January 10, 2025 • 13 mins
Paramedic to RN
Season 3, Episode 2: How to Navigate Your Way to Nursing School
Watch the video recording of this episode on the Paramedic2RN YouTube Channel:
{I'd love to have you as a Subscriber and hearing from you in the Comments with feedback or asking a question.}
Planning and preparation are key to starting your nursing school journey. I'll walk you thru the most important points.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
life works that way. To me, you don't get what you want, you get what you earn. And it's just
(00:07):
like nature. Like for example, if we as humans had to hunt for food, I can sit and wish for food all
day. But if I don't get out and hunt, then I'm not going to be able to feed my family. That's just
the way nature is. That's just the way life is. Now keep in mind, life doesn't care if I spray my
(00:29):
ankle on a hunt the day prior. Life doesn't care. All life knows is you're going to get what you
earn. So my question to you is how do you earn it? I'm going to show you how I earn mine. I'm also
going to give you receipts because I got documentation to back up what I went through. As of this
(00:49):
recording right now, you could go to paramedic2rn, the number two, com, and you can see my nursing
school blog. That's one of the first things that I did to help my friends that wanted to go to
nursing school because amongst my friends, I was the guinea pig. It was like, okay, Reggie, well,
go to nursing school and let us know how it was. But when I finished, it was like, guys, I came
(01:12):
from the mountaintop. I got the commandments. I got the holy grail. Let me put it up for you guys.
I got this whole program laid out, what I went through, costs, how I got in. Just from that
experience is how I came up with the paramedic2rn and now giving you guys that same information.
(01:34):
So that blog is really my whole entire journey from beginning to even when I got my NCLEX results.
You can go see it, but for some of you guys, get on the podcast later or who may not have the means
to see it, I'm going to give you the short version and give you some tips to earn your seat.
(01:59):
So when I finally decided nursing school, there was only two paramedic2rn bridges in my state.
One was about an hour and a half away and the other was like on the other side of the state.
I had heard rumors about two or three community colleges near me that were going to start to offer
a paramedic2rn bridges. So I would just wanted to know if they was so I can make them a consideration.
(02:24):
I emailed them and of course the answers were stuff like, we don't know, maybe we're still
thinking about it. We're considering it and all that type of stuff. It was basically no.
Until this day, those community colleges still don't have a paramedic2rn bridge. But as I was
getting prepared to start doing the rest of the prereqs for the paramedic2rn bridge that was an
(02:49):
hour and a half away, one of my coworkers told me about another paramedic2rn bridge that had just
started. I literally had no idea. Just by luck, it was the same distance. I was like, hmm, maybe
I should give this a look. Actually, two more started and they were about the same distance.
(03:11):
One had the prereqs that I had already. I was like, oh, I already fit this one. All I needed was
an associate's of EMS. It was the only one that required an associate's degree in emergency medical
sciences because that one had all the classes that was required. The other one, I still had one or
(03:33):
two classes to take. So I narrowed it down to this one. But the only problem was it had 10 slots.
At first, my first brain was like, it has 10 slots. What if I don't get in? I got to wait next year.
I can take a semester, take those two classes and the other one don't have no cap and slots. But my
(03:54):
brain was like, look, you need to go for it. So what would you do if you was in my shoes? Exactly.
I ain't for the one I can get in right now. My backup plan was if I didn't get in, then I was
going to take two classes that next semester. Then the next time it rolled around, I was going to
(04:16):
apply to both. That was my backup plan. So now I had one major obstacle. They require the T's test.
If you don't know what a T's test is, it's three or four sections. One is science, other one is
English comprehension. One is math and the other is grammar. It's like four sections and you're
graded. The math section is what intimidated me. I wasn't worried about the science section because
(04:41):
through my schooling, especially being a paramedic, we kind of used to the sciences. Of course, I had
to read up on stuff like chemistry and everything else, but as far as like A&P as a paramedic, we
got that down in a nutshell. But the problem I had with the T's test was, let me claim, I was a
(05:02):
Con Ed medic that bridged to an associate's degree. When I took the placement test to get into the
community college to do my paramedic bridge, as far as going from Con Ed to get my associate's in
EMS, I scored very well on English. I placed out of that, but I didn't place out of math. There was
(05:23):
some developmental math courses I needed to take, but because my associate's in EMS didn't require
it, I didn't have to worry about math. Where here it goes, the T's test, you got a whole math section.
