The competition....

adc85 · Jul 22, 2013

I understand what you're saying, and I don't disagree. However, as one of those girls who started college right out of high school, lives off of her parents' income, and has zero healthcare experience, I am thankful that nursing school doesn't consider the things you mentioned. I feel like I'm not taken seriously in most situations because I'm young and inexperienced. I know I don't have as much life experience and common sense a you, and I definitely don't deserve this opportunity as much as you do. But, I just want a chance, one chance to prove myself. We can probably both agree on that.

Don't say you are less deserving than someone else just because you are young and not in the same situation as the OP. Everyone's path to nursing school is different, and if you work hard and get in, then you deserve it! Good luck!! :)

amberdawn85 · Jul 22, 2013

I think anybody without kids has it easy. 3 young kids has to equal 42 full time jobs! If I was doing this straight out of highschool I wouldn't have nearly as much motivation as I have now. I stay home with all three babies while my husnand works a ton of overtime hours as am officer to pay for my schooling. I feel like anybody will a low GPA lacks commitment, whether it be a 19 year oldie a 40 year old.

catman88 · Jul 22, 2013

I think anybody without kids has it easy. 3 young kids has to equal 42 full time jobs! If I was doing this straight out of highschool I wouldn't have nearly as much motivation as I have now. I stay home with all three babies while my husnand works a ton of overtime hours as am officer to pay for my schooling. I feel like anybody will a low GPA lacks commitment, whether it be a 19 year oldie a 40 year old.

I agree! I do not have children, but I am married and have a full-time job. Out of high school I slacked off in everything. Now that I am married and we hope to be able to have kids/adopt someday (infertility issues), it is a HUGE motivator for me to get the ball rolling on nursing school and my career before we have a family.

But, like the OP said, I am frequently surprised by the lack of knowledge of a nurses role that many pre-nursing students have. Just a few weeks ago I was talking to my A&P classmates about nursing, and the general consensus was that they would NEVER be a CNA or do the things a CNA has to do, they just want to walk around casually drinking coffee and charting while making "big bucks"....boy are they in for a surprise.

I am glad to have a stepmom who is a nurse and tells me how it is, plus my experience as a CNA (which was several years ago).

sjalv · Jul 22, 2013

I want to add that while I am a young student, I have plenty of motivation. Nursing is what I want to do, and what I have been striving to do since before I graduated high school. If I fail now, what will I do? Move out and work a minimum wage job while I kick myself? I would rather walk into oncoming traffic. Failure isn't an option for me. Also, it's worth noting that if a person makes it into a nursing program against his or her competition, then they are likely very motivated regardless of age :geek:

EDIT: Any nursing student who thinks they won't be performing CNA duties sometimes as an RN isn't living on the same planet as us, apparently. Don't they realize that the first semester of most, if not all, RN programs is all about skillsets shared by CNAs?

meeep, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2013

Its not that I can't handle it, I just don't get straight A's. There is no "time" for me to focus on school, I will always have to work there isn't any way around it.
I wish I could apply to other schools, and maybe if this one takes too long I will have to do that but that will also require moving.
I wasn't in any way trying to blow out anyone's candles.....I was mostly trying to say I think its crappy that CNA experience counts for nothing. I don't think there is anything wrong with not having to work or living at home, but I also don't think its fair for my experience to not count. I think a B average and 5 years healthcare work history along with a good interview should count for just as much as someone with an A average and no work history. That's what I was trying to say.

You're right, it's very crappy and I agree that your experience should count more than it does. Tbh I hate schools that are pure numbers based like that. So glad all the schools I'm applying to look at applicants holistically. If possible, try to find a school like this.

catman88 · Jul 22, 2013

I want to add that while I am a young student, I have plenty of motivation. Nursing is what I want to do, and what I have been striving to do since before I graduated high school. If I fail now, what will I do? Move out and work a minimum wage job while I kick myself? I would rather walk into oncoming traffic. Failure isn't an option for me. Also, it's worth noting that if a person makes it into a nursing program against his or her competition, then they are likely very motivated regardless of age
EDIT: Any nursing student who thinks they won't be performing CNA duties sometimes as an RN isn't living on the same planet as us, apparently. Don't they realize that the first semester of most, if not all, RN programs is all about skillsets shared by CNAs?

