Hi I love your blog! I want to become a nurse, but for now I am just working on my general classes and volunteering at a local hospital. Do you have any other advice as to what would help me get accepted into a nursing program? Also, I plan on getting my masters in nursing as well. Would this be a good step in order to become a nurse administrator? Thanks a lot xx
Thanks! Nursing is one of the most rewarding (and toughest) professions that there is! Good on you for taking your gen ed classes first, I highly recommend that route so that you can focus on your nursing classes when the time comes for them (it will be much less overwhelming and you really do need to know your stuff for nursing because you will actually use what you learn in those classes out there in the real world, brain overload should be avoided for success).
I also think it's great that you're volunteering at your local hospital. I always recommend to people that they either take a nursing assistant class and/or do volunteer work at a hospital before they invest in all of the time and $$ required for nursing school (it would be a major waste to go through all of that, only to discover that it's not for you).
For advice in getting into a nursing program, it depends on how they admit students. Some have entry testing and take the top performers, while other schools have no testing but they usually require some time on a wait list to get admitted. Brush up on your basic math skills. I know, that sounds lame...but it's one of the biggest killers for entry tests. Being prepared for testing is the key. They have quite a few study books out there for admission testing that really do cover what you should be studying for the big test (if your chosen program uses testing for admission).
You should also do your homework when choosing a school that works best for you. Focus in on class sizes, general time constraints, travel time to school/clinical sites, and their ratings. You can look up any state-approved nursing school on each state's board of nursing websites that will give you information on passing rates, graduation rates, whether they're on academic probation (which is important, because you don't want to attend a school that is), and anything else that is important information on each school so you can make the best decision for your learning style and educational needs.
Go visit the school you want to attend. Go in there and meet the faculty, talk to students that attend the school, ask for an admissions person to give you a tour and have them explain the admission process. The more information you have, the better you can make an informed decision for yourself. On a side note, you will also be remembered (if you do this stuff) as someone who is well prepared and has good critical thinking skills...two factors that always help out for admission purposes.
Getting a Master's in Nursing for an administration position varies from facility to facility. Some places only require a BSN, so the MSN is a decision best made once you get your initial licensing and figure out exactly where your nursing niche will be and what the requirements are for the position. For administration positions, a MSN with specialization in leadership is usually preferred (I don't know how useful/relevant a Master's in other specializations would be for an administration position). Factors such as work ethic, leaderships skills, and experience also come into play for administration positions as well. It's best get experience and to figure out where in nursing you want to be when you start working so you know what direction you should head to get to your desired administration position (and don't rush it, you will figure out soon enough where your heart will be in nursing once you get your license and are out there working).
It sounds like you have a pretty good plan drawn out for yourself! Take some time and actually write down your goals and put them in chronological order. It will help you steer your way through school and your first few years in nursing so that you end up where you want to be (and in the desired time frame).