So I got a whole problem here. Not to only mention that, look, I'm 40 years old and I hadn't taken
(05:44):
math since high school. So that was another issue. That was my big barrier. I felt that I had to
compete for these 10 slots. So what did I do? I studied for the T's test for nine months. I
studied. I think I brought the ATI. ATI is the maker of T's. I wound up buying an ATI T's book,
(06:10):
and I did two practice tests. The first time I did a practice test, I did like a 72. The next
time I did it, I did like a 74. So that's how I did. I mean, I'm not going to lie to you. I
studied for nine months, like rock solid, but my overall score for the T's was an 80, and I wound
(06:34):
up earning one of those 10 slots. Keep in mind, this is my nursing journey. My school drive was
one and a half hours away. My clinical site was one and a half hour away. My required 120 hour
capstone was at a hospital about an hour and 45 minutes away. Keep in mind, I didn't sign up for
(06:58):
the night shift. It was just given to me. Matter of fact, I wanted the day shift, but when they,
apparently the way my name fell on the list, it flipped me the nights. I had to drive back home
with the windows down, AC blasting, playing Busta Rhymes so I wouldn't fall asleep on the highway.
(07:19):
When you asked me, was nursing school easy? Hell no. I mean, I had to earn it. See, I had
to bend to that program. It wasn't the other way around. My steps to successfully navigate your way
to nursing school is number one, you have to make a decision. Also, what's your end goal? Do you just
(07:44):
want to be a registered nurse? Do you want to be an advanced practice nurse, like a clinical nurse
specialist, nurse practitioner, CRNA, nurse midwife? Do you want to be a nurse scientist?
Do you want to earn your doctorate? I don't know. Only you know what your end goal is. Also, how far
are you willing to drive? How long can you afford to go? For example, are you willing to drive
(08:09):
one and a half hours? If so, how many bridges in your state that are in that radius or how many
nursing schools? How long do you want to go? Do you want to go one year, like a paramedic to
Iron Bridge? Do you want to go two years to just a regular traditional community college program?
Or do you want to go four years to a university? Only you can decide that. But I will tell you how
(08:32):
far you're willing to drive. It has to be within that radius, or you can just do like I did. I just
picked a school and locked in. I think one of the most valuable things I can tell you is do not rush
your prereqs because nursing school is a competition for seats and nothing beats an A. So I had all A's.
(08:53):
I think for me was the fact that remember my original plan was to go to PA school. So when I
did my associates in EMS, I had PA school in mind when I selected my classes. For example,
I didn't do English and I didn't do A&P at the same time. I did A&P by itself because I know that
(09:14):
I wanted to make an A. I did A&P too the same way. Now when I did psych, I did English and psych
together because I knew that I can handle both loads of those classes. Only you know what you
can handle. So don't stretch yourself because remember if you don't post a good grade, then
you're going to have to take that class again. That can kind of get you and not actually for you.
(09:36):
Next one is to take an entry test prep. I did the T's like I mentioned earlier. I did the ATI
website. I purchased a book and two prep tests. The reason is because keep in mind there was only 10
slots when I applied. The minimum T score you needed for the school I went to was like a 58 or
60. I think it was a 58. But the 58 is just for you so you can get in. But you're going to compete
(10:02):
for those slots. So other folks that got like high 70s, 80s, and 90s, they're going to beat you out if
you post a minimal T score. So you need to post the best score you can. Don't just go in and say,
well I did a 58. I don't understand why I didn't get a C. Well that's because if you got a
influx of people that's scoring high 70s, 80s, or 90s, they're going to beat you out.
