On Becoming a Nurse

I'm in the last few months of an eight year term of service on active duty in the Army. I fully intend on becoming a nurse, but I have some concerns. Some, such as a now five year old misdemeanor, have been slightly alleviated by a pep talk from a doctor who essentially told me to not let having to jump through some hoops with a Board deter me from doing what I want to do.

The time is rapidly approaching when I will have to make some definite decisions, such as enrolling in school. I have a GED, and my college transcripts from the community college (Central Texas College) near my base show a mediocre GPA with the four or five courses I've taken over the last eight years. I've been unable to apply myself to my potential due to service obligations, but I will be focusing entirely on studies after I end my term.

My tentative plan is to seek enrollment in the community college's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program (the curriculum is on page 82 of this document), and raise my GPA significantly. I'm not sure if I should complete the Associate's, or only complete enough courses to significantly raise my GPA before applying to the BSN program at University of Texas at Austin. It's also not clear to me what is meant by wait lists; is it true that even if you have an impeccable transcript you might have to wait a year or longer before enrollment into a university's nursing program?

If any nurses can offer suggestions for inquiries I should be making or considerations I should be making, I will greatly appreciate it.
Yo, Chief. I'm not a 'Merckan, so I can't advise on the hoops you have to jump through. But if you have 8 years' military service and half a brain and the desire to be a nurse - you've got more than what it takes, and we need you in our business.A five year old misdemeanor? Yeah, you'll fit right in.Go for it, dude.

(Sorry, Commuter....I thought I was discreet, and decent folks wouldn't be able to decipher what I wrote.)

maybe your experience in the army will outweigh the misdemeanor. May i ask what your misdemeanor is??

I think whether your misdemeanor will prevent you from becoming a nurse depends on what the misdemeanor was, and what you've done about it, since it happened.What do you want to do with a nursing degree? An associates degree is enough for lots of nursing jobs, and an RN, whether through an associates degree or a bachelor's degree, generally gets the same pay for the same seniority and job.You can have perfect grades and still be on a waiting list if everyone else has the same grades you have. The thing is, there aren't enough instructors to teach everyone who wants to study nursing, especially for clinical courses where there are limits as to how many students an instructor may have. Sometimes too, there aren't enough sites available for students to do clinicals. Schools can't overwhelm facilities with their presence in large numbers.

Quote from ColdChiefI'm in the last few months of an eight year term of service on active duty in the Army. I fully intend on becoming a nurse, but I have some concerns. Some, such as a now five year old misdemeanor, have been slightly alleviated by a pep talk from a doctor who essentially told me to not let having to jump through some hoops with a Board deter me from doing what I want to do.The time is rapidly approaching when I will have to make some definite decisions, such as enrolling in school. I have a GED, and my college transcripts from the community college (Central Texas College) near my base show a mediocre GPA with the four or five courses I've taken over the last eight years. I've been unable to apply myself to my potential due to service obligations, but I will be focusing entirely on studies after I end my term.My tentative plan is to seek enrollment in the community college's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program (the curriculum is on page 82 of this document), and raise my GPA significantly. I'm not sure if I should complete the Associate's, or only complete enough courses to significantly raise my GPA before applying to the BSN program at University of Texas at Austin. It's also not clear to me what is meant by wait lists; is it true that even if you have an impeccable transcript you might have to wait a year or longer before enrollment into a university's nursing program?If any nurses can offer suggestions for inquiries I should be making or considerations I should be making, I will greatly appreciate it.

Nobody will "weigh" that you were in the army. Lots of people were/are in the armed forces. It is not unique. What you have to do is make sure all the "stuff" associated with that ruling is resolved, and, that you have all the records associated with it in order to answer to anyone's questions.In my state, you cannot even begin education for something as simple as a CNA level certificate without a background check. This, because the facilities (hospitals, nursing homes) of course, don't want anyone with questionable criminal history onsite.So forget projecting as far as employment as an RN for now.Concentrate on your records and any resolution you may need to do in order for you to just be able to gain entry into a registered nursing program.

Quote from ColdChiefI'm in the last few months of an eight year term of service on active duty in the Army. I fully intend on becoming a nurse, but I have some concerns. Some, such as a now five year old misdemeanor, have been slightly alleviated by a pep talk from a doctor who essentially told me to not let having to jump through some hoops with a Board deter me from doing what I want to do.The time is rapidly approaching when I will have to make some definite decisions, such as enrolling in school. I have a GED, and my college transcripts from the community college (Central Texas College) near my base show a mediocre GPA with the four or five courses I've taken over the last eight years. I've been unable to apply myself to my potential due to service obligations, but I will be focusing entirely on studies after I end my term.My tentative plan is to seek enrollment in the community college's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program (the curriculum is on page 82 of this document), and raise my GPA significantly. I'm not sure if I should complete the Associate's, or only complete enough courses to significantly raise my GPA before applying to the BSN program at University of Texas at Austin. It's also not clear to me what is meant by wait lists; is it true that even if you have an impeccable transcript you might have to wait a year or longer before enrollment into a university's nursing program?If any nurses can offer suggestions for inquiries I should be making or considerations I should be making, I will greatly appreciate it.

Quote from Whispera What do you want to do with a nursing degree? An associates degree is enough for lots of nursing jobs, and an RN, whether through an associates degree or a bachelor's degree, generally gets the same pay for the same seniority and job.

I HIGHLY suggest that you call both the BON in the state you want a license and the nursing school you want to go to. It doesn't matter what people on this forum think, it is what THEY think that will allow you to obtain your RN. Good luck

Quote from Esme12Why didn't you get your degree while in the army?

I live in Houston and go to school with people who came back home because they couldn't get into UTA's nursing program, and they started their degrees there. If you get the CTC degree, the Killeen Tarleton campus has (or at least used to have) an RN-BSN program you can do later.

Jenni811: The stain on my record is aggravated assault. I got into an altercation in a bar while on leave in the summer of 2006 and couldn't go to trial because I had to return to duty. No violence actually took place; if I was a civilian I would have fearlessly went to trial. I wasn't punished by my unit, and haven't got in any other trouble as an adult.Whispera: With a 4 year nursing degree, I want to work as a nurse of course . I'd most like to work in a hospital, and eventually complete the education necessary to become an NP. I'm willing to work for the VA or a home if necessary before getting into a hospital. As another poster stated, I'd be able to come back to the Army as an officer if employment opportunities became severely scarce (though I'd rather not). Thank for the insight on the admissions.onaclearday: I understand that there are background checks. I will make inquiries to Texas' Board of Nursing and to the schools I intend to attend. I do have a secondary plan if I'm unable to attend nursing school, but let's assume for the sake of discussion that I'll be able to demonstrate my status as a law abiding citizen.Irobinson5: Thanks, I will.kalevra: Thank you, you answered Esme12's question perfectly.outrunningzombies: I want to move to Austin, not stay in Killeen.