Under Pressure: A Glance at the Nursing Major
The Kent State University nursing program is known across the country as one of the best colleges that provides students with the ability to train and develop necessary skills for the real world of nursing. According to The Best Schools website, the college of Nursing at Kent State “provides leadership and management skills and enhances the student’s knowledge in disease prevention, risk reduction, and health promotion.”
On average, approximately 65 percent of the applicants are accepted into the coveted program every fall, while the spring semester has an average of 80 percent of applicants gaining admittance, according to Curtis Good the Assistant Dean of Operations and Student Services at Kent State. With nearly 2,598 undergraduate nursing students (from all Kent campuses) this makes the major highly competitive.
Monique Brown, an ex-nursing major and current human resources major, believes that the nursing program was too competitive. “I always felt like I wasn’t up to par,” says Brown. “I never really felt secure in what I was doing. If I had a B in one of my classes I was stressing out to the point of it affecting me physically. If I had one B, I truly felt like my life was falling apart.”
Brown also says that the nursing program not only caused her an unhealthy amount of stress, but it also provided her with insight into what she wanted to do with her life. “I knew I wanted to help people,” says Brown, “But I always felt like nursing was the only way to do that and have a personal connection. However, I learned that social work is something that I enjoy and I’ll be able to have that personal connection while helping people.”
Kimberley Shamakian is a current nursing major who is succeeding within program. Not only does she maintain a solid 3.8 GPA, she has also become a tutor in order to help other nursing and pre-nursing students. “I love my job,” she says. “I want to help others so that way they might not feel as much pressure as I did during my freshman year.” Shamakian continued to talk about the nursing program and said, “I feel that the competition pushed me and others, to be the best that we can be,” says Shamakian, “You eventually find a group of people like you who understand your schedule and dedication.” Shamakian plans on sticking with the nursing program and eventually going to graduate school in order to become a professor and educate others. “I feel like the nursing program makes you grow,” says Shamakian, It makes you know what you’re capable of.”
The steps it takes to get into the nursing program are quite intense and consists of several different parts. The first part is maintaining a full schedule with a total of 30 hours before entering the program. One also has to complete several pre requisite courses and earn a C or better in these courses. If a student does not earn a C in those courses, they have to retake the course and wait to apply to the program because they won’t be able to take the necessary courses for the program. Lastly, according to the Kent State website, the student must maintain a 2.75 GPA to be considered for the program. However, many students have said that you need to maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in order to be considered as “competitve” within the application process.
Shamakian, was told otherwise. “I was all happy when I went to meet with my advisor my freshman year. I had a 3.5 GPA and I was confident that I was going to get into the program. My advisor looked me in the face and said ‘Honey, you’re not going to get into the program with this.’” Shamakian then went on to explain how she left the office devestated and worked twice as hard in order to get her GPA to a 3.8.
Despite the nursing program being rigorous, it seems to be worth it in the end. Shamakian was accepted into the program and is now thriving. “I really love the program. It’s difficult, but I love the challenge.”
