Why do I keep hearing stuff about waiting lists?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 25, 2006

You need to apply to the nursing schools that you say you can get into for your BSN. If they have a waiting list they will let you know. The people on waiting lists are usually those who have finished all their nursing pre-requisite classes. While they are waiting to get into nursing classes they take any other classes that will be required by the university for the bachelor's degree. Sometimes they also apply to other schools and whoever offers them a place in a nursing class first is the one they end up going to. This is how some people who are on waiting lists actually end up starting nursing classes a lot earlier than they thought they would. There are some nursing classes that you may be able to get into without being on a waiting list. However, you have to check with the nursing department of each particular college as each will have their own rules and policies to follow.

I am not one who is an advocate of nursing students having to work as CNAs prior to going to nursing school. I did it when I was in my second year of nursing school and it was helpful, but being an RN is much more than what a CNA does. An RN is primarily a supervisor and manager of patient care and you can't learn that as a CNA.

LAROSILIERE7 · May 25, 2006

Well, if you are apply to schools that have a competitive admission criteria, either the school is top notch or they may have a low budget.(meaning they take the students with the highest gpa).The public schools are harder to get into.The private schools, on the other hand, don't really have a problem with their budgets, therefore, they accept many more qualified students than public schools.Have you tried applying to private schools?In what state do you plan on studying in?

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · May 26, 2006

I keep reading about waiting lists of like 2 yrs or something. Who has time for that? Are they putting people on a list that have finished all their pre-req's? I think that's very crappy.

It is because there are a greater number of qualified applicants that have completed prereqs than spaces for students. Also, known as supply and demand.

Nursing School is not like other academics. You cannot merely add a few seats to a couple of classrooms, a video monitor or two, and thus increase the number of students. It is SUBSTANTIALLY more complex than that. Thus the inability of colleges to easily increase openings.

gialogy · May 26, 2006

Hello! Am new, both to the site and to the scene of nursing, am one of those hoping to recieve a letter saying that i made it to the waiting list at least! Am hoping to get into the Associates degree RN,but looked into private LPN schools, but they too seem to have closed their enrollment. Looks like I'll take a cna course to kill some time til next term. Get my feet wet so to speak.

A short note on why there are waiting lists is that, it is more profitable for nurses to be nurses (in hospitals) than to teach and train new nurses.

In my county community college, the waiting list for LPNs is at least 3 years, and for the associates degree in nursing it's at least 2.

Around the country, approximately 150,000 students were turned down in 2005. (YES, I did my homework) Apparently, the governments idea on fixing the shortage is by openning up more work visas. A quick fix to a growing problem.

Brain drain of working nurses from poorer countries, while here we are, those who are willing to be trained as nurses are kept waiting until either the colleges or the goverment develops more options or offer incentives that nurses will be willing to return to the classroom and chose to teach.

I have also heard of the lattice program, unfortunately is it slow in catching on. This would be a great alternative where students can work and learn at the same time. Too bad not all states have picked up on it yet.

Sorry for the rant, I'm just fustrated with the situation.

LadyEJ BSN, RN · May 26, 2006

Do you think the number of nurses needed will be met anytime soon?

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · May 28, 2006

Do you think the number of nurses needed will be met anytime soon?

According to Health Care trends I have read, where Health Care and related technology is projected to expand as Baby Boomers are projected to retire and be in need of more Health Care Services, the answer to this question is "No!" :stone

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · May 28, 2006

Brain drain of working nurses from poorer countries, while here we are, those who are willing to be trained as nurses are kept waiting until either the colleges or the government develops more options or offer incentives that nurses will be willing to return to the classroom and chose to teach.
Sorry for the rant, I'm just frustrated with the situation.

I understand your frustration. This sounds very similar to how the Federal Government tried to resolve the shortage of IT people back in the 90s. It did not work.

There were still many jobs that went unfilled during the hight of the boom. I have my doubts that doing anything short of cranking out more American Nurses and improving the work conditions of current Nurses will do anything more then put a bandage on a very complicated and Dangerous problem. :saint:

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · May 28, 2006

What about the increasing trend of the hospitals having so much power? I am referring to the hospitals and their plans with many colleges. The only way to get around waitlists that I have seen is to work for a hospital with a nursing sponsorship program and get sponsored for a spot in the public nursing school. Then you are tied to working for the hospital for a few years. On one hand, I'm glad it gives many a way into nursing school. On the other hand, I find it disturbing that the hospital corportation are in a position of such power that individual citizens are not. Is it naive to wish that the government could impliment programs to significantly increase nursing program enrollment...then the students could decide where they want to work?

The only way around a 2-3 year waitlist in my area is to work for a hospital as a CNA and get one of their seats in the community college nursing program. You then have to work for the hospital for 3 years. There is an element of indentured servitude to this for me. I don't object to the service requirement and contract - if one signs on and commits to this, it is his/her decision. I am troubled by the power the corporations weild to get spots in the public nursing programs. We don't see medicals schools with spots for students who commit to working for United Healthcare or Kaiser for example. No.

Also, this bit about hospitals and their power to limit clinicals and such. I'd like to see the government solve the problem of clinical sites by passing a bill that tells facilities if you accept medicaid/medicare then you accept students for clinicals. Period.

Sadly I don't have much hope. The underlying theme I am referring to is that the corporations have power and the individual students (citizens) have less and less power.

CYR · May 29, 2006

I'm starting nursing school this fall. I met the prereqs after the fall 2004 semester so that has been a 3 semester (one and a half year) wait for me. However, while I have been waiting, I have completed almost all the requirements for later transfer to a BSN/MSN program so I don't feel that I've wasted time. I also feel that since I have put so much into getting a higher degree already it will motivate me to keep going instead of settling for the basic RN.

In your case with already having a bachelor's degree however, you can find schools wherein you can earn a BSN in one (very intense) year or in 16 months and I don't think those have the long wait lists that the community colleges do.

Good Luck!

HeartsOpenWide, RN · May 29, 2006

I applied to two schools and got into one on the first try. I was going to be 72 on the waiting list at my Junior college where I had done all my pre-req's where they take anybody that has passed them. I also applied to a BSN program which looks at pre-req GPA, over all GPA, medical experience, local residency, TEAS scores, and foreign language if you have it. I got into the BSN right away, and will start in August. They do not have a waiting list, but an "alternate list". If there are any of the "first pick" that do not start the program (they decide on another one, they fail a pre-requ ect) then they start taking people on the "alternative list". Once classes start the "alternative list" is done away with and every one has to re-apply the next year.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · May 29, 2006

In my area there are wait lists of at least two years for all the community colleges around, but not for the BSN programs. Those go by grades and previous medical experience. Plus you need to have your foreign language completed if you are a transfer student to the University. All your ducks in a row so to speak.