I'm a current college student, and I would really love some advice from a nurse

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Okay, I guess I'm a very good student. I just graduated high school. With a 4.4 GPA. School has always been my number one priority and it continues to be that way. I took many Advanced Placement classes which in turn gave me college credit. I graduated with 21 credit hours. Which means that I was forced to skip lower level advising at my college and was put into upper level advising. I am currently declared as a Criminal Justice major. However, I know that this really isn't what I want to do with my college degree. Part of me still wants to be a police officer. But I've talked to a few of them and they've told me it doesn't matter what degree I have. And again, I don't want to waste my time with what I know will be a useless degree if I don't want to be a police officer. I know for sure I'd be happy doing nursing. And that's why I want to get a nursing degree.

This semester I'm taking:

Contemporary World Religions

Intro to World Literature and Culture II

Understanding Visual and Performing Arts

Statistical Methods

General Biology with Lab

I know it seems like I'm not taking a lot of courses that will help me towards a nursing degree but after 2 more classes next semester. I'll be done with my school's general education requirements and I'll be able to actually take nursing classes.

My problem is this. I know that to be accepted into the nursing program at my school I must take a test, and I must have a few prerequisite science classes. At my school, nursing is a limited access program. So how soon should I actually contact the nursing adviser? I'm thinking I should probably wait until around September. A little before I have to sign up for spring classes. To see how I can switch over to the program.

Anyway, thank you so much to whoever actually took the time to read this. Yes I'm sure I want to be a nurse. At the end of the day, I have a disire to help others.

Talk to the adviser as soon as possible. If nursing is what you want then it makes sense to start talking to the school of nursing adviser. Your first year no matter what degree will be general ed, so you are headed in the right direction.

I will give you the same advice I gave my daughter when she told me she wanted to be a nurse: Make the most of your clinical time. This is the time when you should get as much experience as possible when you have helping hands. These are the kind of students I love to teach. Keep your eyes and mind open to all possiblilities in nursing. You may go in thinking you want to work in one area then completely change your mind. Give the nurses the benefit of doubt, we may seem hardened and grouchy, but most of the time it is frustration and stress. Use some of the empathy you seem to have, for your instructors, fellow students and nurses on the floor.

Any area you decide on will be lucky to have you!

Thank you so much! I'm definitely going to make the most of those! I am really excited for that specifically! I love hands on things

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med/Surg, Cardiac Tele.

alright,just a thought- even though I know you don't want to go more than 4 years, prepare yourself because almost nobody finishes nursing school in 4 years! By the time you take your prereq's and get into a program (which can take years) and THEN complete a nursing program, it is not uncommon for 6 years or more to pass. Just a little reality for you. That said, however, don't be discouragted, just know this going in to it.

Have you considered med school? I know it sounds like a long time, but you seem like a perfect candidate for med school. I mean, you are young (just out of high school) and smart as heck (GPA of 4.4). I mean it may take you 8 years, but in the end it may well be worth taking the time and just getting your MD or DO. There is currently NOT a nursing shortage, but I believe there is a physician shortage and it's not expected to get better. I think you might make an awesome doc. I think you should consider it.

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I get what you're saying. And again, I have considered it. I know I'm smart. But sometimes, you gotta know what's good for you. I'm not saying that I'll never consider it once I'm done with my BSN. But for the most part, I know what I want. And that's a simple family life.

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Specializes in ICU.

I think now would be the perfect time to go and speak with an advisor. My school had a pre-nursing advisor, specifically for those interested in going into nursing and those during their prerequisites. That way you could make sure you are on the right track to starting a nursing program.

Here's a tip (if you can still change your classes for this semester):

If I were you, I would drop a class or two that you are registered in now, and start a prerequisite or two for the nursing program, for example chemistry or anatomy.

There is no need to rush through your GE, it is good to spread them out as "easy" classes while you are doing your harder science/prereq classes.

Because if you finish with all your GE really quick, you still have several prereqs to go before applying to a nursing program (at my school there was Chem, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology) and you don't want to take them all at once or you will be overwhelmed.

My school career seems pretty much in line with others in my nursing program. Here's how mine went:

Sem 1+2 - Just GE, trying to figure out my major

Sem 3 - I started doing prereq's, I took anatomy. (along with 9 units GE)

Sem 4 - Another prereq: Physiology (along with 13 units GE)

Sem 5 - Microbiology and Chemistry. (along with 6 units GE)

Sem 6 - Started the nursing program.

It took me 5 years to do my GE and a three year nursing program. I think the pace was perfect and it really did fly by. I graduated at 23 this past May, and I'm now an RN and working in an ICU!

I think that it is great that you are feeling confident about nursing! I would much rather be a nurse than a doctor too.... I find having a family life too important to miss!

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Exactly! Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Being a doctor would be great. Helping people, and the money doesn't hurt either. But I don't want those added school years, large amount of debt, and pretty much lack of family life.

I need a family to be happy. I want to actually spend time with them. That's why nursing would be great.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTAC, Critical Care.

4.4 GPA? Do you mean 3.4 or 4.0?

Either way.... I found out high school performance has no real indication of nursing school performance. I was a 4.0 student in high school and while I took my prereqs, without even studying. However, in LVN school, and now in RN school, I had to study my backside off. Nursing school is different. High school teaches you to pass a standardized test to make the state and school look good. Prereq courses are primarily knowledge based. Nursing courses are combined and involve critical thinking. You may have material from several different classes blended together on a test. You have to be able to pick out the important info and put 2 and 2 together to decide what is really going on and what to do.

In reality, nursing school only teaches you the basics, you learn enough to pass the state boards. You won't REALLY learn nursing until you start working in the field and actually put your' hands on a patient and learn by experience.

I would suggest starting off as a CNA on a med-surg/tele floor. ER is great and ICU rocks, but (and this is my personal belief) everyone needs at LEAST 1 year of med-surg experience. On a med-surg unit you will see a variety of disease processes and will grow accustomed to the procedures and lingo. If you manage to get with a good nurse who will guide you and teach you, the end result will be that much better. I started off as a patient care tech on a telemetry floor before transfering to a PCU. I also was able to work in ICU, ED, Rehab, Pre/post-op, Oncology and surgery. As a tech, I (and the other techs in my class) had a definite advantage over the others in our class because we actually were already seeing and doing the things we learned.

Whether you go for LVN, RN, or RN-BSN (or MSN, or Nurse Practitioner, or whatever title they throw at us). Basic experiences like this will go a LONG way.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTAC, Critical Care.

EDIT to my 1st paragraph about high school performance....

Not saying you won't do well, just saying don't expect it to be about the same...

Didn't mean my tone to come across that way. My bad.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

It would never hurt to talk to a nursing advisor now. No sense in waiting. If you change your mind, you change your mind...the world will not end! It is YOUR life, and you are making a big decision. Arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before you commit. An advisor can help you with this. Good luck to you!

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"4.4 GPA? Do you mean 3.4 or 4.0?"

Being that they were in AP classes, it's extremely easy to get higher than a 4.0. Usually advance placement classes carry a higher point value.

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"4.4 GPA? Do you mean 3.4 or 4.0?"

Being that they were in AP classes, it's extremely easy to get higher than a 4.0. Usually advance placement classes carry a higher point value.

Yep! I took a boat load of honors and AP classes in high school. It's called a weighted GPA.

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