I Want to be a Nurse

[Ashanti Green]

Okay so I'm really only 16. Meaning I'm still in high school and not a nurse, but I want 'llo be one so bad! And I was wondering if anyone could tell me there expeirence of going out of high school and going into college. This isn't an excuse, but my grades have never been solwell. I moved a lot so I always get off track. I don't have a lot of F's or anything. Just a few, while making up classes. I'm extremley weak in math, which terrifies me because I know I'll have to be good in it if I want to pass college and go to medical school-- let alone pass high school. I'm a junior now, so one more year of high school. Tell me how you guys became a nurse. I want to be a Trauma nurse.

[RainMom]

My advice is to put all your energy & focus into your HS classes right now. Meet with your guidance counselors about your goals & maybe check into some tutoring for your most difficult classes. Once you get a handle on your grades, you might want to consider taking a CNA course to get a little taste of what basic nursing care is about.

As far as math in nursing, really just basic math is all that you will really need or use regularly but nursing programs do often require some type of college algebra class as a prereq.

When you start college, I suggest you consider going part-time, at least to start, to avoid getting overwhelmed by too many classes & deadlines. It will take you longer, but will probably help your grades in the long run. You'll have to feel it out & see how it goes.

Search allnurses for tons of more threads from others who are contemplating nursing, what to look for in a college program, etc.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

You are only barely into your Junior year of high school, so you have some time to work on improving your grades. You WILL need to do this, as well as do well on SATs.

As for all the rest, I wouldn't focus on any of that just yet. If you don't have the grades to get into a college, the rest doesn't matter.

As an FYI, you are not going to be going to medical school to become a nurse, you will be going to a college or university for pre-requisite courses and then core nursing courses (nursing program) in order to become eligible to take the national licensing exam.

More information than "get the best grades you possibly can" is more information than you need. One thing at a time :)

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Nursing math is pretty basic. Yes, you will need to do well in college algebra. If you need some tutoring, get on it early, before you fall behind.

Pay attention in English class as well. Being able to express yourself well could work in your favor someday. In a competitive market, you never know what little thing might make you stand out above the others applying for the same job.