maggie24

I am not sure if you already did this, but you should start by getting information from you prospective schools to see what they require-go to their websites and download their course catalog and also take a look at an application. In general these are the classes you need: Written communication Intermediate Algebra Anatomy Physiology Microbiology For BSN programs you also need: Critical thinking, Chemistry (general and organic for health) Other General Education that you may need:Anthropology, Sociology, Psycology, Philosophy, etc. The best way to plan this out is to take the classes required to apply first so that way while you are waiting to get in (hopefully not long) you can take the other classes you need for your degree. (you don't need all of your G.E. completed before you apply) Since you are undecided about CC or university, you may want to take the required courses to apply for the CC, which are less units than for BSN, and then apply to CC first. While you are waiting, you can continue to take the other classes need for BSN (such as Chem, etc). This way, you have a backup in case one or the other doesn't work out. Hope this helps!:loveya:

True, SJSU will not take 2nd bachelor's students, but at SJSU you can still do their RN-BSN Advanced Placement program, and they will accept all of those GE class from your undergrad. You can also do RN-MSN programs which will also take into account your undergrad work. Whether you do those GE as part of your BA or BSN doesn't really matter. I am planning on doing SJSU's RN-BSN program after I get my RN (I already have a B.S. too)

Have you filled out a FAFSA? Have you spoken to a financial aid counselor? Sometimes financial aid staff are uninformed/misinformed about the financial aid available to students. You def. should check this out b/c it doesn't sound right that they can control which students get money or grants based only on the classes they are taking! When you fill out the FAFSA, you don't even put your major . . .

Sonoma state too, but their program is very small 30 students or so . . .apply to as many schools as you can to maximize your chances of getting in. Good luck! BTW, ucsf only has entry-level master's (you need a BS or BA) and other MSN programs, but if you get your RN from a CC, you can do their "bridge" program through JFK university to get your BSN, and then continue on in their MSN Or, if you have a BS in another field and an RN, you can do MSN There are so many options besides entry-level BSN! Just a thought . . .

209. When you are not even in NS yet, and already you looove this site and have read the "most gross, yucky, disgusting nursing horror stories" thread from the first page . . . and laughed until you cried/cringed/cried while reading the best ones to your SO, who gets totally grossest out, which is even more motivation to keep reading . . .and you still want to be nurse:rolleyes:

thanks for starting this thread, very informative, as I too love babies and am aspiring to be a PNP or NNP, and was wondering the path to get there as well. I am also "tenderhearted" and sensitive, but I guess I will see where i fit in during nursing school . . .I have always been drawn to the NICU b/c I too was a preemie

Out here in Cali, financial aid is based on need, not on the classes you take. I am assuming that since the FAFSA is federal, it is the same in every state. You fill out a FAFSA, and based on your income, if you are dependent or independent of your parents, age, you are awarded loans and/or grants. It has nothing to do with the classes you are taking. Also, we have a BOG fee waiver here- if you are 24 or older and/or have financial need, the tuition fee is waived. Maybe she was talking about grants or scholarships specific to the nursing students?

I have a friend who went there for her undergrad/prereqs but ended up going to another CSU for NS. She got accepted at several CSU's, but not SFSU. SFSU has 1200 applicants for 80 or so spots! crazy! You might find that any of the the other CSU's may be less competitive b/c there are less applicants to compete with. Check out BRN website. SFSU gives points for patient experience and 2nd language as well, so if you don't have these along with a 4.0, you may want to look at other schools as well. The odds of getting in here seem almost impossible, my friend had a 4.0 and didn't get in here, but don't give up, just have a backup plan!

