<p>Hi, I am just wondering how to you get admitted for Nursing as freshmen? I graduated college already last 2 years ago and my GPA is really bad. I was a fool during that time. So, my plan is, go to Community College then transfer to university. Nursing in Community College is hard to get in because they are saying it's Limited Entry. Any suggestion for this? What should i take? Thanks in advance</p>
<p>Usually for CC you can get your RN degree in just two years. You wouldn’t need to transfer to a university, you can just sit for the NCLEX exam and once you pass, you’re an RN! </p>
<p>In Maryland at least, the NCLEX pass rates are a bit higher on average for the CC’s versus the 4 year degree programs. I think it may be because they do two years of nursing and only nursing, so that they retain what they need for the exam. A couple of counties have 100% pass rates. </p>
<p>If it’s limited entry, they may have prerequisites that you have to do first (you can likely do them at the CC) and/or there’s a waiting list because of high demand. Call and find out. Good luck!</p>
<p>Nursing at a community college will take 3 years, not two years. This is because you must take a few prerequisite classes (like two semesters of A&P and that takes one year to complete) BEFORE you can even apply for a slot in the nursing program. Once you are in the program, you may complete the program in two years and then sit for the NCLEX. </p>
<p>In a nursing program at comm college, you are required to take non-nursing classes also. At least that is the case in my daughter’s program. </p>
<p>I suspect that the NCLEX pass rate for comm colleges is higher because they offer harder programs. They do not coddle the students at all.</p>
<p>
The first half of your statement is clearly an opinion. You “suspect that the NCLEX pass rate for comm colleges is higher…”
The second half is stated as a fact. Would you please provide some facts or studies that confirm that community colleges offer harder nursing programs?</p>
<p>I suspect that each of us are only able to base our opinions on the information that we receive from the schools themselves, talking to nurses who have been through the programs, and posted test results comparing community colleges with BSN programs.</p>
<p>[NYS</a> Nursing:Nursing Programs:RN NCLEX Results: 2008-2012](<a href=“http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurseprogs-nclexrn2008-12.htm]NYS”>http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurseprogs-nclexrn2008-12.htm)</p>
<p>Some BSN programs have lower pass rates, and some have higher rates than community colleges. The pass rates can vary significantly year-to-year, and will depend on the classes and students themselves as well as the schools. </p>
<p>The local nurses that I spoke with said that Community College RN programs are often harder on the students than BSN programs because the students often go to school year-round without any summer break. They also mentioned that frequently community college students have been out of school for awhile, have families or other obligations, are working while going to school, or otherwise have challenges that make attending the RN program much harder for them than for the high school students going off to a college or university with Mom & Dad’s support.</p>
<p>Hopefully we can agree that opinions are not facts. I am sure that if we try we can find a group of nurses with a different opinion than the local nurses you spoke with. A social/economical situation that makes a community college nursing program harder on some students does not necessarily mean that the community college is offering a “harder” nursing program. What facts or studies have confirmed that community colleges offer harder nursing programs?</p>
<p>CC Nursing programs harder then BSN programs?? That is absolutely ridiculous…</p>
<p>“They also mentioned that frequently community college students have been out of school for awhile, have families or other obligations, are working while going to school, or otherwise have challenges that make attending the RN program much harder for them than for the high school students going off to a college or university with Mom & Dad’s support”</p>
<p>Now if you want to claim this as fact, you need to clarify that it ISN’T the program that is harder,it may be the committment to the educational process,due to other “outside” conflicts…</p>
<p>Also keep in mind pass rates are not a great tool in evaluating programs, unless the # of students taking the tests are equal or nearly so…If a class of 30 at a CC ALL pass,then that school gets a 100% pass rate…U Penn may have 100 students taking the test,say 5 fail…The pass rate of U Penn is 95%…You can’t possibly believe that the CC program is better then U Penn!!!</p>
<p>Back to the topic…Because the OP has a bachelor’s degree, the community college route would probably be a great option for her whether she can finish in two or three years. Some CC programs do offer an accelerated program and the OP may have some of the pre-reqs although from her post, she may want to retake some so the information is fresh.</p>
<p>From what I have heard, the associate’s nurse has more clinical experience upon graduation than the BSN and here they start at the same salaries. However, the BSN offers more opportunity for advancement in a hospital, which is the reason many want the bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>
Let’s be clear. This is an opinion and does not reflect any actual “official” studies or facts that you’ve read.</p>
<p>Interesting responses. In reality, the posted test results in each state show that some CC RN programs have better pass-rates than some BSN programs. Some CC RN programs obviously have much poorer pass-rates too. </p>
<p>I don’t think any of us know whether Penn’s or any other BSN program are actually better than a great CC program. Just because a program is academically challenging, offers broad electives or has particular clinical experiences does not guarantee that the program is always going to produce great nurses, or that every single individual nurse coming out of that program will be a caring and skilled nurse. </p>
