Nursing schools WITHOUT wait lists?

[RomaniGypsy]

Okay, so I'm rather bummed right now. I just got done with an academic counseling appointment at my local community college and they say that their RN program is full for the next three semester starts, and the earliest I could hope to get in would be Spring 2020. I'm 38 years old right now and I will be two weeks shy of 40 if I wait that long.

I hate waiting. I wouldn't even be able to fill all of that time with gen-ed courses that would go toward a BSN... at most I would have two semesters of those, and with there being a summer semester, that isn't even a full calendar year.

I want to do either an RN track, an accelerated BSN track for people who already have a bachelor's in a different discipline, or an accelerated MSN track for the same people. I like the idea of going to a community college because they tend to be cheaper. Something in Ohio would be best, because I could get in-state tuition. But, I'm open to anything and willing to move anywhere as long as the cost of living isn't outrageous (no NYC metro, no LA metro, none of that). I have a strong GPA and GRE, and plenty of work experience in a health care setting.

Do any of y'all know any schools where a guy like me wouldn't have to wait more than a semester or so to get in, that don't cost a fortune? (I don't want huge student loans.) I could deal with a Fall 2019 start because I can go full-time with gen-eds in Spring 2019, but I don't want to wait for Spring 2020. I was hoping to start in Spring 2019. Yes, I know I will be 45 anyway, if I'm lucky, and my choice is do I want to be 45 and not a nurse or 45 and a nurse... I've heard that a lot... but I look at it like this - if I could be 45 and a DNP or 45 and an RN, due to wait lists and whatever, I would prefer to be 45 and a DNP.

[RayyRN2b]

"I might do that CNA course... might... I just don't get why I would have to wipe poop for ten bucks an hour in order to be a competitive candidate for nursing school. I'll wipe poop, but I'd rather do it for much more than ten bucks an hour..."

RomaniGypsy-

I'm a little confused on your perception of nursing...Unless you are in an outpatient setting, you will most likely be cleaning up poop as a CNA AND as an RN. And no, working in a hospital vs. nursing home does not mean less poop and bathing. I'm a CNA in a hospital and we have plenty of patients admitted directly from their nursing home! Even if the patient is someone who lives at home independently, many situations will come up where I will have to help them wipe or take their poop from the bedside commode to the toilet. You can't escape the poop, that's just part of the job. And trust me, nurses are the one's helping me do it all. In fact, Nurses do all the things a CNA can do plus their jobs as an RN.

As far as your pride goes, there are MANY people who have previous degrees and careers and have become CNAs on their way to becoming a nurse. I am a CNA with a Bachelor's in Health Science and will begin nursing school next month. There are MANY others who are highly educated who work as CNAs. I believe my job has exponentially helped me prepare to be a nurse. Any school will appreciate this experience, too. Being a CNA helps you communicate with patients, learn how to problem solve and multitask in a stressful environment, truly understand what it means to be a nurse, and learn medical skills through hands on tasks and observation!

The Gender Issue- It is very rare that a patient will refuse you as a nurse because of your gender. And that is perfectly fine if they do..there are plenty of others who can take your modest elderly lady to the bathroom. However, nurses do many tasks that might make a patient feel unconformtable, too. For example, foley catheters! I personally don't think your gender is something that should stop you from becoming a CNA because you will run into similar situations as a nurse. It's an easy fix!

[AmyJo2018]

Btw, my community college requires their Nursing Assistant course as a prereq to nursing. I feel your pain on the age thing. I will be fifty-one when I start core classes in the spring. And yes, after twenty-four years at Walmart I make way to much in wage/benefits to quit and work as a CNA, although I know it would be of great benefit in my future nursing career.

I have to say, I sure wish that I had your college history! Good luck!

[Wiggly Litchi]

But... you have piqued my curiosity. Some questions:

1) In what type of facility do you work?

2) Approximately what percentage of your work time is spent cleaning up poop (off the person or off any linens, the bed, etc), showering people, and otherwise "toileting" people? (And would you say that that's about the average that any CNA working in the same type of facility could expect?)

