Relocating to NC and looking for info on nursing programs

U.S.A. North Carolina

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hi!!

i live in michigan now and we are seriously considering moving to north carolina. my husband and i both lost really good jobs here due to the economy so i decided to pursue my dream of nursing school. i have most of my pre-recs done and applied for 1 school here so far and did not get in. the schools here are so overloaded and competitive (it sounds like it's like that in a lot of places).

i have family in nc (mostly raleigh area) and have always wanted to move there. i am trying to find out how competitive the nursing programs are and what schools are good to look into. my husband is very supportive and said he will go where ever i want as long as it is good for my education and he can get a job.

can anyone give me some info?? i want to go into an adn or bsn program but would be willing to start with lpn if they are in demand there.

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hi there!

As far as nursing schools in NC, there are a lot to choose from. If you are looking for an ADN program, there are tons. You could go to the NC Board of Nursing website and they have a list of every accredited nursing school (both 2 year and 4 year schools) in NC. Here is the website. www.ncbon.com If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Good luck!! :wink2:

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Thank you so much for the info!! Do you know what the difference between ADN and RN certificate? I looked on that website and one of the schools I was looking into only offers a certificate program but both allow you to take the NCLEX and get licensed. From what I can see, the community colleges near Raleigh are Wake Tech, Johnston CC and Watts School of Nursing. Are there any more that you can think of??

I saw that you are in school now...What school do you go to and how long did it take to get in? I have a 3.7-3.8 GPA right now and I hope to keep it there. I am almost done with my pre-recs but every school seems to have slightly different requirements so am really confused as to where to go and what classes to take next semester.

It looks like will will either be moving in Dec/Jan or May so I would like to apply to start NS next fall.

Thank you so much for your help!!! :redbeathe

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesia, ICU, ED.

Another ADN program in the area is Durham Tech. Watts is a diploma program. Bachelors program in that area include: UNC Chapel Hill and NC Central, Duke has an accelerated program only. If you want to have any hope of beginning next fall, I would recommend contacting these programs and starting the admissions/screening process. Most of the CC's in NC, especially in this area, have a 2 year waiting list.

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I go to Nash CC in Rocky Mount. It's about 40 min east of Raleigh. I actually was at UNCW my first year out of high school, then came back home and started taking classes at NCC. It took me one year to get in, because i decided to finish all of my pre-req's before getting into the program (which i would recommend to anyone). It helped not only in lightening my course load, but the way Nash determines who gets in is on a points system. The more pre-req's you have completed the more points are added to your total score, which equals a better chance of getting in. I was accepted on my first try. Try and keep your great GPA :nuke:

And I had to take the TEAS which was sort of like an entrance exam. It covered math, science, and reading/grammar. What you scored on the exam was added to your total score. I'm not sure if other schools require the TEAS or something similar.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

there is also vance-granville in henderson, its about an hour from raleigh, but i heard it doesn't have as long of a wait as wake tech and durham tech. also wilson cc and barton college (which is a private 4-year) in wilson.

as far as board pass rates, i think JCC (johnston cc) and watts have the highest success rate in this area.

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Specializes in UM, Care Mgmt, OB, Med-Surg.
do you know what the difference between adn and rn certificate? i looked on that website and one of the schools i was looking into only offers a certificate program but both allow you to take the nclex and get licensed.

an adn program awards an associates degree in nursing after which you are eligible to take the nclex-rn (national) exam in order to become a licensed registered nurse. you can receive your adn at a community college.

a bsn is a bachelor of science in nursing which is earned at a 4yr college or university. after graduating, you are also eligible to take the nclex-rn.

a hospital based program (such as watts school of nursing) awards a diploma in nursing which allows you to take the nclex-rn as well.

there are some schools (ecpi is one) that offers a practical nursing program. after graduating, you are eligible to take the nclex-pn exam in order to become a licensed practical nurse (lpn).

as suggested, research the ncbon to learn about the different schools in the area, their nclex pass rates, scope of practice for rn's and lpn's etc.

another great site is www.discovernursing.com. there is so much information on that site from nursing programs without waiting lists, to how to apply, scholarships, nursing specialties, and more.

you really should begin visiting the websites of all the schools you are interested in going to and become familiar with their pre-reqs and application deadlines. remember too that you may have to pay out of state tuition if you begin school less than one year after moving here. in this case, you'll also want to get your financial aid (if needed) information together early.

hth. feel free to pm me with any questions.

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1st good luck to your family in your relocation quest.

If you find that you will not be staying with family in Raleigh. Also consider other parts of the state. My family and I just relocated to the Triad from the raleigh area. We decrease our cost of living by ~ 18% and increased our salaries. I say this because the Triad also has excellent nursing schools and the cost of living is much cheaper thn the Raleigh area. Check out the nursing schools in Forsyth, Guilford, and Surry Counties.

My Alma Mater is Winston-Salem State University. I was well prepared after leaving there.

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Are the Triad schools also a 2 year wait to get in? (Associates)

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Hey I too am planning to relocate to Durham or Raliegh. I plan to leave after I finish ADN in Cincinnati. I am already a LPN and I will finish my LPN to RN program Dec 09. So my question is what are some good BSN programs? The ones I seen took a long time to complete. In Ohio at UC you can get your BSN in 8 months sept-may. Help!!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg..

Hi Wanna-b,

Just wanted to give you some NS info. I live outside of Raleigh, went to NS in Wilson, NC (almost an hour from my home). Not sure if this is how every school handles admissions, but this is how mine did it.

There was an Oct. deadline to attend a mandatory Orientation Seminar for anyone hoping to get into the next Fall's RN Class. After that, you submit all your paperwork, transcripts, etc. In either Feb/March - you take the TEAS test. They had a cut-off score for the TEAS - everyone scoring high enough went to the next step - physical exam, Hep-B series. Over 400 people applied for the 42 open slots for that Fall. They don't have a waiting list, they go on a point system, based on pre-req grades, TEAS score, etc. They kept narrowing down the candidates until they had the 42.

If you want to start NS next Fall, you really need to contact all the CC's in the Raleigh area to find out what steps you need to be taking now - because they all fill-up quickly. And - like another poster mentioned, some of these schools have 2 year waiting lists.

Best of luck to you, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Susan

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Hey I too am planning to relocate to Durham or Raliegh. I plan to leave after I finish ADN in Cincinnati. I am already a LPN and I will finish my LPN to RN program Dec 09. So my question is what are some good BSN programs? The ones I seen took a long time to complete. In Ohio at UC you can get your BSN in 8 months sept-may. Help!!!!

There are RN-BSN programs you might want to check out. Schools include East Carolina University, Duke University, and likely many of the other schools in NC. These programs typically take ~6 months--and they are usually limited to JUST the theory courses you missed in getting your ADN.

Straight BSNs are usually 2 years for people who apply right into the program as you probably would.

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