The wait here in my area to get into the nursing program is ridiculous... I've finished my second year of generals this spring and now I wait... They go by the petitioning process here and since I've already been waiting 2 years IF I'm lucky to get in next fall, my wait will have been 3 years! To make matters worse, several large companies including a GM plant shut down here last winter so they are allowing displaced workers to get into healthcare programs ahead of current students who have been waiting (on top of getting unemployment and their schooling paid for) so they are being filtered in, meaning less spots each petition period for current students. I feel like my life is on hold until I can get and get going! I'm worried it will be even harder for me bc it will have been so long since I took General A+P and the CNA program... Sooo frustrated

oh man..that sucks.  There was a point where it was a 2 year wait here.  But it wasn;t so bad cause in that time you got to take all the pre-requisites.

Is it possible to find a school further away?

That sucks.  The problem is that they don't pay professors well.  I have a Master's degree and am a cardiology nurse practitioner and I can make way more money seeing patients.  I'd probably also make more working an extra shift in the ICU.  I taught a clinical once and they don't pay well at all.  I'm always getting asked to teach but it just doesn't make sense financially right now.

Yeah I'm in the same boat as cathedralbride - I have my Masters and am a nurse practitioner and I would seriously make more money doing an extra shift as a staff nurse in our ICU than teaching clinicals for students. I still do it now and then because I like it but I certainly would not be able to make a living out of it - I'm in NJ.

@lex484 - so sorry you have to wait so long! Don't worry about the time from A&P and your CNA course - what you don't learn in nursing school is learned on the job as a staff nurse to be honest with you - you'll do great!!

Thanks ladies! I petitioned this week and should find out by the end of October if I got in for this January!!!