Call me stupid, but...

[donnajon]

lpn = low paid nurse

 

[MrsPete]

There are three ways to become an RN.

1.) Associate's degree at a community college, 2 years.
2.) There are programs through hospitals, but I can't tell you how long they are. Seems like I haven't heard much about them lately. They might be phasing these programs out. I don't know.
3.) Bachelor's degree with a college or university, 4 years.

True and false. None of those things would actually make you an RN. The one thing that'll make you an RN is taking and passing the test that'll give you an RN license.

The things you've listed are the pathways to qualifying to take the test. Yes, that's splitting hairs, but the point is that you could earn a Bachelor's degree and then fail the test.

I'm sure somebody can help you a bit more, but here is what I need for an associates. General courses before I can even be admitted into the RN program.
- General and advanced Anatomy and physiology
- Microbiology
- Developmental Pysch
- Communications
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Written Communications
- Sociology

And there are a few more that I can't remember off the top of my head. Taking the CNA course is also a requirement. After that, most schools have a wait list (mine is 5 years) and then you'll take your 2 years of clinicals. The first two years is the estimated time it would take to get through all of those general classes.

My high school daugther and I have been visiting colleges, and I was surprised to learn that NO ONE is a nursing major Freshman / Sophomore years. Once the student has completed all those classes you've listed, they must apply to get into the nursing program. There's a test involved -- is it called TASK? I'm not sure I remember that correctly. And they must have a CNA license to get into the nursing program. It's harder than I expected.

Most of the nursing students attend a six-week summer school in which they earn their CNA license. My daughter's going to have a jump on that: She's doing it through the vocational classes here in our high school. She'll have a CNA 1 license before she has a high school diploma, and she's going to complete the CNA 2 license (not a big step past 1) during the summer. She hopes that by working part-time as a CNA during her Freshman /Sophomore year, she'll get a jump on the competition and be better qualified for a spot in the nursing program as a Junior. I also feel good about the idea of her having the hospital experience in high school; it'll give her a feel for whether this is what she really wants BEFORE college.

Also, I was shocked to hear that the schools in which she's interested only accept a small number of people into the program -- one school takes 40, another takes 50. I asked why, with nurses being in such high demand, they take so few, and the instructor explained that the hospital in their area can only support 100 student nurses (50 juniors, 50 seniors). They won't accept a student into their program if they aren't going to have a place for him or her to go for clinicals. It makes sense.

 

[cepmom]

True and false. None of those things would actually make you an RN. The one thing that'll make you an RN is taking and passing the test that'll give you an RN license.

The things you've listed are the pathways to qualifying to take the test. Yes, that's splitting hairs, but the point is that you could earn a Bachelor's degree and then fail the test. My high school daugther and I have been visiting colleges, and I was surprised to learn that NO ONE is a nursing major Freshman / Sophomore years. Once the student has completed all those classes you've listed, they must apply to get into the nursing program. There's a test involved -- is it called TASK? I'm not sure I remember that correctly. And they must have a CNA license to get into the nursing program. It's harder than I expected.

Most of the nursing students attend a six-week summer school in which they earn their CNA license. My daughter's going to have a jump on that: She's doing it through the vocational classes here in our high school. She'll have a CNA 1 license before she has a high school diploma, and she's going to complete the CNA 2 license (not a big step past 1) during the summer. She hopes that by working part-time as a CNA during her Freshman /Sophomore year, she'll get a jump on the competition and be better qualified for a spot in the nursing program as a Junior. I also feel good about the idea of her having the hospital experience in high school; it'll give her a feel for whether this is what she really wants BEFORE college.

Also, I was shocked to hear that the schools in which she's interested only accept a small number of people into the program -- one school takes 40, another takes 50. I asked why, with nurses being in such high demand, they take so few, and the instructor explained that the hospital in their area can only support 100 student nurses (50 juniors, 50 seniors). They won't accept a student into their program if they aren't going to have a place for him or her to go for clinicals. It makes sense.

regarding the bold above-it all depends on the school. My DD is a nursing student (she is currently a junior) but she was accepted into the nursing program as a freshman. Granted most of her first year classes were the gen ed/prereqs but she was a nursing student none the less.

A CNA license is not required to get into the nursing program at her school (or any others inthe Boston area that we looked at) Although after so many clinical hours, I guess they can get their CNA license which would be nice to have while in nursing school so you can get the hands on experience on top of clinical hours.

 

[npmommie]

regarding the bold above-it all depends on the school. My DD is a nursing student (she is currently a junior) but she was accepted into the nursing program as a freshman. Granted most of her first year classes were the gen ed/prereqs but she was a nursing student none the less.

A CNA license is not required to get into the nursing program at her school (or any others inthe Boston area that we looked at) Although after so many clinical hours, I guess they can get their CNA license which would be nice to have while in nursing school so you can get the hands on experience on top of clinical hours.

