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Discussion

Really nervous about applying

I graduated Rutgers College with a BA in English in 2004, but have gone back to school to pursue nursing.

Unfortunately, I'm terrified about the odds of getting into a nursing program, mostly because of horror stories.

Right now I'm attending Middlesex County College in Edison, NJ (this is my first semester). I'm doing pretty well in AP I, Microbiology, and Eng 121 (long story about having to take that). If everything continues on track, I should end up with a 4.0.

I've heard, however, that the big determining factor is the TEAS test and that people tend to do well on it and it gets very competitive. I've applied to 3 ASN programs, but am worried about getting rejected from all three. Like, terrified, really.

What's the stress level like of getting into a Diploma program? Is it just as competitive? Do you still get a RN, and if you do, can I pursue a BSN or Masters afterwards, or do I have to bridge a Diploma to ASN program first?

I looked into som accelerated programs, but I work part time and am not confident I could handle the work load.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I know a lot of you have probably been here before, I guess I'm looking for reassurance that I'm not wasting years of my life trying to get into schools with closed doors.

Regards,

Ramon

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  • Author

Dear 2008 Ramon,

This is yourself, 4 years later. I decided to answer your post, because no one ever got around to it, and I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat as you today, and have similar anxieties and questions. So here's some spoiler alerts for your life.

1) Yes, you get into nursing school. You cry when you get the acceptance letter.

2) It doesn't end there - you have to work much harder than you think. In fact, you fail out of the program in 2010, and have to wait a whole year to get back in. It is really, really hard. You cut it pretty close again in 2011, but make it.

3) You have a kid along the way. You cry when this happens, too. He is one of the best things that ever happen to you. Sometimes life is much more unexpected then you think, and many times it's a good thing.

4) Many of your friends fail out for good. You later realize your school has like a 50% attrition rate. You seriously need to study much harder than you ever have before.

5) The HESI is terrifying, but you kill it. Mostly because you studied for it for 3 months.

6) You kill the NCLEX, too. Congrats, you eventually become an RN. It never gets easy; the job search is tough and your state has a bunch of hospital closures so the market in your area is saturated with experienced nurses. The pay is lower than people told you.

But you meet some amazing people along the way, and find out, yes, this is the field for you. You find out that helping people is incredibly rewarding. You find out being a nurse is more than meds, and you find out talking to a kid about zombie movies while he was stuck in a hospital bed was the favorite part of his stay.

I urge you, myself from 4 years ago and anybody reading this who is thinking about going into nursing, to keep the faith and to follow your dreams.

If you do your best, amazing things can happen.

Best of luck to you,

Ramon, RN

PS - December of 09 don't bother driving 3 hours to go to the Christmas Village. It's closed when you get there and everyone gets all persnickety.

This was a great read and very inspiring.

This was wonderful to read! Registered to this site so I could tell you "CONGRATULATIONS!" :nurse:

This was awesome and insightful into the life of a nursing student and nurse and beyond!!!

Okay, this was pretty cool.

Congratulations, Ramon, RN!

I LOVE THIS! Congrats and thanks for the inspiration!

Very inspiring! Thank you!

This is so great. I'm awaiting my letter of acceptance/rejection right now, and I'm SO nervous. This is inspirational. Thank you. :)

Awesome Ramon RN

That was an amazing display of tenacity!!! Thanks for inspiring all of us wannabe nurses!

Loved reading this! Thanks!

This was really sweet. Thank you for this and congrats on it all!

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