Anyone applying to nursing school right now?

MikeyJ, RN · Mar 1, 2007

Hi all,
I haven't been on here in awhile. Been really busy with work and school. I'm finally ready to apply. I've been finishing up my prereq's in a combination of methods. Online Micro, A&PII, Nutrition, and General Chem at Rio Salado and now Organic Chem at Nevada State College. I also managed to get a really quick distance learning class for soc to boost my GPA. Right now I have a 3.39 according to the NSC worksheet I have to schedule and take my TEAS yet and hopefully I'll be able to boost that GPA by the end of the semester. I was wondering who else out there is applying to nursing school this spring? I will be applying to NSC (both the accelerated and regular program) and probably Touro too. I really want to get into NSC because of cost. CCSN is too competive I hear to get in and UNLV won't accept my C in A&P II (I do not recommend taking this class on line, it was sooooooo hard!)
Dee

Dee -- how does the lab portion work with your online micro??

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 1, 2007

Sistermike,

The online micro class through Rio Salado is so cool. It has this interactive software that you use to complete labs. It's hard to explain. I took several prerequisite sciences through Rio (I had them all preapproved by the DON at my school). Although they made it possible for me to complete my prereq's in a timely manner I recommend taking them only if you have to. They are extremely hard, you do not have that instructor right there to ask questions or interaction with your peers, there is no curve and no extra credit. Basically you better test well and do all of your labs correctly. Also, Rio has a straight grading system which means if you have an 89% final grade in class you will only get a B not a B+ on your transcript. That's why my GPA is so low, I got B's in most of those classes.

Dee

MikeyJ, RN · Mar 3, 2007

Sistermike,
The online micro class through Rio Salado is so cool. It has this interactive software that you use to complete labs. It's hard to explain. I took several prerequisite sciences through Rio (I had them all preapproved by the DON at my school). Although they made it possible for me to complete my prereq's in a timely manner I recommend taking them only if you have to. They are extremely hard, you do not have that instructor right there to ask questions or interaction with your peers, there is no curve and no extra credit. Basically you better test well and do all of your labs correctly. Also, Rio has a straight grading system which means if you have an 89% final grade in class you will only get a B not a B+ on your transcript. That's why my GPA is so low, I got B's in most of those classes.
Dee

Dee -- I have finished all of my pre-reqs and am entering nursing school in the Summer 2007... I was just curious on how your labs worked for your micro and A&P classes. Have you transferred these courses to any of the local schools that have nursing programs (CCSN, UNLV, or NSC)? I am very curious as to whether they will transfer. I know of a student who took similar online courses for her science pre-req's and she wasn't able to tranfer any of them because they lacked the lab portion. But I have no idea where she took them or how they differed from the ones you took.

Mike

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 3, 2007

Mike,

All of them were preapproved by NSC's DON before I even took them. I brought them the complete syllabus which included a very detailed description of the lab section. Also, on the transcript it clearly states these are all 4 cr classes with a lab. Although UNLV and CCSN both told me over the phone that these were fine (as long as it said on the transcript that there was a lab) I am not applying to tUNLV or CCSN. I have a C in Anat & Phys II which makes me ineligible for UNLV and CCSN is an associate program. I already have a BA so it makes more sense to me to take that same one or two years and put it towards a BSN rather than an ASN. I will be applying to NSC's accelerated and regular programs as well as Touro as a backup. USN is too expensive and I guess there's another school with provisional approval, Apollo College that has an ASN. Want to hear something funny? I was talking to a few students who took micro and Anat & Phys at a local college and we compared lab experiences. My labs were actually harder, more frequent, and required more than theirs! That shocked me. One girl told me she only had an actual lab once in micro and the rest of the time was spent using lab time for lecture. What school are you going to this summer? Did you have to take the TEAS or NET? Why did you choose the school you did? Just being nosey.:wink2: I like to hear others opinions.

