I wanted to start a thread for all of us who are applying to various nursing schools in the area for 2010. I have applied to five different places: OHSU-Monmouth, University of Portland, Portland Community College, The University of Washington, and Boise State University. I wanted to cover myself and hopefully ensure that I would get in somewhere. I have a really good GPA and experience as an EMT-Basic so I am hoping that that will help my chances.
Just waiting it out until they send out notifications.....I just want to hear back!!!
Thank you for your support. You are a wonderfull person who always make other feel better.THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS!!!!! You are one of a kind and I will always remember you. You will for sure make it into a nursing school and be a great nurse one day.!!!! Maybe it is in the God's plan for you to go to school next year. Who knows? Medical field needs more nurses with your personality. I learned a lot from you. Thank you.:redbeathe
orchid 10, That was a very kind response! I thank you not just for your response, but for every letter you put together to write that message! It is the kind of support that I get from individuals like you that fuel me and keeps me going. Yes, I am sure there is a very good reason why I didn't get in this year and God sure has the answer. Good luck to you and looking forward to meet you as well! :)
Kurdrn, Thank you for your support and kind words. I wish you the best of luck! Please, don't give up on your passion. I believe you will make a wonderful nurse!!!:) Btw I'm not sure if your aware that George Fox University has a nursing program and they're located in Newberg,OR. And their application process starts this summer for Spring 2011 admission... not sure if your interested in a private institution, but I've heard great things about their nursing program. However, an admission exam(TEAS test) is required for part of their application process. :)
P.S. Just FYI... last year according to OCNE's statistics about 5,ooo students that applied were qualified applicants for the nursing program they applied to, but due to lack of spots, staff, and clinical sites these students were turned away.
Zatoichi, Thank you thank you thank you!!! Will definitely look into GFU and other private institutions such as ITT Tech, U of P, Linfield, etc... It was very nice of you to provide me w/ the statistics from OCNE. It definitely made me feel better:)! I keep trying not to take it personally, but it is still hard to do:). Once again, a trillion thanks for your humane response!
i'm new to this forum, but i already love it. i got accepted into mhcc and pcc, and now i'm trying to decide which one i want. originally, pcc was my top pick because i did all my pre-reqs there and it's closer to my home, but now i'm wondering about the overall quality of the two programs. training? instructors? organization? clinicals? anyone have anything to say about any of it? i know most of us haven't experienced either program firsthand so it's mostly speculation, but i'm open to any information out there.
I am getting ready to graduate from PCC and I can say that I looooved it. The instructors really care about you and your progress.
I could tell you a little about the program, but I know after talking with the instructors as the are preparing to go to OCNE the program wont be the same as in years past so I don't know how helpful I will be.
But I can tell you that the instructors there are knowledgable and many of them are still working as FNPs during school breaks.
It took me about half way through my first year to get the idea that they wern't trying to trick us or "weed us out" that they were very supportive.
For my program the first year we would have 5 hours of theory a week, 4 hours in the lab and 2 clinical days that were 6 hours long and if you needed more time in the lab there would be open lab times as well. In clinical it was kept 6 students to 1 instructor and the lab was similar in ratio
the second year was less lab time with more theory and clinical time.
We had clinical sites everywhere, shriners OHSU, Emanuel Peds, NICU, State hospital, along with med/surg.
For PCC the nursing class is grouped as one 9credit class one grade, although at times it felt like 20 credits each instructor lectures on what they have specialzed in so you don't have 1 instructor giving you a lecture you have the benefit of learning from at least 5 different instructors and experience very different teaching styles.
One of the instructors is the author of one the textbooks required and she has coauthored other textbooks
and at least 3 of the 2nd year instructors have written NCLEX questions, so they really try to make sure you understand how to approach the NCLEX question.
I have a friend who is in her first term at MHCC and she of course loves it. Almost all of her thoery classes are based online and her nursing curiculoum is broken up into different classes, like a seperate pharm class, where at PCC it is all rolled into one.
