Where do I even start for school?

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Hey everyone, my name is Logan. This is my first post and I know there is probably already a topic out there for starting school for a nursing education but my situation is a little different than most.

Let me start off by giving a little background of my education; I am a first year high school graduate (class of 2013) for 3 generations and also the only one of my 3, siblings to finish high school and plan on furthering my education. My family never really valued education and that's is why we are low to middle-class. We make ends meet and have some left over to splurge but that is besides the point. I cant go to any of my family for educational advice since NONE of them have any first-hand experience. I was not able to enroll into college directly out of high school due to a car accident I was in. I broke 27 bones. It was hard for me just to finish H/S while studying via webcam to some of my classes from a hospital bed and doing all online work while also learning to walk, eat, talk, and use the restroom again. I DID IT THOUGH!!!!!

Anyways, I have been cleared by all of my surgeons and p/t's to be able to continue my education via walking. I missed enrollment for college and I figured I could do late enrollment but I don't know where to start or how to even apply for college because I missed all those opportunities because of the wreck.

I was hoping some of you could give me some advice on how to further my education for nursing. I thought I could start off by at the least getting my CNA through Children's Mercy Hospital since I want to be a nurse and do work with kids in the PICU/NICU.

Any and all information is helpful and genuinely appreciated! If you have questions that would help you help me, just let me know. Also you can private message me with any questions!

Thank you all!!!

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WOW - 27 bones?! It's amazing that you persevered the way you did. I'm in awe!

So the first thing you need to do is Google accredited nursing programs in your area and narrow down your options by process of elimination. Some programs have more realistic requirements to apply while others do not for some people. In my case, there were some private universities that want you to take classes in religion and theology before applying, some are only LPN-RN bridge programs, etc. Some are too far away, etc. When you find a program or a few that interest you and will work for you, look at their prerequisites and make sure they are transfer friendly (meaning that if you took your pre-reqs at a different college in your area and then applied to their school that they will still honor them as meeting the requirements). You should probably start thinking about whether you want your associates degree in nursing (ADN) or bachelors (BSN). If you need help looking at the pros/cons of each option, it has been an exhausted and debated topic here on AN. Just go to the AN searchbar and type in ADN vs. BSN and you'll find some pretty enlightening conversations on the topic. I recommend choosing whether to do one or the other sooner rather than later because it's going to impact which pre-reqs you take, possibly which college you choose and the time it will take to complete the pre-reqs.

Once you know what requirements and pre-reqs exist for the program(s) of your choice, choose a college that you feel is right to complete them. For many, if money is an issue they do their pre-reqs at a community college rather than a university. I did! And there are always scholarships and grants. Scholarships though can be difficult to get being a brand new college student as you havn't taken any classes yet and have no GPA for college to show yet. But after your first quarter or semester, they're pretty attainable. Many colleges have their own scholarships foundations.

When you narrow down your college choices, make an appt to see an advisor (but indicate that you are interested in nursing as you make the appt or they will stick you with someone that has no clue which classes you will be taking or anything about progressing as a pre-nursing student). This advisor will help you figure out the soonest you can start classes and ultimately put you on the path to starting appropriately! They will give you all the steps.

You're very smart for asking about getting your CNA. Some schools dont care, but I believe that either way it's smart. You will be exposed to some of the "shock" factor of healthcare early and get realistic expectations of the field. Some nursing students without the experience start nursing school, then realize "I have to do WHAT?" and will quit because they can't handle it and were not realistic of what to expect. Yes, you will wipe butts. That's just one minute aspect of the job, though. But getting experience as a CNA looks great on a resume, both for getting into a program (for some schools it increases your chances) and for your future health career.

Because there is a hospital you're particularly interested in, after getting your CNA it would be ideal to approach that hospital about volunteering. It's a great way to get your foot in the door early!

Hopes this helps! Good luck to you and feel free to PM me with any questions. :)

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Specializes in NICU.

You wont be able to communicate through PM until you have 15 posts.

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Elizabeth Renee covered pretty much everything, but I figure I'd toss in a few thoughts.

I spoke to a lot of nurses at the hospital that I'm seen at, and they said to just go straight for the BSN as (from what I understand) many hospitals will be requiring their nurses to have a BSN in the coming years. But while you're knocking our pre-reqs (I agree, do them at a community college, as it's typically way cheaper, and the content/credits are pretty much the same), you can do a further analysis of just what degree you'd like to go after (maybe fetch your ADN, work as a nurse, save some funds, then get your BSN?).

