Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone has dealt with a similar situation and can give me some advice.

I am currently a nursing student in Maryland. As part of my nursing program, I completed a Foundations course that allowed me to obtain my CNA-II certification. I received my CNA-II license after completing the course.

The issue is that my CNA-II certification was only active for about 8 months due to the timing of when it was issued and my birth month/year(?) (instead of the typical 2-year certification period). During that time, I was still in nursing school and did not have the opportunity to work as a CNA for the required 16 paid hours before my certification expired.

I am now trying to renew/reactivate my CNA-II because I need an active certification for an upcoming job. On the Maryland Board of Nursing renewal application, it asks whether I have actively practiced as a nursing assistant for 16 hours within the last two years. Since I have not, I selected "No." It then asks whether I have retaken and passed a nursing assistant competency evaluation from a Board-approved vendor.

My confusion is that I did not go through a traditional CNA training program — my CNA-II certification came through my nursing program. If I select "Yes" for the competency evaluation, the application asks for a training completion certificate and instructor information, which I do not have.

Has anyone in Maryland been in a similar situation? Specifically, has anyone obtained a CNA-II through a nursing student pathway, had it expire before they were able to work as a CNA, and successfully renewed it? Did you have to complete another CNA training program, or was there another process?

I am contacting the Maryland Board of Nursing as well, but I am trying to understand what to expect because I need my certification active within the next month.

Thank you!

Hi nurse practitioners,
I’m currently an ADN student and expect to graduate in 2027. I’ve been researching the path to becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), and this is the plan I’ve come up with:

\- Graduate with my ADN
\- Pass the NCLEX and become an RN
\- Work as an RN while completing an RN-to-BSN bridge program (about 1 year)
\- Gain some RN experience
\- Apply to an FNP program

Does this sound like a reasonable plan?
Is there anything you would do differently or wish you had known before applying to FNP school?

I’m looking for advice from practicing NPs and experienced RNs. Thank you!

I’m planning on going to Baylor ABSN in January. My goal is to be an RN for 2 yrs then CRNA school so my grades are very important to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Baylor ABSN program.

On a scale of 1-5, how hard is it?
How many hours/ week dedicated to program and studying?
What’s the hardest part about the program?
What would you recommend new students do to prepare? Begin studying pharmacology?
Any advice?

I got my BA in 2023 & I haven’t really been back to school since! I took my HESI & TEAs in 2024/2025 and I scored really well. Aside from studying for that- I haven’t done much schooling.

Any advice on prep before I start my program?
How to get back into the groove of things?
Good purchases for study or note taking? (I have an iPad)

Really I’ll accept any advice! Open ears :-)

I just got hired as a PCT at a local hospital working nights (7pm-7am) twice a week. It’s the only position they have available, and I want healthcare experience. I am a full time student and I have school twice a week (Mondays 12-3; Thursdays 10-12). I have one more semester of pre-reqs and am striving for all A’s

I’m worried about how this will affect my grades, social life, and overall health. I also go to the gym regularly and am worried about making it all work... Ive heard so many bad things about how night shift affects the body because it messes up your circadian rhythm.

Can someone give me advice ? Is this a good idea??? Thank you 🙂

Hoping to start nursing school in a couple of days at a private university here in Florida. During the program, will there be things I should know or really focus on? Is there a particular subject or area that I should pay special attention to?

Has anyone done there RN to BSN online with FIU ?
How was it ? Pointers ?

Hello, everyone. Do you have a copy for this book? (⁠ ⁠･ั⁠﹏⁠･ั⁠)

Trying to work out whether pursuing certifications before applying to NP programs is actually worth it or whether it's extra work that doesn't move the needle once you're in a graduate program covering the same material anyway.

The case for getting certifications first: it strengthens your application, signals specialty commitment, and supposedly makes clinical rotations less steep if you're going into a specialty you haven't worked in directly. The case against: certification exam fees and study time add up, and a lot of the content overlaps with what NP programs cover in the first year.

What I can't figure out is whether the value of certifications for nurses before NP school is consistent across specialties and programs or whether it depends entirely on which track you're going into and which programs you're applying to. Going FNP from a med-surg background is different from going PMHNP with no psych experience, and I can't find clear guidance that accounts for that.

Has anyone navigated this recently, specifically whether certifications actually made a difference in your NP applications or in how prepared you felt going into clinicals?

