Nursing is a growing profession, and there will always be a demand for nurses. Due to the nursing shortage that is always coming up in the news, many people are now trying to pursue a career in nursing. The current nursing shortage is due in part to the aging baby boomer generation that is reaching retirement and will soon need nurses to care for them. Now with the nursing shortage and increased interest in nursing, we still face one other problem – a shortage of seats in nursing schools.
I am going to be a nurse one day, but the problem I have run into is getting into nursing school. More guys seem to be interested in nursing these days, so it is not just a woman’s profession anymore. But nursing is a great profession for anyone that loves it. There are so many different areas of nursing to go into, and nursing jobs can even pay pretty well (both financially and in personal satisfaction).
Some of my past experiences with nurses while having relatives in the hospital have been both good and bad. Sometimes I cannot for the life of me figure out how or why some people became nurses in the first place. Nurses need to be able to care for both the patients and their families. No matter how stressful the job may get, they still should grow from all of their experiences. Tagore said that “Life is given to us; we earn it by giving.” Nursing should be a rewarding experience, and people should go into nursing because it is what they know they are born to do. Even the current surgeon general, Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, was and still is a registered nurse. He reminded President Bush on one occasion, when he introduced him as a former nurse, that he was a nurse and – “once a nurse, always a nurse.” Also, he noted that being a nurse made him even more qualified for his job.
Unfortunately, some people have to pursue alternative careers. In some cases, it is hard to get into a traditional BSN program, and after a few years, students realize that they are closer to finishing another major than completing a three-year BSN program. People have to choose other options because they can’t afford to sit around and wait to get into nursing school, no matter how badly they would like to.
There is always the possibility of pursuing other options, like an accelerated BSN, or graduating as an RN from a diploma program and going on to an RN-BSN program. More employers are looking for nurses with BSNs because some of them think that taking a few extra classes makes a better nurse.
In reality, however, people’s character makes them better nurses, not their educational background. It seems to me that there may be flaws in the application review process at some of the nursing schools. Apparently, more value is placed on standardized test scores than is necessary. Some schools see the SAT as a good predictor of how well you will do, even though it only tests verbal and math skills (not science, logic, communication skills, etc.). In some schools, personal statements have replaced interviews. Personal statements are usually just why you want to be a nurse and why youchose to apply to that particular school. It wouldn’t hurt to require a little bit more out of applicants because if they really wanted to apply, they wouldn’t mind.
Admissions people in nursing schools are not always nurses themselves. They may not know what it is like and what it takes to be a nursing student. From what I hear, many people still drop out of nursing school. If so many people drop out, maybe there is a problem with the application process when it comes to picking the people who should have been admitted. I would think that if each applicant and their application received a thorough and fair review, it would be easier to more accurately indicate who would make a good nursing student. Nursing schools need to take other factors into consideration when reviewing applications.
Prospective nursing students need to get a better grasp on what nursing school would be like before they find themselves enrolled in one. Perhaps a shadowing program or class could help them decide if they want to fully commit themselves to becoming a nurse before it is too late or they have wasted time and money. That may help weed out the people that really want to go to on and finish nursing school. Nursing schools need to choose students based on more criteria than who is the most academically qualified applicant – what about those who truly want to be nurses? Having trouble in a class or on a test does not make a person incapable of becoming a good nurse.
Until nursing schools reform their admissions process, here are a few tips. I would suggest showing as much interest as early on as possible. I started volunteering at a hospital when I was fourteen, and now I volunteer three times a week at a couple of different hospitals. Nursing schools typically say they prefer applicants that have experience in hospital environments (nurses and doctors run in my family). Do well in prerequisite classes and take electives that may prove useful in the nursing profession. VCU, for example, offers health psychology, medical sociology, ethics of healthcare and many other classes that may prove useful. Usually, schools like applicants who are involved in extracurricular activities and can manage their time well. Leadership qualities and a strong interest in learning are also great to possess. Take advantage of those personal statements and essays.
I do know that I can sincerely offer my best wishes to future nurses and everyone. I only offer my constructive criticism because I know what the application process is like, and I want to help make nursing schools more efficient and able to produce even greater nurses. Good luck to any future nurses, and don’t give up. All of the hard work and effort will pay off.
Rehana Kazi is a pre-nursing and psychology major at VCU. She may be reached at kazirs@vcu.edu.