AA degree in Nursing (RN) in Florida~Need help finding a program (bachelor's, BSN)
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Do Community Colleges in Florida offer AA degrees in Nursing (RN) anymore? I am having a hard time finding one that does. Keiser is the only one that seems to and they are expensive. I have my BA degree and getting my BSN is an option but it too is very expensive as well and it's very competitive getting into the program. Anyone know who has an AA RN program in Florida? and I'm on not interested in on-line nursing degrees as those are not laughed at by the Board of Nursing.
Do Community Colleges in Florida offer AA degrees in Nursing (RN) anymore? I am having a hard time finding one that does. Keiser is the only one that seems to and they are expensive. I have my BA degree and getting my BSN is an option but it too is very expensive as well and it's very competitive getting into the program. Anyone know who has an AA RN program in Florida? and I'm on not interested in on-line nursing degrees as those are not laughed at by the Board of Nursing.
thanks
You can get an AA or an AS in nursing from Valencia Community College in Florida
Do Community Colleges in Florida offer AA degrees in Nursing (RN) anymore? I am having a hard time finding one that does. Keiser is the only one that seems to and they are expensive. I have my BA degree and getting my BSN is an option but it too is very expensive as well and it's very competitive getting into the program. Anyone know who has an AA RN program in Florida? and I'm on not interested in on-line nursing degrees as those are not laughed at by the Board of Nursing. thanks
There are quite a number that do. I recommend checking out Santa Fe College in Gainesville which has a really good track record and excellent clinical experiences at Shands/UF Medical Center.
One thing you're going to run into is that a lot of those programs are limited admissions and they'll make you jump through a whole bunch of hoops to make sure you're serious and tempermentally suited for the program.
Most community colleges off the AAS in Nursing, and in the past 25 years this has quickly become the most oft chosen path for most entry level practitioners for several reasons.
Cost is low, campuses are accessible, and the amount of time at least seems short.
In actuality, the Associate degree in Nursing in most areas does not usually take only two years.
It almost never does, and here is why:
While community colleges offer open enrollment to the residents of the geographical areas that they serve, that open enrollment does not apply to all programs. It never applies to Nursing!
As a former nurse in NYS, I know many other nurses who did the Community College rout and it took between three and four years! At the end of which they only had associate degrees.
The reasons are many. For one, students at many CCs need to take pre-requisite classes, sometimes known as "pre nursing" in older to eventually be admitted into the Nursing Curriculum. This could take between one and three semesters, depending upon how popular that program is. In an extreme case, a college could take up two five calender years, and they could have you complete all of your non-nursing classes before ever setting foot in a clinical nursing course!
Typically the classes required are as followed:
2 three credit classes in English Composition
2 classes in Psychology - General or Into
Developmental or "Human Growth and Development"
Anatomy and Physiology I and II (8 credits)
Microbiology
Sociology
There may be some variations but that is the usual. That's 30 credits. And since many of the courses are sequential
, you can not take Anatomy II while taking Micro (nore would you want to)
All of the clinical courses are also sequential i.e. you must take them in order.
Classes called "Nursing I or Into to Nsng" are most often only given in the Fall, for example.
A faster way would be to select an independent school. Taking less time to graduate could well cost you less money and you will begin earning sooner.
Check out Rasmussen College. They have several campuses in FL.
Another way to enter nursing, is to first become an LPN. Many of these programs are easier to enter, and can take as little as 10 months to complete!
If you want to move up the career ladder to become an RN, you can let your employer reimburse you. Also, many BSN programs today also offer credit to LPNs so you could progress to the Bachelor's degree without obtaining the AAS.
I plan on finishing mine up in 3yrs (cause I have a TON of classes I feel I should take and want to take as well, like Physics, and then transfering to another local CC to get certified in surgical. That's another semester, or two depending on how I wish to do it.
So by the time I am finally done, I will be a RN with a surgical first cert.
My local CC has a one to two year waiting list for its RN program. A local hospital that has a nursing school just graduated its last associates degree RN class. All future classes will be BSN, which seems to be the way things are heading for nursing programs. I think Sheena has given you some good advice. See if you can get hired in an entry level position at a medical facility and have them pay for your BSN.
Seriously, I think you should look into four year programs, or alternatively, LPN programs.
At least you will be a nurse in a year, be able to work. You will be accepted into the second year at a community college and become an RN in a year.
If you enter the Community College as a generic student, a non-nurse, Community College will take at LEAST THREE YEARS.
Usually four. Community college is really not a bargain for a generic student.
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