If you decided to be a RN, think again..

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This thread is not to deter anyone who is already in their specified nursing school, but to broaden the horizons for the anybody who is thinking of pursuing a nursing degree. I have just graduated with my ASN and as most know the competition for a Bachelor degree isn't too "stiff" anymore, considering most just get their BSN through an online program or even continue on at the same school as their ASN. This thread is to allow the people who are pursuing their nursing dream to relax, and take some advice from someone who has gone through the program.

If you were anything like me, you probably ended up pulling your hair out, just from the application process alone. Let me give you a little background about myself, I had attended private school my whole life, and graduated with my associates degree before pursuing a nursing degree. I had decided to go back to school a year or two after finishing my first degree (Yes, I know i am crazy) When I had realized that the nursing application was different than the other applications, i knew then, the competition was going to be extremely difficult. It isn't a secret that nursing degrees are in popular demand, but are they? Or is school just too difficult to get into. I was completely appalled by the nursing application process to just GET INTO the program. For those who are reading this, who are thinking about getting into or applying to nursing school, if you don't take anything from this article, take this... Get REAL good with taking difficult tests. In order to even be looked at or considered into the nursing program, you need to pass your TEAS v or some are required to take the HESI. I highly recommend getting the specific study guides for these exams, because they are not cheap tests to take, and the competition to get into school is becoming more difficult by the day.

After taking this exam if you pass, you then apply to the nursing program, and send out your transcripts from high school and any classes in college that you have taken that could be possibly be transferred into your intended major. But, just be aware that this too, is a "money grab" because college credits are only good for a number of years. I work alongside RN's now who have been nurses longer then I have been alive and in order for them to go on to get their bachelors degree (Before 2020) they have to retake science courses for their ASN! These women, whose experience should speak great volumes does not speak at all! Even the Community College system requires ASN nurses to retake classes from their first degree. I find this very sad and degrading to any RN because they too, have earned their title. Now, getting back on topic, once you send out your transcripts colleges review them, which they do very specifically. Most colleges have a college grading requirement, which will tell you what you need for a letter grade to get into nursing school, for my school it was an 85 or better for science classes and a 75 or better in all non science courses. Most colleges and Universities, tend to stay around this given area.

As for recommendation letters, I was required to have two, and it had to be from a superior of yours, whether work or school related, no family is allowed. I worked at a hospital for years before applying to nursing school, so getting recommendation letters was not to difficult. But, working at a hospital didn't do me much good anyway, so if you think working in a hospital will make or break their decision, think again. Most schools don't even take that into consideration, or at least ones on the East Coast didn't. Even though I had met all the requirements with flying colors, I still did not get in my first year applying. I only had one prerequisite class left to take, which I was going to take over the summer but this was not acceptable, because they required all my prerequisites to be done before applying. (Notice how I said they wanted their prerequisites done before the first nursing semester, but yet, this still did not matter because at the time i had applied, It looked like my application was incomplete over one prerequisite that I was in the process of completing over the summer.) Make sure you specify to your college when you are taking your last couple of classes so they can take this into consideration. most colleges want you to complete all of them before going into your first semester of nursing school, but like I said COMMUNICATE. The college wont communicate with you it is your responsible to communicate with them. You are just their money maker, and if you keep this in the back of your mind, you will be less apt to be played by the college system.

The good news is, once you are in, you're in. No one can take that from you but, the application process, is less than easy. Like I stated before, this thread is not to deter anyone or change anyone's mind. It is to shed light on this situation, we need to empower each other, and stick together. I wanted to write this kind of thread because I wish I had someone telling me what I am telling you, now. Nursing is not intended to be an easy major, but the nursing shortage gimmick, is a joke! It is the application process that should be reconsidered because that is what deters anyone before they actually get into school. More colleges need to be aware of their application process, and then maybe we wouldn't have such a nursing shortage!

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Specializes in hospice.

*cue dramatic music*

I paid all of $30 to take my HESI A2 entrance exam. And if you had a previous associate degree yet still needed a study guide for those entrance exams.....I'm sorry I really don't know how to say this without sounding rude.....that's a problem. The math, English, and science on HESI are not above high school level. I looked at TEAS when considering a different program, and it looked the same though I never took it.

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Hmm, it's almost like they want to make sure only the most capable and deserving applicants are accepted...;) As we've all heard, nursing school is no joke...the application process is strenuous for a reason.

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OH that's funny, so you are passing judgment without actually taking the Teas v exam...? Well let me just bring you up to speed. *Cue dramatic Music* The teas is about 150.00 dollars, which is much more expensive then the Hesi's 30.00 dollars. Which by the way, I don't know what Hesi exam you're taking but the one I took was significantly more then 30 dollars, ringing in at about 90.00 dollars. Most nursing students take their Teas up to the three times a year, any more then that is not allowed. Seeing as you did awesome on your Hesi (Which is extremely less difficult then the Teas) you should be aware that, that is 500.00 dollars out of pocket, which is 470.00 more then a 30.00 hesi exam and 120 dollars more for someone who only took it once.

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Yes, the application process most definitely prepares you for what is ahead, but being a graduate the only thing I can say is to ease up on the application guidelines, I see so many LNA's and CNA's get looked over that have the potential to be amazing nurses.

