So, you want to get into nursing school. Are you sure you want to be a nurse? • Do you want to help people? • Can you deal with blood? • Vomit? • Hurting people? • Can you work with medical doctors? • Patients’ families? • Helping people survive? • Can you work in an environment that includes death? • Do you like to problem solve? • Or, is it great money that has sparked your interest? Have you done your research? Here is information about what nurses do, the pay, the working conditions, and the employment outlook. Registered Nursing Labor Market Information Have you decided where you want to go to school? • Here is a list of programs in California. Pre-Licensure RN Programs • You can get an Associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). With either program you will take a state exam (NCLEX) at the end. If you pass the state exam, you will be a registered nurse. Here is a good article about ADN vs. BSN BSN Degree vs RN Differences Note: In collaboration with California State University Sacramento (CSUS) we are now able to offer students an opportunity to pursue their Bachelor of Science Nursing degree concurrently during the Associate Degree Nursing program. ADN to BSN Collaborative - BSN Merger Track What do you need to do to get into a nursing program? It depends on the program. It is very important to research the program(s) you want to apply to. Look for the following: • Prerequisite classes • Grade point average required • Experience needed • Additional graduation requirements • Preference for special populations and skills, such as veterans and bilingualism • Letters of recommendation or reference needed • Application deadlines • Additional documentation to include with application, such as transcripts • Whether classes can be in-progress • Is the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) required? Sierra College Nursing Program Requirements Nursing program REQUIRED – TEAS prerequisites: The TEAS must be successfully These classes must be completed (not in progress) completed prior to before applying to the program. enrollment in the program. • Anatomy (BIOL 5 or 7A and 7B)* • Physiology (BIOL 6)* (Requires CHEM 2A as a TEAS results from prerequisite.) Assessment Technologies • Microbiology (BIOL 4 or 8A and 8B)* Institute (ATI) may be sent • General Principals of Psychology (PSYC 100) electronically to the Sierra • Nutrition (NUTF 10)* College Nursing office; or • Introduction to Composition (ENGL 1A) may be included in the • Human (Lifespan) Development (HDEV 1) nursing application packet. • Math – 2 years of high school algebra or elementary or intermediate algebra (MATH A or Students must achieve a D) or college algebra (MATH 12) or calculus or cumulative score of 62% to pre-calculus (MATH 16A, 29, 30, or 42) or be accepted into the statistics (MATH 13) program. * Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, and Nutrition need to be completed within 7 years of applying to the nursing program Also, CHEM 2A is one of the required prerequisites for BIOL 6, but is not required course to apply to our nursing program. Here are the criteria used for admission into our nursing program. You can also find this information here. Can I get into the Sierra College nursing program if I have a “C” in one of my science classes? Here are some examples of the multi-criteria points: Student A: Student B: Has an AA degree Does not have AA degree Microbiology A Microbiology A Anatomy A Anatomy B Physiology C Physiology A Overall GPA 3.5 Overall GPA 3.0 No science repeats 1 science repeat Received a TEAS score of 91 Received a TEAS score of 91 Is a Veteran Their score is: 65 Their score is: 70 So, what do I need to be sure that I get good enough grades to be eligible to apply? • Be realistic about how many units you can successfully complete each semester. The average 3-unit class requires about 6 hours of homework per week. The average science class may require up to 15 or 20 hours per week of study outside of class. It would be difficult to be successful in science classes if you cannot spend the amount of time needed to study. • Slow and steady wins the race. It is better to take it slowly, with one science class per semester, and take the time to get good grades. Students who try and rush through the prerequisite classes find that they finish faster, but don’t have the grades needed to get into a nursing program. • Be sure to take any prerequisite classes needed for the nursing prerequisite classes first. For example, physiology and microbiology have a chemistry prerequisite. Chemistry has a math prerequisite. Anatomy has a reading prerequisite. It’s important to make sure you are fully prepared before signing up for classes. • Get help if you need it. Speak with your instructors