question about direct-entry nursing programs

College Majors Nursing Major
1

<p>i've been thinking about what i want to study in college for a long time. i've considered the possibility of being a doctor but i feel like i just don't want to be in school that long, it's scary competitive, etc. so now i've been considering becoming a nurse for a while. of course i need to think about this a lot more, but if i did want to be a nursing major, i would want it to be direct-entry. i have a few questions: </p>

<ol>
<li>is gaining admission to a direct-entry nursing program super competitive? </li>
<li>what makes one applicant stand out from the other—meaning what do they look for? does it look better to have a significant amount of hospital volunteer hours (do you have no chance without them)? </li>
<li>what other things would help admission chances to a nursing school? </li>
</ol>

<p>any info would be appreciated...i just feel like i should be doing whatever is necessary as soon as i can. thanks.</p>

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<p>Most medical programs like to see that you have done some paid or volunteer work in a medical field. Some people volunteer as an EMT for local ambulance services, for example. That helps to show that you know what you are getting into. It also helps you see what different health professionals do on a day to day basis. Some hospitals actually run out of volunteer spots during the summer for high school students.</p>

<p>The number of direct entry nursing programs vary greatly from state to state. That will affect competitiveness in your state.</p>

<p>I believe you will find that the least expensive direct entry nursing programs (which are in public universities) are the most competitive. There are some good direct entry programs at mid-priced private colleges that are less competitive. These are colleges that normally accept 75% of all applicants, but might accept less than half of applicants for nursing.</p>