glasjar

Thanks for the comments: additional information--or maybe clarification. The community college I was looking at is a two year program. I have enough prior credits that count toward the ADN to bring it down to three full time semesters (49 credits)--if the college offered every course every semester. So theoretically three semesters. However, they only offer certain classes in the Fall and others are Spring only... so in practice it would still take two full years of about six to seven credit hours a semester. WSSU (wssu.edu) offers an accelerated BSN for people with a bachelor's degree that is a fourteen month course. Catch: I'd need to take at least Chem I and II plus A and P before being admitted. Kind of hard to do with my current work schedule.

I am looking for an accelerated ADN or BSN program. Background: B.S. in Elementary Education, taught elementary school for years. At wife's urging, took a higher paying job in commercial construction management. Youngest kid will be going to college next year, and wife's desire for more money is no longer an issue since I've been a single parent for a while. Ready to work in a field that I really care about again--and work less than 60-70 hour weeks. Jobs for elementary teachers are few and far between now. Nursing is one of the fields that fits my personality and isn't totally dead at the moment. I have not taken chemistry courses of any kind, nor have I taken any microbiology, A and P, or statistics. I do have several other biology courses in my transcripts though as well as psychology courses which are prerequisites for many programs. Would prefer to stay in an area that is relatively near my adult children. While I find the internet very useful, I am not a fan of internet based degrees. That means I am looking for programs in North Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia. I have looked at several programs. Among other things, I learned that I could get enough previous credits counted that I could theoretically take all the credits needed for an ADN in three semesters at the local community college. The catch is that the courses I need are only offered stretched out over a full two year period. My previous credits wouldn't shorten the duration of schooling just cause me to only need to attend part time. Any suggestions? Thanks

I don't have experience interviewing in the nursing field, but what you are describing is common practice in other fields. Every teaching job I have had had an interview process similar to what you describe and the commercial construction management position I currently have involved an even more stringent hiring process. If the economy stays in the slumps and more people enter nursing causing the ratio of applicants to positions approach equilibrium or even a surplus of applicants, then paper screening, screening interview, panel interview etc. likely will become the norm in nursing too.