Questions---going into nursing..

[sincerebliss]

Okay, so I've decided I want to do nursing and become an RN. I know there are some schools in my area, like Spencerian College, Bellarmine, Ivy Tech, etc. My boyfriend thinks I won't have to take any pre-reqs (like required classes if you were to go to a regular college). Is this true? Do I have to take pre-reqs in order to start my nursing classes?

What should I be looking for in a nursing school/program?

I've read about certain jobs paying for nursing school. How does this work?

Does it really matter which school I go to? If I go to the cheaper school will good jobs look at me as less qualified?

How long will it take me to become an RN?

What should I know before I go into this? Any advice?

Thanks a lot,

Alicia

[jjjoy, LPN]

You can answer many of these questions yourself by checking with local schools, asking about pre-reqs, time frames, etc. Start by checking schools' websites and calling school recruiters. Once you have some basic info, you'll be in a better place to ask other questions about nursing education.

Also, if you don't have much exposure to nursing so far, I'd encourage asking friends and family to introduce you to nurse friends so you can interview them and ask about shadowing them at work. Consider volunteering in a hospital in a patient care area and/or taking a nursing assistant course to see first-hand how you feel about patient care.

Good luck!

[hyggeligt]

I've read about certain jobs paying for nursing school. How does this work?

The only entity I've found is the military...

If you take that route, you owe service.

Maybe others will know better. Good luck!

[UVA Grad Nursing]

I've seen a few hospitals offering to pay for diploma programs, but they require multi-year commitments (often 1-2 years of work for each year of scholarship support. I've also seen several pay for ADN education for their own employees who are working as CNAs, LPNs, or PCTs.

Yes, you will likely need several prereqisite classes (pre-nursing) before you start nursing classes. Common courses are Human Anatomy/Physiology, Microbiology, and Lifespan Development.

Good luck with your examination of nursing.