Questions about nursing school and nursing in general

soupermom · Feb 21, 2009

I would suggest that you skip the HS guidance counselor and go to the community college and talk to an advisor. Tell them what you'd like to do and have them help you plan what classes you need to take to achieve your goal.

I am doing an ADN program at the community college and can test for RN when I'm done. I have a couple of additional classes to take on top of that degree to get the transfer degree. When I get the transfer degree I will go to the university and do the RN-BSN program. Most of those classes are done online and I'll be able to do them while I'm working as an RN if necessary.

What you may want to do is work as a PCT or CNA while you do your pre-reqs and you'll get your feet wet. Wish I had done that. Good luck!! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it.

samanthadaisyRN · Feb 21, 2009

Hi- I am going for my BSN in nursing as well. I went to a community college for my first two years and the college I went to had an associates degree called pre-nursing. It had all the classes that I needed in order to go to a university and finish my second two years. I am applying to universities right now. It is a really good idea to do a community college first!! The classes tend to be smaller and less difficult, and GPA is extremely important in getting into nursing programs. I recommend that you go to the community college and talk to the advisor, they will know a lot more than the high school councelers. Hope this helps, good luck!

momofstudent, ADN, BSN · Feb 21, 2009

Advice should depend on her particular circumstances. She may need to begin at the community college level for remedial work and then prenursing. She might want to stay at that school for an ADN. If she has the academic preparation and the financial resources a traditional program at a university may be the place for her. She needs to talk to many people first.

CinnScorpStudent · Feb 21, 2009

A comedian once said...."if my guidance counselor couldn't guide themselves into a better career, then do I want them guiding my career"?...with that said, see if you can do any volunteer work at a local hospital or long term care facility (looks great to a college and subsequent employer) and get a feel for what you really want to do in this field. At your age the possibilities are endless for what you might actually end up doing be it nursing, medical degree, surgeon, research, engineer that designs artificial hearts, etc....get my drift? I'll tell you what I tell my own children...."find your passion and THEN shoot for the highest star in the sky and never give up"...who knows, you might be the one that turns the tide on cardio-related disease ! I would advocate what others here have said about talking to an advisor at a local college instead of just your counselor at school (as good as their intentions may or may not be) but even with an advisor, YOU decide what you want to do and don't let them guide you into spending money you don't have to to fill the college's coffers with uneeded credit hours that you'll pay for when you don't want nor need the courses...there comes a point where you will be the only one looking out for you albiet it's very nice to find a forum such as allnurses that I have also found very usefull for insight and opinions.

justiceforjoy · Feb 21, 2009

Where are you located? The steps are fairly different depending on your location.

Here, the only pre-requirements are ones you can finish in high school (ask to stay behind if needed... It's free that way ).

I definitely recommend volunteering. It is a lot different from what we tend to think going into it.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 21, 2009

If you wish to go for the BEN, it would be best for you to go straight for the BSN. There are no specific pre-reqs for the BSN programs; you will complete all of the required courses during your four years in the program.

If you wish to go the community college route, then you have a year of pre-reqs to complet before getting into the two year nursing part of the program, so this turns things into a three year program. Some go for the ADN, and then go on for the BSN degree. Either of these two programs will let you practice as an RN and you would sit for the same NCLEX-RN exam.

As mentioned above by another poster, it would be best to speak directly with some of the nursing programs that you are interested in and get their input as to what they think would work best for you.

Sorry that your guidance counselor is not up to providing any guidance at all. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

AudreyHurston · Feb 23, 2009

Hi Everyone,

I'm new.

I want to ask a question that piggy backs the original, in a way. I am interested in becoming a nurse and since I started considering it two years ago(I was in the middle of a BA program which I just graduated in May '08 with English B.A.) I've overcome a lot of the OCD stuff that makes many people around me think I wouldn't be a good nurse. However in doing some reading I just learned that a common issue for nurses is lifting heavy patients. I've had heavy people in my family lean on me since I was a child and mess up my back and knees for days and this aspect of the job REALLY scares me. What can be done to avoid injury or physical pain from the lifting of patients and must you always do this by yourself?

soupermom · Feb 23, 2009

You don't lift heavy patients by yourself, you use a lift and get assistance. No one wants a nurse to throw her back out. You'll be taught proper body mechanics in skills labs.

jjjoy, LPN · Feb 26, 2009

To the OP - can you become a volunteer at a local hospital? If so, ask to work in a patient care area and while there make a point to observe the nurses and ask them about their job. You can also find out about other types of jobs in health care that way as well. And the experience would look good on a college application as well! If you can do this during the summer/spring break, it's even better because you could volunteer during the heart of the day as opposed to just after school or on weekends.

As another mentioned, you could also see if your community offers nursing assistant classes. That would give you hands on experience working with patients as nursing assistants learn how to take blood pressures, assist patients with eating, and other tasks that help the nurses take care of their patients. Even if you decide to go another direction in the future, that kind of hands on experience not only looks good on resumes but also is also a great way to learn more about your own strengths, weaknesses, preferences and dislikes.

countrylifeRN · Mar 1, 2009

I would suggest shaddowing a nurse several times during different hours of the day, evening and night.