I thought that I might share some of my own personal experiences with the pre-nursing process in hopes that it might inform and/or encourage others who have many of the same concerns that I did.
Firstly, I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree which hardly prepared me for a career spent in the sciences, and secondly, I was in my thirties and worried about being an older student. I had spent the majority of my adult life working as a carpenter and felt comfortable in that position. The idea of re-inventing my life was invigorating, but given my circumstances it seemed near impossible.
I spent a solid year really considering my reasons for wanting to be a nurse, and enrolled in a biology class as a litmus test for myself. After having such a positive experience in biology, and really craving a new challenge, I jumped in with both feet.
It took me 3 1/2 years of community college work in order to finish all of my pre-requisites, and in that time I managed to gain patient care experience by working as a caregiver, interning at a hospital, and becoming a licensed EMT. Balancing school with full-time work was excruciating, as was making $15/hr less than when I was in construction. Being in my thirties, making so little money, and having the constant stress of making grades took a huge toll on my confidence. Because a 3.75 GPA isn't considered competitive at the many Universities where I live, I decided to make a list of colleges that look at more than just grades and entrance exams. I found that everyone I talked with at these institutions were helpful and kind.
Here is my list in no particular order:
New York University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Washington
University of Colorado Denver
UMASS Amherst
Johns Hopkins
University of New England
Duke
After nearly five years of unbelievably hard work, I start my accelerated BSN program in May.
Things I have learned: it doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't matter if you were someone else in another life, it doesn't matter if it feels impossible because its not. Work hard, be patient, encourage yourself, and find a way to get patient care experience. Oh, and get to know your professors, they are your strongest advocates.
