[Private Ryan]

Over the last few days I checked around with friends that are doing and enjoying nursing, male and female. So, I planned to start enrolling somewhere, I call the local community college and there is a 3 YEAR WAIT to even start the program and then 5 semesters of clinicals.

First and foremost, is that common to have a 3 year wait?

And, secondly, how do working people with children, houses..etc. take 5 semesters off from their jobs?

I'm hoping this is the standard program that people do when they are 20 years old and living at home, but are there other options? I don't mind putting in the time and effort at all, disturbingly enough, I think I would enjoy the classes, but a 3 year wait !

Are there any other options or is this pretty much the norm?

Thanks

[cassioo]

If you can't move to an area where the wait isn't as long you can enroll in the college part time and get the pre reqs done then start the nursing when it's open. Also check to see if there is a waiting list you can be put on. There really weren't too many just out of highschool students at the college I teach clinicals.

[lam]

Take the pre-reqs first while you are waiting. I worked as an LPN the whole time I went through the RN program. Monday-Wed. had classes, Thursday and Friday had Clinicals, Friday worked PM's, Saturday & Sunday worked from 7am - 11pm. Grades were probably not as good as they would have been if I didn't work, but I passed the courses and Boards the first time. To get my high School pre-req's I went to 3 different colleges at the same time. Algebra at one, Biology at another and Chemistry at another. " It can be done" if you really want it.

[lam]

Oh by the way I was an older person with kids and a house to take care of.

[lam]

and a disability lol

[scalirn]

I know there is a shortage of teachers, but a three year wait does seem extreme. Do some research, there must be other options. You most likely will have to reloctate.

[nursinghumor]

A three year waiting period doesn't surprise me at all. Last year, University colleges turned away 11,000 otherwise qualified BSN students.

It is leaving many students interested in nursing in a bind. Not many will wait that long for a nursing slot to open up.

My advice, apply to several schools at once, apply quickly. Working on your prerequisites doesn't require you to be in a nursing program.

Other options though I hate to recommend it is go for an LPN-RN or other type of bridge program that will lead to an RN eventually. It means more time in school but at least you can get started.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[NEPhillyRN]

The long wait seems to be standard... if you don't have any degree yet take your prereq's while you're on the waiting list. But get on the list first! I had a few clinical classes that were on Saturday's, and my class was able to convince our clinical instructor that one 12 hour clinical day was better than two 6 hour days. All of my clinical group worked full time while in school and most were raising children. It can be done, but I wont say that it's easy!

If you're lucky enough to already have your BS in something you can look at university's for an accelerated program. Philadelphia has several 13 month BS-RN programs.

Don't give up, it's worth all the trouble in the end!

[Se-la-vi]

I've only applied to one school that had about a 2 year wait in Pensacola, Florida... .

All of the other schools were very competitive, and admission was only granted to the best, no matter how long you waited - supposedly.

Many of the schools in Texas had at least a year of full time pre reqs, and that was what they based admissoion on. Of course you had to apply early, and if your grades were not in they didn't consider them as complete, and you wouldn't be accepted.

Pheonix Arizona and surrounding Area had it figured out though. Every school had the same pre requisites, admission testing requirements, etc. You applied to 4 or 5 schools at a time, stated your location preference... and if you weren't picky you could go to which ever popped up first- once admitted of course. Never went through that process, but I heard that was only a semester wait. The best thing about them was that they had online classes for busy people.

Good Luck

[liquidblue19]

yeah I had much of the same difficulty, I was planning on taking nursing at the local technical college, however I discovered how long the wait was, so I changed my plans. I'm taking all the basic pre-reqs through the tech college and then will transfer out to a 4yr. school, which doesn't have as long of a wait time.