Related Articles

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 be in the medical field, you must have hands-on experience, and no Medical Training would be complete without the opportunity to interact with real patients. I have discovered, both by my own learning curve and by watching my fellow students, that no matter how "book smart" you are, there must be clinical practice to be an effective nurse. The mannequins we use for procedures such as injections, insertion of NG tubes, catheters, and assessments just don't give you the feel of a real body, nor does it give you the feedback (both good or bad), depending on the procedure.

Is it absolutely critical to evaluate the nursing school you are taking into account for attending, and considering the different Nursing Careers that you may embrace. Assure yourself that you will appreciate the level you wish to gain. Is LVN enough for what you aim to? Are there alternative nursing caereers which are better tailored to your needs?

You must check whether the private Nursing Schools have the accreditations you require if you wish to get into different Nursing Careers later on. Can that program give you an AA or BS? Or cat it give you a state-limited licence only? Which credits may be transferred to a public college or university, shoud you choose to continue to a Bachelor's or Master's degree?

Another thing to think about is how much you'll have to spend! Private Nursing Schools have broader acceptance levels, but the tuition is a great deal more than community college. I had to take the private school option as my local community college had a waiting list for the RN program that stretched out to 2011! I had to pay their higher fees to get my schooling within a sensible time frame.

And finally, I would like to offer one suggestion-- sign up for the tour and perhaps try out being a student for the day. Attend a class and make an effort to interact with teachers and other students in order to get a good feel of the type of environment the school offers. This will give you a good idea of what it'll be like for the next two years that you'll be attending the school. With this experience, you may even decide that it's not for you. Take note of the pace and structure of teaching and decide whether it's suited to how you learn. Also pay attention to the staff; are they helpful? Judging the environment earlier on will give you a glimpse on how satisfied you will be once you enroll.