Nursing School Wait Lists

Have you asked this in the Mo. board? Too bad you weren't closer to Southern Iowa. Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa campus, doesn't have much of a wait.

WhiteShadows,

When I first started considering to go to nursing school I was also very frustrated. I was really terrified that I would spend two years or more taking care of completing the pre-reqs and then not get into a program, or end up on a really long wait list, or insert any other fear about the nursing school process here__________, and I worried about it. So I know how you are feeling, trust me. And I know that when it comes to the stress of the nursing school process we are not alone, I am sure every single person has their own story on this subject. Because, hey, it's freakin scary!

There is light at the end of the tunnel though. If you decide that what you really need to do with your life and career is to be a nurse you have to commit and jump in to school. It is standard that you are going to have to finish pre-reqs and then apply to a clinical program somewhere. Either at the school you take the pre-reqs at or another school. But you really don't have a lot of options until you are on the road to finishing those pre-reqs, and showing that you are a hard working student that is committed to the effort. Good grades, high NLN scores, and a good work ethic all go a long way when it comes to getting into a program. And you have to be tenacious, don't give up on what you want at the first sign of scary hard stuff. Think of it as a right of passage, you have to get through all of it to get to the other side.

Now I am just telling you what I know from my own experience, If there is someone out there that can tell ya how to bypass the system and get into a school faster, avoid all of the wait and worries, then thats great and good luck to ya. But I have a feeling that the only way, is the way most have to do it, and it is long and hard, but if you stick with it you'll be fine. And once you start, the time goes by pretty fast because your working hard and feeling good about your decision, so it all sounds worse then it is. Good luck, you will be fine.

If you didn't mind moving:

St. John's hospital in Springfield IL has a good BSN program what I've heard. Hard, I'm told, but good. They have a program that will pay your tuition based on signing a contract to agree to work for them (3yrs-1/2 tution, 5yrs- tuition free) I thought they had a waitlist but according to the advisor, they don't. Their website is kinda bare when it comes to information but you can request some by mail.

http://st-johns.org/education/schools/nursing/default.aspx

Welcome to allnurses!

Have you considered UMSL? The first two years are all prereqs, and the last two years are all nursing courses leading up to a BSN. And the best part is you can take prereqs at the community colleges if you wish, where tuition is a lot cheaper, then transfer in for the last two years of nursing school. That's what I did, and it took five years (start to finish) to complete my degree. There's really no easy way around the whole time thing - nursing degrees take a long time to get because you have to factor in the prereqs as well, which can take 1-2 years to complete on top of the 2 years in the program. The only thing that may speed up the whole process is if you go the private school route, which can be very expensive and you are not guaranteed that the credits you earn will transfer.

Best of luck in whatever you decide, and I would be happy to answer any questions you have about UMSL.

Private, technical school RN programs tend to have no waiting lists, although you'll pay significantly more in tuition fees. I know you're nowhere near the Kansas City area, but several of these private programs exist on both the KS side as well as the MO side. Good luck to you!

That was my experience. I was stuck behind the waiting list thingy. Then, in April 2006, I went to Bryant and Stratton. In May 2006 I started classes and in August 2007 I graduated with a Associate's Degree (RN). I had previous college so it only took me 16 months instead of their regular 20.

The pricing was astronomical (7k per semester time 4 semesters for me = 28k) but pell grants, state grants (Ohio), and guaranteed loans covered it all. Plus the hospital I'm now working for gave me $10,000 WHILE I WAS IN SCHOOL to work for them 2 years upon graduation.

I'll buy that for a dollar!