If I don't post, I may scream!!!!!!!!!!

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

Write letters to your state legislators, email them. Adult education is low on the priority list of these "good-old boys and gals," so please state how the cc help to transform people with no/low incomes into PRODUCTIVE, TAX PAYING CITIZENS!!! Remind them that you are keeping track of their support of the cc system and will remember on election day! Also, you may consider writing letters to the local newspapers about the plight of potential students and waiting lists to get into cc programs; tie this in with the terrible shortage of nursing faculty that is just going to get worse unless legislators get proactive NOW (how most faculty are "gray" and about to retire with NOONE waiting in the ranks to replace due to low $$$$$).

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

Oh PS to the above. A local teaching hospital is importing nurses like crazy from Canada and the Philippines and anywhere else on God's green earth they can find. This institution is hundreds of nurses short. At the same time, our local economy is belly-up (NAFTA, tobacco farmers not doing well, did I mention NAFTA???) with 10% unemployment rate and new people getting laid off weekly. We had 350 applicants for 42 slots in this upcoming year's ADN program. The reason we can not take more applicants and help out our locals who WANT decent, marketable job skills? NOT ENOUGH NURSING FACULTY DUE TO EXTREMELY LOW SALARIES!!! Now, does it make any sense at all to import foreigners to take valuable local jobs which people in the area WANT TO DO if they just had the opportunity to train???

[KrisRNwannabe]

Thanks for everyone's words of encouragement. I guess I will just have to stick it out and wait. I keep thinking about BSN programs but with my situation they are really just not doable. I must continue to work 40 hrs. with the adn program it won't be bad but when you have all those theory classes same time as clinicals it is just too hard. i am just kinda bummed but i will deal.:)