What exactly is the process to get an RN degree?

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I am currently a pre-nursing student doing classes at MCC and through Rio Salado*. I hope to finish up the classes in about 3 years and be ready to apply for nursing school. I have a couple of questions:

1) How do I apply for nursing school? I have heard that in Maricopa County you just list your top three choices for nursing schools and then they call you back for interviews, etc. Is that true? If so where do I get the application and to whom do I return it?

2) Do you get a choice of hours/days once you get in, or do you just have to accept what you get? Are there programs for working people or full time moms that have alternate hours?

3) What is the interview like? What questions did they ask you? (just curious)

4) I have a paper from MCC that lists the classes I need to take prior to applying for nursing school. Once I get in, is the nursing school going to lead me towards an RN degree? I know some LPN's that are in the same clinicals as RN students so it's all rather confusing for me. Could you clear this up for me? I just want my RN degree. That means pre-req's, then 2 years of nursing school, right?

* I'm finding it very frustrating to get in to pre-req classes at MCC that I need. There is a long wait list on some of them even before registration opens up! I decided to just take on-line next semester. I have small kids and I can't be running around everywhere and waiting in line at the crack of dawn to get into a class I need, only to be told it's full. You would think with the shortage of nurses they would be rolling out the red carpet for students.

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1) How do I apply for nursing school? I have heard that in Maricopa County you just list your top three choices for nursing schools and then they call you back for interviews, etc. Is that true? If so where do I get the application and to whom do I return it?

I believe it's top four choices, and you can find an application on any of the MCCCD websites (look under nursing program, then sometimemes it's under newsletter).

Do you get a choice of hours/days once you get in, or do you just have to accept what you get? Are there programs for working people or full time moms that have alternate hours?

No idea on the first question. Yes, there are part time programs, weekend programs, accelerated programs in addition to the traditional. You have to check on each cc's website and hope they have any details listed. Some do, some don't. I recently went through the Spring 2007 clinical program choices and researched what I could on the non-traditional programs (I only looked at the public pools).

Glendale CC has a hybrid, part-time evening program (20 capacity Spring 2007) which runs 26 months (no breaks for summers I'm guessing). By hybrid I'm thinking that means the lecture portion may be internet based?

Glendale CC has a weekend day program (18 capacity Spring 2007) which runs 24 months (no breaks for summers I'm guessing).

Phoenix College has an accelerated afternoons and weekends (20 capacity Spring 2007). Couldn't find any info as to what that means.

Phoenix College has a part-time evening program (10 capacity Spring 2007). Again, don't know the details.

Scottsdale CC, as part of a partnership (public pool still) has an accelerated program (18 capacity Spring 2007) which runs 16 months, start dates of January and August of every year.

Rio Salado -- I know they offer an online didactic and gosh, I'm not sure if their program is traditional, part time, or accelerated. But their capacity last semester was like 10 iirc, and they offer start dates every other semester (summers included iirc).

3) What is the interview like? What questions did they ask you? (just curious)

I wasn't aware there was an interview. Unless you attempt to get into a non-public pool program (current hospital employee, for example).

4) I have a paper from MCC that lists the classes I need to take prior to applying for nursing school. Once I get in, is the nursing school going to lead me towards an RN degree? I know some LPN's that are in the same clinicals as RN students so it's all rather confusing for me. Could you clear this up for me? I just want my RN degree. That means pre-req's, then 2 years of nursing school, right?

I want to think it's Gateway CC which might by the looks of it offer some sort of separate LPN program. I may have that wrong though. The rest of the MCCCD colleges offer LPN and RN degrees together, which is why you see some to-be-LPN students in with the to-be-RN students. After Blocks 1 and 2, everyone is qualified to take the exam for LPN licensure. Those who don't wish to do so simply go on to Blocks 3 and 4 which lead to qualification to take the exam for RN licensure.

* I'm finding it very frustrating to get in to pre-req classes at MCC that I need. There is a long wait list on some of them even before registration opens up! I decided to just take on-line next semester. I have small kids and I can't be running around everywhere and waiting in line at the crack of dawn to get into a class I need, only to be told it's full. You would think with the shortage of nurses they would be rolling out the red carpet for students.

That's how I found out about Rio too. MCC courses filled up too fast and I couldn't get in, so I started looking around other places and found Rio.

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Thank you so much!! Your replies have been very helpful. :)

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