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What should i consider when applying to colleges to be a nurse?

I'm a Junior in highschool and I am applying to colleges. #college #college-major

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Tonya’s Answer

First, congratulations on considering a career in nursing. Nurses are the largest profession in healthcare, considered the most honest profession according to the Gallup Poll (2020), and the areas you can work are almost endless and more are being discovered.

When considering which nursing schools to apply to there are seven (7) items to consider. The items to consider are, type of nursing program, accreditation, type of degree, nursing licensure exam pass rate, location, cost, and school services.
In nursing there is an option to start as a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The difference is in the type of responsibilities where RNs have the opportunity to do more for patients; practice in more locations, and the opportunity to return to school for advance degrees in nursing and other specialists. You do not have to start as a LPN to become a RN. Next, you want to make sure the school has nursing accreditation. There are two (2) organizations that approve schools AACN (2021) and ACEN (2021). I included the websites for the organizations below. You can go to the websites to search for schools across the United States. You can also refer to US News and World Report on colleges to see how the nursing school is ranked among other nursing schools. There are different degrees you can work towards, including a Bachelors or Associates degree for a RN program. There are a few schools where a diploma is still offered. However, the opportunities increase with a Bachelors degree based on job opportunities and research about better patient outcomes (Aiken, et. al., 2012). To become a nurse you must take the nursing licensure exam (NCLEX, 2021). Therefore you want to know the nursing school’s NCLEX pass rate (the higher the better). The school may have the rate posted on their website or you can email the school to ask. One item to be careful of is, there are reputable online schools in different states. For nursing, students need to have different clinical experiences to care for patients with an instructor/preceptor. As a result, the state and hospital/healthcare setting approvers must approve the experience. Not all states/hospitals/healthcare facilities will approve out of state experiences. The school can provide you this information of where they are approved for out-of-state clinical experiences. The other items to consider are for colleges in general such as location, cost, scholarships, and services to support your success.

The list below is where you can enter information about the schools. Then speak with adults who are supporting you in your career goals. All the best in your search.

*School Name
*Accreditation by
*RN or LPN
*Type of degree
*NCLEX – RN pass rate or PN-NCLEX – LPN pass rate
*Location
*Cost
*Scholarships
*Services to support students
*Notes/What did you like or dislike about the school?

References
*Aiken, L. H., Cimiotti, J. P., Sloane, D. M., Smith, H. L. , Flynn, L., & Neff, D. (2012). Effects of nurse staffing and nurse education on patient deaths in hospitals with different nurse work environments. Journal of Nursing Administration, 42(10 Suppl). doi:10.1097/01.NNA.0000420390.87789.67.

*Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (2021). Search ACEN Accredited Nursing Programs.
http://www.acenursing.com/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm

*American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). Find Accredited Programs.
https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE-Accreditation/Overview-of-Accreditation/Find-Accredited-Programs

*Gallup (2020). Nurses Continue to Rate Highest in Honesty, Ethics. https://news.gallup.com/poll/274673/nurses-continue-rate-highest-honesty-ethics.aspx
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Anthony’s Answer

Hey Ava,

Tips for you in selecting a college for nursing include:

1) Research the schools you want to apply to

2) Review the reviews of the schools - nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

3) Check out the Admissions/Graduation Rates, Accreditation, and employment success of the graduates

4) Speak to Alumni to ask about their experience at the college

5) Audit a class to ensure you are pleased with the instruction and classroom environment

6) Ensure the instructors are qualified

Hope that helps
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