The Guys Club: Guy Students Come on In!

Nursing Students Male Students

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Hi All!

I'm a crazy father of 2 ex-premed who just recently turned down Northwestern to go into a RN program.

I already have an Associate in Science, but I'll be getting another ADN and then go to a 4 yr school.

When I went to an info session about the RN program ill be trying to get into, out of like 70 ppl only 5 were guys.

So I want to know are there any men out there?

Word of caution on the Accelerated MSN - not all MSN degrees are offered in accelerated format and some MSN degrees are not available if you already have an MSN. (strange, but true, though I think it's silly)

Also - some say that having an MSN without any nursing experience is a bad thing, but I have no idea if that's really true.

I had heard from a Californian interested in such a program, that those accelerated early MSN programs can suffer with a lack of places that offer clinicals. Supposedly, some hospitals just don't like the idea of someone with zero nursing experience suddenly being an MSN.

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I had heard from a Californian interested in such a program, that those accelerated early MSN programs can suffer with a lack of places that offer clinicals. Supposedly, some hospitals just don't like the idea of someone with zero nursing experience suddenly being an MSN.

At my school (in Northern California) in my Entry Level MSN program we have clinicals from week two of the first semester onwards. In the first semester it is one full day per week clinical, second semester is two days, and by the end of the program you're at four full days per week of clinicals.

After four semesters you sit your NCLEX and State Boards. Then most people work for a year, then come back for 3 more semesters (case management track) or 7 more semesters (family nurse practitioner track). Grads from our program are usually hired before end of their graduating semester. Thus, we do not exactly have "zero nursing experience" by the time we get our MSNs. We will have had four semesters of clinicals to RN then at least a year of full time work as an RN then a minimum of a year and a half of full time work while we finish our classes in Case Mangement, or a few years longer for those doing FNP. It is simply not possible to get an MSN from my school with less than two and a half years of work as an RN. This means that we are not really possessing "zero nursing experience."

As for difficulty getting clinicals - if you mean during the program - then yes - it is hard for local nursing schools to find clinical placements for all students these days because all the nursing schools have increased the number of nurses they are training. There are more nurses being trained than there are easily available places in our area. However, our school manages to place everyone. I have had only positive feedback from my clinicals.

When it comes to being a nurse - I will have my RN for two and a half years before I have an MSN - so I think by then it will be ok to have the MSN. I would not want to be as inexperienced as I feel now and have the letters "MSN" after my name. That would be just idiotic.

Hope this helps!

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I'm currently taking Physical examination & Health Assessment class. I really have a hard time with the exam format (case scenerio with 4 possible answers). The choices are really close in meanings. The professor keeps saying that "we have to apply everything I've taught to find the right answer". The average grade for the class of the first exam is a C. The professor seemed to get irritated when we asked her why she chose answer "A" or answer "B". Her rationale was vague and confused the hell out of us. Anyhow, anyone of you have any tips or tricks to help me out? Thanks

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I wouldn't mind an accelerated MSN program so long as the program had enough course work in a real master degree area of study and not just RN education and clinicals.

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Specializes in FNP/Acute Care.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who couldn't understand why you added your sexuality to your bio/intro. Who cares. And yes, it would have been more appropriate to say you were a male and had a husband.

It's about as rediculous as saying, "hi, I'm black".

Come on..

: p

That aside, welcome! : )

-j

I think it's comical that when people say...things like this, they immediately do exactly what say they don't mean to do. Apparently you care enough to point it out and get on a high horse telling me it's not something I should mention....so you tell me. Heterosexual is the default assumption, if you are straight you don't have to mention it. But several men here have mentioned their wives and kids. ( personally glad to hear it ) If I had instead just mentioned my husband would that have been better? ( guess some might have even thought I was a woman...( no insult to the fairer sex ) Perhaps instead of trying to make everyone conform to your sensibilities, It would serve you better to keeping your own side of the street clean. But that's my advice, take what you want and leave the rest.

Just a suggestion...

Ricky

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Hi All!

I'm a crazy father of 2 ex-premed who just recently turned down Northwestern to go into a RN program.

I already have an Associate in Science, but I'll be getting another ADN and then go to a 4 yr school.

When I went to an info session about the RN program ill be trying to get into, out of like 70 ppl only 5 were guys.

So I want to know are there any men out there?

yes there R 10 weeks ago I couldent even spell nursing student now I R one My class started with 5 male students with a total of 70 now we is 4 one dpopped any way we is out here. KK8J

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I'm currently taking Physical examination & Health Assessment class. I really have a hard time with the exam format (case scenerio with 4 possible answers). The choices are really close in meanings. The professor keeps saying that "we have to apply everything I've taught to find the right answer". The average grade for the class of the first exam is a C. The professor seemed to get irritated when we asked her why she chose answer "A" or answer "B". Her rationale was vague and confused the hell out of us. Anyhow, anyone of you have any tips or tricks to help me out? Thanks

Danny,

The best way to learn how to answer these questions correctly is to get an NCLEX-format study guide and practice with critical thinking questions and rationales. After a while you'll find that you get better at it.

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Danny,

The best way to learn how to answer these questions correctly is to get an NCLEX-format study guide and practice with critical thinking questions and rationales. After a while you'll find that you get better at it.

Thanks Tony.

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Thanks Tony. I bought the Saunders Nclex-RN review book and it helped a whole lot.

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I'm a 57 year old father of an 18 year old son in college. I'm in an ADN as career change. Was an Army medic too many years ago!

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Hello,

I'm a 33 year old loooking to get into an RN-ADN program. I'm working on various courses now and volunteeing. I was thinking of completing a 3 month CNA program to get some more experience and increase my chances of getting into an RN program. Anyone have any experiences with this?

I'm aware that the CNAs don't do everything the RNs do, I see them the days I volunteer. But I have to imagine it is valuable.

I'm also considering pursuing the Masters when I am done with the RN. I already have a BS in Biology and the NP degree sounds useful. I havn't seen too many posters here saying much about NP however....

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Thanks Tony. I bought the Saunders Nclex-RN review book and it helped a whole lot.

Danny,

That's great. What stage of the nursing program are you in now?

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