Im 17 and want to become an np

[morganj]

Im 17 and about to graduate and i want to become a nurse practitioner but i have a few questions that i need to know first off my parents don't make much money i grew up kind of poor to be honest so im not really gonna have any help at all for college i know i need to get an associates in nursing bachelors in the science of nursing and a masters in the science of nursing im planing on going to a community college for the associates but i still have no idea how this stuff works like if i get a student loan when would i have to pay that back do i need to pay off the associates before i can get my bachelors and do the same with the masters or can i let it all add up until i can become and np also how much am i going to be in debt im really curious as to how im going to pay for school would it be a monthly thing, I would also like to know how important my grades in highschool would be im a junior getting ready to be a senior and i have not done my best at all ive been getting mainly C's and D's if i do well on my sat will this help me another thing ive heard that at some point np's will need to get there doctorate in nursing say i already had the job with a masters would i have to go back to school i know this is a lot of questions but i need some type of guidance ill do what ever it takes to become an np i just dont know if its going to be possible with my current grades and my lack of money

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

I would also work on raising your grades, and doing research.

[SnowShoeRN]

Welcome to All Nurses. There are a lot of threads on this site about how becoming a nurse and/or NP works and how you can go about looking into pre-requisites, loans, etc. I would suggest searching and spending a few days reading through old threads since you will find the answers to many of your questions there. You are still young so I would suggest looking at things one step at a time. Spend your time improving your grades and talking to guidance counselors or career counselors to get a better idea of what you need to do to up your chances of getting into nursing school. Don't put the cart before the horse. You may have a hard time getting into nursing school or, if you do get in, you may decide you don't like it enough to want to pursue becoming a NP.

Also, in the future, please try to use punctuation and paragraphs when you are posting something in the forums. It just makes everything easier to read which makes it easier to understand which makes us more likely to see where you are coming from and be able to offer you guidance and suggestions.

Best of luck with your search.

[Zyprexa_Ho]

My god I think that was the longest run on sentence I have ever read.

[kp1987]

My god I think that was the longest run on sentence I have ever read.

All I saw was one comma.... Lol

But OP I suggest you focus on your high school grades. Take this one step at a time. Graduate first with good grades and then focus on getting into a good college BSN program. Then worry about being an NP once you've got some RN experience.

As for money, there's always a way to make it work. You might have to work through school or save lots over breaks. But it's doable.

[Dikid]

There are many routes to becoming an NP and you can research all of your options.

Firstly, you may qualify for student aid. Apply for scholarships. community colleges usually have good pricing for in district students.

Get a job in a hospital- not only will you make some money to put towards your schooling, you will gain valuable experience, connections, and resume value.

There are some accelerated programs if you think you might be able to handle them. Although you need to get much better than Cs and Ds.

There are direct RN to MSN programs

as well as accelerated BSN

you can also take prereqs for bsn at a community school and than transfer for bsn program.

There are tons of BSN to DNP programs that can be finished in as little as 2-3 years

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

One step at a time. You may not have much money, but you should be controlling what you can..meaning your grades. Cs and Ds are not going to get you into nursing school. Period.

Focus on getting your grades up and developing good study and work habits. One step at a time. Remember "wanting" and "doing" are totally different.

It isn't just the letter grade that is important, but it is showing the ability to work hard and no excuses.

[kristimarieSC]

You are most definitely putting the cart before the horse!!! step 1. TURN YOUR GRADES AROUND. there is not use in wanting to be a nurse if you cannot buckle down and pass classes with A's. This being said, getting bad grades in high school won't end your nursing path. If you go to community college, and get stellar grades from then on out, you might be back on track! I TOTALLY back your idea of getting your ADN first from community college. Its affordable, and a great education!! Work on that FIRST before you even think about NP. Once you are a working RN with an associates, you'll have money coming in, and be self-sufficient. Then you can think about the more expensive and daunting NP programs. But for now, think SMALL and only make your goal to get into your local community college nursing program. Meet with their counselors and WORK HARD. Grades count!!