[FN 21]

Hello everyone! As you can tell, this is my first post, but I have to ask a question. I am still in high school, but I am 100% sure that being a nurse is what I want to do. I am not top of my class, but I am above-average. I heard that nursing schools generally only accept people that have a really high GPA. So what my question is to you fine people is, What should I be doing right now (Classes and etc.) to insure I can get into nursing school later? and be able to pass?

Also, there is a tech school that has a Medical Assisstant program that I could possibly attend. I have heard it doesn't really help you in the real world, but I think it could help ready me for nursing school anyways. What is you guys' view on this? Thank you everyone in advance.

[cougarnurse]

Have you considered working as a CNA first? While 'learning the ropes' so to speak, you can work on the rest of your pre-nursing curricula. Granted, some schools 'do' look at GPA, but what about going the CNA/LPN/RN route? That should help some....

[EvaRN]

You say you are above average in your class. Keep your grades up and prepare to take the NET exam (nursing entrance test) which consists of basic math like algebra and english - reading/comprehension. Also go and talk to a counselor at a community college or the school you plan to attend to and they can tell you more about the program requirements. The college may only look at what grades you have for the prerequisite courses such as Anatomy and Physiology etc. instead of look at your high-school GPA. Good luck!

[miki]

Please help. I have a cousin who is a nurse in Serbia. What is going to take for her to become RN nurse in US in Texas? Are Serbian nurses accepted in US?
you can send me an e-mail on milansimic24@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Milan

[hsieh]

i would go to a private school and get your RN with associates or bachelors. you can work as a CNA which will help you pass clinicals. private schools cost more but i think they are more supportive treating the student like a customer as opposed to treating the student like "you're just lucky to be here" as a public school would. private schools usually don't have a waiting list. when i say private i don't mean harvard i mean a local religous school. most public schools have a long waiting list for RN. while you're taking your pre nursing courses you can study in your spare time the NCLEX-RN book by Saunders. it has a CD-ROM with 100's of questions which you can use to help you learn. your first step is to make an appointment with the head of the nursing department of the school of your choice to see what you have to do. then you go from there.

[nrsebeth]

I was a medical assistant for 13 years before I went to RN school. I had always wished I had just gone to RN school in the first place. It did help to know so many clinical skills already when I went to RN school, but I learned almost as much being a nursing asst. while I was in RN school. A lot of hospitals also have nurse extern programs that you can go to after the second semester of nursing school that helps so much with learning skills and you get paid too! some hospitals pay pretty darn good. If I were you, I would definetly get nursing school over with right off the bat. As far as I'm concerned, that's the only way to go. Just try. I thought for many years that I wasn't smart enough to get in to nursing school. I got really bad grades in high school. I not only got in, but graduated it the top five of my class. If your grades are above average, you should do just fine. Good luck. When you get you associates degree, you can go a lot of directions,online bachaelor's or masters degrees and so on. Please give it all you got.

[piscessylvia]

I made the mistake of becoming a Medical Assistant than going to Nursing school. Pick a college that has a program in nursing for example UCONN or a community college in your area. While taking your courses try to get nothing below an A- b/c it is true, nursing schools want to make sure they are not wasting there time with candidates that can't handle the work load and drop out. That spot could have been for someone else. Take most of your prerequisites like anatomy and physiology, micro, etc.. before the actual nursing courses. That will help BIG TIME.. I am currently in nursing school and appreciate those who have directed me on that path of success in my nursing studies. Best of luck to you!!!