Frederick Community College?

Thanks for the encouraging post, Newnurse! Perhaps you could keep us posted on your job search now? I would love to hear from someone local.

Thank you ladies! Good luck to you as well!

I will be happy to keep you updated on the job hunt. I have sent several resumes out but in this day and age it is all about facetime and who you know and going into finals my husband and I decided we would wait to stress about the job hunt. (it can be very time consuming)

I dont know what your family situation is like but I do recommend you get your CNA when you finish your first year. Already working for a hospital or doctors office can go a long way when its time to be hired as an RN. I personally, with my kids, couldnt find time to juggle a job with home and school, but if you can I would suggest it. (but by all means dont jeapordize your grades for it!!!)

XOXO

PS use and abuse jan term classes! they are long but bring 3 credits in two weeks! :-)

Yes, I did my Group Discussion class (CMSP 105) this past Jan term. And I plan on taking Medical Terminology this upcoming Jan Term, then the Dosage Calculation one Jan '12 right before I (Lord willing) begin nursing school in the spring semester of '12. The 5 and 8 week long summer classes are a time saver as well.

I am torn about working as a CNA during nursing school. I don't think I will be able to swing working, as I homeschool two of our children during the day and will be taking my nursing classes evenings/weekends. I would not see my husband very much if I worked in the evenings and after school on the weekends. I have a very flexible part-time retail job right now that I am planning on quitting once I begin nursing school. But I am trying to get into the ER at FMH as a volunteer one evening a week (which is where I would love to work one day).

Yes, the Jan Term classes are a bit nuts! My Group Discussion class was about 4 hours a day for two weeks, then of course had to read the chapters at night, there were two reports to type, plus group projects that had to be done outside of class. I was highly motivated and it worked well for me.

BI 55 is offered as a Jan Term class, and I told Professor Dormo I would CRY if I had to learn everything in that class in two weeks, and he said it is a good chance for students who did poorly to retake it and improve their grade.

It would also be a good opportunity to get an Art credit or the Body Mechanics class out of the way (hardly any homework), but yes, a class with a lot of outside reading and other assignments is time consuming, but hey, in two weeks you're DONE.

You need one PE credit, and the website (have you looked at the nursing prereq flow chart? http://www.frederick.edu/download/programs/flowchart.pdf) recommends PE 108 (Body Mechanics). During the school year it is only a 5 week class, once a week. But it is also offered a few times a week during the J-term.

It focuses mostly on the spine, posture, lifting and turning patients, proper positioning for lifting heavy items, and heart rate (we did some aerobics during one class and tried out the exercise equipment).

Here is the description from the website:

Body Mechanics

Examines the application of physical laws to the human body at rest or in motion, including concepts of effective, efficient and aesthetic postures, both static and dynamic. Emphasizes joint motions, care of the back and components of fitness including body compositions, flexibility, strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance.

Re: who to take for pre-req's and such..... I dont believe any of the instructors I had for A&P are still at FCC, but my micro professor is, and I would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone. Dan Coffman. He usually teaches nights. He works at USAMRIID at Ft. Detrick and is amazingly knowledgeable and helpful. I loved micro out of all my pre-reqs the most. In fact, I spent quite a few class periods talking to him about various sciencey types of things for close to an hour after class before.

And re: the medical terminology class....TAKE IT if at all possible. You will be at such an advantage if you take it prior to clinicals. If not, its like learn and look stuff up as you go. I really wish they would have made that a pre-req. GOOD LUCK in getting through your pre-reqs everyone. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed in the program.

I have no idea what it would be like as opposed to the other pre-req's because I didn't take it myself. I think its a fairly new option, and they are just now recommending it to students in the pre-req phase. It was actually a group of students that brought it up to the nursing faculty that it would be helpful to have a medical terminology course as a pre-req. The problem is that the program has to stay at 70 credits so they can't force it, they can just strongly recommend it and I think they are now. As someone with no healthcare experience going into this, I think it would have helped me out a lot. There were many things we talked about this semester that I had NO idea what they were talking about and I had to look up (they dont expect you to know EVERYTHING, but they do expect you to look it up if you don't know in the first semester).

I am planning on taking the Medical Terminology class online. Seems like it will be a bit more helpful for me than the pottery class I am now taking to fulfill my art credit...