Monkey Mom

I decided on nursing when I was in my second year of college. I was married at 18, had 3 kids and life got in the way of my career dreams. Nursing decided on me at 52 and I am beginning Nursing Block III in a month. I will be 56 when I graduate. I got a nurse fellows scholarship that paid for all my books and tuition and pretty much a job guarantee at the end of the day. Never give up on your dreams; they can come true!:monkeydance: Monkey Mom

Thanks Pineapple Crush. Good luck with your chosen path as well. No matter which path we take, we all end up being an RN and that is what really counts!

Yes, I am in the Banner Nurse Fellow's program. I am in Block 1 of the part time (really flex time), there is nothing part time about this program. We attend lecture class 2 evenings per week for 4 hours and clinical is on Saturday all day; 12 hours. Monkey Mom

Good for you Pineapple Crush for sticking to your guns! I too wasn't sure what route I wanted to take (ADN vs BSN) and then I ran a few calculations regarding the cost. There is very little difference in pay between the two. Like 25 cents an hour and even less in some other States. However, the ADN does not have the ability to move into the business aspect of the medical field, I get that. But the difference in tuition is astronomical unless you have a full scholarship. If you have to pay off the loan for the BSN, at 25 cents more per hour it is going to take a very long time to pay it off. With that being said, I went the ADN route first, knowing that many institutuions will pay you to complete your BSN once you start working for them. My decision was strictly economics. When I'm finished with my ADN I will have no school debt, pretty much a guaranteed position at Banner and the ability to complete my BSN at no additional cost to me. And Banner brings the school to their facilities. It was a win win game for me.

First and foremost, you must attend one of the information sessions that Banner has throughout the year. If you go to Banner's website there should be a schedule noting these dates. You will be given an information packet that includes the application and requirements necessary to be eligible for the program. You cannot get this application any other way. Your admission is considered on GPA, your essay responses to several questions, your NET scores and your completion of all prerequisites and your admittance into Maricopa Community College Nursing Program (not placement, just acceptance) and a personal interview. These are the only factors from which your potential candidacy is based. Being an employee of Banner or volunteering is not considered an advantage. Keep your nose to the grindstone and do well in your pre-requisite classes. Keep on top of what the pre-requisite requirements are each semester as these have a tendency to change and apply to the MCC program as soon as you can if you have the required pre-requisites done at that time. You can finish up the rest while waiting for placement which can be up-wards of 3 - 4 semesters. Best of luck! Monkey Mom:monkeydance:

I am currently in the Banner Nurse Fellows part time program at GWCC. I can tell you that I personally don't consider it a part time program, but a flex program. I attend class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm and Saturday clinical from 6:00 am - 6:00 pm. It is an extremely rigorous program and I am certainly humbled by my student peers who are working full time and have families with young children. If you want it bad enough, you can accomplish it. Make sure you have a strong support framework because it is a sacrifice for the whole family but one that will be worth it in the end!

You might want to rethink your strategy. It is my understanding that ASU has cut their enrollment by 1/2; budget cuts. I would cover all the bases and increase your chances of getting in somewhere. Have you considered Banner Nurse Fellow program?

Congratulations! GWCC has just resurrected the Student Nurse Association and our membership drive is going strong. Come check us out. One of our goals is to set up a mentoring program to help new students and advanced block students if they need support! It's all about nursing students helping nursing students. Unofficially we are: "The Student Nurse Association of Gateway Community College has been established to responsibly provide, promote and encourage continuing education and fellowship to all members, regardless of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, age or economic status, and to support its members in their pursuit of active recruitment, formation of collaborative relationships with other nursing and health related organizations, and sponsorship of healthy and informative activities focused on the betterment of GWCC's student body and the surrounding communities."