3 years of my life wasted on false hopes!

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi All,

I have to vent. I have been waiting 3 years to get into ADN school. All of my gen eds are done, I have been working as a clinical med asst/surgical asst for 6 years and I still can't get into the nursing program. The waiting list is too long! I called the program advisor today and was told that I am in line to stat clinicals in 2005! I won't graduate until 2007. No wonder there is a nursing shortage...no one can into the d### program! I am considering Regents but the lack of clinical prepardness scares me. Has anyone thought of this route, or are you doing Regents now? Can anyone lend advice? I am going on 30 and don't want to wait anymore. I want my RN degree! The only other program is 50 minutes from me and they too are booked until 2004. Is Regents a good idea? Does anyone know?

Thanks all

Lisa

I suggest contacting your state senator , and talk to him or her in person. If all else fails, your LPN clinical would probably suffice for the Regents program, my clinical was pretty much a waste, experience is the important component, I feel. Good Luck and perservere, I feel the nursing profession will turn around and you will want to be there for it!

Carrie

Sorry to hear that! My school hasn't been able to fill al its slots in years - only 12 students starting this fall. Of course, I guess KY would be kinda far for you to commute..:)

Wow, Lisa, that's rough. Is the program you're trying to get into just highly competitive? Do they only take a few students a year? It sounds like they need to do some work so that they can increase enrollment into this program. My program has adjusted this year to accept 10 more students a year (from 30 to 40). Hope you are able to work it out - keep us posted!

Good luck-

Kristin :)

I think it's a good idea to try to get your LPN now if you can. That way, you can get into nursing sooner, and will be a leg up in clinicals when you start the ADN program. Plus, you can start earning money towards your ADN tuition fees.

As far as the Regent's thing is concerned, I honestly don't know anything about the program other than it's a distance learning thing, so I don't have an opinion to give there.

It sucks that there's this kind of thing happening all over the country when there's a shortage. You'd think there was a huge surplus of nurses, wouldn't you? :(

Specializes in Leadership/Critical Care/Surgery/Seniors.

Given the world-wide nursing shortage, that seems preposterous! I would suggest trying to get in somewhere else. It is difficult to get into the nursing programs in Canada as well. Enrollment seats were cut back some years ago. I have heard several people say it takes a year or two to get in, but what you are saying is outrageous. I don't think those who make decisions in our countries have figured out that there is a real problem here!

Lisa,

This is outrageous!!!! I know when I began taking my pre-reqs 3 years ago, I was told that they only accepted 60 applicants PER YEAR!!!! Well, somehow, someway, at our last orientation, we had over 100 people there and these were all incoming freshmen!! About 12 of these students are doing the weekend program that is offered every other year, but the rest are for the weekday program. Also, about a week and a half ago, we were told that they had ADDITIONAL spots available if we knew of anyone interested. It seems that the college was able to get some sort of grant (because of the shortage) and hire another instructor, thus giving them the ability to add 10 more spots to the program.

I can't advise you on the Regent's...have heard of it, but have not experienced it.

And I would CONSIDER that 50 minute drive if you want it bad enough. I will be driving about that, because the ADN program is held at a branch of the local community college. I've found that the drive isn't really all that bad. Plus it will give me time to listen to tapes, go over notes in my head, or just "relax" before coming home to my two young children.

Don't give up...you can do it!!!!

Shonda

that sux Lisa, there are so many schools here they can't even come close to fillng the classes, you could definatly start in january here, of course you'd have to move to the arm pit of the country known as Buffalo

:o Lisa...that is such a bummer! Here in Las Vegas they accept 54 students each semester and the past 5 semesters (including this one) they haven't even been able to fill the seats. They are pushing people up a semester to start. Here you apply a year in advance.

It seems as though you need to really think about that other program 50 minutes away. AppyHorse was right. Take the time to study and relax. You could always move to Las Vegas: no state income tax, low cost of living and nursing student spaces! Well there was the thought! Good Luck!

Specializes in Perinatal/neonatal.

I am pretty sure that you must have an active LPN license in order to do the Regents Program. I know a couple of nurses who have done it. One is now a RN and the other had to stop for financial reasons. I guess it works if you can motivate yourself.

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