Lol, exactly!! You sound like you will be a great nurse. I wish I had been as motivated as you!

claritasd · Jul 22, 2013

But, like the OP said, I am frequently surprised by the lack of knowledge of a nurses role that many pre-nursing students have. Just a few weeks ago I was talking to my A&P classmates about nursing, and the general consensus was that they would NEVER be a CNA or do the things a CNA has to do, they just want to walk around casually drinking coffee and charting while making "big bucks"....boy are they in for a surprise.

... Wait, people think that? But, but... have they ever been in a hospital? Because... just... no.

Serious let down is waiting for them. Hahaha.

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Jul 22, 2013

A guidance counselor once explained to me that the sciences GPA was used for admissions because it was a good predictor of whether or not someone would make it though the program. Getting accepted into a program is actually the easy part ...although it may not seem that way now.

And while you may be a great CNA, there is a huge difference between a CNA and an RN. CNA tasks are covered in the first few weeks of school and then things move along very quickly. It's good to have confidence in yourself, but try not to let it become arrogance. You probably don't know anywhere near as much as you think you know. You'll learn, though!

I went to school in my 30's after getting pretty close to rock bottom. I lived in a dumpy place in an unsafe neighborhood, got my electricity and water turned off regularly because I couldn't pay the bills, and had to walk or ride the bus everywhere I went- including school. I made it into a competitive entry program, though ...and I am very proud of that fact.

I had classmates who were young and beautiful and had the best of everything. I was (and still am) very happy for them. Hopefully, they will never have to struggle the way I did because they made better choices than I did ...and might have even been a tiny bit luckier than I was, too!

whattodo4 · Jul 22, 2013

that's more of a fault with the school's admission polices than the student. Some school's put GPA on a pedestal over everything else, some look at the whole package-it sounds like you are at one of the "GPA above all else"

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 22, 2013

Everyone has something against them going into nursing school. For the youngsters it may be the sacrifice of their social life (IF they want to succeed). For us older students, it's the fact that we have major responsibilities like homes to pay for and maintain, and for the REALLY old ones like me (I'm 49) it's the added difficulty of getting our aging brains into learning mode. It took me a few semesters to get there. My pre reqs started out sluggish but by my last semester I was making straight As and scored in the 99th percentile on the TEAS. You can do it, just rearrange your life a bit, cut down on work hours to give yourself study time so you get excellent pre req grades, study for the TEAS so you get excellent scores on that, and remember, the struggle is temporary.

i♥words · Jul 22, 2013

Everyone has something against them going into nursing school. For the youngsters it may be the sacrifice of their social life (IF they want to succeed).

I may have snorted while reading this. Certainly some young people are mourning the loss of their social lives, but not me. I am not even sure I ever had a social life to lose. :geek:

And now I feel sort of pathetic and lonely...

LoveNeverDies · Jul 22, 2013

OP, I started Pre-reqs for school right after high school. I have known that I have wanted to be a nurse since I was seven. I have been a Lifeguard and a CNA for 2+ years. I very much appreciate that I do not have young children or many bills to take care of while in school. However, I work in school to pay my own way. CNA experience is not considered in our acceptance, GPA and Teas only. I would like to point out that in my program my CNA experience will only help in clinical and assessment skills. Unfortunately, school is 90% about book smarts, perhaps it is different in other schools. Here is an example of experience not helping in school: A hospital system near me offered assistance for LPNs to go back and bridge to RN in my program, about 15 people accepted the option. Within half a semester we were down to 5. These are Nurses with years of experience. My suggestion for you is to find ways to study, perhaps change your study habits. Everyone has something going against them, I know many single parents working full time, doing very well in my program. Good Luck at getting accepted.