<p>I'm currently a sophomore at Hampshire College, but I'm not really feeling all that interested in what I'm doing here. I'm trying to figure out the most practical path to becoming a nurse. Out of these, which is best?</p>
<p>Transfer to a nursing program now? (Regis College)
Do a post-bac BSN?
Drop and get ASN, then do RN-BSN?</p>
<p>What are my chances?
Of the prerequisites, I've only done:
Intro to Psych
Stats (Statistics for Behavior Science)
Pharmacology (Psychopharmacology)
Chem I and II + Lab
Orgo I + Lab
Biochem (no lab)</p>
<p>I have no prior nursing experience, but I will be volunteering at a hospital this summer.</p>
<p>My GPA is technically 0.0, but it would be high if I received grades
(I get narrative evaluations @ Hampshire AND I got narrative evals in high school too)
Critical Reading: 670
Math: 690
Writing: 640</p>
<p>I'm just very confused in general about what I am doing with my life. I'm debating between microbiology, chemistry and medicine/nursing. I feel like I could get an advanced degree if I really wanted to.</p>
<p>What are my possible pathways into nursing? What is up with all the concerns with recent grads not being able to find nursing jobs?</p>
<p>I think you need to do a bit more career exploration to determine if nursing is your path or another science. The decision to go the ADN to BSN route is more about money since you can work sooner to pay for more education. I do recommend any nurse get a BSN because you cannot advance beyond the bedside without one. </p>
<p>Nursing requires classes in anatomy and physiology which is what drew me to nursing so you would not be able to take those classes unless you were at Regis assuming you can take them without being in the nursing program. So, you may need to transfer regardless to test those waters. I assume you could do the other majors there at Regis as well to not lose time. </p>
<p>Volunteering at a hospital will give you a sense of whether you like working in one but I always caution people that as a volunteer, you can’t really see the internal thinking that nurses are processing. To an outsider, it just looks like the nurse is emptying a bedpan, but to the nurse she is noticing how much urine was voided or how concentrated it is to determine if the person is dehydrated or if the urine smells fruity and a person is a diabetic are they developing keto-acidosis. </p>
<p>I find it interesting that you don’t have actual grades, I figured that method was a thing of the past. I went to UCSC and had a real difficult time getting into nursing school because all I had were Pass/fail evaluations. No schools wanted to read the evaluations so they just gave my passes "C"s. I don’t know if that would be a problem for you but you should check that out.</p>
<p>I completely agree on the need for more career exploration. I still am undecided about career paths. Do you think that being a CNA for a while will give me the necessary experience (though I understand that it’s not exactly the same work…)?</p>
<p>I would definitely be aiming for the eventual BSN, but I’m still trying to figure out what is the most practical (considering job experience, money, time, waiting lists).</p>
<p>The program at Regis would let me satisfy prereqs before moving into the nursing program. Are there any other programs like this available? It doesn’t seem like there are many nursing programs that take transfers who don’t have prereqs…</p>
<p>I know very little about current programs, hopefully someone else will chime in. I imagine each school does it a bit differently depending on how they allow you to enter.</p>
<p>Working as a CNA is also an option and I knew other nursing students (myself included) that worked as a CNA while in nursing school. You kind of have to create a little matrix about each option, costs, time to see which might be a better path. Good luck.</p>