I would looove to be able to go to a private school again. I have dreamed of samuel merritt or USF, but it is just too much $$. I attended private school from K-12th, and I miss the small class sizes and overall environment. My parents struggled to put my brother and I through grade/h.s school, and we had to sacrifice a lot of things as a family, and I am forever grateful to my parents for this. I would not trade my experiences at private schools for anything, BUT I also am not willing to put myself in debt $100,000+ for a BSN. If my parents were wealthy or had been able to save money for college for me, maybe it would be an option, but I am paying for my own education, and it would be very hard for me to justify taking out so much money for an RN, even with scholarships and grants, I would still walk away with a lot of debt. There is almost always a need for loans when you factor in other costs besides tuition--rent, books, supplies, living expenses, food, etc. SO on top of $50,000+/yr tuition you will have other expenses as well! Private schools are an incredible privilege that I would love to take part in, but it is just not an option for me-I do not want to be paying off my college debt for the next 30+ years. I think there are a lot of other students who feel the same, and this why they choose not to attend such a costly school when there are other options. For me, I have weighed both the pros and cons, and ultimately the pros do not outweigh the biggest con-the incredible COST. Of course there are cons of public schools-N.S. is impacted, more competitive due to impaction, wait lists, but for many students, myself included, paying off this debt is simply not worth it. That is the dilemma many of us face-choosing b/w an expensive private school or waiting 2yrs to go to NS. I would also like to add that I consider N.S. itself to be a privilege, no matter what type of school it is. I am grateful that I have an opportunity to attend, and even if it is not a private school, I know that I will value and appreciate everything that I learn b/c that is why I am there. I have waited years to get into nursing school-2yrs on wait list + 1 year wasted by applying everywhere, so for me, I feel lucky to be going at all. Even if it was not my first choice, I am still going to end up with an RN . . .which is why I am there in the first place.

What if you have take A&P already? It seems medical core is a basic overview of these subjects . . . I also looked at other ROPs, and they too require medical core, and it seems some of the other CNA courses through other ROPs are specialized for LTC, but I would like to work in a hospital. Is there any difference in skills, or do they just call the same class by a different name b/c you take the same state exam?

What path do you take to get to NP program? Is it a certificate that you get after your MSN, or a part of the curriculum? I have been researching this, but I am still a little confused as to the path one would take to be an NP. Anyone who is in an NP program, can you tell me a little about the classes you take, and how your program is overall? Thanks in advance!

Have you filled out a FAFSA? Even if you don't think you will be eligible for grants, you may be eligible for federal loans -Stafford loans This should be filled out as early as possible in the year prior to N.S.-the filing period is Jan1-June30, but the sooner you fill it out, the more money you may be get. some of the money they have is given out first-come, first-serve. Trust me, one year I filled it out in jan. and I got over half my aid in grants, whereas the year before, I only got 1 grant b/c I filled it out in june. BUT, the federal loans also depend on your income and if this is your post-bachelor degree, as well as if your program is at a CC or university. It also depends on your age-if you are over 24 you are eligible for a TON of grants, but this also depends on your income. If you are under 24, you can claim yourself as "independent" from your parents and you will get grants too. (make sure they don't claim you as "dependent" on their taxes) You can also get private loans for education, but these will have a higher interest rate, but if you cannot get money from any other source, this may be a good option instead of stressing out in N.S. I know that if I cannot get federal loans for my N.S. b/c I will be a post-bachelor student at a CC, I will probably take out a private loan for emergency money, and I will most likely work on weekends only to help me get by.

It is a good idea to take your req's at CC b/c they are the pretty much the same as the university, except maybe for chem and some other support courses. What you may consider doing is to take A&P and the other core science reqs you need for the CC NS, and apply to get yourself on the waiting list. Then you can finish any other classes you need for the university, and apply there. This would be a good backup plan for yourself in case you can't get into the university. I only wish that I had done this . . . I instead transfered to my university before my req's were done, and ended up having to wait a semester before I could even take them b/c they were so full.

