Volunteering + admittance to nursing school = better chance of getting in?

will volunteering at a hospital before being admitted really increase/help my chances of getting into a nursing program?

tia!

[z's playa]

Not here but it really depends on the requirements and they all vary from place to place. Volunteering is only taken into consideration when you go out and look for a job. Plus it could give you valuable exposure prior to and during school (clinicals). Go for it.

Z

[LydiaNN]

I would say in most places that I know, yes. One of the things many admission committees take into account is how well rounded students are in general. Not sure if that holds true for the very competitive community college programs, though.

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

depends on many things-size of school, university or community college, number of applicants to nursing program, how good your grades/gpa is, etc etc.

can't hurt

[Nemhain]

will volunteering at a hospital before being admitted really increase/help my chances of getting into a nursing program?

tia!

definitely no...at least where i am in the northeast. all of the programs around the area (there are four) base admissions on a minimum gpa of 2.5 and then everyone goes on a waiting list - first come first served. you should contact the admissions office of the schools you plan on applying to and find out what they base their admissions on. lots of schools around the country have different criteria their applicants must meet. i've even heard of some schools doing whacky things like putting the student's names in a lottery (how cruel)!

i do, however, feel that volunteering and/or working as a cna can certainly provide a good foundation for when you start your nursing program!