weed themselves out.
yeah, it's a mess. it's hard to even explain it clearly. though it is specific to one system in one state, it gives you an idea of the kind of things to ask the hard questions about when you begin interviewing with schools.
Below is a list of all the pre-req's need to complete the ADN(2 year) program at the school I'm applying in the Fall 2012. They don't require you to have all them completed, I think you can still apply if you lack 2 - 3 classes. They also have a accelerated 16 month program you can apply for if you have all pre-req's completed except for 2 and those have to be completed the first year of nursing school. The accelerated program only accepts 40 students and most applying have 3.8 GPA or above in pre-req's and have all pre-reqs completed. I hope to be able to get in the accelerated program lacking one class (Microbiology) with a 4.0. (fingers-crossed)
Rhetoric 1311 Composition I *
Rhetoric 1312 Composition II *
Mathematics 1302 College Algebra or Mathematics 1315 College Mathematics *
Psychology 2300 Psychology and the Human Experience or Sociology 2300 Introduction to Sociology *
Biology 1411 Anatomy and Physiology I *
Biology 1412 Anatomy and Physiology II *
Chemistry 1400* or higher level Chemistry
History 2311 or History 2312 US History* or Political Science 1310 American National Government
Biology 2401 Microbiology
They accept students based on a point system of all classes listed above. 4 points for each credit hour for an A, 3 points for each credit hour for a B, and so on. And the HESI can either add points to your all score or take points away. They also substance points for classes that been retaken. You may want to check your program most 2 year programs require that most of the pre-req's be completed before applying.
I'm confused though. This is for the ADN program that you're referring to, correct? I thought that the ADN was just two years, and already included those science classes (intertwined somehow). So for the ADN program you also need pre-reqs, too? So in essence, you'd be doing 4 years at a community college (2 years for all of the pre-reqs, and then another 2 years for the ADN program)? Or am I misunderstanding something?
I will start nursing classes in January. In total it will take me 3.5 years to get my ADN.2 yrs, for the Pre-reqs and 1.5 years for nursing (I'm doing the accelerated track which makes it 1.5 instead of 2 at my school). The 2 year nursing program does not include pre-reqs. I think this is true for many schools. Maybe not all, but most of the ones I checked out, the 2 year nursing program does not include pre-reqs. Some schools may have co reqs for nursing or allow you to finish the other classes needed for your degree along with nursing classes, but personally, that kind of program would not be my preference. I want to get the science and other classes needed for my degree out of the way before starting nursing classes so I can put all my focus into nursing classes. IMO, obtaining a nursing degree should not really be compared to other types of degree programs. Yes I will have taken almost 3.5 yrs for my ADN. But its not very different with the BSN programs in my neck of the woods. Some of the BSN programs I've looked into are not 4 years total. They take 5 years to complete for many folks. Counting pre-reqs and the actual nursing track. The nursing track is 3 years. Some people might take 3 years to complete pre-reqs + the 3 years nursing track. Make sure you know what each school requires and how long the program really takes. Just saw a post regarding this on another section of the board, someone wanting to transfer after they found out the nursing track of their program (a BSN program) is 3 years and not 2 years. Like I said, nursing is just a different breed of a degree at some schools. Its not the traditional 2 yr or 4 yr program.
mspontiac
131 Posts
You're my kind of classmate! I'm 40, and have an extensive background in factory manufacturing. I've built tires, inspected tires, built cars, and assembled garden equipment in my past. I got tired of the layoffs and uncertainty, so I went back to school. Who would have thought that a factory worker could be one of the top students in the class? Just goes to show that what someone does for a living doesn't define who they are or how bright they have the potential to be.
To the OP...for my ADN program, we technically have very few pre-reqs for acceptance. I already had a lot of stuff completed when I transferred to my school so I really don't recall what is required, but I think we have to complete or test out of a pre-algebra class, have placement into English 101 either by testing or a lower level class completion, and complete Bio 101 and Chem 101 (unless you took them in high school within the past 5 yrs) which is a pre-req for A&P. I completed my A&P at a school that didn't require Chem and Bio 101 for A&P, so I was able to bypass that. And, we have to take the TEAS test. But in reality, I think you need a lot more than the basics to be accepted just because so many people apply.
The classes that can be completed along with the nursing courses are Sociology, Psychology 101 and also Psych - Growth and Development, A&P I and II, Microbiology, English 101 and 102, and a Humanities/Fine Arts elective. Most people have it all finished by the time they apply because it improves the chances of acceptance...and it also makes nursing school so much easier not to have to worry about the co-reqs while you're focused on nursing classes.