(10:26):
So you have to prep for that test. Also save some money. What I did was I saved to offset my
living expenses. My first semester I was able to work full time but after that I was PRN. I was
as needed. I saved money to offset my living expenses. Also nursing school is expensive.
You know you got your classes, books, uniforms, kits. You also have testing fees. It's not like
(10:51):
a normal load of classes. Nursing school classes are expensive. There's a lot of other things that
you're going to have to buy. Just keep that in mind. Also one of the most invaluable things that
I did was I talked to others who went to school before me who went through that same program.
They told me, hey Reggie you can work full time your first semester. Now the next two semesters
(11:15):
you're going to have to break down your hours because there's going to be a lot of time. There's
going to be a lot of commitment. Oh by the way you're going to have a project your second semester.
They're able to tell you those little intricate type of things. So make sure you connect with
someone who went preferably the class before you. But I think the most important thing that I did
was I visited the school and I met the nursing instructors. Me and my wife we went down and we
(11:41):
met the director of nursing before I even applied. We sat down in her office. We talked. She got to
know me. She got to know my wife. She introduced me to other instructors. I'm pretty sure when my
application came across they was able to put face with the name and they knew who I was. That's not
to say that's how I got my slot but I'm pretty sure that it kind of gave me a competitive edge as well.
(12:05):
Keep in mind I came in with all A's and an 80 on the T's test so I was probably one of the higher
caliber candidates. Hopefully I gave you a little bit more in-depth on how to compete for these
schools because I'm telling you right now the way nursing is we need you guys to help because we
we're being slammed. With that being said if you got any questions just reach out to me.
(12:30):
Shoot me an email. Just let me know. I do a lot of consulting work. I talk individually with
folks like you and I help you. My mission here is to help as many people as I can.
With that being said thank you guys for joining in and happy nursing.
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I really enjoyed your support.
If you've been listening to me for a while I'd like to hear from you. So just leave a comment
(12:54):
from time to time. Hit the like button and just let me know that you really enjoyed this episode.
Make sure that you share the episode with others and of course subscribe and follow me.
My goal is to help as many people as possible make the transition from paramedic to RN.
So thanks as always.
life works that way. To me, you don't get what you want, you get what you earn. And it's just
(00:07):
like nature. Like for example, if we as humans had to hunt for food, I can sit and wish for food all
day. But if I don't get out and hunt, then I'm not going to be able to feed my family. That's just
the way nature is. That's just the way life is. Now keep in mind, life doesn't care if I spray my
(00:29):
ankle on a hunt the day prior. Life doesn't care. All life knows is you're going to get what you
earn. So my question to you is how do you earn it? I'm going to show you how I earn mine. I'm also
going to give you receipts because I got documentation to back up what I went through. As of this
(00:49):
recording right now, you could go to paramedic2rn, the number two, com, and you can see my nursing
school blog. That's one of the first things that I did to help my friends that wanted to go to
nursing school because amongst my friends, I was the guinea pig. It was like, okay, Reggie, well,
go to nursing school and let us know how it was. But when I finished, it was like, guys, I came
(01:12):
from the mountaintop. I got the commandments. I got the holy grail. Let me put it up for you guys.
I got this whole program laid out, what I went through, costs, how I got in. Just from that
experience is how I came up with the paramedic2rn and now giving you guys that same information.
(01:34):
So that blog is really my whole entire journey from beginning to even when I got my NCLEX results.
You can go see it, but for some of you guys, get on the podcast later or who may not have the means
to see it, I'm going to give you the short version and give you some tips to earn your seat.
(01:59):
So when I finally decided nursing school, there was only two paramedic2rn bridges in my state.
One was about an hour and a half away and the other was like on the other side of the state.
I had heard rumors about two or three community colleges near me that were going to start to offer
a paramedic2rn bridges. So I would just wanted to know if they was so I can make them a consideration.
(02:24):
I emailed them and of course the answers were stuff like, we don't know, maybe we're still
thinking about it. We're considering it and all that type of stuff. It was basically no.
