Newbie Questions

vamedic4, EMT-P · Sep 1, 2006

Hi hope..welcome to allnurses.com

If it were me I'd take the local hospital's plan and let them pay for the education in exchange for service at the hospital. But be warned, if you do accept their help and find the job not to your liking, you'll have to stick it out or pay back any debt you owe should you terminate your employment prematurely.

But check on the state thing...go to your state's BON website and find the information. Don't rule anything out until you 've examined all the facts and can make an informed decision.

Good luck.

vamedic4

hi everyone,
Have been reading and just joined!!!
I am hoping to become an RN as an adult student! This is leaving me with a few questions, and I hope someone will be kind enough to help me out here....
1. Have seen a program at a local hospital where they train you for CNA, you work a minimum of 6 months, get accepted into a nursing program and they pay your costs of tuition with a promise to work for them 6 months for every semester that they paid tuition. All the while, you can still be working full or part time, and continue to have healthcare benefits. Is this a good deal? It seems to me to be the best?
2. In our state, I have heard rumor of a scholarship from the tate, where for a promise of staying in the state to work for 3 years after getting the RN, they will pay for school as well.
Which seems to be a better deal, and do you recommend doing CNA as a stepping stool to get the free tuition into nursing school?
Also, The program I am looking at for nursing states that to get the clinical hours is very competitive,,,,,
What if you don't get the clinical? Can you try to get in the next set of clinic? Are you basically screwed if you don't get the clinical hours to begin with? Does one stand a better chance of getting the cinical hours at a private college, public college, or community college? Would having worked as a CNA give you any step up in getting the clinical hours?
Sorry for so many questions and thanks in advance for any insight anyone could offer to me!

natsfanrn · Sep 1, 2006

The tuition reimbursement is fairly common (at hospitals in my area, at least) and can be worthwhile IF it's a facility you're willing to commit to after graduation. Before signing, find out what the penalty is if you decide not to work there upon graduation, and also find out whether you'll have your choice upon graduation of which dept to work in (pending availability, of course) or whether they'll just stick you in a unit where they have the greatest staffing needs... Also find out how many hours/week you'll have to work as a CNA -- it will be great experience, but not if you're working close to f/t hours and trying to handle the demands of school as well.

Don't know what state you're in, but like vamedic said, check your state's BON website for details of state-sponsored scholarships. Sometimes the reimbursement is contingent on working in a rural part of the state upon graduation. Also check with your nursing school -- they should have a full list of scholarships/tuition reimbursement programs available. At our school, the instructors told us that many of the scholarships went unawarded d/t lack of applicants.

Have never heard of students being locked out of clinical hours altogether. In our program, you may not have gotten your first (or even second) choice of location/time, but there were clinical slots for every student. If the school you're looking at truly doesn't have slots for every student, I would definitely look at alternatives...

Good luck!

Jules A, MSN · Sep 7, 2006

I guess it depends on where you go but most community colleges aren't that expensive. I'm not so sure I'd want to promise to work somewhere unless I had been working there for a while and knew that I liked it. Here, CNAs don't make that much money and its a really hard job so if you have another career it might be better to do that while you are in school. I also have never heard about students not getting clinical assignments, how would you graduate if you can't go to clinicals? Good luck, Jules

hopefornursing · Sep 10, 2006

Thanks to everyone wo responded!!!

You mean you all have never heard of there not being enough slots for clinicals??? i have een told that there are 3 applicants for every one clinical slot and it will be super competitve. SO the pre nursing advisor suggests that I split the A and P and bio courses into one per semester so I don't screw up the chance of getting a clinical spot with less than stellar marks? :saint: As hard as I will try to get high A's, if I don't I'll be screwed out of getting a spot in clinicals. Oh, yeah I am in PA...have decided to not do the cna to pay for school, since it is relatively inexpensive and don't want to be roped into working somewhere where I won't be happy.

So it is unusual to not have a guaranteed clinical spot, assuming good enough grades? Wow, maybe I should look around some more, I have started to take the rest of the pre rqs, but don't have far to go to clinicals. thank you guys!

truern · Sep 10, 2006

OP, are you sure you're not confusing "clinical spot" with a spot in the nursing program?!? I've NEVER heard of students in a nursing program not being assured of clinical spots. Maybe not their first choice, maybe not even their second choice, but certainly they DO have a spot for clinical.

hopefornursing · Sep 10, 2006

OP, are you sure you're not confusing "clinical spot" with a spot in the nursing program?!? I've NEVER heard of students in a nursing program not being assured of clinical spots. Maybe not their first choice, maybe not even their second choice, but certainly they DO have a spot for clinical.

Big AHA moment, here. I think you might be right....sorry peeps for the confusion and thanks again to everyone for sorting out my faux pax!!!