I didn't have to have a CNA license either, I worked at one of the major teaching hospitals here and they had a position for nursing students, I think it was called Student Nurse Intern, basically a nursing student working as a CNA.
Don't know if they still have that, this was many many years ago!

 

[bjgrazi]

True and false. None of those things would actually make you an RN. The one thing that'll make you an RN is taking and passing the test that'll give you an RN license.

The things you've listed are the pathways to qualifying to take the test. Yes, that's splitting hairs, but the point is that you could earn a Bachelor's degree and then fail the test. My high school daugther and I have been visiting colleges, and I was surprised to learn that NO ONE is a nursing major Freshman / Sophomore years. Once the student has completed all those classes you've listed, they must apply to get into the nursing program. There's a test involved -- is it called TASK? I'm not sure I remember that correctly. And they must have a CNA license to get into the nursing program. It's harder than I expected.

Most of the nursing students attend a six-week summer school in which they earn their CNA license. My daughter's going to have a jump on that: She's doing it through the vocational classes here in our high school. She'll have a CNA 1 license before she has a high school diploma, and she's going to complete the CNA 2 license (not a big step past 1) during the summer. She hopes that by working part-time as a CNA during her Freshman /Sophomore year, she'll get a jump on the competition and be better qualified for a spot in the nursing program as a Junior. I also feel good about the idea of her having the hospital experience in high school; it'll give her a feel for whether this is what she really wants BEFORE college.

Also, I was shocked to hear that the schools in which she's interested only accept a small number of people into the program -- one school takes 40, another takes 50. I asked why, with nurses being in such high demand, they take so few, and the instructor explained that the hospital in their area can only support 100 student nurses (50 juniors, 50 seniors). They won't accept a student into their program if they aren't going to have a place for him or her to go for clinicals. It makes sense.

My daughter is a nursing student, who has her CNA. My son calls her a professional hiney wiper, but that's another story. Her program only takes 21 students. Another school she applied to only took 20. Extremely competitive field. Most schools are dropping the test you need to take. Where she is going now there wasn't a test to get in. I also know that Seton Hall has recently dropped that requirement.

 

[laurie31]

Another reason programs are so competitive is the lack of instructors.

. The nationwide average age of doctorally-prepared nurse faculty is 56.6 for professors, 54.2 for associate professors, and 50.5 for assistant professors. The average age of doctorally-prepared faculty at retirement is 62.5 years.

(from http://nursingphd.org/articles/shortage.php)

In other words, a WHOLE LOT of faculty are going to be retiring in the next ten years so things will get even worse.

 

[lsyorke]

Another reason programs are so competitive is the lack of instructors.



(from http://nursingphd.org/articles/shortage.php)

In other words, a WHOLE LOT of faculty are going to be retiring in the next ten years so things will get even worse.

And the fact that they require Masters to teach, but pay WAY less than a staff nurse. I would love to teach in nursing school, but no way would I pay the cost of getting a Masters(and the time) to make half what I make now.

 

[MrsPete]

regarding the bold above-it all depends on the school. My DD is a nursing student (she is currently a junior) but she was accepted into the nursing program as a freshman. Granted most of her first year classes were the gen ed/prereqs but she was a nursing student none the less.

A CNA license is not required to get into the nursing program at her school (or any others inthe Boston area that we looked at) Although after so many clinical hours, I guess they can get their CNA license which would be nice to have while in nursing school so you can get the hands on experience on top of clinical hours.

I suppose it varies by area, but the three schools we've visited thusfar all told us basically the same thing. Students here can SAY they're nursing majors as Freshmen /Sophomores, but what they really mean is that they're general ed majors who intend to apply to the nursing school for their Junior /Senior years. I really didn't have a problem with that concept. I understand it's all about not making a promise to EVERYONE that there'll be a spot available to them for clinicals. But once you're accepted into the nursing school, the college makes a commitment to you that they'll provide you with a placement in the hospitals.

Another reason programs are so competitive is the lack of instructors.



(from http://nursingphd.org/articles/shortage.php)

In other words, a WHOLE LOT of faculty are going to be retiring in the next ten years so things will get even worse.

Wow, I had no idea, but now that I think about it, ALL the nursing faculty members to whom I've spoken at the Open Houses has been a good bit older than I am. Sounds like nursing education would be a good field to enter.

 

[starann]

I didn't have to have a CNA license either, I worked at one of the major teaching hospitals here and they had a position for nursing students, I think it was called Student Nurse Intern, basically a nursing student working as a CNA.
Don't know if they still have that, this was many many years ago!

During nursing school I worked as a Student Nurse Extern, which was a nurses aide, but I was 'taught' a bit more of why things were done and even got to go to the OR to see a open heart (I worked on a stepdown post open heart floor).

I went to a 2 year diploma program. I do not have an associates and one day will go back for my BSN (just not right now). It was a HARD, intense program as one of the nations oldest nursing schools. It is asscoiated with a hospital and actually at the time I was hired, over 10 years ago, they preferred new nurses from this program rather than the other area schools, as they knew the high standards of the school.