UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing '09'

Hello, I am currently at CCAC taking non-nursing. I was thinking of taking A&P but I was told that if I am going to consider coming to Shadyside for nursing, that taking A & P there would be better because some of the questions on the NCLEX-RN will reflect the course and the pass rate is lower at CCAC. I am going to get rid of everything else, including college math and english (for a BSN in the future). What was the PSB like? What kind of an essay do you have to write with your application? The parking MUST be a headache. I was set on staying at CCAC to get the ASN but, I hear the pass rates at UPMC Shadyside are so much better. I also hear that the school is more technologically-advanced. Is this so?

The PSB should be pretty simple for you if you're taking college math and english; the only thing I'd really review is the science (that's the only section that's a little higher) with a review book or some online sources (there are even some on threads on this site) for nursing school entrance exams. There's just basic english, english comprehension, math and science. Other than the science they are VERY basic.

The essay is probably available on the website; I believe it was something about why you wanted to be a nurse and why you chose Shadyside specifically but I'm not remembering the specifics. I don't think this was a huge part of the process. You should definitely go to an information session.

The parking at Shadyside is fine, but for your Chatham courses it is a huge headache. If you can park at Shadyside and take the shuttle over it's much better, but I drop my son off in daycare in Squirrel hill so that doesn't make sense for me so I get constant parking tickets at Chatham.

I can't really compare CCAC because I've never seen their labs but UPMC does have a lot of cool lab equipment with the dummies and whatnot. And the NCLEX rate is better than the BSN programs in the region so, yeah, if you can get in, I'd go for it and do the contract and get as much paid off as you can. At least you're pretty much guaranteed a job when you graduate.

To Robotaffliction,
You said that the Science portion of the PSB is VERY basic. I have been studying, and the prep manual I have, {Master the Nursing School and Allied Health Entrance Exams},seems to cover ALL aspects of science, especially Human Anatomy and Physiology. I am taking the test on Saturday ,November 21st, and I am a little worried, because I am not doing well on the practice exams...I was a Biology major, but have been out of school now for 7 years, however, it seems the practice questions are very specific. Was the test much easier? If so, this would alleviate my anxiety greatly!

No, no. . .everything BUT the science is very basic (the math and english are basic). The science is the one section I'd actually study for. If you were a bio major you should be fine, but a lot of the people who never took college level science courses had to take remediation for the science.

I took it a WHILE ago but I remember some anatomy type questions. . .I used a test prep book and some of the "practice for the NET" questions that are in one of the threads on this board and did well, and I am not a strong strong science student.