Hi everyone, my name is Sam, and I am currently in my last semester as an Associate Degree Nursing Student at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, ND. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A question I\u2019ve been asked from quite a few students, whether they are in high school, college, or looking at switching their career is this: \u201cHow did you know nursing was what you wanted to do?\u201d<\/em> or \u201cHow do I go about getting into nursing school?\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve known I wanted to be a nurse since I was 5 years old. I loved taking care of people and making them feel better, but as I got older, I thought that I couldn\u2019t do it. I struggled with math all through high school and had such a negative mindset of \u201cI have to be perfect or at least good at math to even get in.\u201d I became very discouraged and eventually I gave up on that dream of being a nurse and I went to college to be a teacher. After that, I went to cosmetology school for a brief time, and while I loved both I soon began to realize that those two careers allowed me to educate and make people feel good or better about themselves\u2026something nurses do every day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n I realized that I could do anything I put my mind to, I simply had to believe in myself, and you should too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n How do I know if becoming a nurse\/nursing school is right for me?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n I think the best way to gauge if nursing school or nursing in general is a good fit, is to get some experience. Getting your Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) License, working as an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP), volunteering at a medical facility like a nursing home, or even shadowing in a provider’s office can shed some light on what to expect as a nurse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, I started this process by working as an optician and eventually moved over to a bigger medical facility where I worked as a medical secretary and worked with scheduling, insurance, and had contact with patients, nurses, and doctors every day. By getting my foot in the door and gaining experience, not only did it look good on my application, but I got to get a feel for how the medical world was and I liked it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do you go about getting into nursing school?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hi everyone, my name is Sam, and I am currently in my last semester as an Associate Degree Nursing Student at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, ND. A question I\u2019ve been asked from quite a few students, whether they are in high school, college, or looking at switching their career is this: \u201cHow did you know nursing was what you wanted to do?\u201d or \u201cHow…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":146,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":""},"topic":[9],"class_list":["post-166","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","topic-study-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Maybe you\u00a0care about helping people and want to make a difference in the lives of others, or\u00a0maybe\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0been\u00a0impacted\u00a0first-hand by healthcare.\u00a0Either way,\u00a0you should have a good understanding of why you want to do this. You will be asked many times and how\u00a0your\u00a0answer can increase or decrease your chances of getting into the school you want.
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Every school is a little bit different with how their program is run, who they\u2019re accredited\u00a0by,\u00a0their requirements for entry,\u00a0and their NCLEX pass rates. These are\u00a0all attributes\u00a0that can determine how long you go to school,\u00a0where you will have clinicals, and how your\u00a0overall\u00a0experience might look.
Personally,\u00a0I chose an accelerated 18-month program\u00a0with a high NCLEX pass rate\u00a0because I wanted to start working as soon as possible\u00a0and I wanted to be highly prepared, but I know others have chosen a four-year\u00a0BSN program\u00a0because they wanted that higher degree and wanted summers off\u00a0from\u00a0school.\u00a0It all depends on what you want and what works for you!\u00a0
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Pre-requisites, sometimes called pre-reqs, are the classes you need before you can\u00a0be considered a nursing student. In some cases, programs want these done before you apply to the specialized program, but other times schools may let you take these while you\u2019re considered a nursing student.
Some schools also require an entrance exam. These are\u00a0similar to\u00a0the standardized tests you take while in high school, but also assess your decision-making skills, learning style, and critical thinking skills.
I chose a school that allowed the latter because I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0want to waste a year completing a few pre-reqs. They also did not\u00a0require\u00a0medical experience, but since I had\u00a0some,\u00a0they counted it as a bonus for me to be considered for entry.
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Now is the time to apply! Make sure you apply early enough\u00a0so you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0miss out on\u00a0the deadlines!\u00a0Oftentimes\u00a0these deadlines are in place so you can also get scholarships and other opportunities set up before starting school.\u00a0Remember\u00a0why you started and why you wanted to be a nurse! Nursing school can be overwhelming, but I promise it goes by\u00a0quickly\u00a0and is SO worth it!\u00a0\u00a0<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"