I AM MAD AS HELL AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!! I am sick to death of all the baloon juice around how short of nurses this country is. Instead of yammering on endlessly about this proposal or that one or why they can't or won't be implemented, I want to see some ACTION from the schools, the government AND the health care industry. There are thousands of people out there doing backflips trying to get into nursing school, but with up to a five year wait for a spot, can you blame us for getting frustrated and pursuing other options? When you are my age (45), you also have to consider whether or not it is worth the costs involved in getting that piece of paper. Will I have enough of a working life left after I FINALLY get accepted to a program, FINALLY make it through, and FINALLY get a job to make it even worth bothering with??? If I had to answer that question right this second, the answer would be not only no, but HELL no! I talked to an admissions rep from the University of Utah just yesterday. He told me they only accept 50 to their nursing school a year. It is a travesty that a Division One school that enrolls 26,000 and graduates 5,000 students a year can only put out 50 nurses, assuming all 50 complete the course. It is time for all the talk to stop, and some action to be taken. I am issuing a challenge to everyone involved with this site to write their congresspersons, heads of schools, hospital administrators and anyone else you can think of that might possibly get the message. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

I can understand your frustration, but there are numerous reasons for limiting enrollment. I am an instructor at a small nursing school, and trying to maintain sufficient staff to student ratios is only part of the problem. As other schools in our area gradually increase their numbers, we are all trying to compete for the same limited number of clinical sites. And speaking to the statement that there are students who go into nursing for the wrong reasons, there are some who do say that their main reasons are job security and pay, but we still get those who see the profession for both the art and science that it is. So, try to stick with it-I have had students older than you in my classes! There is something to be said for life experience.

It's hard enough just to get in to the nursing program. But, what about the retention rate? We started off with 89 students in Sept 06 and are now down to 39 original students just 4 semesters later.... I appreciate that the standards are high but are they too high? I see many students who are very compassionate/intelligent and seem like they would make great nurses. But, they can't hold that 78% average and get washed out. Hmmmm, I don't know if that's good or bad. Are some nursing schools washing out students who could possible pass the NCLEX-RN? I don't know, maybe I'm just biased. I hold a B average (barely) but I just think they make it too tough. Not just to get in, but to stay in.

I'm glad it is so hard to get in while I hate working short...........I hate even more working with "nurses" who 1. don't care about their patients or 2. don't do a good job and I end up picking up their slack anyway. most nursing schools try to 'weed-out' they ones who will not be successful as a nurse and that trend I hope continues

I know this has nothing to do what you guys are talking about but I am a senior in high school and have wanted to be a neonatal nurse for 9 years now. I am only 17 and I am thinking about college do you have any suggestions of good schools to go to? I am thinking about Montgomery College for a year or two so I can get my reading ability up, but I dont know where to go after that.

I know this has nothing to do what you guys are talking about but I am a senior in high school and have wanted to be a neonatal nurse for 9 years now. I am only 17 and I am thinking about college do you have any suggestions of good schools to go to? I am thinking about Montgomery College for a year or two so I can get my reading ability up, but I dont know where to go after that.