Dee

MikeyJ, RN · Mar 3, 2007

Mike,
All of them were preapproved by NSC's DON before I even took them. I brought them the complete syllabus which included a very detailed description of the lab section. Also, on the transcript it clearly states these are all 4 cr classes with a lab. Although UNLV and CCSN both told me over the phone that these were fine (as long as it said on the transcript that there was a lab) I am not applying to tUNLV or CCSN. I have a C in Anat & Phys II which makes me ineligible for UNLV and CCSN is an associate program. I already have a BA so it makes more sense to me to take that same one or two years and put it towards a BSN rather than an ASN. I will be applying to NSC's accelerated and regular programs as well as Touro as a backup. USN is too expensive and I guess there's another school with provisional approval, Apollo College that has an ASN. Want to hear something funny? I was talking to a few students who took micro and Anat & Phys at a local college and we compared lab experiences. My labs were actually harder, more frequent, and required more than theirs! That shocked me. One girl told me she only had an actual lab once in micro and the rest of the time was spent using lab time for lecture. What school are you going to this summer? Did you have to take the TEAS or NET? Why did you choose the school you did? Just being nosey.:wink2: I like to hear others opinions.
Dee

Hey Dee --

I am going to UNLV and start this summer. No, I didn't have to take the TEAS or NET. Its a long confusing story with UNLV, but basically because I fall under the 2004 - 2006 catalog, I am not required to take the NET until orientation (my scores don't matter -- I just need to meet the national average). However, UNLV now requires (students who have entered pre-nursing past 2006) to take their NET test prior to applying. I chose UNLV for two different reasons: #1.) They award the BSN -- I was not satisfied personally with an ADN because I plan to pursue my higher education, and #2) Based on the Nevada State Board of Nursing NCLEX pass statistics. Here is a link to their site --> http://www.nursingboard.state.nv.us/annual%20reports/annual%20report%2005-06.pdf

UNLV does have a low pass rate compared to CCSN (but then again, I have heard CCSN has the best nursing program in the state). But NSC has a horrible horrible pass rate and have been on provisional accredidation since their nursing school first opened. So that is why I chose UNLV. :)

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 5, 2007

Mike,

Congrats on getting in at UNLV. Yes, I know about the horrible first year pass rates at NSC. But it appears they are trying to correct this and I have also been told that it can take a few years, and a few graduating classes, for the state board to grant full approval to a program. Since they have national accreditation now I am willing to take the risk. Let me know how UNLV goes this summer. If I don't get into NSC or Touro I may try to apply to UNLV next year and its always helpful to hear a first hand opinion about a program.

Dee

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 8, 2007

Not sure if anyone is interested but I just talked to Touro and they said that their first class had a pass rate of 75%, not too shabby. Of course that's with a class of 8. They said they give their students all sorts of extra resources and prep classes to prepare them for the NCLEX. I'm going to try to call NSC to see if they've been able to increase their pass rate from that awful 62% their first year.

Dee

wannabemw · Mar 18, 2007

Dee,

I don't know about the other programs, but the graduated 2006 accelerated class (my class) is currently at an 85% pass rate on NCLEX (when last I figured it out). Recently our Dean told someone that the school overall was at an 89% pass rate so far for the reg & accelerated programs (over all).

Good Luck! I hope you get in!

WOW Touro is doing great1

Toddles,

~MJ

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 18, 2007

Dee,
I don't know about the other programs, but the graduated 2006 accelerated class (my class) is currently at an 85% pass rate on NCLEX (when last I figured it out). Recently our Dean told someone that the school overall was at an 89% pass rate so far for the reg & accelerated programs (over all).
Good Luck! I hope you get in!
WOW Touro is doing great1
Toddles,
~MJ

That sounds really promising. I called NSC last week and the secretary said the regular class of Spring 06 had a 74% pass rate so you accelerated guys must have really helped out that rate or perhaps she was a bit confused. She did say they didn't have all the up to date stats available. Where are you working now may I ask? Do you like it?

Dee

wannabemw · Mar 18, 2007

I WISH I was working... I have been looking literally weeks!

Us accelerated guys have a bit of an edge as we all have Bachelor's & higher in other fields + we r a bit more mature. It does help. A lot of us took Kaplan also & that helped.

~M

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 19, 2007

I WISH I was working... I have been looking literally weeks!
Us accelerated guys have a bit of an edge as we all have Bachelor's & higher in other fields + we r a bit more mature. It does help. A lot of us took Kaplan also & that helped.
~M

Wow. Still looking huh? I have a friend whose in the 2007 accelerated class and apparently some of them have already been tentatively offered jobs from the places they did clinicals. Where all have you tried? I just spoke with a hospice a while ago (for my job in social services) and they mentioned they were looking for RNs. It's Nathan Adelson hospice.

Dee