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Just to clarify, if you are enlisting in the navy nurse corps with a BSN degree, will you be enlisted as an officer and doing more RN-type work or does the above statement regarding doing CNA work and being bossed around by 19-20 year olds apply? Won't you be in the same shoes as those 19/20 yr olds atleast since you would enter as an officer? T Thanks for your time

thank you :) I am actually glad that they request it because I don't have any prereqs done except for general bio/chem/psychology. I'd prefer to do all of my prereqs at the nursing school rather than spend my time taking classes here or there, I feel like it would provide more structure and I would spend the majority of my time in one school as opposed to several. NYU/UPenn are the only schools ate I am eligible to apply to as everything else requires anatomy & physiology and a bunch of other classes to be completed before I am allowed to enroll. The school where I am at now does not have a good nursing program at and the NCLEX pass rates are pretty low for first time takers. Not to mention its an expensive school. PENN has a no loans policy for people with family incomes that fall below a certain threshold so I think I'd have a good chance of going there for free on grants/scholarships/work study. NYU should be deadfully expensive even for poor people though

Thank you for your replies. Paco69, I followed up on your advice and actually talked to a person at admissions today, she told me that as long as my transcript doesnt have any red flags on it or anything like that then I do not need to disclose this because Penn doesnt need a Dean's Statement or anything like that.

Hello everyone, I am applying to UPenns ABSN nursing program that begins in September 2011. I have a question on my application which asks: "Have you ever been placed on probation or dismissed by a secondary school or university, or incurred serious disciplinary action?" At my undergraduate institution I got accused of falsely activating a fire alarm in my dormitory. I did not do this but was simply at the wrong place and the wrong time. There are many students who live in this dorm and it could have been anyone. However, at my school you don't have to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to get convicted (50% likelihood is all it takes). I had to write an essay and had to pay a fine to the school. I was not pub on probation, suspended, expelled, or anything of that nature. My transcript is the same as any other person's transcript and I was allowed to return to the school. How should I answer this question as I do not want to ruin my chances of being admitted. Will Penn actually call every single school that I ever went to (high school and my 2 colleges)? No one is asking for a Deans Report or anything. I have never been in trouble for anything in my life and have always been a top student in high school and in college (3.85 gpa) plenty of leadership activities. Thank your help, Nick

Thank you for your replies llg and GM2RN, I asked about this a while ago just forgot to mention that it does not show up on the transcript. My transcript looks just like everyone elses. The only difference is I won't be graduating in "good standing" with my school since I have discipline points for what I did. I am eligible to stay at this school for as long as I want though. Sometimes on applications there are questions such as "Have you ever received disciplinary action against you, etc" Then I'd have to answer yes. Those usually have 2 questions, academic discipline and social/behavioral, I have the latter. So the only way schools do find out if there is a question like that (I will be honest and disclose it) or if there is no question but they call your previous institution and ask if I have any disciplinary records. llg I do regret it a lot right now I am just more concerned with the consequences. While feeling sorry about it does show maturity, personal growth, etc and I do regret it a lot it doesn't really help me if doors will be closed because of this. Talking to the dean of students, she said from her experience with students at my college and other institutions, as long as the applicant is qualified for what s/he is applying for and doesn't lie, this type of stuff (plus its a first time offense, I have very good history) doesn't prevent them from gaining admissions. Nonetheless I am still worried about it. I really wish I knew if I would get into either NYU or UPenn, once I get that decision I will know where I stand. If I do not get in, I will have 2 semesters worth of prereqs to do. Otherwise I have nothing to worry about...except money..then the answer will be prereqs and state schools rather than priv. schools. Thanks for taking the time to read all of this, I hope I can return the favor one day!

