Where do I start?

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i have decided to pursue my dream of being a crna finally.. so now where do i start? can i do pre reqs and get into a bsn program? if so where? or do i have to just go to a 4 year bsn program? im so confuses by all of this........ i dont have any vredits as of right now....any suggestions? im trying to complete my bsn asap im hoping on some sort of accelerated program? any advice thanks :twocents::banghead::D:bow::bow::bow::bow:

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If you are not already an RN, or if you don't already have a BS in another field, you will have to take a traditional 4-year BSN program. Contact your local univ. that has a program to find out specifics. Each school has certain pre-req's that they require. One thing to keep in mind is that entry is very competitive. The school I attended had an average of 3.5 GPA on pre-req's to gain entry into the actual nursing program.

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so if i take pre req at a community college i can get into a accelerated bsn prgram?:banghead:

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

Hi there!! Glad you found us!!

Your options are many....you may have to take things a little slower than you want (or mentioned in your other post!)....

Do you have any college credits?!?! If so, some or many of those may count toward a degree -- associate's or bsn....if not, you get to start from square one. It will be tremendously cheaper to take as many of these prereqs, etc., at a community college. I am talking math, English, sciences, history, electives, etc., etc. The nursing core will represent a significantly small portion of your credits toward graduation at either level.

I would suggest if you have college classes, you begin by calling the nursing admissions counselors on the various campuses around town -- UMSL, SLU, St. Louis Community College (Meramec, Forest Park, or Flo Valley), Barnes, St. Charles Community College, Jefferson Community College...can't think if there are any others....maybe someone will pipe in with more...

Have them evaluate your transcripts if they exist....if you have no college credit/experience, then you also need to meet with these folks to prepare a plan of action....either your associate's or bachelor's degree....you can start looking at CRNA programs for your future (try http://www.discovernursing.com or looking at the CRNA forum here at allnurses)...see how they integratewith your plans or what's required for them. I seem to recall someone mentioned on your other post that you may have to have some on-the-job experience prior to be admitted to a CRNA program.

These are all things that will help educate on your path...once you have talked to some admissions counselors and started looking around, you will learn what the "ropes" will be. You can start actively heading toward your goals.

And you will soon realize that you are so very young with lots of time ahead of you....I worked an OR rotation one day where the student CRNA was probably late 30's to early 40's....don't lose sight of your goal worrying about your age....

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
so if i take pre req at a community college i can get into a accelerated bsn prgram?

i believe you have to have a bachelor's in another field to do an accelerated program, but i'm not 100% positive....check with umsl; i know they've got both a traditional and accelerated program....

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Thank you,

I dont have any classes to transfer so I have to start from scratch... What man plan is.... and tell me what you think. Take these next two year to focus on pre reqs and then try to get into an accelerated program at umsl or somewhere for their BSN? Then once I tackle that I have to work for 1 year and get a couple pre reqs for crna school then start applying.... Think what I wanna do is achievable?

Do you work in the saint louis area?

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I just checked the UMSL nursing program website (it only takes a minute! :)), and the accelerated BSN program requires a previous baccalaureate degree or a minimum of 62 hours of college credit to be eligible to apply:

"Required Prerequisites (62 credit hours)

American History or Government (3)

Anatomy & Physiology I & II (8)*

College Algebra (3)

Economics (3)*

English Composition (3)

English Composition-Junior Level (3) waived if student has earned Bachelor’s degree

General Psychology (3)

Social Science Elective (3)

Human Growth & Development (3)*

Chemistry (4)*

Humanities (6)- 2 classes

Philosophy elective (3)*

Interpersonal Communication (3)*

Microbiology (3)*

Human Nutrition (3)*

Statistics (3)*

* prerequisites to nursing courses" (http://www.umsl.edu/~nursingweb/academic/bachelors/accelerated.html)

So, if one is "starting from scratch," with no college credits to transfer, you don't qualify for the accelerated program. Every "accelerated" BSN program I've ever heard of has been for people who have a baccalaureate degree in something else (non-nursing), or close to it; the way the accelerated degree programs work is that students don't have to take all the other, non-nursing courses (because they've already had them somewhere else) required for a BS degree, and only need to complete the specific nursing courses (which are also sped up and rushed through compared to a traditional, "generic" BSN program).

Your best bet, as WDWpixie noted, is to talk to folks at the various basic nursing programs in your area and see which one may be the best "fit" for you. Best wishes!

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Thank you very much....

I will call them in the morning.

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Specializes in Emergency.
I believe you have to have a bachelor's in another field to do an accelerated program, but I'm not 100% positive....check with UMSL; I know they've got both a traditional and accelerated program....

