Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

As everyone knows, I LOATHE my job more than anything else in this world and my mind keeps going back to nursing. I'm sort of intersted in/drawn to geriatric care and I don't even know where to start.

Thanks!

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

Check the career board, there was a post (or posts) related to nursing and how to get into that profession.

You might find your answers there...

Good luck!

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

Not a nurse, but I worked as a college advisor so am familiar with some of the LI programs.

Do you have an undergrad degree? You can get an Associate's degree in nursing from Suffolk, but there are several prerequisites before you can be admitted to the nursing program. It is competitive--I think they accept less than 20%. Stony Brook has a bachelor's degree in nursing, but the starting salaries are very similar to nurses with an associate's, so many students opt for the associate's degree. Farmingdale also has a competitive nursing program.

I've heard that the private programs (Touro, etc.) are less competitive, but obviously more $$$$$$$.

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

Do you have a degree in another area? When i was going back to NS, i started by looking at a couple of programs that i was interested in and seeing what their admission requirements were. As Beth said, they are very competitive. The semester i applied for farmingdale, i believe they had 1400 applicants and accepted 150. My gpa was a 3.8, but i'm not sure what the average gpa for accepted students was (they also have an entrance exam to help level the playing field, too). The private schools are less competitive, but much more expensive. My friend had a 3.3 and was accepted into Molloy with no problem. Most private schools also offer bachelors programs, not associates. The difference in salary b/w ASN and BSN is not really significant either, imo (the average seems to be about $1200/year).

If you're interested in geriatrics, i would def suggest seeing if you could volunteer (or something along those lines) at a nursing home or on a unit to see what it really entails. Nursing is a great career, but theory and practice are SO different and i think trying to do something like that would give you a better idea of what you're getting into. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

Im in nursing school now. I have a year to go. I love it and very passionate about it. I feel it is a safety net for me also because while other careers are not that marketable nursing is booming right now. But boy do you get beat down in school it is an emotional roller coaster. But I love my patients.

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

I have been a nurse for a few years and went to nursing school at Farmingdale. I already had a BA so I had a lot of the prerequisites for the nursing program. It took me 2 years and I got my associates in nursing. Now I am back in school, at Pace University, getting my masters for Nurse Practitioner and my hospital is paying for it.

As a previous poster suggested, maybe volunteer in a hospital on a geriatric floor to make sure it is something you really like and would want to do.

Good luck and FM if you have questions.

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

FYI, I know Mather and I think Good Sam have a nursing program with suffolk. Tuition is free you just have to work there for a few years when you are done. I think its a two year program. Good Luck.

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

Awesome info, thanks so much ladies!!

Re: Any nurses on board? I had some questions concerning school, etc.

I graduated from Suffolk's program and I'm glad I did. They have a high first time pass rate on the boards. And you are in clinical with your first nursing class. There are pre reqs and non nurisng courses to take so it could take awhile. You could work as a unit secratary or a nursing assistant in a hospital while you earn your degree.
As for the partnerships with suffolk, I don't think mather is doing it after this year. It worked out pretty well. I was actually in the first group and I've been a nurse for a year. But so many hospitals were doing it. Brookhave, St Catherines, St charles, Eastern LI, CSH or PEconic now. And usually hospitals and nursing homes have a tuition assistance plan so it's a good idea to get in there and work.