why is it so hard to get into nursing school?
464247
If it were easy, anyone could do it
977849
LOOK FOR A SCHOOL WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR RN AT THE END OF THE FIRST 2 YEARS, AND THEN CONTINUE WITH YOUR BSN.  IN OTHER WORDS, GET ENTRY INTO THE NURSING PROGRAM (NOT JUST "PRE-NURSING") RIGHT OFF THE BAT.\n\nI know too many people who have done "pre nursing" only to find there are limited spots in the actual nursing program at the end for their first 2 years.\n\nCheck out your local community colleges.  The one near me offers a wonderful nursing program (low cost too), you get your RN at the end of the 2 years.  Then it's easier to get into a 4 year school to finish your BSN (called "RN to BSN" programs).\n\nAlso, if you get your RN you could work full time and finish your BSN part time.  Most hospitals will pay for you to finish your BSN if you are their employee.
196694
wow!  where to start, money is great, get to be around people, you learn a lot about the medical field, you understand and can treat diseases better, you become more health conscience, if you are a college student with loans, they will pay them or a percentage of them for you.  and the hype is, the nursing field is extremely low.  many many places need nurses and can't get them because so many people want to do other things.  the more and more people get sick, the more and more they are going to need nurses.  it is extremely marketable.  any small town needs a nurse.  even overseas, they need trained nurses to help with pandemics and epidemics, with all the wars in the middle east and africa, trust me, the need is high!
482880
Do you want someone who isn't terribly competent giving you shots, etc? No. This is why it's difficult to get into health care programs. Also, the health care field is growing very fast and many people are recognizing this and want to jump on the bandwagon and schools can't train that many people at one time and have them get an adequate education.
1095695
too many people going into nursing to get abroad. Wise choice? Maybe.
1164058
From your moniker, I'm guessing that you are premed and getting a little worried about the options.  Assuming you've had the basic coursework, A&P, biology, chemisty, biochemistry, etc, you can get into either one.  Nursing is definitely easier to get into than medical school.  You can be out and earning money in about 2 years, though it you decide to wander on into being a practicioner, a nurse first assistant (to a surgeon), or another specialty, then you are going to earn a bit more (ok, sometimes a huge bit more).  \n\nIf you decide to be a doctor and are lucky enough to get in, then you'll take about 3 years to go through school, then you have residency, and probably a little extra training.  Oh, yes.  and tuition bills out the wazoo.  \n\nDoctors tend to earn more, but have less stress than nurses.  They have a different level of responsibility.   \n\nNurses have to go under the guidance of a doctor.  A nurse practitioner can write a prescription, but the doctor has to review it or sign off on it.  Nurses need to work to orders.  Doctors write the orders.\n\nDoctors are one of two medical positions which are permitted to prescribe drugs without getting authorization.  Nurses are not.\n\nFollow your heart, and your luck.  Some people in nursing absolutely love it.  Others hate it or grow to hate it.  .  Some doctors love what they do, others don't.
949960
Ask the colleges in your area about their nursing program & what the requirements are. Classes are limited, so getting in is tough and may not happen the first time you apply. It's easier to get in at a vo-tech type place, and you will get a nursing license, but they are usually not accredited schools, so your classes will not transfer if you want to go further with your degree. \n\nIf you get rejected after you apply, take CNA classes, CPR certifications, do volunteer work at your local hospital, ect.... to increase your chances (points) of being accepted next time. \n\nHaving a high act score helps, also.\n\nIf this is something you've always wanted to do, then go for it and good luck.
1155436
I have a FFD formula for success and nursing is a part of that formula.  \nI suggest that you do not minor in either but take classes that all pre-med students have to take before they are accepted into a medical school.   Look into the any pre-med curriculum and see what classes are required and take these classes or minor in pre-med.  I listed a few below.\n\n\nKnowledge of Biology and Chemistry is not what gets you into law school.   I face this every semester.   Medical schools have denied acceptance to pre-med students with 4.0 GPA but accepted the student with less than 3.0 GPA.\nStay in nursing and go for your ARNP during the 2 years your before Med School.\nEmail me for more information if you want to know more on how you can get accepted into Medical school with a nursing degree.
762868
Not going to be able to answer that.  But I did look at North Dakota State.  They have an excellent nursing program and I would have loved to have been able to go there.  I can only tell you to research as many schools as  you can.  And try to visit as many as you can.  You have to remember most schools have a very strict curriculum based on the states requirements.  And all schools in that state are either right on the line or above.  Most try to be above the bar because they want their students to be prepared to pass the state exam.  Check out the schools in your area first.  Chances are you will find one that has the same requirements as the more expensive schools.
