An Alternative Pathway into the Nursing Field
Date: October 19, 2022
As a recent graduate with high school behind you, you might ask, “How might I become a nurse?” If you’re searching for an accessible route into the healthcare field, you’re not alone.
Students who might have packed up their bedrooms to travel to and attend more prominent universities or out-of-state schools may now stay closer to home than ever before. Accordingly, “Nearly 30 percent of US undergraduates are enrolled at public, two-year colleges, which offer benefits like open-enrollment and flexible scheduling,” cites a recent US News and World Report article.1 The reasons given for selecting local education include some of the following: lower costs, pathways to four-year colleges, closer proximity to home, flexibility, and workforce training.1
So as you put a postage stamp on that last graduation thank-you card, opt between a university or a junior college. Let’s consider a few pros of a local nursing school.
Find a Path to a Good College
Paramount to nursing education is finding a good school. While any college avenue can be competitive, a junior college route may offer one way into nursing that might not otherwise exist. Consequently, many students utilize this underused pathway—the nearby trade school. By and large, “the road less traveled” may bring advantages. Below are some of its benefits.
One, Avoid Long Waiting Lists
Often students find college nursing programs come with long waiting lists or lottery systems. If an institution is on a lottery system, students are generally given more points (entry tickets) to complete general education classes. Other pre-nursing classes counting toward entry systems include biology, nutrition, anatomy, and physiology. However, even after taking entry-level classes, there’s still no guarantee one will be accepted.
Therefore, taking prerequisites at a junior college typically makes sense. Additionally, enrolling in foundational classes at a nearby college may cost less per credit hour. Should one later apply to a four-year college, said classes can be included with the college entrance application. “Doing your homework” conveys to the new college you are serious about the profession. Frequently, such diligence and preparation only enhance one’s chances for admission.
Two Entrances With Fewer Obstacles
Whereby junior colleges have lighter thresholds to the classroom door. “Community colleges accept 100 percent of applicants with a high-school diploma or equivalent credential and offer high-quality educational opportunities,” says a recent American Council on Education (ACE) article.2 One example of relatively low entry obstacles is the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts’ Vocational Nurse (VN) Diploma program.
Our VN Diploma program takes only 13 months* to complete. Omitting barriers to entry, our VN classes enroll multiple times yearly. Further, the age threshold for the modality is a mere 17 (18 years old by the core program start) to take the Essential Medical Bioscience prerequisites course. While admission requirements are kept modest, they include the following:
- Interview with the program coordinator;
- Complete a distance education questionnaire;
- Finish Gurnick Academy General Admission Requirements.
With the above said, you could be well on your way to calling yourself a nurse, perhaps in less time than it would take to apply, obtain prerequisites, and wait for acceptance at another institution.
Three Options Supporting Advanced Education
Almost half (49 percent) of all students who earn a Bachelor’s degree first enroll in a community college.2 Launching a nursing career as an LVN generally has advantages beyond what one would have if starting ‘cold’ or without any healthcare background. Furthermore, bridge programs between the LVN and Registered Nurse (RN) not only “wet one’s feet” but can ultimately truncate one’s academic tenure. For example, applicants holding LVN licensure may use the A.S. in Nursing–Advanced Placement (LVN–RN) pathway. Specifically, the trajectory allows nursing students to reach an ADN in only eight (8) months.† Thus, their in-class time is fast-tracked.
Four Work Ready
As a bonus, nursing “offers multiple opportunities not requiring four-year commitments. Chiefly, this allows nursing graduates to begin earning a living and acquiring professional experience.”3 Primarily, one may be work-ready through a community or junior college sooner than they might be with another type of education elsewhere.
Additionally, with proper VN training and certification, one may qualify to work as a nurse while undertaking advanced nurses training. Therefore, LVN work can be a way of funding one’s nursing education as one goes. Correspondingly, hospitals and healthcare employers sometimes offer financial assistance to their employees for further instruction, such as to obtain an RN. Hence, these individuals could be situated to make a case for employee assistance.
Sign up For Your Alternative Pathway
On the whole, an early entry can allow one to gather valuable experiences. Such a path may also help one to network within the profession. Both experience and networking are helpful to future nurses and the patients they’ll later serve.
In summary, if you’re hoping to go to the front of the queue and wish to become a nurse sooner than later, take a look at our vocational nursing program today.
* 52 Approved Instructional Weeks.
† 90 Approved Instructional Weeks.
Citations:
1^a, b Warner, Andrew. “Five Reasons to Consider Community College.” US News and World Report, US News and World Report, LP. May 19, 2022. (Accessed Oct. 13, 2022.)
2^a, b Turk, Jonathan. “Higher Education Today.” Higher Education Today, American Council on Education (ACE). June 26, 2019. (Accessed Oct. 14, 2022.)
3 NurseJournal Staff. “LPN Certificates vs. Nursing Associate Degrees|NurseJournal.org.” Nursejournal.org, NurseJournal.org, a Red Ventures Company. Jan. 20, 2022. (Accessed Oct. 14, 2022).
