Some thoughts on the shortage

[joieprice]

and some information needed. I actually just received the letter from the ADN program I applied to yesterday and found out that I have been placed on the wait list which is a good thing as it should give me priority for next years selection. Now I just have to finish up some general ed requirements and knock out the requirement I will need for the RN to BSN program I would like to get into. At the present time I work in a totally unrelated field.

Now that I have given you the background, my feelings on the shortage are this. At least in my area (Los Angeles area), it is really difficult to get into a program. The community college I go to recieves about 500 applications for their nursing program every year. They accept 24. The LVN program is backed up two years. Most of the universities in the area only offer RN to BSN programs. This can be incredibly frustrating to deal with. There is also the problem of money. The immediate problem is that nursing school demands so much time that working a regular job becomes very difficult. While this is completely understandable, it does make it a bit difficult while you are going through it. There is also the long term money problem. If I were to go out and get a job in Human Resources (something which I have experience, though not a degree in) I could be making $60,000 within a year. Nursing is going to take much longer to make close to that, if ever.

I have wanted to be a nurse since I was thirteen and I am still sure that it is a path that I want to follow, but I can definately see why many others don't. My question would be, how do you go about it. I have heard that the government does have programs that financially assist with the training of nurses but does anyone know where you find the information? Any other advice for getting through school?

[Q.]

Have you looked into federal financial aid? Scholarships?

Not all scholarships are soley merit based - some are based on need alone.

My husband and I put ourselves through a BSN program (I even went to a private college) through federal financial aid loans and working full time. We ate spaghettios almost every day, but we made it work.

Federal loans are good in that most of them, the Stafford in particular, pays for your interest while you are school, which saves you thousands.

Some schools also offer payment plans.

I would, if you haven't already, look into the federal aid programs. I couldn't have gone to school without them. I know it's a loan, and I don't know about you, but I sure as hell feel better writing out my student loan payment every month than my car payment! I don't depreciate, like my car!!

[Winelover2]

Dear Joieprice,

I was surprised to see that there was some place else in the U.S. that it was very hard to get into the nursing program of a college. I moved to Florida, from Illinois, two years ago due to my husband's job transfer and I have yet to get into a nursing program here. I was in the middle of my nursing clinicals in Illinois when I had to move. Now, each college that I have applied to has given me a different reason for my not getting, such as not having the right math classes or the right prerequisite. Unfortunately, I am becoming very discouraged and might have to seek another career choice. I want to be a nurse more than anything, but I'm not getting any younger!!

[shelleys]

I think you are right. At Purdue, if you aren't accepted directly into the nursing school your freshman year, most likely you will spend at least three years preparing to get in, spending 6 years in college. I personally think it is ridiculous. This year I watched numerous girls dropped out of the nursing program because of the human phys class, so therefore a couple more transfer students will get in to the program. I think it is a huge part of the shortage.

[cag42]

Student Loans Go to http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/cfda/p93364.htm

------------------

cag

[joieprice]

Thanks for the responses. I am looking into loans but am finding them harder to come by after being out in the workforce. My husband and I make to much to qualify for most of the need based scholarshipsbut I find it kind of interesting that they base that on our income with me working. The school fees themselves aren't that bad but I do worry about things like daycare expenses.

I am also somewhat happy to hear that difficulty getting into the programs is not just isolated to my school. Sometimes I think that the most difficult thing is explaining that to my husband. He is even more impatient then I am to just get on with it.