Nursing Students are ROBOTS!

[MurseMita]

Hey guys,

This is my first post to Allnurses even though I've been a long time reader of the sight I wanted to get some input on my opinion of a nursing school in California, specifically CSU's (California State University schools).

Background:

I am a sophomore nursing student at CSUSM in California.

I am a 20 year old caucasian male

Year 1 my core GPA was a 4.0 and my overall was a 3.933

With that being said my chances of getting in my own nursing school is very slim, yeah I said slim.

Robots, what do you mean? Let me first explain the impaction factors

I attend CSU San Marcos in northern county San Diego. At this school there is no direct admission program to the school of nursing. There are 2 impaction factors which take your first 2 years of school to pass, then, you may or may not get in.

• Impaction 1 (freshman year, 450 students): You must get above a 3.63 GPA in 4 core pre-nursing classes (Stats / writing / speech / critical thinking ). Not too hard.
  
  • Those who don't pass really had no idea what a nurse demanded
    

  [*]Impaction 2 (sophomore year, 98 students): CSU San Marcos has a point table that is based off: GPA, Volunteer Hours, Residency, TEAS, and Language other than english proficiency of 201 level (LOTER).

  • Of 98 students we have 42 spots for 1 single cohort that embarks on a 3 year nursing course post-sophomore year (yes I said 3 years, we can't take any nursing courses until admitted). The most to be admitted to this cohort is 21 native San Marcos students. The rest are transfers and repeat applicants that got their GPAs and TEAS up taking basket weaving for a year to apply again.
    

Who makes it in? 22 robots thats who.

Over my summer I spent 210 hours working in the Liver Transplant ICU at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital. Within my time there I met many nurses, most whom were 2 years or more out of nursing school. They were smart, witty, confident, and very easy to talk to.

Now if you look at my sophomore nursing cohort I see none of those characteristics. I see a brother and sister who were kicked form the program for cheating and driving up the class average. I see a girl who is on the high A+ end of anatomy and she passed out in lab because we pricked fingers, and then she skipped the next class because she was scared to prick her finger again. I see a girl who is the rude and disrespectful to our professor (who is a kind hearted scientist who tries her best in lectures).

I won't get into the details about how rude that girl is, even though I have a strong disliking for her (you can ask in the comments about it).

Like I wrote above, there is just a point system to make it to your next 3 years to obtain your BSN. There are no interviews like most schools, YOU are strictly a number on a chart. This is my issue. The girl who passes out, and her best friend (the disrespectful girl) ARE going to make it into the program and perhaps academically they deserve it, but they will make horrid nurses in my opinion and with the respected opinion of my professor. They have no consideration for classmates nor do they care about the actual field of nursing.

Then theres me, 1 of 8 men in the sophomore cohort. I am a good student, I have to work hard to get what I want and I was not born with amazing "test-taking abilities" like the top kids in my class. I am gifted in the labs and my professor amends me for my clinical skills. I love patient care and I even did a presentation in class about my internship at UCLA, I'm very passionate about what I want in life, and that is to be a nurse.

If only 22 kids get in again this year am I going to get in? No. I have a 3.78 GPA (second half of sophomore science core classes) 210 hours at UCLA and amazing recommendations from AD III nurses. But none of that matters here, I am just a number on a chart and I have compassion and feelings, I am no robot, but I am competing against perfection. Robots seem perfect but they are lacking the necessary skills of nursing. This system is flawed in my eyes and in the eyes of many of my peers.

I'd like to hear your opinions / questions or anything you may want to add.

[strawberryluv, BSN, RN]

Then, apply for nursing school somewhere else. If you are the ideal nursing student like you think you are, you will have no problem finding a nursing school that will accept you. I know its tough to get into a nursing program in California but its not impossible. If you want to be a nurse, you will find a way.

[MurseMita]

I am lined up to take the Kaplin and for an interview at Mount Saint Mary's right next to UCLA, I feel like that will be my way. , as you mentioned. Thanks!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

State schools are very selective because they are usually the cheapest schools out there and so there is alot of competition for a limited number of seats. If you don't get in, you can always transfer to a private college, look for one that is willing to give you a tuition discount and/or grants or scholarships. Most young college age students do not pay full freight at private colleges. Sometimes it is cheaper getting a degree from a private college because of the discounting of tuition and grants. Frankly if they expect you to pay full price I would look elsewhere! Private college tuition is usually discounted for high school grads and transfer students, just like hospital prices are usually discounted if you have insurance!

[WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

You have no idea what kind of nurses any of those students will be, just saying.

Unfortunately, you aren't up to the muster of the program you are trying to apply to. It sucks, I know, but you just need to apply elsewhere if you are really that set on becoming a nurse.