Harford Community College 2014

Yes, I plan on getting my BSN pretty much as soon as possible, only b/c I know I will need it to work in a hospital and I just want to be finished with school/classes. I'm looking into the pros and cons of trying to take one or more of the completer classes like Chem or Nutrition at HCC during the next year or if I should wait to take them online and/or at Stevenson/UMD/Notre Dame, etc after I get a job and maybe the hospital will help pay for them.

I know what you mean about just wanting the pre-reqs to be over with, especially when they're all lab classes... Hang in there... you'll be finished with summer semester before you know it. After your fall Micro class, will you have to take anything in the spring? If not, maybe use that time to relax and recharge as much as you can. By the way, I had Mr. Longdo for summer Micro last year, and I really liked him. He's tough, but fair and you will learn a lot. His approach forces you to really learn the material and be able to explain and apply it. The best thing he did was record his lectures and put them on BB for us to download and re-listen to. That helped me a lot.

I'm a school psychologist at Red Pump Elem. How are you doing with the middle school transition coming up?

Yes, of course I know Laura Olson! She's one of my favorite teachers to watch in action when I'm in a classroom observing students. I've even learned some math from her, haha! Yes, I have my BA in psychology and Master's and Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology. I had honestly thought about nursing a long time ago, but I was never very good in my science classes in high school, so I thought I wouldn't make it in pre-nursing classes. Plus, I grew to love psychology and human behavior and helping people, especially children, work through their worries and problems. I also love education and thought working in the school setting would be a great way to combine psych and education. I've been a school psych for 10 years, and I mostly like my job. However, everything changed for me 2 years ago when my youngest daughter, Lucy, had major surgery on her skull for sagittal craniosynostosis. While the surgery went well overall, she had complications at the end with excessive bleeding, and after surgery with compartment syndrome....scariest day of my life. We spent 6 nights at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center, and those first 4 nights in the PICU were where I saw the amazing inspiration of her nurses. I was completely in awe of their wonderful care and competence. They took such good care of her, and of me, and they taught me so much, and allowed me to be a part of Lucy's care and recovery. She recovered completely and beautifully and is now 3 doing so well. Anyway, the whole experience changed me and I just had a different perspective on everything. I just knew I wanted to become a nurse and I was passionate about it even after thinking about a it for a few months. So, that's how I got to where I am now. :)

I think you can take any classes toward your BSN whenever, and then transfer them over to the BSN program you choose to articulate to after you become an RN. But I would double check on that to be sure.

You will be fine in Micro. That was my first Bio class since high school, which was a long time ago! And as I said, I was terrible in my science classes. But I worked really hard in Micro and got an A. You will do great.

Middle school is an adjustment for everyone, but it's really usually harder on the parents than on the kids. :) And I know what you mean about their homework. That's why I learn from Mrs. Olson!!

Also, Mrs. Olson doesn't know yet that I'm in nursing school...I've told only a couple of my closest friends at Red Pump. I'd like to tell our principal before it gets out to everyone else, so please don't say anything to Laura yet. Or if you have already, please just ask her to keep it quiet for a bit if you don't mind. :) With the way things are in the school system with jobs, low morale with the budgets, etc., I just haven't been ready to make it known to everyone that I'm leaving after this coming school year. Know what I mean?

Hi gyggles, I hope I can answer your questions. For Fundamentals (which is the summer course in WEA), our clinicals were in assisted living facilities (most were in Bel Air and one was Elkton- but I don't think that placement will continue to be offered...), a nursing home in Havre de Grace, and either Harford Memorial or Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. Each clinical rotation was 1-3 weekends long. For Fall semester, we do clinicals for Mental Health and Med-Surg 1. Mental Health clinicals are at Harford Memorial or Perry Point, and Med-Surg 1 clinicals are at Upper Chesapeake. We alternate those sites each weekend. In Spring, we will be doing Peds, Med Surg 2, and OB. I'm not sure what those clinical placements will be, but someone mentioned that an OB site might be at UMD St. Joseph Medical Center. Many of us live in the Bel Air/Abingdon area. Some live in Joppatowne/Edgewood/Aberdeen. Others live in Balt. City. So, we are all over the place, and we often carpool to clinicals to cut down on driving. I think your plan to move closer to HCC makes sense, but don't feel like you need to move to Havre de Grace just to be close to clinical sites b/c then you'd get all the Bel Air sites and have to drive 30 min the other way, right?!

If you are late to the 3-6pm lab, nothing really happens, but you will likely end up missing important info and skills demonstrations. It happened to a lot of people occasionally, where they'd get stuck at work or in traffic, or something happened with their kids, and then we'd just help them catch up, share notes, whatever when they got there. We look out for each other. And yes, the 3pm start is just for the lab portion of Fundamentals in the summer, so if you can figure it out just for those couple months, you'll be fine. Fall classes don't begin until 6pm, and there is no lab class.

Yes, once you successfully complete Fundamentals, you are eligible to apply for your CNA license. So, that's what I'm actually in the process of doing right now so that I can try to pick up a couple shifts with a home-based care agency and get some additional experience over the next year. I have also heard that CNA/tech experience tends to be helpful when applying for nursing jobs after graduation. You apply for CNA license through the Md Board of Nursing.

Wishing you all the best. It's really a great program and even with as much work as it is, I can't wait for classes to begin again next week. Ask any questions you have!

I write too much haha!

We started classes May 19. Clinicals began June 7. So, we had a couple weekends off before clinicals started up. Lab starts the first week of class.