Career and School Info for RNs (Registered Nurses) in Maryland

In order to select a good nursing school one must assess their personal expectations, limitations, and their lifestyle. In selecting a nursing school, determine what kind of nurse is your personal goal and determine the amount of time desired to spend in school achieving this goal. Does one want to gain a degree or a diploma? Does one want to become a CNA, LPN, or RN, or possibly gain a MSN, for there are different levels? The amount of time spent in school determines salary, job duties and truly depends on the program selected. One must do research, understand the expectations of each program/certification, and select a path accordingly. Again individualization varies tremendously so a selection should be feasible to individual lifestyles and expectations. One who is working full time should not pursue nursing full time.

In consideration, nursing school is very extensive and the recommendation of part time working and or school should be taken very seriously. One has to be very determined and dedicated to become a nurse. Nursing requires a lot of time, one must understand this and sacrifice as much as possible. Select a school that provides the hands on experience in a clinical setting. In selecting the present program I am attending, my decision was based on convenience, expenses, and receiving a bachelors degree. I chose BSN-RN program as a result of understanding the authoritative, autonomy aspect of a management position. It allows me to actively perform as an RN during my clinical experience, therefore practicing autonomy associated with being an RN. I recommend that one assess their personal characteristics and choose their nursing path accordingly.

The decision to go to nursing school should not be taken lightly. It will be one of the most challenging tasks to accomplish, but well worth it. I believe one must be called to be a nurse because it can’t just focus on the salary. The focus must be on patient advocacy through the care and teaching nurses constantly achieve. Nurses interact with people at their most vulnerable time, and the nurse often is the one to express kindness. In selecting a nursing school these attributes should be part of the core values. The nursing candidate should visit the campus to see the flow of the school. The classes ought to work together and not have a course work that is overwhelming.

I wish someone told me you can go to the school and get assistance in filling out the admission documents. They can help you with tailoring the essay to what the school is requesting. They can also assist with what prerequisite classes are needed before entrance to the program. Knowledge of the required classes will alleviate taking classes unnecessarily. Additionally, the candidate should have extracurricular activities. The school wants to know that you can balance your life with the school workload. Leadership is another quality schools look for in the admission assay. Therefore, the earlier the choice of schools is made the better equipped the student can be prepared to be chosen as a new student.

The thing that I wish that I had known about the nursing program is how competitive it really is to get into the program now. Many people are now interested in being a nurse because there is a strong need for them. The competition is extremely high, and these days your grades have to be perfect in order to get in to a good program. They tell you beforehand that the program is competitive, but you never really know until you experience it.

Also to those who are going into nursing, I wish I had known how important it is to manage your time well and to not procrastinate. The nursing program requires a lot of work in a short amount of time, and it is sometimes hard to keep up with that as well as the other school activities. Procrastination is the number one thing that will hold you back from succeeding in the program. I wish someone had told me how much work it really is and how little time you have to understand and learn all of the concepts. Time management is the most important basic that a nursing major, or any college student, can learn.