3) What types of people don't want a female CNA? (Is it just the chauvinistic males who believe that females are inherently less competent at everything?)

Haha it's all good! - depending on the location, I spend roughly 10% of my time clearing up bodily fluids/feces. I think that's about average - once you get a system down it ends up being a rather quick process. Bed changes take a couple of minutes to perform though (always fun to make an occupied bed). Showering varies depending on shift and location - some facilities only have the morning CNAs or shower aides take care of those, so if you're a 2nd or 3rd shifter, it's possible to avoid showering altogether. That being said, I usually expected to give around 2~3 showers per shift as residents in LTC/Rehab often had them on set days. For hospitals, again, depends on the hospital but you could be looking at a few showers and bed baths as needed depending on your unit. These generally don't take too long to perform, and the patients are generally pretty thankful to get clean and fresh :)!

I've worked in a variety of places - hospitals, LTC, rehab and I've loved them all, though the 'perks' of the job differ depending on location.

In hospitals, I get to spend quite a bit of time with my patients - it's pretty much just take care of ADLs, grab vitals, and attend to other needs such as ambulation. I love the flow of hospitals as I'm always busy and it helps the day go by quickly. Depending on the floor, patients tend to rotate out quickly, so it's nice to see folks get discharged if they make a recovery etc. I've been so fortunate to have some amazing patients that are thankful and cooperate in their care (this makes all the difference!).

In LTC I spend 95% of my time with my patients, the other 5% is charting or trying to sneak a lunch break lol. It's busy work and you're often one of the few people who socially interact with your patient on a given day (family don't always visit etc.) so I like to spend a bit extra time just showing 'em some love! We might throw on a little music that they like while getting them dressed or ready for bed, I'll chit-chat if I've got time. Many of my patients are so thankful just to have someone nearby, even if it's only for a few minutes at a time. The experience here feels a little more nurturing than the bustle of the hospital environment.

In rehab again, I probably spend around 95% of my time with my patients, the rest is charting or sneaking a lunch break. We're kept super busy here as the patient loads are often comparable to that of long-term care. Here I'll do everything that I do in LTC but my patient population is generally a bit different; lots of folks in post-surgery that need a little extra care before going home. Here I may tag-team with a physical therapist and assist as needed - it's always a blast seeing people get to walk again! I love seeing patients' faces light up when they reach new milestones, and even more-so when they are finally well enough to return home.

Sorry, I've rambled a bit! Sadly I only get to do CNA work on a PRN basis now because of school, but it's honestly one of the best jobs I've ever had (if we don't account for the awful pay haha)

Oh! I almost forgot about your last question - There's male and female patients that don't want a female CNA; usually it's men though, not the chauvinistic type, but they're generally shy or have had some past trauma. I won't question why my patients don't want a specific gender doing certain intimate cares like showering, toileting etc. but I'm always happy to accomodate them where I can. Usually they're really kind about asking for a CNA of a different gender because they don't want to impose on us or offend us, but it's totally cool.

Have an awesome weekend!

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

1) In what type of facility do you work?

I work in a neurosurgery, progressive care unit at a level 1 trauma center

2) Approximately what percentage of your work time is spent cleaning up poop (off the person or off any linens, the bed, etc), showering people, and otherwise "toileting" people? (And would you say that that's about the average that any CNA working in the same type of facility could expect?)

At least every 2 hours, if not more. I go in with my tech, we turn and change the patient, and often I am the one doing the "dirty" work because I want a good skin assessment, or I want to ensure enough cream is there and there is no skin breakdown.

3) What types of people don't want a female CNA? (Is it just the chauvinistic males who believe that females are inherently less competent at everything?)

Those who are truly sick really don't care who is taking care of them. The only times a male CNA hasn't been allowed is when there is a religious or cultural issue.

[Jralax]

Hey, I figured I might as well chime in on this conversation. Seeing as how I have been in a similar situation, given that I'm a guy and left my old college due to a waiting list. I may have some words of wisdom for you.