643218
This is just coming from a country white girl, but oddly enough, I can relate.  I grew up in a little bitty ol country town no one has ever heard of, in a family where no one else had gone to college ever.  Luckily my parents encouraged me and helped me believe I could do anything, but I had friends whose parents discouraged them from ever trying to make anything of themselves or try to get a better education, better job, or better life.  Part of it was money, they didn't have the $$$ to send their kids to college, they didn't know anything about what college meant or even how they'd go about the whole process, and part of it I think was fear.  Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, and simply not knowing any other kind of life.  The reason I tell you this isn't to get a pity party for me or my friends, pity isn't what we need.  My point is, we all face so many hardships, and it's hard for people to see, and that I really can relate. I wanted to be a doctor since age 5 but didn't know anyone who'd ever done that, so I didn't know much about the process, and I didn't have any "connections" who could hook me up or even steer me in the right direction.  Even in middle and high school I did research on the internet and asked my pediatrician about med school and what I needed to do to be a doctor.\n\nSo, back to your question.  How to succeed when it feels like the cards are stacked against us??\nYou have to do your homework.  And by that I don't mean schoolwork.  I mean, you set a goal for yourself and stick to it.  Figure out what it takes.  Don't just say "I want to be a business woman" and expect it to happen.  Find someone who you admire in that field and spend some time working with them or getting to know them, and know how they went about becoming successful.  How did they get to where they are today, what sort of schooling did it take, how many years of education or professional training/ecperience did it take, what was the hardest part, what is the best part about it? Do an internet search, go to the library, see what the basic requirements are.  This is the way I found out to be a doctor I needed 4 years of college then 4 years of med school, then at least 3 of residency training.  If I hadn't done this basic research I wouldn't have known.  Another thing you should do (not sure how old you are) is look for programs geared towards you.  In high school I did a summer program at a medical school that was geared towards "rural" students interested in becoming doctors.  And I only found out about it by accident from another student (our guidance counselor told me he didn't think I was smart enough and that I wouldn't fit into a program like that so he never gave me the application)  Anyway the point is, look on the internet or specifically ASK your guidance counselor, college advisor, etcetera if any programs like this exist for you, something geared towards women in business or minorities in business.  That summer program in high school literally taught me everything I needed to know to succeed in geting accepted to college and med school, and to believe in myself. They set us up with mentors, they gave us sample college classes and preparation for them, they put us in touch with the admissions offices of the colleges and med schools. It didn't make it EASY but any means, but it just layed out the groundworks for people like me who otherwise had no idea where to begin, or what I needed to do or when to do it.\n\nSo, to sum it all up:\n1)believe in yourself\n2)find a role model who you can go to for advice and learn from\n3)be proactive and figure out what it takes, how much education, what kind of training, how long etc\n4)There's programs out there to help you.  Look for them\n5)Unfortunately it IS sometimes about WHO you know.  So if you don't know the right people, try and meet the right people\n5)bel
733358
Of course nursing school is hard; every school program designed to get you into a professional career is hard.  It gets even harder once you are done and are working.  \n\nAt this point in time there seem to be three main drawbacks to nursing: 1) being overworked because of understaffing, 2) the regulations and policies that can interfere with patient care because you have so much else to do, 3) (this goes for every profession) bad managers who don't know what they are doing.\n\nThe above comes second-hand; my wife (and thus many of my friends) are nurses.  The above three things are the main things they gripe about when they talk about nursing (which is all the time).
153243
You can contact a nearby state college or if you do not want bothered by them begging you to sign with them-contact a nearby hospital ask the nursing staff-I found what school I needed and what field I would like to do for know and How to get there by a local Hospital (nursing staff and nursing home)The college seem to just want me to sign with little answers.Also online nursing classes in the search engine and just start reading away.
1098627
I have seen ads in my local paper for hospitals willing to pay tuition.  Nursing is a critical shortage in almost every state.  Do some research and see if you have a local hospital that is willing to pay for your education in exchange for your loyalty when you graduate.
481941
Yes, there is a nursing shortage in general. Nurses are in high demand. Even if there are hospital beds available, if there are not enough nurses to staff them, they will not be available.\nHere are two links to nursing association websites:\nhttp://www.nursingworld.org/\nhttp://www.ena.org/
718630
You should take up a course which interests you. You have to follow what your passion is. So if your passion is Science, go for it! :) Im also weak in math but I still managed to be admitted in a nursing course in a prestigious university. Dont worry, you can do it. :)
387509
When my father was hospitalized because of Diabetes, there was a nurse who was taking care of him. The nurse saw me sad, that’s why she approached me and talked to me. She told me about the life of a nurse. This made me so inspired to follow her footsteps. The other reason why I want to become a nurse is because of our family’s history of diabetes, which took the life of my grandmother. I am afraid that one of my siblings will have this kind of disease as well. I learned that a nurse’s role is truly challenging because they don’t only need to take care of their patients, but they have to sincerely care for them and get along with them. I have gone through a lot of problems but I did not let them block my way to my goals yet instead, I regarded these as a learning for me to be able to better myself with this life. \n\nA lot of people judged my abilities because they thought of me as somebody weak but I proved them wrong by studying very hard.
452130
I'm taking my last final tomorrow and that will complete my 3rd semester. God willing, I will graduate in December. Nursing school is difficult, but not impossible. I am able to keep up while being a wife, mother of 2 and working part time. You have to be organized and disciplined. I just keep thinking of all the people I will be able to help in the future (and all the cute scrubs I get to wear).