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A couple points --

Schools don't make people retake science courses because they want to make money off them or because they don't "respect" their title or experience; they make you retake science courses because, if you took chemistry or biology 10 years ago, the information you have is seriously out of date. Our knowledge and understanding of the hard sciences changes pretty dramatically from year to year (if not month to month!)

Also, "The good news is, once you are in, you're in. No one can take that from you" -- say what?? Not sure what you mean by this. People flunk out of nursing school, or get kicked out for other reasons, every day. Look at all the threads here about people complaining about having failed out of nursing school, or having gotten expelled for some other reason. Getting admitted is just the first step of the journey, and you can't count on anything until you've actually finished your program and formally graduated.

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Nursing is not intended to be an easy major, but the nursing shortage gimmick, is a joke! It is the application process that should be reconsidered because that is what deters anyone before they actually get into school. More colleges need to be aware of their application process, and then maybe we wouldn't have such a nursing shortage!

What nursing shortage? I tend to think that the application process is as involved as it is because there isn't one, so weeding out some applicants here and there isn't a bad thing. I'm sure colleges are plenty aware of what their processes are, but what would be the benefit of making the process simpler, when there are hundreds (thousands) of prospective applicants who won't even get into the schools simply because there are so many of them?

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I recently got accepted into a nursing program at a community college, and I did not find the application process to be complicated or confusing at all. Maybe it is different at other schools/universities.

I paid $81 to take the TEAS V. I only took it once, did not use a study guide, and got a very high score.

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Specializes in ED, Medicine, Case Management.

Given how many people apply to nursing programs each year (significantly more than most schools are able to accept) and how many people continue to reapply, I don't think that the nursing school application process is contributing to any sort of nursing shortage. You were clearly frustrated by the process, but I would not suggest that your experiences are the norm for the majority of nursing students or prospective students. The application process varies widely from school to school. However, it sounds like you are done, so congratulations and good luck on your career.

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Specializes in ICU.

I honestly don't get the point of your post. Your title has nothing to do with your post. I paid $50 to take the Teas last year. My school accepted my A&P I from 1999. I did not have to retake. Nor did I have to have any recommendation letters. Nor did I pay an application fee. There was no "money grab" in my application process and I found it to be fairly easy. Yes, my program is competitive and yes they only accept the best, but I honestly think that is how it should be.

The Teas is not remotely difficult. The prereqs you take beforehand should properly prepare you for the Teas. I honestly took 2 practice tests before taking it so I had an idea of what to expect. It took me about an hour and I did well. I was out of high school for 20 years and had taken some of the nursing prereqs before I got married and all of my previous credits were accepted as I had As in all of them. Every school is different and as an adult you need to know the application process and map out a plan if you want to be a nurse.

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Specializes in NICU.

The application process for nursing school is the way it should be.

Get REAL good with taking difficult tests.

Good advice because not only are the entrance exams difficult, the exams in nursing school are difficult.

But, just be aware that this too, is a "money grab" because college credits are only good for a number of years. I work alongside RN's now who have been nurses longer then I have been alive and in order for them to go on to get their bachelors degree (Before 2020) they have to retake science courses for their ASN! These women, whose experience should speak great volumes does not speak at all! Even the Community College system requires ASN nurses to retake classes from their first degree. I find this very sad and degrading to any RN because they too, have earned their title.

It is not a money grab. The information from those classes that they took 10 yrs ago is no longer fresh in their minds. That is why most schools require transfer credits to be no older than 5 yrs.

Even though I had met all the requirements with flying colors, I still did not get in my first year applying. I only had one prerequisite class left to take, which I was going to take over the summer but this was not acceptable, because they required all my prerequisites to be done before applying.

You didn't meet all the requirements with flying colors. You were required to have ALL your pre-reqs done BEFORE applying. They have rules for a reason. What if they accepted you and you didn't pass that course. Now they they need to take you out of the program and put someone else in. If that happens multiple times, it becomes a huge headache.

The college wont communicate with you it is your responsible to communicate with them. You are just their money maker, and if you keep this in the back of your mind, you will be less apt to be played by the college system.

No it is because you are an adult and you are responsible for knowing and following the rules. They are not going to hold everyone's hand

The good news is, once you are in, you're in.

You still need to follow the rules of the class. When the syllabus says an assignment is due on a certain date, you can't complain to the instructor "You didn't remind me five times that it was due today".

It is the application process that should be reconsidered because that is what deters anyone before they actually get into school. More colleges need to be aware of their application process, and then maybe we wouldn't have such a nursing shortage!

It doesn't deter anyone when there are hundreds of applications for 50 spots. Schools have rules for applying and they expect the rules to be followed. There are going to be thousands of time in your life that banks, IRS, Board of Nursing are going to require you to have ALL your paperwork completed before submitting, no just some of it.

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Specializes in Nursing Management.

What in the world? The application process had to be the easiest thing. They list the requirements to apply and you meet them, easy as that. I took the teas V and it was unbelievably easy compared to nursing school. So you graduated with your ASN and your advice/warning is about the application process? Also where are you located that there is a nursing shortage?

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