Nursing School Solutions: The Quickest Way to Nursing School

Across the country, there is growing frustration over the long waiting lists that one needs to go through to get into a nursing school

Some nursing schools are reporting waiting lists of several YEARS. That's right, years. This is true even for students who have already completed all of their required courses and achieved decent grades. The main problem lies in the fact that there are just too many qualified student applicants applying for every available slot.

In short, there is just not enough room at traditional nursing schools for all who are interested.

And here's what's making matters worse: the worsening economy means that most people are in search of steady jobs that pays well. Nursing pays well; anywhere from $25 to $60 an hour, depending on what part of the country the nurse is working in. Nurses are also highly in demand; with an aging workforce retiring from the field faster than there are replacements, every hospital out there is in need of professional nurses, and is offering sign-on bonuses or educational reimbursement to lure more qualified candidates.

But because of that, even MORE people are applying to nursing school nowadays, which means the schools are even more overcrowded and it's even more difficult to get in. Some people are even abandoning their dreams of a nursing career. After all, being told that it will be three or four years before they can even START nursing school is pretty discouraging.

But there is no need to give up! You can start your nursing education -- and without having to wait for a long time.

With conventional nursing schools unable to handle the sheer number of applicants, career schools, also known as "vocational schools" or "degree schools" have become an option for many aspiring nurses today. It's true that this type of schools may be more expensive, but on the upside, the waiting lists are much shorter. Some of them may be able to admit qualified students within a few months.

By giving higher pay for nursing teachers, career schools can lure them out of traditional colleges and then accept more interested nursing students. Traditional schools and community colleges however, have to limit the students they accept as a result of lack of qualified teaching force.

Is it worth it to shell out more for a career college which concentrates primarily on training future nurses quickly, often in a two year program? These programs are quite steep; $50,000 is not at all unusual. The one year "career college" LPN programs often cost around $20,000 a year.

But many hospitals will repay nursing students for their education these days. And applying to these more expensive schools could be a student's only realistic option these days if they do not want to wait three or four years to be accepted into a a community college, state school, or four year university.