<p>When I’m in a hospice, I doubt I’ll ask for the resume or the grades of the nurse that helps me. Nurses’ unions don’t have a different pay scale for RNs depending on whether a nurse graduated from Penn or a CC. The other nurses won’t bow down and defer to a Penn graduate if that Penn graduate isn’t doing his/her fair share of work. The Penn graduate doesn’t walk around the hospital with a Penn t-shirt instead of scrubs. A doctor isn’t going to defer to a nurse just because that nurse went to Penn. Unless the Penn graduate drops “Penn” into every conversation, how would co-workers or patients even know where the nurse went to school? (Sorry - don’t mean to pick on Penn. This applies to anyone who thinks that their school is so elite that it guarantees some sort of superiority over another person doing the exact same job.)</p>
<p>I acknowledge that the graduate of a selective program may have more and better job opportunities coming out of school. These opportunities obviously include getting employment at hospitals with higher pay scales and better working conditions. They may also be able to leverage good grades into graduate programs. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t minimize the value of a good nurse from any program though. IMO, elitism and academic arrogance are inconsistent with the nursing profession.</p>
<p>Well said, Neonzeus.</p>
<p>aglages–The nursing professors at the CC where I work say that the CC students have more clinical hours. Is that more precise? I did hear it.</p>
<p>
Couldn’t agree more. Fortunately most/all of the people promoting the difficulty of community college courses are parents…not nurses.</p>
<p>
I don’t doubt that you 'heard" it from your co-workers. I doubt whether it is true of all community college programs compared to all BSN programs. Other than what you’ve “heard” from people at THE community college have you read any articles, reports or stats that confirm “the associate’s nurse has more clinical experience upon graduation than the BSN…”?</p>
<p>"When I’m in a hospice, I doubt I’ll ask for the resume or the grades of the nurse that helps me. Nurses’ unions don’t have a different pay scale for RNs depending on whether a nurse graduated from Penn or a CC. "</p>
<p>If a Penn Nursing graduate is working at a Hospice, i’d be extremely surprised…There are many levels and areas of nursing,and if a graduate is happy taking a blood pressure reading or a patients temperature,thats fine by me…Most people i speak to don’t expect their children attending a good nursing program at a college or university to be contend with that…</p>
<p>For the record, my D is NOT attending Penn,though i’d be happy to write the check if she had…</p>
<p>I can speak from 1st hand knowledge that a degree from a school such as Penn/Pitt/'Nova open more doors then a degree from a CC…What happens after that door opens is up to the person…</p>
<p>We all might end up in a nursing home or hospice one day. If I do, I hope I have a good and compassionate nurse by my side.</p>
<p>Thinking that a Penn nurse or a nurse from another good BSN program would not provide hospice care for dying patients (or that some nurses just take temps and blood pressure) is exactly what I was talking about. I couldn’t have asked for a better example.</p>
<p>
I’m confused. I thought your initial statement about elitism and academic arrogance being inconsistent with the nursing profession referred to the attitude of professional nurses not the expectations and hopes of their parents.</p>
<p>Neonzeus,</p>
<p>YOUR opinion is that a CC is as good ,if no better, then some high profile BSN programs, and i stand by my comment, THAT IS RIDICULOUS!!!</p>
<p>My opinion is not elitism, as you slyly suggest.My D doesn’t go/not planning to go to Penn,for starters…Most BSN schools can provide a much better learning environment,which includes signifcantly better facilities,latest technology,better instruction…A CC can’t do a lot of this due to the limited funds they have…</p>
<p>My point about a U Penn grad not being at a hospice,is at getting to my point that some U Penn grads aspire to bigger and better opportunities in the nursing industry…I do believe there are some Penn grads who do work at a hospice,but it is not their final job,perhaps early in their career…</p>
<p>CC provide an opportunity for students,no question…But i tire of hearing people downplay the significance of education, and when someone questions their opinions,they are smacked with the term(or suggested to be) “elitism”…</p>
<p>I can only imagine the uproar if a poster replied to a post about how CC are a waste of time, and the diploma isn’t worth the paper its printed on…Oh the horror!!! I hear you can get a nursing degree from an online college,this might be a better deal then a CC,do you think?..</p>
<p>Aglages: I don’t think my comments are inconsistent? I expressed my opinion that academic elitism and academic arrogance are inconsistent with the nursing profession. I also expressed my opinion, as you quoted, that a suggestion that Penn nurses are somehow too good to provide hospice care is an example of elitism and academic arrogance. If it’s the parent who is being elitist or academically arrogant about their kid’s career or choice of school, it’s just naive. Going to a particular BSN school or going to a CC won’t guarantee that any individual student will pass the NCLEX or be a good nurse. </p>
<p>Qdogpa - I think you need to reread my posts, since it appears that you only skimmed them and then flamed. If you reread my posts, I do NOT (repeat NOT) say that either that CCs are harder or that they are as good as a high profile BSN program. There was nothing “sly” about my postings. My postings clearly speak for themselves. I think your postings also speak for themselves. </p>
<p>I think we should both be able to agree that end-of-life care is not something that any nurse should do as an entry level job on their way to “bigger and better” career opportunities. Having had family members in hospice and a spouse that is terminally ill, perhaps I have a better appreciation of the skill that hospice nurses require.</p>
<p>Frankly, nursing is a career that requires enormous commitment. Even nurses who want to move on up in the nursing industry will have to pay their dues as practicing nurses. I think nursing students are to be applauded wherever they go to school.</p>