Honestly, I would be very happy to go to either UPenn or NYU and its something I wanted to do out of high school but I only had a 90 average (didn't do my hw and talked a lot in class). But in college I really matured and performed to the utmost of my abilities and it showed in my grades. The programs at those schools take 2.5 years including the prereqs. Assuming it takes 2 semesters to do the prereqs and 11-18 months for the ADSN program, time wise it still the same amount of time if not longer to do prereqs at CC and then jump into an ADSN. Only difference is the cost, which I will find out if I am accepted or not. I see UPenn has a scholarship for those who agree to work in certain hospitals (I would definitely take advantage of this if eligible). I will also apply to Duke, Georegetown, and UNC Chapel Hill. I need 7 prereqs before I enroll but programs start in September so I will 7 months to complete them if I am accepted which is enough time (spring session, 2 summer sessions). It just depends on where I get in and how much it costs. One thing I am worried about though is I have a non-academic record with my school...one night a firealarm was pulled and the school police asked everyone who it was. I just got back from a bar not too long ago and was visibly drunk so they grilled me and when they kept on pushing I called them a disrespectful name (I was mad because I had an outstanding academic record and had won awards at the school and they accused me of this. Plus I was 21+ so I was allowed to drink). So for that they put the false firealarm on me and failure to cooperate with campus safety. I am allowed to return to my school and everything but if a question ever comes up if I was disciplined for something I would have to disclose it (had to do 20h community service). Do you think a thing like this would keep me out of the good schools. My grades are very good and I will graduate summa cum laude. Any ideas?

Gotcha. How about taking the nursing program at the school where I am enrolled. Or are the 65-75% passing rates for first time takers on NCLEX too daunting. Especially if some schools have 90%+. Means the program is not too good right?

Hey GM2RN, the school where I am getting my B.A. degree now also offers a B.S. degree in nursing. However, when I looked up the passing rates it was 65-75% between 2005-2008 on the NCLEX. Should i just graduate and see if I get into NYU or UPenn? I'd really love to take the prereqs at the school im doing the BSN in since your part of the school and get a feel for things and move right into nursing afterwards. Both those schools let you do just that (well UPenn you need to take micro before enrolling). If I dont get in it becomes more difficult as I will have to take prereqs after I graduate in Dec. I'll apply to 2-3 other schools that dont have TONS of prereqs and you can apply before you take all of them. So if the school accepts me and classes start in Sept, ill have 8-9 months to do all required classes and they wont pull their offer unless I fail the classes.

Some interesting reading in regard to my previous post. Sources: New Graduate RN's and the Nursing Shortage: Recession and Jobless Registered Nurse Unemployed New Graduate RN's - Jobless in 2010: Tips for Jobless New Grad Nurses of 2010 Thousands Licensed New Grad Nurses Rejected for Employment 2010

double post

Nothing new, but everything that I have read so far points to the recession causing an artificial meeting of the nursing shortage. The shortage of nurses is real and getting bigger according to Department of Labor and other sources and once the recession is over the will be a HUGE shortage. However, until it is over people cannot find work which is really awful. But its good to know that there WILL be jobs once the economy picks up. Its the waiting that is unbearable.

I thought I would be able to get the ADN done in 1.5 since they want you to take English classes and certain elective, I thought those classes would get transferred from my history B.A. I heard many hospitals prefer new grads with BSN rather than ADN. Would earning an ADN and then doing the bridge immediately after and going full-time status rather than finding work be essentially the same as having a BSN in terms of employment. ADN-->BSN would no doubt be cheaper as community college costs almost nothing in comparison to private and even state schools.

Thank you for your response! GM2RN there are second degree BSN programs at NYU & UPenn that will let me take all the prereqs as part of the program and it takes 2.5 years to complete the whole program. I will see if I get in those schools, if not I'll take prereqs at CC. Would getting an ADN from CC and then going for a BSN immediately also be an option? Of course I need to apply to schools and see if I can get scholarships and such but if its way too expensive I might go the ADN -> BSN as long as their are no waitlists. For employers hiring new grads is RN-BSN same as a BSN degree in terms of landing the first job?