Thanks so much for the info! I love hearing from students in current programs to get an insiders view. I have a question that I hope you can answer. I have been wondering about this for entirely too long! You mentioned that the nursing course is a nine credit course, with one grade. I am wondering how this works for financial aid, which requires you to take 12 credits to be considered full time and receive all of your aid. How does taking a 9 credit course impact FA? Did you have to take an elective to make up the difference? I'm really confused about this!
Thanks so much for the info! I love hearing from students in current programs to get an insiders view. I have a question that I hope you can answer. I have been wondering about this for entirely too long! You mentioned that the nursing course is a nine credit course, with one grade. I am wondering how this works for financial aid, which requires you to take 12 credits to be considered full time and receive all of your aid. How does taking a 9 credit course impact FA? Did you have to take an elective to make up the difference? I'm really confused about this!
Thanks in advance :)
and congrats on being nearly finished!!
sorry, not IvannabeeRN....but my program sometimes also has 9-10 credits of nursing credits a term.....and yes, for financial aid reasons I need to take an extra class.
Thanks! So, that leads me to my next question. When you need an extra class, do you take it at OHSU, or do you take an online course from a cheaper place (ie PCC)?
I firmly decided on Linfield...and then I literally couldn't get my hand to sign the rejection letter to OHSU. Despite what my brain is telling me (that Linfield's program is a year shorter) my heart won't let me turn down OHSU...
Thank you again for taking the time to send me that email. The things you said have been replaying in my mind. I know I need to finalize a choice, but my heart keeps telling me OHSU is where I need to be, and if I end up somewhere else, I'll regret it!!
Thanks so much for the info! I love hearing from students in current programs to get an insiders view. I have a question that I hope you can answer. I have been wondering about this for entirely too long! You mentioned that the nursing course is a nine credit course, with one grade. I am wondering how this works for financial aid, which requires you to take 12 credits to be considered full time and receive all of your aid. How does taking a 9 credit course impact FA? Did you have to take an elective to make up the difference? I'm really confused about this!
Thanks in advance :)
and congrats on being nearly finished!!
The 9 credit is considered 3/4 time and I was awarded enough FA to cover my cost and some living expenses. In my first year I had to take 3 classes that PCC required that CCC didn't as I had done my pre-reqs at CCC, for my program, but I am sure that has changed as they are OCNE.
So I had full time FA status the first year.
This term the final nursing class is 8 credits which would drop me down to 1/2 so I am taking a 1 credit class to to bump me up to 9 credits Dealing with Difficult people, it is under their managment courses and they had a lot of 1 - 2 credit classes that would be relevant with nursing
I know that I have recived more FA at PCC with 9 then I did when I was taking 16 credits at CCC:uhoh3:
Thanks! So, that leads me to my next question. When you need an extra class, do you take it at OHSU, or do you take an online course from a cheaper place (ie PCC)?
I firmly decided on Linfield...and then I literally couldn't get my hand to sign the rejection letter to OHSU. Despite what my brain is telling me (that Linfield's program is a year shorter) my heart won't let me turn down OHSU...
Thank you again for taking the time to send me that email. The things you said have been replaying in my mind. I know I need to finalize a choice, but my heart keeps telling me OHSU is where I need to be, and if I end up somewhere else, I'll regret it!!
You generally can't take them from OHSU, you can only take your nursing classes from them. The non-nursing classes at OHSU are generally a part of other programs....so just as the med student's can't take nursing classes, the nursing students can't take med school classes. There are a few exceptions to this....but not many. Additionally, the classes I need to graduate are upper level electives (which have to be non-nursing classes) so I take them from my partner school.
But yes, you can take them from whomever you'd like to.
