Please Help A Very Discouraged Nursing Student

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I am becoming extremely discouraged and upset. :(

I am an Army wife and a mother. With all of the traveling that we do in the Military life style, it seems impossible for me to graduate from college and finally become an RN. I have issues with my credits transferring and the requirements of different schools being different. :/

Due to us moving from state to state (duty station to duty station), I have attended three different colleges in four years. I am 29 credits away from graduating with my "pre-nursing degree" and I know that we will be at our current duty station long enough for me to obtain that degree. We just won't be here long enough for me to go beyond that. However, I also know that that particular degree only sets the foundation for a BSN program. My issue is that we never stay any where long enough for me to complete one and credits do not easily transfer. I end up wasting my time, money, and effort. :(

I am trying to explore every option and every school out there for me. After I graduate with the pre-nursing degree, I can obtain my CNA here in Kansas. However, we will not be here long enough for me to continue onto anything higher than that: LPN, ASN/ADN, or BSN. Are there any bridge programs for CNA to RN that I can complete online?

I just feel like I am at a dead end. I want to be able to finally obtain my career and work my dream job, but my dream just seems like it will never become my reality. Advice, opinions, suggested routes to becoming an RN, etc? Sorry if I seem like such a "downer," but after four years of school and nothing yet, I just feel blah. :/

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I've never heard of a CNA to RN online bridge program. The programs that offer bridge to RN programs online still have a clinical component but the pre-requisite is completion of a program with a significant clinical experience and often work experience (like respiratory therapist, paramedic, LPN...)

Schools like Excelsior are military friendly, but you must have the baseline education and clinical experience to even start in the program. your frustration is understandable. Did your school not offer an ASN instead of a "pre-nursing" degree? (Honestly I've never heard of a "pre-nursing" degree....is it an associate's degree predominantly composed of the traditional pre-requisite courses like humanities, A&P, microbiology, statistics, nutrition, etc?

Excelsior College will selectively admit those who have completed 50% of their nursing education with clinical rotations in the major areas (pedi, OB, psych, geri, med/surg) as long as they are working in a clinical environment, on a case by case basis.

How often do you move? there are many LPN programs that are less than a year to complete as long as you are in the area while the program is running.

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When I was still in the Marines I know there was an agreement for us with many (not all) schools across the country that automatically let credits transfer from one university to the other. I'm not sure if this applied to spouses (I was single) but I remember that military spouses did get to enjoy many other benefits the service members ourselves were entitled to. Maybe you can check that out. Hopefully the credit transfer agreement will work for you too. If if it does, that should help.

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Thank you both for your advice. :)

JustBeachyNurse, the community college that I am at now has you do the pre-nursing program first before you are even considered for the ASN/ADN program. It is exactly what you thought though: A&P, Microbiology, Nutrition, etc. Do you suggest that I take the LPN route and then do an LPN-RN bridge program?

PRICHARILLAisMISSED, that is something that I have looked into, but unfortunately, every school that we have ever been around only makes that option available for the actual active-duty military member and not the spouse. That is why I have an issue actually having my credits transferred and accepted. Then, it is so hard to get your foot in the door of nursing online. It seems impossible.

Thank you both again though. I truly appreciate your feedback.

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I'm sorry, OP.

Another approach you can take, although you will not like it, is to just stay in one place until you finish your degree. I know it would be hard, but you can look at it as the same as if your husband was sent overseas for two years. The difference being that at least it will be easier for you to fly to him and visit, or vice versa.

Again, good luck and I hope it all works out.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

One option is to complete your LPN then you can use one of the online bridge programs like Indiana State or Excelsior College (depending on where you wish to obtain your nursing license as neither program is accepted by every state. Excelsior isn't accepted by California for example, and ISU isn't acceptable to the NY BoN)

Good luck. At least your "pre-nursing" degree will save you time and expense as those courses are the pre-requisites for many nusing degrees.

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