<p>I'm currently a senior in high school. I really want to be in medical field. I believe that nursing for me is this best option for me to get my foot into the medical field. I really don't want to go to a university after high school like everyone else because I have seen many people still struggling with the prerequisites and finishing their generals. So my question is can I go straight to a community college, but still know what university I later on want to transfer too? Is it possible to finish your generals and prerequisites in community college, and later switching over to a university that offers a RN-BSN program? I'm a little confused with the process, and I really want to take the best route that both saves me money and time. Help answer this question.
Please and thank you!</p>
<p>You should make an appointment with one of the admission counselors at the community college that you would attend. Find out if they offer a nursing program. If they don’t find out about their pre-nursing classes, and where the students transfer to complete their degrees. Many community colleges offer an Associates Degree in Nursing that prepares students for the state RN licensing exam. After working for a while, those students often continue at 4-year institution, and complete the BSN. This can be a really good deal for the student as usually the workplace helps pay for the BSN courses.</p>
<p>If you community college doesn’t offer the RN coursework, chances are that it does offer the LPN courses. Many nurses start out as LPNs, and upgrade to RN and BSN once on the job. Again, their workplaces usually help pay for that further education.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Nursing is competitive and impacted in many states/programs, so you need to look into that.</p>
<p>I was told that my kids’ state school’s nursing program didnt’ accept ANY transfers from CCs this last year.</p>
<p>Theoretically yes, but in reality because nursing programs are so competitive these days (due to lack of resources and faculty shortages) a lot of times students who have taken the classes at four-year colleges are more successful at getting admitted to these programs than students who took them at a community college. For a time I was considering doing an accelerated BSN program in nursing, and most of the programs I looked up recommended taking the prerequisite courses at a four-year college.</p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn’t advise going the LPN route. It used to be pretty common for nurses to begin as LPNs and later upgrade to RN and BSN. However, it’s getting harder and harder for LPNs to find jobs, and a lot of times they are doing lower-level tasks that CNAs and techs used to do. My mother is an LPN, and she entered the field over 10 years ago in a specialty area, and was trained to work in sever related departments (labor and delivery; NICU; mother/baby). Over time, she actually saw her scope of practice erode, as she got new charge nurses/department heads who wanted to get rid of LPNs. First she was banned from working in the NICU (even though she had experience) and then she wasn’t allowed to assist in deliveries (ditto). Then the LPNs in her department started to get let go; she was the last LPN in her department and finally got let go after she injured herself at work and was out on disability for a few weeks. Now she’s looking for work again and I’m helping her look through job ads, and there aren’t many for LPNs.</p>
<p>If you’re going to spend a year getting an LPN license, you might as well spend the extra year to get the RN license at least. Then you could work part-time as an RN while you pursue an RN to BSN program. Or you could try to gain admission to a direct-entry BSN program.</p>
<p>It all depends on the school. My CC has a great nursing program. It’s actually one of the biggest programs in the entire school, if not the biggest. They have a huge range of nursing courses here. They offer 3-4 different degrees/certificates. They do CNA certification, LPN certification, and ADN certification. I believe most of the students that plan to go onto higher levels go into the ADN program, which is geared more towards students that intend to go on to a 4 year institution. </p>
<p>The best bet is to sit down with an adviser and ask them. They should know more of the specifics about how certain classes will transfer to the in state 4 years. Most states have some kind of articulation agreement that guarantees that transfer of lower level course work.</p>
<p>SJSU admitted transfers for fall 2013 into the *pre-*nursing major with a 3.40 GPA. This is higher than most majors’ GPAs for transfer students: [url=<a href=“http://info.sjsu.edu/static/admission/impaction.html]Info.sjsu.edu[/url”>http://info.sjsu.edu/static/admission/impaction.html]Info.sjsu.edu[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Once admitted to the campus, there are additional requirements to fulfill to get into the nursing major: [url=<a href=“http://artic.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/NURS-section-1.html]Info.sjsu.edu[/url”>http://artic.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/NURS-section-1.html]Info.sjsu.edu[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Other schools will be different, but expect nursing admissions to be competitive with relatively high standards compared to other majors at the same school.</p>