A career in
nursing can be an extremely rewarding profession and offers a wide variety of
options such as registered nurse (RN), nurse practitioner (NP), registered
nurse anesthetist, medical-surgical nurse and many more. Additionally, the demand for nurses is high.
The Department of Labor predicted by the year 2024 we will need at least
400,000 registered nurses. Such a high demand has led to the creation of
several school options for individuals looking to pursue a nursing career.
Several accelerated nursing programs have been created to allow an individual
that has received their Bachelor’s degree in something other than nursing to obtain
their RN license anywhere from 11 to 18 months following graduation from
college. If you would like to go directly from Hendrix to graduate school in
Nursing, it is possible, but not common. For a master’s you will need to find
programs that will accept a bachelor’s in something other than nursing. Whether
you choose an accelerated nursing program, traditional nursing school or a
master’s program, we have identified some important factors that will help make
your application a success.
Look to the Future
Because admission requirements for nursing
programs vary immensely from one program to another, students should contact
the program(s) of their choice early in their Hendrix career. Also remember
that this is not a major at Hendrix. It is your responsibility to
contact each school you are applying to and get approval for any course you
might wish to substitute for a program’s pre-requisite. Additionally, it
is important to remember that these course requirements are not a major. You
will need to complete these courses under the major you choose.
Get involved!
Community service, health care experiences, and leadership activities are
essential. You need lots of experience working with people for people. Be
involved and serve on 1-2 Hendrix clubs or committees.
Observe Nursing Fields through volunteering
or working.
Although many schools do not require time spent observing, shadowing or
interning with a nurse, doing so will give you an edge over other applicants.
Hendrix internships require a minimum of 120 hours. You should try to do more
than 120 hours through volunteering, gaining certifications and/or working if
possible. The more experience you have with a variety of nursing careers, the
better understanding you will have of which type of nursing you want to pursue.
This expresses to nursing programs that you have a thorough understanding of
nursing careers and suggests that you will be committed to their program.
Keep your academic record strong.
Few individuals get admitted with only the minimal requirements, and
most admitted students have GPAs of 3.0 or above. Programs are looking for the
most highly qualified students and will therefore have higher expectations and
standards. When choosing your schools to apply to, check to make sure you will
meet or exceed the requirements
Develop
relationships.
Get to know health care providers, faculty and work/volunteer
supervisors. All of these individuals can be a resource for you to obtain new
and valuable opportunities. Always maintain a good rapport with these contacts
as well. You never know when you will need a letter of recommendation, and you
want to make sure they can provide you with a great letter,
not a mediocre one.
Stay
up on current healthcare issues.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a great resource for staying
up-to-date on current issues impacting nurses. https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/
and the official journal of ANA, American Nurse Today https://www.americannursetoday.com/blog/staying-current-basics/.
Questions?
For information, contact J.D. Gantz or Maureen McClung in the Biology Department.
Examples for Course Selection
Common requirements are listed
below. Requirements vary at different institutions.
Biology
BIOL 150 Cell Biology
BIOL 205 & 215 Human
Anatomy and Physiology I & II (w/Lab)
BIOL 340 Microbiology (w/Lab)
Chemistry
CHEM 110 General Chemistry I (w/Lab)
CHEM 120 General Chem
II w/lab (required at some institutions)
Psychology
PSYC
110 Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 240 Childhood and Adolescence Psychology
PSYC 245 Adult Development and Aging
Mathematics
College Algebra and Trigonometry (not taught at Hendrix,
some may accept MATH 120 Functions & Models)
MATH 215 Introductory Statistics or PSYC 290 Statistics
Health Sciences
HESC 265 Nutrition
Philosophy
PHIL 215 Ethics and
Society
English
English Composition I
English Composition
II* (Hendrix W2 courses may not be accepted at some institutions)
Sociology &
Anthropology
SOCI 110 Introduction to Sociology
ANTH 100 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Other frequently
required/recommended courses:
Medical Terminology*
US History or National Government**
Speech or Oral Communications*
*This course is not offered at Hendrix. You would be
expected to complete it at another institution either online or in the
classroom.
**More traditional US History and Government courses are not offered
at Hendrix. However, some programs may accept the Politics or American History
courses offered at Hendrix. Be aware that Texas Nursing Schools often require
Texas History and Texas Government in addition to US courses.