A reminder of how privileged we are

<p>It is not so easy to get into nursing programs today. When someone tells you they are in school for nursing they are pretty smart. Schools are pretty selective maybe not Harvard selective…</p>

<p>I represent our local community college district. They have a two year nursing program and it is known for being really difficult.</p>

<p>"Schools are pretty selective maybe not Harvard selective… "</p>

<p>Well, ours has a lower admit rate than Harvard. And requires what is essentially a 3.96 GPA in 9 college courses before you can get in. Most current Harvard students couldn’t. The program at Mass. Community College in Beverly had been pretty much the same.</p>

<p>“It must vary in different states. it also depends on the hospital.”</p>

<p>My wife works as a hospice nurse, in a system run by the hospital. (She hates hospitals, and hospice gives her great independence from physicians.)</p>

<p>Pretty wild. My spouse works as a hospice social worker.</p>

<p>Right now it is hard to get a job in nursing, hospitals have a freeze withthe economy. I suspect this will sort out, as Ihave been around long enough to see these variations. I still urge to get your BSN. In my hospital in order to do jobs other than staff, you need a masters or be working on it. I know my unit is not hiring associate degrees. I do not have a masters degree and wish I did, chose to raise and educate my kids instead. Now as I age I would like to something less stressful and physically less punishing and my options are limited. You can get your associates and use tuition reimbursement to pay for education.</p>

<p>It would have been really nice if she could have gone to Northwestern. They have a 5-Year BS Music program where she could double major in a non-music field.</p>

<p>Here’s an update on what Tiffany is doing - [Newark’s</a> Clay accepts scholarship to Oklahoma school | newarkadvocate.com | The Newark Advocate](<a href=“http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904250311]Newark’s”>http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904250311).</p>

<p>thanks for sharing this wonderful update. what a sweet young woman, so appreciative of what she has been given. she deserved this opportunity…</p>

<p>shravas - thanks for posting this. what a great opportunity for tiffany, and a great partnership between OCU and Sonic.</p>

<p>So she’s leaving the boyfriend behind?? Or is he going with her??</p>

<p>It’s not clear - he is going with Tiffany and her mom to visit OCU.</p>

<p>I’m glad but it is not going to be an easy change in venue. Many of the kids I knew who did get into opportunities far away and very different have not been successful, if the mindset was never in that direction. It’s a whole different story from a middle class kid who has always had in the back of the brain at least, that he may go a way to college. Even then, most kids stay close to home. </p>

<p>I know that my friend intervened for her niece who was from a difficult home situation and got her into a school far from home with sufficient financial and merit aid. Did not work at all as the school and program were really not that nurturing and it was too tough of a go. She returned home, found a job and went to community college part time. But, you know, 8 years later she is doing quite well and is very happy, busy and a real asset to her community as active as she is. Can’t say it was the wrong choice for her, even though at the time I did.</p>

<p>Here’s another article about her this morning [The</a> Columbus Dispatch : Playing an encore](<a href=“http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/28/tiffanyclay.ART_ART_04-28-09_B1_19DMGU9.html?sid=101]The”>http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/28/tiffanyclay.ART_ART_04-28-09_B1_19DMGU9.html?sid=101)</p>

<p>To quote very briefly from the article:</p>

<p>Clay has selected Oklahoma City University, a United Methodist-affiliated liberal-arts school of about 3,700 students, which has offered her a full, four-year scholarship, pending a successful audition. Sonic, which is based in Oklahoma City, offered to pay her room and board for four years and offered a job to her 18-year-old boyfriend so he can accompany her.</p>

<p>The university offers music and nursing programs, Clay said yesterday, so she tentatively plans to major in nursing and minor in music, or maybe pursue a double major.</p>