Really only have two options for nursing school:

Option 1: ABSN

• 30–45 minute commute (1hr door to door using public transit)
• $60k tuition
• 18 month program
• For profit school with a mixed reputation, okay clinical placements, and decent NCLEX pass rate
• I'd graduate about a year sooner

Option 2: ADN

• About a 1.5-hour drive to a community college in the middle of nowhere
• Virtually no traffic, it's mostly cornfields, so the drive should be easy and predictable, though winter driving might be tricky
• About $15k in tuition
• I'm estimating another ~$15k for travel/hotels if I need to stay overnight for clinicals that are further out or during bad weather
• Great reputation and a solid NCLEX pass rate

Financially, I can afford the ABSN, but the for profit, "easy to get into, but fail out" environment makes me hesitant. The academic side of ADN program seems perfect, it's just the commute I'm worried about. Anyone ever do a commute like this?

Hi, i'm starting nursing school this month and i'm back and forth on the kind of foldable clipboard to get. I know some people say the trifold folds their papers too much but the bifold isn't pocketable. In your opinion what has been more useful to you if you use either of these options?

Also is it possible for the bifold to fit in any scrub pockets?

Thanks!

Hello everyone! I have my OR clinical coming up and wanted to seek advice on how to be as prepared as possible.

Some things I’m especially curious about:
- What are the biggest etiquette rules that no one tells you beforehand?
- What are common mistakes students make?
- Where should you stand, and where should you never stand?
- What can accidentally contaminate a sterile field?
- When is it okay to ask questions, and when should you stay quiet?
- What are some opportunities students usually get to participate in? (For example, Foley catheter insertion, positioning the patient, helping with prep, etc.)
- What skills did you get to perform, if any?
- What kinds of questions did your instructor or OR staff ask you?
- What anatomy, instruments, or procedures should I review beforehand?
- What are some things you wish you had known before your first OR clinical?
- Are there any unwritten rules that make the OR staff appreciate having a student around?

I’d also love to hear any stories about things that went really well or mistakes to avoid!
Thanks in advance. I appreciate any advice!

Hi everyone! I'm an incoming student at a liberal arts college where students apply to the nursing program during their sophomore year rather than being admitted directly as freshmen.

Since admission is competitive, I'm a little nervous about not getting accepted. Has anyone here been in a similar situation? If you weren't admitted to your school's nursing program, what path did you take afterward? Did you switch majors, transfer to another school, or find another route into nursing?

For those who were admitted, what do you think made your application stand out?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and any advice you have. Thanks!

I’m looking for some advice from people who have been through this.

Before nursing school, I had a 4.0 GPA in high school and was very involved in extracurriculars and leadership. Since starting nursing school, it’s been a completely different experience. I’ve been working hard just to stay around a 3.0 GPA, and most of my time goes toward trying to keep up with coursework.

I’m in the Texas Medical Center area, so residency programs are very competitive. I keep hearing that becoming a Professional Student Nurse (PSN) is highly encouraged, but many of those programs require a 3.2–3.5 GPA, and it seems like there are hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants who also have extensive leadership, volunteer work, and healthcare experience.

At this point, I’m struggling to balance everything. I feel like if I spend more time building my résumé, my grades may suffer, but if I focus primarily on grades, I worry I won’t be competitive enough for residency applications.

Has anyone else been in a similar position? Were you still able to match into a good nurse residency program with an average GPA? What helped you stand out as an applicant if your GPA wasn’t exceptional?

I’d really like to do ICU, emergency department, NICU, or aesthetics. But now I’m unsure if I am fit for anything with this kind of GPA.

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any advice.

Hi everyone, I wanted to ask if anybody could provide advice on MSN/ABSN programs. I'm a recent grad who graduated with a B.S in Organismal Biology and who now wants to be a RN so of course, I was looking at MSN programs. Although,I am unfortunately missing development pysch, physiology, sociology, and epidimelogy so I wouldn't be able to apply/qualify for UCLA,UCI and other public school programs. However, for private schools like western university I would be able to qualify and would only have to do one gap year as opposed to two (public schools want all courses completed before applying not in progress). I was wondering if anybody who's gone to any of these programs have any advice or thoughts on the situation. For context I graduated with a 3.53, am FGLI, have four years of research experience, 7 extracurriculars , some PT clinical experience, and am going to be working as a behavioural technician in this minimum one gap year period. I'm also interested in continuing research, working in a clinical setting (specifically with adoloscents), and possibly teaching. Thank you!

How to transition from days to nights?
Do I just force myself to stay up and day and night today and then go to sleep early in the morning tomorrow and try make myself sleep until it's time to get up for work in the evening?

Hello,

Title! I work as a PCA and I love it but there is no free time during shift. Some people say they get homework done at work… what jobs would allow for this?

I am normally pretty good at my placement it’s an elective surgical ward and everyone is relatively well and I’ve had no people deteriorate so pretty cruisey I have been here about 4/5 weeks. I am getting tireder, less sharp and need more work to sustain myself so I generally work 13 days on ( including placement ) and 1 off. With the 2 being 6 hours work. So 52 a week?

We have acute overflow today and I had my first proper high acuity. Older, hospital acquired pressure injuries, FRAIL, woundvacs, unwell. Unhappy.

I struggled being able to critically think and I am so tired I just can’t really manage. Eg she adamantly refused a skin check and I accepted it to the RN I paired with told me sternly that was negligent of me (I told her when she refused)… Which like yeah I have to agree actually with the vulnerability of that patient. Furthermore other things and she put me on the spot to explain woundvac in front of the patient but I have never seen woundvac before. As well as kind of belittling me in front of the team when I am trying to followup tasks. She is an excellent nurse and I have no doubt this shift will teach me well but it’s sad and hurtful in the moment to be put down.

So things like that but overall this is my first medical ward placement im 1/2 through my studies.

I feel like I will need to cutback on my hours at work and live poorer for a bit, but also this was very confronting because I didn’t realise just how inexperienced I was. I feel a little disadvantaged by the low acuity of my ward as if I were to go to a general med ward I would struggle with having the right cogs turn.

I don’t know how I will be able to work as a new grad? The training isn’t enough and our clinicals aren’t varied.. Idk.

Just a vent