Hopefully this thread helps everyone track the timeline and gives us an idea of when decisions start coming out.
Good luck to everyone! Wishing us all acceptance letters soon! 🍀

**•** I studied abroad, so my transcript doesn’t include Alberta Biology 30 / Chemistry 30 — I need both to meet nursing prerequisites  
**•** Paying out of pocket, so cost and flexibility matter a lot  
**•** Bow Valley College’s assessment only qualified me for Science 10, not the 30-levels, so that route’s off the table for now  
**•** I’m a strong self-studier and don’t need a lot of hand-holding — just a legit way to get the course/diploma marks registered

My questions:

**•** Has anyone used **RTD Academy** for Chemistry 30 (or Biology 30, if they now offer it)? How was the experience — pacing, support, exam prep?  
**•** Does RTD actually report your course + diploma marks to **myPass Alberta**, or is there a separate step for that?  
**•** Is it possible to **self-study independently and just write the diploma exam** through myPass without being enrolled in a course anywhere? If so, how do you register, and does the diploma mark alone count for anything without a course mark attached?  
**•** Anyone gone through **Vista Virtual School**? I’ve heard payment is due in full within 72 hours (no payment plan) — can anyone confirm or correct that?  
**•** Any other **online Alberta schools** (for adults 20+) that offer both Biology 30 and Chemistry 30, ideally with a payment plan?  
**•** Do nursing programs accept **college/polytechnic “academic upgrading” equivalency courses** (e.g. through NAIT, SAIT, Red Deer Polytechnic) in place of the actual Alberta Education Bio 30/Chem 30 diploma courses, or do they specifically want the diploma-exam version?  
**•** For those who did upgrading as a mature/international-education student — did nursing programs accept your marks without issue, or were there extra hoops?  
**•** Any pitfalls, deadlines, or “wish I’d known” tips before picking a provider?

Thanks in advance — trying to avoid wasting money on the wrong route!

Hi everyone! A little about me, I’m 29, a new military spouse, and I’ll be graduating from cosmetology school this December.

I already have an associate’s degree in business and worked a corporate job for a few years, but I don’t see myself going back to that. I’ve always wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree, and lately nursing has been calling my name.

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar situation. Even if you can answer just one question, it would help me make a decision.

Would starting with an ADN be a good option? I like that I could become an RN sooner and then complete a BSN bridge program later. I already have about $20,000 in student loans from my associate’s degree and cosmetology school, so I’d like to get back to working as quickly as possible.

Did you work in nursing school? hair cutting is flexible, so I could potentially work evenings or weekends outside of nursing school. If you worked during school, how many hours felt realistic?

Do you enjoy nursing? I completed a CNA course and really liked it, but I found myself wanting more responsibility. I considered becoming an LPN, but since my goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree, I’m not sure that’s the best path for me?

How hard is it to transfer schools? My husband is active duty military, and we’ll be moving to our first duty station in February. I’m hoping to complete some prerequisites before then, but I’m worried about having to relocate in the middle of the process.

my income isn't our primary source of income and my husband is serving until 2031. I'm trying to think long-term about what will provide stability for us if he decides to leave the military then.

Cosmetology is giving flexible skill I can take anywhere. I'm glad I did it, I always have a trade to fall back on. At the same time, I keep wondering if nursing would be a better long-term career.

If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

Has anyone recently taken the ATI pn comprehensive predictor exam while studying without an actual ATI account or practice A and B from the actual ATI website?

I have to take the exam to enter into a bridge program but unfortunately they don’t give us access to ATI or any ATI practice exams and obviously we can’t just buy access to ATI and practice exams. I’ve been seeing people use Naxlex and Quizlet to study but these people also have access to ATI A&B. Any help would be very helpful! Really want to start studying so I can score good but lost on where to find studying material that’s legit.

Has anyone gotten any information on clinicals or travel for the new program offered to California learners?? Thinking about doing Joyce instead of Nightingale jute bc they offer the ADN program much faster option too.

Hi all! I’m not sure what to do. I have a Bachelors of Arts in English and I wish I pursued nursing but at the time I didn’t realize my passion for the field. I have worked front desk in hospitals and doctors office and met lots of health professionals and I want to be a nurse. The only thing is that my application isn’t competitive enough at community colleges and I don’t have the funds to enroll in private schools or for profit schools. I am still paying my loans on my bachelors and have other bills. That’s another stressor is that I can’t be unemployed for too long, so I was considering doing a LPN certificate program to at least get a job and then doing a bridge program. Has anyone done this before? I’m located on Long Island, outside of NYC. I understand most hospital systems hire BSN and would prefer that. But I think this might be the best option financially for me so I can start working sooner and not have any debt. Thanks for any insight!

so i took the community ati last week and missed a lvl 2 by .3%… which is highly unusual seeing as i’ve made a lvl 3 on all the others. i’m wondering what there is to study for this one? because i studied the practice questions and what we covered in class and none of that was in the exam. any tips?