Hi everyone, I am currently an undergraduate student who has not yet begun nursing school but I have a question as I eventually want to pursue a career as a CRNA. The requirements are typically atleast 1-2 years of experience of ICU/ acute/critical care. To obtain such work experience will I be required to pursue a MSN in critical care prior to pursuing a MSN in anesthesia. Or does being an RN and having work experience qualify one to work in ICU. Also approximately what is the average age of those pursuing CRNA programs. Do new RN's typically elect to work for 5-10 years before pursuing specialization or do they enter CRNA programs much sooner.

Also a question I had was in terms of getting a job nowadays, will it better to go for the ADN or BSN option. I *definitely* plan to get a BSN as soon as I am hired. Also CRNA programs look for 1-2 years of experience in critical care, can I do that with an ADN or will I need a BSN to work in critical care?

Can you please tell me which school you went to in NYC, I am also in the same boat. I have a B.A. degree in history and want to become a RN but I do not know if I should do the BSN or ADN route. I want to become a CRNA eventually and will be taking a bridge program. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I have a question I will be graduating from a traditional 4 year college with a B.A. in history at the end of Fall 2010. I currently have a 3.85 gpa and will most likely graduate with the highest latin honors. The only science classes that I have taken were Principles of Bio I & II, Gen. Chem I & II and AP Psych Credit (5). for Intro to Psych. I want to become an RN and eventually specialize. I have a family friend who is CRNA and it seems like a job that appeals to me but I will find out for sure after I work as an RN for several years. Can you tell me what is the best option for me if I certainly plan to specialize. Should I apply to an accelerated BSN program for 2nd degree students. There are 2 programs that will let me take all pre-nursing classes at the school. For every other 2nd degree BSN/ABSN program I will need about 2-3 semester to finish all prerequisites and can do it before matriculation in Sept 2011. Or another option is to get a Assoc. Degree in nursing/ADN it should take 1.5-2yrs, I think I can complete it in 1.5 since I have a B.A. degree and some credits should count. Which option would be better if I want to specalize after working for a few years?> WIll it be hard to find a job as a RN, wont applicants with a BSN get a job over me. From my experience, I interview well and will be able to explain that I went the ADN because I already have a B.A. money is a factor, etc. After I get a job as an RN with an assoc. degree I can complete a bridge program/RN-BSN online or maybe a traditional program and then I can have my pick of any CRNA programs. Please help me out by providing some personal experience, anecdotes, insight, etc.

Economically an ADN seems to be the best option since I can be done in 1.5-2years and can begin working and making money and gaining the necessary experience to apply for a MSN. I have a family friend who is a CRNA and from what I know about it, its the kind of environment that suits me. If this is the degree that I eventually want to pursue wont having the ADN be a problem since schools want a BSN as a prerequisite? Doing a ADN --> BSN --> MSN might take a lot more time thus costing more money in the long run? Any thoughts?

Hello everyone, I am currently an undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. degree in history. I have finally decided that I would like to become a RN and would eventually want to work as a CRNA. What option would be best to achieve this goal? I currently have a 3.85 gpa at my institution and am considering applying to accelerated BSN programs (2nd degree programs). After this I plan to work as an RN for a number of years before specializing. However, I heard it might be a better/cheaper option to get an ADN and then go for an ADN-MSN program in nurse anesthesia. Some of the programs that I have looked at require a BSN as a prerequisite though so I am not really sure what to do. Thank you for your time.