or your counselor if you are having difficulties in your classes. Use the campus resources, such as the tutoring and math centers. Put together study groups. • Continued… So, what do I need to be sure that I get good enough grades to be eligible to apply, continued… • If you cannot get into the impacted science classes that you need, you might consider taking some recommended courses to help you to succeed in those difficult classes. Here are some to consider: • BIOL 55 is a very good class to take before taking BIOL 5 and 6. • CHEM A is a good preparation for CHEM 2A. • CHEM 2A is one of the required prerequisite for BIOL 6. Here is a sample plan for a student who has placed into MATH A and English N Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 3 ENGL N 4 ENGL 1A 3 CHEM 2A 5 MATH A 4 CHEM A 4 CHEM 2X 1 HDEV 1 3 MATH D 4 ANTH 2 3 PSYC 100 3 NUTF 10 3 COMM 1 3 14 14 12 Semester 4 Semester 5 Semester 6 BIOL 4 5 BIOL 5 4 BIOL 6 5 MATH 13 4 ENGL 1B 3 HIST 17B 3 ART/HUM 3 HIST 17A 3 8 12 10 How does the application process work? Each college may have a different process. Be sure to check each program you want to apply to. For Sierra College: • All of the nursing program prerequisite classes must be completed before applying. • Applications are accepted from February 1 through April 15 for the nursing program starting each fall. • Once the application acceptance period has ended, all applications will be evaluated, with multi-criteria scores confirmed. All qualified applications will be randomized and a cohort will be chosen. • SUCCESSFFULLY SELECTED applicants ONLY will be contacted via the email address provided on the application within 4 weeks of the close of the acceptance period (April 15). Please be sure the email address is legible. What is the TEAS? The TEAS is the Test of Essential Academic Skills. It consists of 170 multiple choice questions covering math, English, science and language. There are practice tests and a study manual available to help you prepare. You must take it before applying to the nursing program. A minimum cumulative score of 62% is required. Other nursing programs to apply to in this area: • American River College – uses a similar multi-criteria points system. • Sacramento City College – uses a similar multi-criteria points system. • Yuba College – uses a similar multi-criteria points system • CSU Sacramento – uses a point system based on GPA of the prerequisite courses, TEAS test score, second language proficiency, health related work experience, economic background, and environmental background. Are there other careers similar to nursing that I should consider? • Here is a list of health occupations and education programs at Community Colleges in Northern California http://app.ca-hwi.org/ccchealth/index.cfm • Some other careers to consider would be: Nutritionist or Dietician Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy Assistant Community Health Educator Physician Assistant Occupational Therapist Speech Therapist or Speech Therapy Assistant Social Worker Dental Hygienist Respiratory Therapist Radiological Technologist What can I do while waiting to get into a nursing program? • Take the co-requisite courses- cultural anthropology or sociology, public speaking • Take the additional degree requirements – art or humanities, intermediate algebra • See what you need to get an AS degree in Natural Science • Take additional classes toward the BSN. There would be additional classes needed for transfer such as critical thinking, history, and math. • Get training to be a CNA or EMT or Medical Assistant • Take classes in a second language • Research additional programs • Volunteer What are my chances for getting in to the Sierra College nursing program? We receive approximately 300 applications each year. 40 students are accepted into the program. Our application process is based on multi-criteria, then random selection. So, each qualified applicant has an equal chance of being selected. To increase your chances of getting into our program, be sure that your application is complete, all transcripts are included, that you have completed all prerequisite courses, and that you have at least a score of 70 on the multi-criteria enrollment form. To increase your chances of getting into a nursing program, apply to as many programs as you can. I applied, but didn’t get in. Now, what should I do? Here are some recommendations from our counselors: • Be sure you have submitted a completed application. Check to see that you have included everything required from the list on the application. • Be sure you have received at least a 70 on the multi-criteria enrollment form. If not, you may want to meet with a counselor to see how you can improve your score. • Apply again next time.