please help me ,

[kahlan]

hi everyone ,i just became a memeber of allnurse ,and i have some basic questions about the nursing. Let me intorduce my background first. I immigrated into CA,USA two years ago. I finished the high school here in the first year, and i started the community college this year.In college ,i am still in ESL(english as second language). I have talked to my counselor and he made an education plan for me , it starts fall 2009 until spring 2012.I am now volunteering in a hosptial now.

QUESTIONS:

1. Is it hard to handle chem,bio and regular english(native english class) classes in one semester ,i mean the long-term one ?

2. Since i am volunteering in a hosptial now, how many hours i need for transfering ? my friends said about 200hrs,is it enough ? do i have to volunteer in any departments related to nursing ?

3.Besides fuifilling the requirements and volunteer experiences, it there anything else i can do to get more chances to get into the nursing programs?

4. i am wandering is it hard to get into the nursing programs of UCs? Do we need to wait to get into the program? it seems too far away , but i need time to prepare for it.

Thank you very much for your helping !!!

[caliotter3]

Each school's nursing program has its own requirements. You need to start by researching each program that you intend to apply to. I would not advise you to take too many science classes or other prerequisite classes together at one time because you will be at a disadvantage until your English skills are good. Talk to advisors at one of the programs and see about taking a CNA course. Getting a CNA certificate and working as a CNA would be more valuable than volunteering. Some nursing programs require you to have a CNA certificate and others will give you points in the admissions process for having this certificate.

[kahlan]

Thank you so much for your advice ,but if my school doesnt offer the CNA class ,where do i go to take ?

[caliotter3]

Do an internet search for "CNA class your city". Another place to look is on the website of the authority that certifies CNAs in your state. They usually have a list of places that provide the course. Check all of the local community colleges. Check the local Regional Occupational Centers. Check the adult school in your area. Check the local American Red Cross. Another place to look is to call the local long term care facilities. Sometimes they offer the course for free if you will work for them afterwards, sometimes you pay and are not committed to working for them.

[Long.]

]To assist you with CNA programs in CA, visit: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/rp/cna.asp

I don't believe the programs listed in the site include the Red Cross CNA program, so you may want to look into that as well.

[kahlan]

Thank you ,but CNA classes need a lot of hours , it sounds not easy,so is it better to take it when i am off from the school?

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

Go to the California Board and at the top of the board is a sticky that I asked the moderators to post for information regarding CNA programs specifically in California. You can find that most adult schools offer them, and also some community colleges. I took my CNA before going to through the LVN program, and it made things sooooooooo much easier. The ones who didn't go through the CNA program did struggle the first semester because it was all new to them. The ones who did the CNA program breezed right through. It just makes it easier to have and you're already exposed to a lot of stuff if you're working as one.

Regarding taking the bio and chem classes, I would highly discourage it. I know several who have taken two bio classes together anatomy & physiology both with labs and struggled dearly and their grades did suffer. Chem is totally different from bio but it's still a science class with a lab. I would take them one semester at a time. That's just my opinion. Hope this helps and good luck!