llg, When I was referring to BSN programs, I meant the accelerated/2nd degree BSN programs..not starting a 4yr long undergrad degree for the second time. The accelerated programs will take me 2.5 years if I have none of the pre-nursing classes. However, I will have developmental psych, statistics, and *hopefully* microbio completed before I enter so it should take closer to 2 years. In response to your suggestion, I have looked at ADN-BSN and ADN-MSN programs but it seems just as time consuming as the BSN-MSN if not more. ADN programs that I have looked at are 4 semesters long but I may have a semester waived for taking some of those classes in college. However, some MSN program prefer students with BSN degrees. An example of this are the top ranked CRNA programs and some Nurse practioner programs. Some of these programs have you complete the BSN before progressing towards the MSN. My problem is that I can only apply to two schools so far that will let me do the pre-nursing classes there. Everything else I need to take two semesters off and finish the prerequisites. One of the things that sort of "draws" me to the prestigious colleges/universities that offer these programs is their endowments. They have a lot of money to give for students who qualify based on merit/financial need. The nursing program at my school has NCLEX-RN passage rates of 75, 77%, and 65% through 2005-2008 for first time takers. Also if I do not get into the 2 schools I talked about above, would it matter to colleges if I took my pre-nursing classes at a 4 year institution or at a community college?

Any help please? Im struggling with this decision

Hello everyone, I am currently a rising senior at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA (dont know if you've heard of it lol). I pretty much went to a liberal arts school to figure out what I want to do in life and expose myself to a very broad curriculum. I will graduate with a B.A. in history in Fall 2010 (lost credits for transferring, should of graduated Spring '10). At this point in time I have finally figured out that I want to be in the medical field because I want to help take care of people who need help. An experience I had with my best friend who is a D1 tennis player at school who became injured with a meniscus tear and now has chronic knee problems really showed me what I want to do in life. I currently have a 3.85 gpa overall and close to a 4.0 in the history major and I was wondering if it matters what school I get my BSN from. Eventually I want to go into a specialized field of nursing such as nurse practioner or maybe CRNA. I do not know right now but nursing school and clinicals should provide some insight (I hope). The only science classes that I have taken in college were during freshmen year -- Principles of Biology I and II, and General Chemistry I & II. I scored a '5' on my AP Psychology test in high school so I have credit for Into. to Psych. I have done research and most accelerated BSN nursing programs require more prerequisites (Anatomy & Physiology I/II, micro-bio, nutrition, human growth & development, & statistics). I can take human growth and development and statistics next semester in my college and still graduate on time in Fall 2010. I won't be able to get ana/phys & micro-bio done in time. The only two nursing programs that I found (Us news & world report) that would let me enroll without taking all the prereq's are at NYU and UPenn. I can take all the pre-nursing classing at NYU and it would take 2 1/2 years to graduate (probably less if I do take human growth/development & stat at my school before graduating). For UPenn I can apply & gain admission but will have to take micro-bio before classes begin in Sept 2011 (can do that in a CC somewhere b4 classes begin)..What I liked about UPenn is that they have lots of scholarships and financial aid and a grant for students whose families are low income (works out well for me).. If I do NOT get into either NYU or UPenn then I have to take the rest of the pre-nursing classes in spring 2011/summer 2011 at community college or somewhere else...wherever it will be cheapest. However, there is one more option. My college offers a nursing program that's in partnership with St. Luke's Hospital (anyone heard of this program?). The program is accredited by the PA State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Does it matter if I go to UPenn/NYU or do all the pre-req nursing classes and apply to schools such as Johns Hopkins, Boston College, Georgetown, University of Rochester, Penn State, Northeastern, etc. I definitely plan to go on to a Master's program once I gain some experience working as a RN for a couple of years. Or should I just stay at Moravian College and enter their nursing program after I finish Anatomy/Phys and a couple of other classes at the school. The problem is that I transferred into this school and cannot get full merit-based aid even though I'm one of the top students here. Transfer students do not get merit based aid. I already owe $30k in loans because I have been going here for two years. Would I have better chances of getting something close to a full ride at other nursing schools if I complete the pre-nursing classes and apply as a 2nd degree student for accelerated BSN. Seems that UPenn students get over 30k and my family is very low income so I should be a shoe-in for that plus I do have good grades so I should be able to get some more merit based aid. However, who knows if I will get in or not, my science grades aren't that stellar since it was freshman year and I had to commute 1.5h to and from school every day and it was very stressful + 1st year of college. Principles of Bio: B and C+, General Chem C and A. Thanks for your time, Sean