At LB state, the grade of D or F will not "disappear" from transcripts, BUT it will not be factored into GPA after you repeat it. But not for a C. At my school, this was a well known fact that it was "better" to get a D or F than to get a C or W b/c the school would "repeat-delete" the grade. You were not allowed to retake a C. I was in class with people who were afraid they were getting a C, and so they didn't show up for the final to get the D or F so that they could repeat it. Crazy, but true. This may be a good strategy if you are only planning to go to their NS, but I don't know what happens when you transfer and they see the D or F. Most CC's take away .5 points for every repeat--D, F or W b/c of that formula that they now use But since you have a C, you may be able to avoid the .5 penalty b/c technically it is not a "repeat"-you did not fail! So they may average the 2 grades, or may even take the highest. Just ask the N.S. to be sure!

What about CNA through Red Cross? I know LA offers courses, but I don't know how expensive they are? Anyone know about this? Calinurse- How was your experience at the LB ROP? I am a pre-nursing student and this program looked really good. I have never seen one that is this cheap! But it seems like h.s. students get first registration? Can you tell me a little (or a lot :) about this program? Did you have to take medical core?

Has anyone volunteered at CHOC? I am on their waiting list to volunteer (must be popular), hopefully starting in August. I am hoping be a nursing volunteer either in peds or nicu and I wondering what type of experience anyone has had while volunteering here, in any unit/department. I am waiting to get into nursing school, and I am looking for as much hands-on patient interaction as I can get. Also, I am considering volunteering at Miller Children's in Long Beach if I cannot get into CHOC's program, so if you have volunteered here, please share! From the information that I gathered from them, it sounds like they do not allow volunteers to do any patient care? Thanks for your input! :redpinkhe

Thanks everyone for your explanations! This makes SO much more sense now! I thought I understood the different paths that I could take to get my RN license, but after reading so many posts and trying to research all of the many programs out there, I became a little lost, but not anymore! F.Y.I: I will most likely go into my CC's ADN program, b/c it is cheap (est. $5,000) when compared to 2nd degree BSN, and I know at least 2 hospitals in the area who are willing reimburse tuition for the ADN and possibly for future education as well (of course working a min. of 2 yrs is required), so either way, financially speaking, I should be ok. I also like the idea of an ADN program b/c it is only 2yrs long-I have been trying to get into to N.S. for the past 2yrs, as well as having to switch majors to complete my B.S. and I am anxious to start my life already! As stated before, I like the idea of entry-level MSN and 2nd B.S.N, but 1 class is about to be at the 5yr limit, and with no guarantee to get into these programs, I have a hard time justifying to myself to retake a req, only to have to wait longer and/or not get in at all, especially when I have a spot in 2 ADN programs already! (my spot on the wait list is up fall 2010, which BTW is perfect timing b/c I grad. with B.S. spring 2010) Besides, I like the idea of getting more education later at my employers expense!:) :heartbeat

Thanks! I think now I understand better what BSN's learn in school versus ADN's. But, this does not make sense to me: If I go back and get a B.S.N as a nurse with a B.S. in Health Care Admin, there will only be a few classes I will need in a bridge program to get a B.S.N.? I am just trying to understand why only a few classes are needed to bridge the gap b/w an A.D.N w/B.S. and a B.S.N. degree? Is is b/c general ed is already out of the way? The schools that I know of (CSU, private) take 3yrs full time study for B.S.N (except for accelerated BSN) and 2yr for A.D.N. So, why is it when if i went back, I would only need a few classes, not 1 yr of B.S.N classes? I am confused! To make myself clear: I actually want to get my B.S.N. and/or M.S.N to build on my future A.D.N; I am just trying to understand this! Thanks for your patience!:redpinkhe

