| Aspiring nursing students are growing increasingly | | | | There are ways to start your nursing education a lot |
| frustrated these days because of long waiting lists at | | | | faster. |
| nursing schools around the country. | | | | Traditional nursing schools are very overcrowded - |
| Some nursing schools are reporting waiting lists of | | | | which is why "career schools", also referred to as |
| several YEARS. Yes, years. And that is the case | | | | "vocational schools" or "degree schools" are becoming |
| even for students who have already completed all of | | | | more in favor these days for nursing students. |
| their prerequisite courses and gotten good grades. The | | | | Yes, these schools do cost more, but they also tend |
| problem is that for every single spots, there are | | | | to have much shorter waiting lists. Some of them may |
| dozens of qualified nursing students who are applying. | | | | be able to admit qualified students in a matter of |
| There is just not enough room at traditional nursing | | | | months. |
| schools for everyone who is applying. | | | | They can do this because they pay nursing teachers |
| And here's what's making matters worse: the | | | | much higher salaries, so it is a lot easier for them to |
| worsening economy means that many people are | | | | lure teachers away from traditional four year colleges |
| looking for a steady job that pays well. Nursing pays | | | | or community colleges. Unfortunately those types of |
| well; anywhere from $25 to $60 an hour, depending on | | | | schools pay less than private career schools, so they |
| what part of the country the nurse is working in. | | | | have a hard time attracting teachers, and without |
| Nurses are also highly in demand; with an aging | | | | enough nursing teachers, only a limited amount of |
| workforce retiring from the field fasting than they are | | | | nursing students can be admitted. |
| being replaced, every hospital out there is desperate | | | | Is it worth it to pay more to go to a career college |
| for nurses and is offering sign-on bonuses or | | | | which concentrates mainly on training future nurses |
| educational reimbursement to lure more qualified | | | | quickly, usually in a two year program? These |
| candidates. | | | | programs are quite expensive; $50,000 is not at all |
| But because of that, even MORE people are applying | | | | unusual. The one year "career college" LPN programs |
| to nursing school these days, which means the schools | | | | often cost around $20,000 a year. |
| are even more overcrowded and it's even harder to | | | | But many employers will repay nursing students for |
| get in. | | | | their education these days. And applying to these |
| Some people are even giving up and abandoning their | | | | more expensive schools may be a student's only |
| dreams of a nursing career. After all, being told that it | | | | realistic option these days if they do not want to wait |
| will be three or four years before they can even | | | | three or four years to get into a community college, |
| START nursing school is pretty daunting. | | | | state school, or four year university. |
| But there is no need to give up! | | | | |