Need to vent

[pharmgirl]

I don't know where else to put this thread, and I think I just need to get out some anxiety to those that have been through this and would understand.

My college's nursing program is very competitive. As of Dec's pre-admission conference there were 180 interested in applying for Fall 08 nursing program. That is not inclusive of the February's conference attendees. For Fall of 08, they are only accepting 40!!!

Deadlines for applications was march 1. Mine was in in Dec. I'm nervous, scared and the waiting is killing me and its only been 2 weeks. I feel so helpless that my future lies in the balance of the Nursing Admission Committee. Things are so secretive, they don't tell us when we find out, when they meet, who is on the committee........nothing.

My AP professor says i have nothing to worry about. I have a 27 ACT and a 4.0 but I'm still worried as I'm lacking credits, even though I will have them completed by May, they don't look at this semester.

OK, I feel better..........thanks for listening. Am I crazy or did everyone have this anxiety? Is it this competitive everywhere?

Stacey

[XOEmmyLouOX]

I have to tell you it is very hard to get into a nusing program anywhere in the U.S.A. There are not enough instructors to teach which means less space available which only increases shortage. It is a very frustrating circle!

[jimemt]

There is also no even playing field for admission. Here in Calif, >> supposedly << all the community colleges are required to have the same pre-reqs, which turns out to be anatomy, physiology, and microbiology. BFD. That doesn't preclude each to play their own admission games: i.e., lottery, or one requiring early childhood development and another including it in the RN program curriculum, yet another gives preferential treatment to in-district students where others allow all comers to apply without distinction, etc., ad nauseum.

Complicating the whole wait list routine is the fact that many students are applying to multiple schools at one time with the hope of getting through a wait list sooner. This makes wait lists appear artificially long, esp when an applicant hasn't the courtesy to notify all the schools to which (s)he has applied, thus causing both the school and other wait list applicants grief.

And as Emmy Lou pointed out, there is an instructor shortage, plus a shortage of clinical sites (nursings place a heavy load on acute care staffs when they show up for two days a week.

On the other hand, if Dubyah brought everybody home, there would be plenty of $ to pay instructors, and, er, well, never mind. Probably can't go onto a rant here about that.

Jim, RN
Newbie