Until this day, those community colleges still don't have a paramedic2rn bridge. But as I was
getting prepared to start doing the rest of the prereqs for the paramedic2rn bridge that was an
(02:49):
hour and a half away, one of my coworkers told me about another paramedic2rn bridge that had just
started. I literally had no idea. Just by luck, it was the same distance. I was like, hmm, maybe
I should give this a look. Actually, two more started and they were about the same distance.
(03:11):
One had the prereqs that I had already. I was like, oh, I already fit this one. All I needed was
an associate's of EMS. It was the only one that required an associate's degree in emergency medical
sciences because that one had all the classes that was required. The other one, I still had one or
(03:33):
two classes to take. So I narrowed it down to this one. But the only problem was it had 10 slots.
At first, my first brain was like, it has 10 slots. What if I don't get in? I got to wait next year.
I can take a semester, take those two classes and the other one don't have no cap and slots. But my
(03:54):
brain was like, look, you need to go for it. So what would you do if you was in my shoes? Exactly.
I ain't for the one I can get in right now. My backup plan was if I didn't get in, then I was
going to take two classes that next semester. Then the next time it rolled around, I was going to
(04:16):
apply to both. That was my backup plan. So now I had one major obstacle. They require the T's test.
If you don't know what a T's test is, it's three or four sections. One is science, other one is
English comprehension. One is math and the other is grammar. It's like four sections and you're
graded. The math section is what intimidated me. I wasn't worried about the science section because
(04:41):
through my schooling, especially being a paramedic, we kind of used to the sciences. Of course, I had
to read up on stuff like chemistry and everything else, but as far as like A&P as a paramedic, we
got that down in a nutshell. But the problem I had with the T's test was, let me claim, I was a
(05:02):
Con Ed medic that bridged to an associate's degree. When I took the placement test to get into the
community college to do my paramedic bridge, as far as going from Con Ed to get my associate's in
EMS, I scored very well on English. I placed out of that, but I didn't place out of math. There was
(05:23):
some developmental math courses I needed to take, but because my associate's in EMS didn't require
it, I didn't have to worry about math. Where here it goes, the T's test, you got a whole math section.
So I got a whole problem here. Not to only mention that, look, I'm 40 years old and I hadn't taken
(05:44):
math since high school. So that was another issue. That was my big barrier. I felt that I had to
compete for these 10 slots. So what did I do? I studied for the T's test for nine months. I
studied. I think I brought the ATI. ATI is the maker of T's. I wound up buying an ATI T's book,
(06:10):
and I did two practice tests. The first time I did a practice test, I did like a 72. The next
time I did it, I did like a 74. So that's how I did. I mean, I'm not going to lie to you. I
studied for nine months, like rock solid, but my overall score for the T's was an 80, and I wound
(06:34):
up earning one of those 10 slots. Keep in mind, this is my nursing journey. My school drive was
one and a half hours away. My clinical site was one and a half hour away. My required 120 hour
capstone was at a hospital about an hour and 45 minutes away. Keep in mind, I didn't sign up for
(06:58):
the night shift. It was just given to me. Matter of fact, I wanted the day shift, but when they,
apparently the way my name fell on the list, it flipped me the nights. I had to drive back home
with the windows down, AC blasting, playing Busta Rhymes so I wouldn't fall asleep on the highway.
(07:19):
When you asked me, was nursing school easy? Hell no. I mean, I had to earn it. See, I had
to bend to that program. It wasn't the other way around. My steps to successfully navigate your way
to nursing school is number one, you have to make a decision. Also, what's your end goal? Do you just
(07:44):
want to be a registered nurse? Do you want to be an advanced practice nurse, like a clinical nurse
specialist, nurse practitioner, CRNA, nurse midwife? Do you want to be a nurse scientist?
