Given the demand for admissions to Schools of Nursing across the country many qualified applicants are being turned away due t0 lack of capacity to enrolled everyone. Those who are admitted to the top Schools such as the UTEP program, where in general, we receive twice as many applications as we have openings, the applicants have science GPA of at least a 3.0 and in most cases higher. The scores on the Nurse Entrance Test (NET) for reading and math are at least at the high school level and frequently higher. Overall GPA vary from 4.0 to 2.9 or higher. The exact GPA scores does vary with applicant pool.
Students interested in nursing should start taking pre college course work while in high school. A number of school districts have health academies and these programs provide individualized counseling and adcademic guidance to insure students complete the appropriate courses. This preparation in high school is extremely important as it assist the student in being ready to begin the pre-nursing currculum once admitted to a univeristy or community college.
Some school districts have dual enrollment programs. In this program students can enroll and complete college courses while still in high schools. In some cases students can complete a Associate Degree while still in high school. Some health academes have curriculums that will allow the student to complete the requirements for a licensed vocational nurse along with their high school diploma.
Once admitted to the pre-nursing major the student should meet at least once per semester with their academic advisor to insure he/she are on target with their goal to become a nurse. Students should take advantage of tutors provided by their university or community college. The importance of studying and receiving grades of A and B is very critical if he/she is going to have a competitive GPA to be admitted to a BSN program. Achieving excellent grades means that the student must be committed to reaching his/his goals through making wise decision about time managment and dedicating ample time to his/her studies.
While some students find they must work while going to school it is highly recommended that students take full advantage of all financial aid resources available and limit the hours worked. The financial aid may also include the use of low interest loans that are supplemented by the US government. While many students do have to work it is best to limit the number of hours per week and concentrate working during holidays and vacation times. Working too many hours often leads to poor academic performance and thus non admission to a nursing programs. The financial aid office at your university or community college can assist you in finding funds for your education. DO NOT be afraid to consider financing part of your educational investment using loans if necessary. The time you delay your educating while working for $6.00 per hour compared to $30 per hour rate as a registered nurse does not make much economic sense.
Once you have completed all of the required course or will be finished by the end of the semeter, you are ready to apply to the School of Nursing. The fall applicant pool is typically larger and thus more competitive. The Accelerated (Fast Track) program typically has a smaller number of students applying than those seeking admission to the traditional program. So if you have a bachelor degree in some other areas, have at least a 3.0 GPA in your science courses plus have high school or post high school scores on the NET then your chances of being admitted are enhanced.
The bottom line is to study, study, study. As in other health related professions only the top applicants are accepted and eventually graduate. For example the BSN program at UTEP is very challenging. The current retention is around 80% and we are working very hard to achieve our goal of 85%. Students are provided academic coaches at no cost to assist them with their studies. All students have access to their faculty for one on one coaching during the faculty's weekly office hours. Selected courses are digitally recorded and placed on the course web site so students can view via video streaming the lecture and/or download the audio to a mp3 player. They can again listen to the lecture and review the power point slides posted on the course web site. (The majority of all undergraduate nursing courses at UTEP have power point slides of the lectures posted on the course web site).
All nursing students who have academic challenges are required to be a member of a study group and to meet with the retention coach. This coach is a season faculty member who assist students with test taking skills, problem solving, time management, and perhaps most importantly provides encouragement and emotional support. As appropriate students who have special needs are referred to other campus or community resources.
The nursing program at UTEP is tough as our graduates are one of the best in the nation. We expect outstanding academic performance combined with a humanistic and caring concern for our fellow humans. This past year (2006-2007) our passing rate on the NCLEX-RN exam was slightly over 96%, statistically the same as those students graduating from UT Austin. We have more graduates than Austin and 78% of our students are Hispanic. Thus we are living our Vision of Becoming the Premier Hispanic Serving School of Nursing in the Nation.
For more information about the University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing please visit our web site. www.utep.edu/nursing
1 comment:
Very well put and covered all the bases! May I extract this for recruiting and the pre-nursing students at UTEP?
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