Becoming a registered nurse requires a lot of hard work, long hours and dedication. It all becomes worth it once you give back to the community and save lives.
Before you apply for the nursing program, however, there are lot of prerequisites a student has to follow. Required classes include Human Anatomy, Human Physiology and General Microbiology.
Students also have to complete the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) Test and students have to pass with a 90 percent or above.
“I was in a car accident a few years ago and I like the experience of being in the hospital, having the nurses tend to you,” said first-semester student Jazmin Garcia about why she wants to be a nurse.
Garcia said she wants to give back.
The program at Delta College isn’t easy to get into.
“There’s a point score,” said student nurse Cody Olivas. “Certain courses and certain GPAs are worth this many points, if you speak another language that’s another set of points. The point score counts for about 80 percent … a lot of people get in by the points and the other 20 percent get in by lottery.”
If a student has been accepted in the program, an email is sent containing the Associate degree in Nursing (ADN) with the Student Information Pack, which includes all required forms with information and deadlines, according to the Delta website.
If a student is considered to be an alternate in the program, it means the spaces have all been filled. If a qualified student drops out, alternates are contacted.
Alternates who aren’t offered a space can apply for the next semester.
The nursing program takes about two years to complete, over the course of four semesters, according to Nursing Professor Gerry Hinayon.
“At the end of the program, the students get paid for what they like to do, which is helping people,” said Hinayon.
It takes hard work and dedication.
Elidia Gomez, who is studying to be a registered nurse, still has a couple classes before she can apply for the program. Gomez attended the Stockton Health Empowerment Conference (SHEC) 2018 on Feb. 3.
“The Reminder for Stockton Health Empowerment Conference 2018 (SHEC) is provided by UC Davis to educate students more about the healthcare professions and others. There were five workshops and they provided breakfast and lunch,” Gomez said. “I really liked the conference especially the workshops, there so many stories shared and I meet so many people. I was able to get contact information from UC Davis medical students in case I need any help for personal reasons or just to get help applying to Medical school. It was awesome and I will definitely come again next year.”
The conference offered workshops students could attend, such as a “Health Professional Student” panel in the morning and a “Minor Emergencies” workshop in the afternoon.