Articles - Snippits

Nursing Schools are challenging, and with the nature of a nursing career and Medical Training, it is truly a trial by fire. I am enrolled in a nursing program and will graduate the LVN program in August 2007. I attend evening and weekend classes to work around my current job. Going to school and working is tiring, but sometimes magical! It would definitely be easier if you could attend school full-time and not work. However it's not impossible to survive, you just have to forget about a life for up to 2 years.

To work in the medical field, you need a real experience since no Medical Training is complete if it misses the possibility of interacting with actual patients. I found out - both observing my learning curve and looking at my students, that regardless how literate you are, clinical practice is required to be a good nurse. The dummies we use to simulate procedures such as injections, insertion of NG tubes, catheters and tests neither can give you the sense of a real body nor give you good or bad feedback, depending on which procedure is concerned.

Researching the Nursing Schools you are thinking of attending and considering the nursing career paths available to you is of vital importance. Make certain that the level you aim for will satisfy you. Can you find what you want at LVN? Have you thought about which Nursing Careers would suit you best?

You have to verify if the private Nursing Schools have the accreditation you need if you want to branch into other Nursing Careers later down the road. Does that program give you an AA or BS? Does it give you a state-specific license only? What credits can be transferred to a community college or to a university if you choose to go onto a Bachelor's or Master's degree?

Another consideration is COST! Private Nursing Schools are certainly easier to get into, but they are a great deal pricier than a community college. I had to go this route because my local community college has a waiting list for the RN program out to 2011! I had to pay more to get training in a reasonable time frame.

I would suggest one last consideration; take advantage of the tours and even sit in a class or two. Talk with the teachers and staff. Observe the caliber of students the school attracts. You will be trapped with these people for up to two years and it is important to understand what you will be facing. It may or may not be for you. Also see if you like the style of teaching. Is it challenging enough? Too challenging? Do you like the teachers? How is the staff? This will all make a big impact on your level of satisfaction.