Do you want to earn your doctorate? I don't know. Only you know what your end goal is. Also, how far
are you willing to drive? How long can you afford to go? For example, are you willing to drive
(08:09):
one and a half hours? If so, how many bridges in your state that are in that radius or how many
nursing schools? How long do you want to go? Do you want to go one year, like a paramedic to
Iron Bridge? Do you want to go two years to just a regular traditional community college program?
Or do you want to go four years to a university? Only you can decide that. But I will tell you how
(08:32):
far you're willing to drive. It has to be within that radius, or you can just do like I did. I just
picked a school and locked in. I think one of the most valuable things I can tell you is do not rush
your prereqs because nursing school is a competition for seats and nothing beats an A. So I had all A's.
(08:53):
I think for me was the fact that remember my original plan was to go to PA school. So when I
did my associates in EMS, I had PA school in mind when I selected my classes. For example,
I didn't do English and I didn't do A&P at the same time. I did A&P by itself because I know that
(09:14):
I wanted to make an A. I did A&P too the same way. Now when I did psych, I did English and psych
together because I knew that I can handle both loads of those classes. Only you know what you
can handle. So don't stretch yourself because remember if you don't post a good grade, then
you're going to have to take that class again. That can kind of get you and not actually for you.
(09:36):
Next one is to take an entry test prep. I did the T's like I mentioned earlier. I did the ATI
website. I purchased a book and two prep tests. The reason is because keep in mind there was only 10
slots when I applied. The minimum T score you needed for the school I went to was like a 58 or
60. I think it was a 58. But the 58 is just for you so you can get in. But you're going to compete
(10:02):
for those slots. So other folks that got like high 70s, 80s, and 90s, they're going to beat you out if
you post a minimal T score. So you need to post the best score you can. Don't just go in and say,
well I did a 58. I don't understand why I didn't get a C. Well that's because if you got a
influx of people that's scoring high 70s, 80s, or 90s, they're going to beat you out.
(10:26):
So you have to prep for that test. Also save some money. What I did was I saved to offset my
living expenses. My first semester I was able to work full time but after that I was PRN. I was
as needed. I saved money to offset my living expenses. Also nursing school is expensive.
You know you got your classes, books, uniforms, kits. You also have testing fees. It's not like
(10:51):
a normal load of classes. Nursing school classes are expensive. There's a lot of other things that
you're going to have to buy. Just keep that in mind. Also one of the most invaluable things that
I did was I talked to others who went to school before me who went through that same program.
They told me, hey Reggie you can work full time your first semester. Now the next two semesters
(11:15):
you're going to have to break down your hours because there's going to be a lot of time. There's
going to be a lot of commitment. Oh by the way you're going to have a project your second semester.
They're able to tell you those little intricate type of things. So make sure you connect with
someone who went preferably the class before you. But I think the most important thing that I did
was I visited the school and I met the nursing instructors. Me and my wife we went down and we
(11:41):
met the director of nursing before I even applied. We sat down in her office. We talked. She got to
know me. She got to know my wife. She introduced me to other instructors. I'm pretty sure when my
application came across they was able to put face with the name and they knew who I was. That's not
to say that's how I got my slot but I'm pretty sure that it kind of gave me a competitive edge as well.
(12:05):
Keep in mind I came in with all A's and an 80 on the T's test so I was probably one of the higher
caliber candidates. Hopefully I gave you a little bit more in-depth on how to compete for these
schools because I'm telling you right now the way nursing is we need you guys to help because we
we're being slammed. With that being said if you got any questions just reach out to me.
(12:30):
Shoot me an email. Just let me know. I do a lot of consulting work. I talk individually with
folks like you and I help you. My mission here is to help as many people as I can.
With that being said thank you guys for joining in and happy nursing.
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I really enjoyed your support.
If you've been listening to me for a while I'd like to hear from you. So just leave a comment
(12:54):
from time to time. Hit the like button and just let me know that you really enjoyed this episode.
Make sure that you share the episode with others and of course subscribe and follow me.
My goal is to help as many people as possible make the transition from paramedic to RN.
So thanks as always.
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