You’re compassionate and hardworking. Helping people is what you were born to do. So it makes complete sense that you’re considering going to nursing school. Nursing school has its own set of requirements so here are some things you’ll need to know before applying to nursing school. Also, depending on which type of nursing degree you want to get may change your particular set of requirements a little.
High School or Equivalent
First of all, before you can go to nursing school you’ll need your high school diploma or GED. Even if your grades are not the best, there are still some nursing schools you’ll be able to get into that only require a 2.5 GPA. Most nursing schools, however, do require a minimum of a 3.0 GPA or higher. The higher your GPA, the better the college you can get into.
Prerequisites
There are courses recommended to take in preparation for applying to nursing school. Medical terminology is high on that list. Other prerequisites are courses such as anatomy and physiology, human growth and development, nutrition, and microbiology. For a bachelor’s degree there are more academic core classes in the curriculum such as English, biology, and chemistry.
Entrance Exam
You will need to take an exam to get into nursing school called TEAS or test of essential academic skills. It covers courses you learned in high school such as English, science and math. There are many study guides and workbooks available to prepare for this exam. The better your score, the better the college you’ll be able to get into.
Volunteer!
Something else to strongly consider doing, which looks great when applying to colleges is working as a volunteer at a hospital. Nursing schools look for candidates that show a passion for the field. Aside from it looking good to colleges, volunteering will help you decide if nursing really is the path you want to follow.
You will also want to attend nursing sessions at the schools of your choice. It’s an orientation process but will also serve to help you make a decision as to which college is the right one for you.
Interview
Lastly, there will be an entrance interview. This happens once you have submitted your application and the college decides that you could be a good fit for their program. You may have to do a background check for this part of the process. But, you’ll definitely have a one-on-one with the dean of the nursing department or some other representative of the nursing school. Now is your time to wow them and prove to the school that you’re a perfect candidate.
Not all nursing schools follow the same guidelines so you may want to research into the schools you’re looking to attend to make sure you are taking all the necessary measures to gain admittance into the school of your choice!
Nursing school is hard work. But, so is school in general. Go in with a positive mindset and a final destination in mind and you’ll have smooth sailing through nursing school. If you keep on top of your school work by making sure to study every single day, keep a to-do list to stay organized and also to help with your time management, you’ll do great!
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