First off, I'd like to state that no, I have not done anything related to community college. I obtained my prerequisites at a state university, although in hindsight I would have saved a lot of money if I had gotten them done at a community college (not only the money situation, but I also would have not dealt with how college campuses treated their male students).

(TOO LONG DID (not) READ: I went to a state university and did my prerequisites. Was told my high GPA (3.46) wasn't high enough (magical, glorious 3.5, pay your respects). Went on a journey to find schools. Had to do more courses to get in them. Ended up doing an accelerated BSN program with a 2.5 GPA entry standard (as if anyone wants to be a "filthy" (casual) B student right?). Graduated with a BSN (that place was tough, let me tell ya). Took and passed the NCLEX 2 months after, first time, 75 questions. I was not a CNA,MA, or Tech. You can literally sit for the CNA exam after a few semesters of nursing school (CNA Certification in 2

[sama34]

For RCCs concurrent BSN-- They haven't released much info online yet, but from the info session I went to, they mentioned CSUF and CSUSB.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

The other reason why I find this quite distasteful is that while it is true that CNA skills are the foundation of nursing skills, the two jobs are just not the same.

It is true the two jobs are not the same. As a nurse you'll have more responsibility and the ability to dictate jobs to the CNA. What is scary is if your CNA is busy, absent, or you are shorted one during your shift, you better know how often to turn, when to bathe, and how to do the job effeciently. It is the nurse's responsibility to ensure all tasks are complete, not the tech/CNA. Personally, I found it helpful prior to becoming a nurse.

[Chrispy11, ASN, RN]

I'm willing to do all of that if I must... but it is time-consuming... so I figured I'd ask people if they had any tips for me. A shortcut would be nice. But, I can move pretty much anywhere, and I'm willing to look into just about anything as long as it won't cost me a fortune or make me amass a fortune in student loans.

Looking for a school is time consuming? That's the easy part. You wipe poop for free during clinical. Well actually you pay to wipe since you're paying tuition. Just sayin'...

As some said, CNA work is helpful. There is also the medication aide license you can get subsequent to the CNA license. Even more nursing related tasks. I did that to see if nursing was what I really wanted to do before investing the time and money in school.

Best of luck to you

[SiggyStardust]

In my research, I never found a comprehensive list of community college programs. For my situation, i figured that since I wanted a BSN anyways and i already had a BA, I would try for ABSNs. If your ultimate goal is BSN, why wait?

Registered nursing -dot- org has a list of ABSN programs by state. You should check that out when you have time.

I looked at every school I could find and compared costs, application requirements and costs, lengths of programs, and prerequisites. By taking what I found to be the most common prereqs (A&P 1 and 2, chem, bio, statistics, micro, and nutrition), I found I was well prepared to apply to the majority of schools out there.

Some schools want all prereqs done before they look at you, whereas others will allow a certain number to be in progress. My nursing school journey, including prereqs and application waiting times, will take just under three years.

Because your search is essentially nationwide, as mine was, you're going to have to put in some time finding what you're looking for. Check out the link I gave above, and make a spreadsheet to keep all the info organized. Then start applying!

You may have to be flexible with how much you're going to spend. I decided to cap my tuition requirements to the equivalent of a new nurse's salary in the area the school was in. A new nurse in the area I am in makes about 70k and my full tuition is about 30k. With the help of my husband's income, my loans will be paid off within a year.

And finally... in Ohio I applied to Case, Mount St. Joseph, and Baldwin Wallace. All are fast programs with no waiting lists. Kent State also has no waiting list, but they have some very specific prereqs that are unique to them, so I passed on that.

[IamJenn]

No waiting list most of nursing school in TX now because they go by the highest rubric score, for example, 4 points for get an A in Anatomy and Physiology, 3 points for B and 2 points for a C. A good result in pre entrance exam like HESI or TEAS is definitely can increase your point. 1 extra point for passing on first try. They also will reconsider on a good GPA as well.