As for the scholarships, apply for everything, even if you don't qualify for it. People look over the requirements, and pass them aside, thinking they won't get them. Consequently, some scholarships go without anyone applying. I know a guy who majored in mathematics in school who got a scholarship for something to do with foreign literature studies, or something completely off from what he was doing, but no one else applied, so he got it.

Now, for the CNA thing, I can't really offer any input, as I'm not one. I'm going the volunteer route for now. I know that for the nursing school I want to attend, you can apply to become a CNA after your first semester, which I thought was pretty cool, but if you want to get it sooner, by all means, go for it! But I would deeply research the school you're pursuing and see if you can talk to some former or current students, and get their input on what will improve your odds of getting in, as well as job potential.

Another thought: If you can't get into school this semester, perhaps you could go take a CNA class/volunteer and get that going in the meantime?

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Elizabeth Renee covered pretty much everything, but I figure I'd toss in a few thoughts.

I spoke to a lot of nurses at the hospital that I'm seen at, and they said to just go straight for the BSN as (from what I understand) many hospitals will be requiring their nurses to have a BSN in the coming years. But while you're knocking our pre-reqs (I agree, do them at a community college, as it's typically way cheaper, and the content/credits are pretty much the same), you can do a further analysis of just what degree you'd like to go after (maybe fetch your ADN, work as a nurse, save some funds, then get your BSN?).

As for the scholarships, apply for everything, even if you don't qualify for it. People look over the requirements, and pass them aside, thinking they won't get them. Consequently, some scholarships go without anyone applying. I know a guy who majored in mathematics in school who got a scholarship for something to do with foreign literature studies, or something completely off from what he was doing, but no one else applied, so he got it.

Now, for the CNA thing, I can't really offer any input, as I'm not one. I'm going the volunteer route for now. I know that for the nursing school I want to attend, you can apply to become a CNA after your first semester, which I thought was pretty cool, but if you want to get it sooner, by all means, go for it! But I would deeply research the school you're pursuing and see if you can talk to some former or current students, and get their input on what will improve your odds of getting in, as well as job potential.

Another thought: If you can't get into school this semester, perhaps you could go take a CNA class/volunteer and get that going in the meantime?

This is very good advice! I did mine during summer break between quarters. Do it now (if possible) while you have the time before you also have to tack on the stress of finishing pre-reqs on top of that. Basically any time you're not in school, always think of ways you can use your time that would look good on a resume, always with the goal in mind of getting into a program!

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Specializes in Pedi.

It is too late to begin school for the fall semester but there isn't any reason you can't start college in January. You are a recent high school grad, presumably you took either the SAT or the ACT? I would say look for a 4 year college/university that has a nursing program.

You mention Children's Mercy Hospital so I assume you are in the Kansas City, MO area. A simple Google search will lead you here:

Board of Nursing

where you can see a list of all Nursing programs (LPN, Diploma, ADN, BSN) in the state as well as their NCLEX pass rates. If you want to go elsewhere, just search for the state.

There are also a number of college websites where you can enter your desired major, high school GPA and standardized test scores and it will give you a list of colleges that match with you. It's been 12 years since I was applying to college so I don't remember what they are, but I know they're out there.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

You have gotten valuable information. :yes:

You have time to start classes in January for a community college; I would also look into 4-year unis as well if you decide to go the BSN route.

Whatever you decide, go out to the schools and interview THEM if possible, ask them questions about their program, let them know about your situation, ask them what they are looking for in a student. MOST of the time if you build up a rapport, they will notify you on open houses, etc.

Sending positive vibes on your success...YOU are amazing!!! :up::up::up:

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Hi, you are quite a resilient person! Did the accident affect your back? Do you get back pain a lot?

My suggestions and concerns regards your back, given that you had trauma. Talk to your surgeon about nursing. He'll have a good idea on whether the physical demands of nursing puts you at risk for a back injury and whether you can sustain repeat back injuries.

Talk to a CNA and an RN about the physical demands of nursing school and of the nursing profession.

Finally, talk to a nursing program director and ask them about students with back issues. When I my physical exam was cleared, one of the questions was "did you ever have any back problems?"

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