How to secure admission to study Nursing in the United States

The United States, being one the countries that was severely affected by COVID-19 pandemic, is encouraging highly motivated and brilliant prospective student nurses to seek admission into both public and private universities.

Deciding on which University to apply to, as well as ascertaining admissions requirements could be daunting to an average student. This post is intended to clear prospective applicants' doubts and help them make an informed decision on how to secure admission to study Nursing Science.

Recently the ranking of six fastest-growing jobs of the decade that pay over $100,000, by CNBC, placed nurse practitioners in the first position with $111,680 median pay. Followed by information security analysts.

In this article we share all the necessary information as regards general and specific requirements or prerequisites for admission, duration of the course, the average cost of study and also the list of top universities in the US for Bachelor's degree in Nursing Science (BNS).

General and specific requirements and prerequisites for Admission into BNS

Some institutions set a threshold for acceptable high school GPA. If you have post secondary qualifications such as CNA or LPN it is also acceptable.

Essentially keep in mind that prerequisites in each nursing school are uniquely determined. When in doubt you could reach out to the admissions office in order to ascertain the prerequisites.

Apart from having high school or postsecondary school academic qualifications, some schools still require that you take entrance or general exams such as SAT or ACT, exams specially set up for those seeking to pursue a degree in BNS.

The SAT is an acronym that stands for Scholastic Assessment Test, and it has been in existence in the US since 1926. It is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States.

The ACT is an acronym for American College Testing, it is an alternative standardized test being used for college admissions in the US. It came later after the SAT. Essentially, SAT and ACT are like Nigeria's Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The purpose of the entrance exam is to test applicants' qualitative and quantitative abilities. Applicants' score would help the admissions committee determine candidates' ability to cope with rigorous academic activities in nursing schools.

As each institution sets the acceptable pass mark. Apart from academic requirements for admission, some universities demand that applicants submit a motivation letter as one of the required documents for admission.

The motivation letter should indicate the applicant's passion for the nursing profession, for instance an applicant could state that she decided to pursue a career in nursing because she was a health prefect at secondary school. Also, in a motivation letter, an applicant might consider including her envisaged career life in the next five years.

Another important document required for application is a reference letter from the applicant's mentor or former teacher. Some universities only request for one recommendation letter while others demand two letters. Another important aspect of the application process is the payment of processing fees. This is usually less than $100. However in rare cases some universities waive application fees.

Program duration

The duration for a Bachelor degree in Nursing Science is four (4) years, in the US. In the final year student nurses will be required to submit a long essay on any topic of their choice in Nursing Science as part of the requirements for the award of bachelor's degree.

Program tuition

The tuition varies depending on the classification of the university in question. Top universities are usually expensive. However, there are funding opportunities in the form of scholarships or loans.

Basically on average it costs about $10,000 per academic year for a BSN program. Some affordable universities charge as low as $4,000 per academic year.

Acceptance Rate

Just as tuition varies according to ratings of universities, so also the acceptance rate, for instance at South Dakota State University, the acceptance Rate is high as 92.4%, for Illinois State University, acceptance rate is 89.2%, however for Saint Louis University, the acceptance rate is as low as 57.5%, while acceptance rate at Loyola University is 67.9%.

NCLEX Pass Rate

In the US, before trained nurses could be eligible to apply for licensure, they must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The NCLEX competence assessment test is being organized by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). The exam ascertains candidates' competence to work in healthcare care or hospital facilities.

Generally the pass rate is higher among US-trained nursing candidates than their foreign-trained counterparts. Also within the US the pass rate is distributed by states and by individual universities.

The 2021 NCLEX aggregated pass rate for all candidates Is put at 68.85%. The assessment is based on pass or fail, rather than on percentage ranking. According to the Institute of International Education (IIE) the number of international students studying in the USA is rising. The COVID-19 pandemic has further heightened the demand for nurses, as some retired staff nurses have to be incentivized to work during the height of the pandemic crisis.