So I received my CCC letter yesterday! Not invited! I kinda knew though! My points were so low for that school. Guess now it's down to that last minute phone call from UP or OHSU or wait til next year! Anyway I just wanted to say thank you to those who have been so encouraging and supportive throughout this torturing process!!! So many great people on this forum! Once again congrats to those that have been accepted and I hope that those who haven't(like myself) will all one day reach our goal of becoming a nurse! I'm sure one day we will somehow cross paths! It is good to know that there are so many wonderful people getting into this field! Til then take care and best wishes to allllllll!!!!!!
so i received my ccc letter yesterday! not invited! i kinda knew though! my points were so low for that school. guess now it's down to that last minute phone call from up or ohsu or wait til next year! anyway i just wanted to say thank you to those who have been so encouraging and supportive throughout this torturing process!!! so many great people on this forum! once again congrats to those that have been accepted and i hope that those who haven't(like myself) will all one day reach our goal of becoming a nurse! i'm sure one day we will somehow cross paths! it is good to know that there are so many wonderful people getting into this field! til then take care and best wishes to allllllll!!!!!!
purple rose, i am so sorry!!! yes, i kind of knew too because my points were low as well. however, i wish the best of luck to you and hope you get into ohsu or up, hope you hear from them soon and i know you will. something is telling me you are getting into one of the two schools. worst case scenario, you'll just have to join me to go through the torture process again next year:). whatever route you decide to take, just don't give up on your dream of becoming a wonderful nurse. god bless and enjoy the summer!
My overall impression of MH was that the campus is old and icky... I took night school classes there when I was in HS and I didn't like it. The parking lots are big and scary and not well lit, and the parking seems so far from the classes!
I do agree on the commute as well. MH is way out there, I went to HS by Mount Hood and lived on 148th and Stark when I was younger. I will tell you from experience that there are 100 ways that commute can be messed up in both directions.
Since the law limits the number of students per nurse in each class to 20 I don't know that a smaller program will be a benefit. I imagine even 100 of us at PCC will be split into 5 cohorts of 20.
A friend of mine also interviewed at MH and said that the program director was quite impressive in the interview and I trust her judgement.
I think you will win either way.
My first choice was Clark, but after factoring in all the hours in the car to and from and the price of fuel and maintenance when I am not working and my Hubby is footing the bill I decided that I would prefer PCC since it is 3 miles away.
For the sake of all the ladies and gents out there who are waitlisted, I hope everyone lucky enough to be choosing between schools can come to a decision they are at peace with soon.
I anyone else feeling like.. forget summer break LETS START RIGHT NOW!!!!! Who is going to PCC and wants to Carpool?
I am just finishing at MHCC and I can't say enough great things about the program. You are correct in your impressions of the instructors and the dean. All super people, and great mentors. The nursing program is not conducted on the main MHCC campus, it is in a separate building a few miles away. brand new, but the building may be my only complaint about the program. Not many windows and if you like the "campus" aspect of college...library, student union, cafeteria...you will not get it here, but the lab is very well equipped and there are plenty of places to eat around there. theres also a computer lab on site. the parking lot is a big gravel area, and in the winter becomes a lake, but there is also street parking. not a long walk but can be a wind tunnel on bad weather days. the advantage is that you don;t really spend all that much time in the building, lots of class time is online, more and more so you can do the work from home. and the poster who said that it is an advantage the MHCC is not doing their first OCNE rotation is correct. I heard it was a bit sticky the first year while they ironed out the kinks, quite a few failed out. So knowing that another school is just starting their OCNE curriculum would worry me. Also I would avoid CCC like the plague. I hear terrible things about it, and that the program there is actively "sinking." Choose MHCC, or Clark, if you have a choice.
I'm curious what "terrible" things you have heard about Clackamas CC. (Or did you mean CCC as in Chemeketa CC?) What do you mean by "actively sinking? Do you personally know ie. have friends in the program with complaints? Just wanting to know your thoughts.
each instructor lectures on what they have specialzed in so you don't have 1 instructor giving you a lecture you have the benefit of learning from at least 5 different instructors and experience very different teaching styles. 
LETS START RIGHT NOW!!!!! 
Who is going to PCC and wants to Carpool?
KurdMA
49 Posts
orchid 10, That was a very kind response! I thank you not just for your response, but for every letter you put together to write that message! It is the kind of support that I get from individuals like you that fuel me and keeps me going. Yes, I am sure there is a very good reason why I didn't get in this year and God sure has the answer. Good luck to you and looking forward to meet you as well! :)