Surprisingly this is not true. I am starting UMSL's Accelerated nursing school on May 12th and I have only 61 credits (however my Yoga class at STLCC didn't transfer over..so according to UMSL I only have 60). I am currently at STLCC finishing up my sophomore year...I have yet to take their requirement of Junior level writing, obviously since I am not a junior yet...but one of the UMSL nursing advisors told me to apply anyways and mention in a cover letter for my essay that I will be willing to do that class during the program (which she felt I could handle)...it's 15 months, so we graduate in August of 2009. So, I'll basically get my BSN in three years instead of four-as long as I make it through the program :bowingpur.. it is a highly competitive process...I feel lucky/honored that they let me in even though I only had 60 credits and have to take a class.

My advice is to take all pre-requisites at STLCC (if you're looking at getting into Barnes or UMSL...even the other programs as well..) because you'll save yourself a LOT of money in the end. Even though my program is Accelerated, it is still the same price as the traditional program. I suggest calling the schools you are interested in to make sure you're taking the right classes and to get other info.

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Specializes in Emergency.
I just checked the UMSL nursing program website (it only takes a minute! :)), and the accelerated BSN program requires a previous baccalaureate degree or a minimum of 62 hours of college credit to be eligible to apply:

"Required Prerequisites (62 credit hours)

American History or Government (3)

Anatomy & Physiology I & II (8)*

College Algebra (3)

Economics (3)*

English Composition (3)

English Composition-Junior Level (3) waived if student has earned Bachelor’s degree

General Psychology (3)

Social Science Elective (3)

Human Growth & Development (3)*

Chemistry (4)*

Humanities (6)- 2 classes

Philosophy elective (3)*

Interpersonal Communication (3)*

Microbiology (3)*

Human Nutrition (3)*

Statistics (3)*

* prerequisites to nursing courses" (http://www.umsl.edu/~nursingweb/academic/bachelors/accelerated.html)

So, if one is "starting from scratch," with no college credits to transfer, you don't qualify for the accelerated program. Every "accelerated" BSN program I've ever heard of has been for people who have a baccalaureate degree in something else (non-nursing), or close to it; the way the accelerated degree programs work is that students don't have to take all the other, non-nursing courses (because they've already had them somewhere else) required for a BS degree, and only need to complete the specific nursing courses (which are also sped up and rushed through compared to a traditional, "generic" BSN program).

Your best bet, as WDWpixie noted, is to talk to folks at the various basic nursing programs in your area and see which one may be the best "fit" for you. Best wishes!

The classes you listed are correct. You are correct when you say he does not qualify at this moment, but in about two years time, he should (just like I have) and he can then apply. There was a part on the website for UMSL that was not posted...and that's the fact that if you already have a bachelor degree in something else, they require you to have a 3.0 GPA, whereas if you do not have a degree, you must have at least a 3.2 (after completing 62 credit hours). On top of this, one must have 2 letters of recommendation, and submit an essay. They only start up once per year, every May, and accept 40 people. Just filling in some of the "blanks" here so that it isn't as confusing! :) Have a nice day everyone

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The classes you listed are correct. You are correct when you say he does not qualify at this moment, but in about two years time, he should (just like I have) and he can then apply. There was a part on the website for UMSL that was not posted...and that's the fact that if you already have a bachelor degree in something else, they require you to have a 3.0 GPA, whereas if you do not have a degree, you must have at least a 3.2 (after completing 62 credit hours). On top of this, one must have 2 letters of recommendation, and submit an essay. They only start up once per year, every May, and accept 40 people. Just filling in some of the "blanks" here so that it isn't as confusing! :) Have a nice day everyone

Well, I'm certainly glad to hear they're correct, since I cut & pasted them directly from the UMSL ABSN website ... As for qualifying in two years, he "should" qualify in two years if he spends the next two years taking all those courses, and has a competitive GPA. Sounds like the OP is in a big rush, and looking for some other option besides spending the next two years positioning himself to apply for a program.

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It doesn't matter if you do pre-req's at a community or 4-year college. You still will have to attend 4 years of school in order to complete a BSN. The only way to fastrack is to have an associates degree in nursing (ADN-RN) which takes about 3 years to get, then there is a 1 year transition program from ADN to BSN, still totaling 4 years of college either way. The other option is if you already have a BS in another field you can then go back and take an accelerated BSN program that can take anywhere from 1 to 2 years (for a grand total of 5 to 6 years of college). As you can see, there is no true "fast-track" from ground zero. And guess what? Once you complete your BSN you will have to work a minimum of 1 year, if not more, in the ICU before you can qualify for CRNA school. Good luck!

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