cantbeagoddess

Wow, these programs are all amazingly expensive. You have to really careful with these for-profit schools because there's a level of transparency missing when you research them. I've checked out a few of the websites and it's they bury information about tuition, accreditation and pass rates as deeply as they can if the information is even available at all. I know that the idea of facing long waiting lists and jumping through tons of hoops for the public programs is distasteful. Just make sure that you're getting exactly what you're expecting out of whichever program that you choose. Make sure the program is accredited, that your credits will transfer in case you want to pursue a higher degree, and get as much feedback as you can from current and former students. Personally, I think that the for-profit schools aren't a good idea. It's too easy for them to view you as a big fat check instead of a student. Just remember that anything that seems too good to be true or doesn't sound quite right should be a red flag. Good luck.

Congratulations luvs! Your scores are similar to mine but I'm really nervous too. It definitely seems possible to me that the cut off for scores is going to be way higher than normal for the Spring semester. They might even start looking at people's GPAs this time. How many people do you know that are applying? At the beginning of the summer I knew at least a handful but none of them seemed to get all of the application materials together in time. I felt really bad when I took the NLN because there were at least 150 people in that room. I couldn't help but think that most of us were going to be really disappointed come November. I met one girl there who was taking it for the fourth time. Good luck!

The most difficult thing about the math is how little time you have. Even if you know how to work out the answer there's less than a minute and a half to answer each question. One thing I didn't notice until I was almost done was that for the many of the questions you don't actually have to work out the entire problem. If you read the answers you realize that only one of the choices is even in the right ball park. If I were you I'd try to do as little calculating as possible on the early questions and try to determine the answer from just looking at the choices. That will save you time for the later questions which actually require working them out. You might also try working backwards through the math section. Like all the sections, the questions get progressively harder so it helps me to complete the difficult parts when I know that I have plenty of time. The questions at the beginning of the section are usually much simpler and straightforward. I used the Rn entrance exam study guide actually published by the NLN (isbn:978-0763762711). I thought the questions on the practice tests in this book really give you a good idea of what pops up on the exam. When you work through the practice tests, time yourself. It seemed to me that time management was the biggest problem that people had with the test, especially the math section. Good luck, Ashley

That's what I thought. Luckily I scored decently on the NLN so I have a fighting chance but it seems so righteously unfair to people who might not test well. I can't believe they don't give more weight to GPA and the what courses you've taken. I think how someone did in their science courses tells you more about their potential for nursing than how well they can perform algebraic equations under pressure. I took the NLN at the August session and there were at least a hundred people there taking it also. Not to mention the people who took it in June. If the applicant pool is smaller for the spring than I cannot imagine how many people must have applied in the fall. I decided I wanted to go back to school to be a nurse a few months ago and in May I found out how many hoops Oakton requires you to jump through before you can apply. This summer I took a CNA course, completed BIO 101 and CHM 105 during summer session, took all the stupid placement tests and had my mom go to my old high school so she could mail me official transcripts (I already have a bachelor's degree but apparently that wasn't proof enough that I graduated high school). If this wasn't so important to me I would have given up months ago. It must be so discouraging to go through all that and not get in. Are you applying again for the Spring session?

I'm applying for the Spring 2011 term and I was wondering if anyone out there is also applying or applied last semester and had info about how difficult it is to get in. Judging from the website, it seems like all they really care about is your results on the NLN pre-entrance exam. Is this the case? Also, if anyone is currently enrolled in the nursing program I was wondering how rigorous it is compared with other classes you've taken at Oakton? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks, Ashley

I live in Evanston - I don't know if that's convenient for you or not - but here there are nursing homes that offer free CNA training. Presbyterian Homes is one of them and Resurrection also offers basic CNA training (I think it's free) at Saint Mary's downtown. Don't quote me on this but I think in Illinois any nursing home receiving state assistance is required to offer free CNA training. You should call around. Now, there are a few downsides to going this route: 1. These programs aren't offered very often. Presbyterian Homes for example only does the free training twice a year and there's a lengthy interview process. They always have more applicants than slots. 2. Free programs take longer to complete. Think about it, as a CNA student doing clinicals you're free labor for the home or hospital. The longer they have you working for free, the more money they save by not paying someone to do the same job. It's hard to find reliable people who will do this sort of work for 9 bucks an hour. I think the PresHomes class lasts something like 2-3 months and it's five days a week from 9-3. As a stay-at-home mom with two young children, I couldn't keep that kind of schedule. 3. There are more people who want into these programs than there are slots. I called Resurrection and left messages at least five times and no one ever got back to me. Granted, I probably could have gone into their office and talked to someone but I wasn't in the mood to deal with it. Most of these programs have lengthy if not arduous application processes. I don't know what your financial situation is like but if you're able to pay there's also the community college route. The school for my suburb is Oakton and they offer a CNA. Of course, there are downsides to this as well. It's about $900, including tuition, fees, books, etc. if you're in district. And it's long! 10 weeks if you go 9-3 five days a week and 16 weeks! if you go in the evenings. Because I needed to finish my CNA asap to apply for a nursing program I went with Career Training Center in north Chicago. They're relatively inexpensive - tuition is about $500 (plus book ($50), cpr ($20) and uniform ($20) and they offer a payment plan. It's a family operation - the nurse instructors are a mother-daughter team and a brother runs the office. Candice, my instructor, was one of the sweetest people that I've ever met. The best part was the program is only three days a week for five weeks and you can choose whether to go in the morning or evening. There are a lot of options out there so I hope you find something you can do. Good luck. Ashley