I too have been mislead by many advisers: take certain classes when I really did not need them; telling me something did not transfer and having to retake it, when it really did transfer; saying I should not even try to apply to N.S. b/c I would not get in and I didn't seem motivated, (I did get in), and many other things. The best advice I can give you is to do your own research beforehand, and remember you do not have to do anything they tell you to do (except if you need a prereq for a class) Take in what they have to say and then go home and look at it for yourself. Get a course catalog, schedule of classes, and info packets for A.S.U N.S., Call the N.S. department and ask if they can advise you. They will be BEST able to tell what you need. As OP stated, you have to stand up for yourself. It will definitely help if you look things up for yourself b/c then you will know what you need, and you won't feel influenced/pressured by an adviser. If you are not happy with one adviser, go and see another. Sometimes advisers can be of help, but now days when I go see one, I listen to what they have to say, and then ask questions based on the info that I have. If they disagree, that is ok. You can still do whatever you want-remember YOU are paying for your education, you should get what you want out of it! Advising sometimes mandatory for freshman, but you still have some control over classes, esp. if you are at a C.C. and looking to transfer to a 4-yr. You may have to take some gen. ed. in order to take your Nursing req's, but look these up in your school catalog, and take only the classes you need as req's to your nursing classes. Good luck!:redpinkhe

i am not a nurse yet, but i will be attending fall 2010 (after 2 yr wait), and i have been panicking a little b/c i read posts such as these that talk about how there really is no nursing shortage b/c no one can get jobs, especially new grads. but, i would have to agree with op- even if there are no jobs, this is a reflection of the financial situation of the hospital, not necessarily the hospital's need for nurses. also, with the aging of my parent's generation (baby boomers) there will be an increased need for nurses in the years to come without a doubt! hopefully the economy will improve sooner than later for all of you searching for a job!:wink2: check these out: california's nursing shortage crisis will vary by region, ucsf report shows - ucsf news office california nursing shortage still exists http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/california-nursing-shortage-still-exists

Oh yeah, of course I would have to take an exit exam, my mind went blank for a second :) What is different in the scope of practice?

For anyone who has a B.S. and went on to pursue a 2nd bachelor's degree in nursing or A.D.N, what types of aid did you qualify for? Does it depend on how many credits you completed in first degree, or do credits start over with new degree? How much aid can you get? Enough for tuition and books only, or enough for living expenses as well?

wow! This makes me want to go here for N.S.! No impaction, no wait lists, take prereq's while in N.S., guaranteed admission, 50% to pass, no exit exam, sounds good to me! Amazing how different it is . . .I really am considering checking this out! lol :) Can you explain your grading system further? I am really curious. . . What happens when you get above 50%? Are there different levels of "marks" or only full mark and fail mark?

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I guess I am a little confused as to the difference b/w a nurse with a A.S. and a nurse with a B.S. I know this topic has been debated for some time now, as there is not a generalized entry-level standard that everyone needs i.e. you can have a A.S. or B.S.N to enter the profession Some of you stated that the B.S.N degree teaches management and communication, but if my degree is in Healthcare Administration, would this be anything similar? My classes are tailored to healthcare and being a manager/administrator of any group of people in healthcare. I have taken classes on legal issues, management, epidemiology, long-term care, health policy, quality assurance, etc. What are some examples of classes that are different than A.D.N program? Also, what type of financial aid did you receive for 2nd degree?

I will be graduating with my B.S. in Health Care Admin., and planning to go into an ADN program afterwards. Will it matter that my B.S. is not in nursing? I would have preferred to get my B.S.N or even go to an entry-level Master's, but my my Anatomy will be 5 yrs old by the time I graduate, so I will have to take it over to even qualify for these programs. I chose to stop pursuing the B.S.N route b/c of how impacted it is, and I am on wait lists (2-3 yrs) for 2 ADN programs, so I am finishing my degree while I wait. I will be graduating spring 2010; N.S. fall 2010. I am just wondering what impact my B.S. degree will have once I graduate N.S.? Do employers look at non-nursing degrees in addition to an R.N., or is it ignored b/c it is not a B.S. in Nursing? Would it be better to use my B.S. as a stepping-stone into an entry-level M.S.N.? p.s. I have also contemplated re-taking my Anat. so that I can apply to entry-level MSN, but I am fearful of the impaction of these programs b/c of my experience with B.S.N programs. I am leaning towards taking the "safe" route and going to the ADN program so that I don't have to keep waiting and potentially get again. Oh, and I just really want to be a nurse!:heartbeat Any advice would be greatly appreciated!