how'd you do it?

[sac7540]

So I've been doing a lot of research for going back to school for a nursing degree. A lot of nurses I talk to just go off about what they do and where they went to school...It has done nothing but confuse me and lead me into more dark tunnels. At this point I don't know what to do, where to go, who to ask, and I was wondering what you all did to get yourselves started for nursing school. Did you email professors at colleges? Did you go to career centers? How'd you do it?!!??

I really appreciate any type of response. Thanks!!!!!

[elkpark]

Well, it was a long time ago, but I don't think things have changed that much :chuckle -- I just made appointments to meet with personnel at each of the nursing schools in my area and asked about what their admission requirements were, which of my previous college courses would transfer in, time frame, costs, etc. People were very pleasant about meeting with me and providing information. After I compared all the information I gathered, I applied to the schools that most interested me.

[sac7540]

I didn't know if it was strange for someone to do that but I guess it makes sense. How else would you learn about it? Thanks!!!!

[buzkil]

1. You need to find nursing schools in your area.

2. You need to meet with an admissions counselor at the school.

3. Determine which school is the best fit for you.

a. location

b. cost

c. requirements

d. reputation

4. You need to apply to the school of your choice. A 2 year associates degree school usually makes you take an entrance exam if you have not taken the SAT.

5. Once you get the results of your entrance exam, your counselor will let you know if you need to take any remedial classes(algebra, writing).

6. When you meet with your counselor, they will help you choose which classes you need to take-these classes will be the pre-requisites for the schools nursing program.

The ones at my school are:

Chemistry

Biology

Anatomy and Physiology I

Anatomy and Physiology II

English I

English II

Statistics

A humanities course of my choice

Microbiology

Psych

Health class

Nutrition

After you complete these courses, you can apply to the nursing program( your school will probably have different requirements, but similar).

7. After you get accepted into RN program it is typically 4 semesters of Nursing 1,2,3,4.

Hope this helps.

[Music in My Heart]

You can often get a lot of information from their websites, too.

[sac7540]

This may be a dumb question, but, if i were to go to lets say community college and get my bsn there would i have a harder time finding a job after graduation. I've looked into other programs (Drexel's accelerated 11 month program) but it is very very expensive. I would assume it would look better on my resume to say I went to Drexel...but is a degree a degree no matter where you get it? Or does the reputation of a school play a huge role?

[buzkil]

If you get your degree from a two year college(CHEAPER!!!) you can go to Drexel for their RN to BSN program. The benefit of this is that you will be working $$$$$$$$$$$$$ and you may even get tuition reimbursment.

[sac7540]

yea i know i wouldn't have to go the full 4 years. i have my ba in english (don't ask me why) and i know i have a few of the needed classes, which is how/why i'd do an accelerated program.

i could apply for drexel's program, but it's expensive, cheaper then it'd be for me to go all 4 years, but still expensive. that's why i wanted to know if it matters where you get the degree from.

community is cheap, but do nurses who graduate from there receive the same amount of job opportunities and pay as the ones who graduate from a well known/respected school do?

[Bicster]

This may be a dumb question, but, if i were to go to lets say community college and get my bsn there would i have a harder time finding a job after graduation. I've looked into other programs (Drexel's accelerated 11 month program) but it is very very expensive. I would assume it would look better on my resume to say I went to Drexel...but is a degree a degree no matter where you get it? Or does the reputation of a school play a huge role?

-Community colleges do not offer BSN's.

-Drexel tuition is almost 30k/year. I dont know how much the accelerated program is, but Im assuming pretty close to that. Its silly to spend that much money in relation to how much you will be making.

[buzkil]

Oh, ok. From your original post I assumed you had absolutely no college experience. Um, I really don't think it matters that much. You should call area hospitals, ask to speak to their nurse recruiters, and ask them that question. Good luck.