Applicants to Portland/Salem Area Nursing Schools 2014

pnlu007 · Dec 29, 2013

Don't over estimate linfield's relationship with legacy...it is embarrassing how little that relationship is leveraged in the clinical rotation assignments

RASKL · Dec 29, 2013

Thanks for the info...I've heard there were about 250 who apply to the accelerated program, but I've also been told due to the cost people elect to go to one of community colleges or OHSU if they have multiple acceptances. I'd rather go to linfield and hopefully have a chance at a legacy RN residency program. Do you know if linfield holds interviews for applicants?
Also I have a lot of strong healthcare experience but lack in community service, I've been told they consider work and/or volunteering experience hope that's true.

They don't hold interviews for applicants. I would say that they consider work and/or volunteer experience. Before I applied, in had no experience in the medical field, but I noted anything/everything that I thought of that could be considered as volunteer work. That included wrapping presents for the less fortunate during the holidays for a church group, and volunteering to take pictures for a Rotary Club event.

I have some advice if you get accepted into Linfield's accelerated program and decide to go. If you go, you'll be in the third cohort to be in the 15 month program. Before then, it was 18 months. They're still working out the kinks. Things are still a little frantic at times, but just roll with the punches and don't get caught up in other peoples' negativity. Also, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about the program! Good luck!

shawba08 · Dec 30, 2013

RASKL thanks for the feedback. I definitely want to enter in to an accelerated program but would have no chance at ohsu due to my low cumulative. And with this being the 3rd cohort into the 15 month program, if I am accepted I hope they would have the program running more smoothly. Unfortunately, allnurses doesn't have the PM option for me because I haven't posted enough yet.

mamakac · Dec 30, 2013

Don't discount OHSU even with a lower cumulative GPA-- a few of my cohort members had lower GPAs but wrote an descriptive, stellar essay that boosted them. Plus there is 2 cohorts (summer and fall) so you do have a chance :)

shawba08 · Dec 30, 2013

mamakac, thanks for the encouragement, unfortunately i have a cumulative under a 3.0. But the good news is my prerequisites would be about a 3.9 for OHSU. Also, my last 60 hours of coursework, mostly post bacc, is heavily science based and I received about a 3.8 during this coursework. So OHSU would have to strongly consider that in order for me to have a chance. I don't know if it is worth that chance since they told me they consider only the cumulative for their accelerated program, and I'm pretty sure you need a 3.0 to apply.

Because Linfield gives little consideration to cumulative it is the more likely option. I think the community colleges in Portland are really great but I am just ready to get my BSN in as little time as possible. My goal is to earn a BSN, complete a residency program, work for 3-5 years and then apply to NP school.

VonE · Dec 30, 2013

Well, if the posts are any indication of the number of people who are applying, this year's applicant pool does not seem as big as last years! Although it is kinda early, but not so much for OHSU ABSN. I've pretty much sickened myself to death worrying if I am "good enough" to be selected. I read in a previous post one of the best advice I can take, you can only be as good of a candidate as you are, hope for the best and don't beat yourself up. Of course it was way more eloquent than that lol.

mamakac · Jan 1, 2014

Yeah you do have to have at least a 3.0, and on average we had in our cohort this year a 3.8 I believe. We have a great mix of people, from a variety of backgrounds, and I have enjoyed my time thus far-- now onto our first term of hospital clinicals and being 20% complete already :) Feel free to ask specific ?s though if anyone is applying to OHSU, specifically the ABSN program

shawba08 · Jan 2, 2014

mamakac or open to anyone, generally speaking how are clinicals integrated into the program? In terms of schedule and curriculum all I ever see on the the nursing program websites are courses. And I would like to know how they schedule classes and clinicals on a weekly basis. Also, how do you ensure you get not only the required and elective clinic rotation you want but the location as well. For instance if I wanted to do an emergency department rotation at a specific hospital, what would give someone the best chances of completing their rotation at their first options?

efda2rn · Jan 10, 2014

bump!

efda2rn · Jan 12, 2014

Anyone else finding that NursingCAS is kind of a pain to use? I have attended several schools over the years and ordered all of my transcripts, but because NursingCAS requires their Transcript Request Form to be sent with the transcripts, it is causing a few problems. I had to fax the forms to the respective schools a day after I ordered them online and I think that extra step has caused some wires to become crossed. Because I wasn't able to communicate with a person, I believe that the faxed forms were not associated with the ordered transcripts. As a consequence, 2 of my transcripts are still not showing up on the NursingCAS site even though they were all sent in the middle of December! It's just a hassle. I know that it might seem useful if you're applying to multiple schools that use this site, but as I'm doing all of this for only one school, it is merely an annoyance. Sorry, just needed to rant.

RASKL · Jan 13, 2014

mamakac or open to anyone generally speaking how are clinicals integrated into the program? In terms of schedule and curriculum all I ever see on the the nursing program websites are courses. And I would like to know how they schedule classes and clinicals on a weekly basis. Also, how do you ensure you get not only the required and elective clinic rotation you want but the location as well. For instance if I wanted to do an emergency department rotation at a specific hospital, what would give someone the best chances of completing their rotation at their first options?[/quote']
At Linfield, you have traditional classes two days per week, then you have clinicals/lab two days per week. You have one day off, so you only go in four days per week. The first semester is focused on just thinking like a nurse and getting the hang of things, so your clinicals will be in a slower, relatively stress-free, assisted living environment. Here, you will practice doing assessments, passing meds, and developing a rapport with your patient(s). This rotation relates to the Foundations course. The second semester, you will switch off between two clinical locations. One half of the semester will be focused on and related to the Chronic Conditions course. This will also most likely be in a assisted living-type environment, but they will allow you more freedom where you can work with the nurses at the location and basically help them do assessments and administer meds (insulin, Lovenox, etc.), and MAYBE do a catheter. The other half of the semester works with the Mental Health course, so you will be placed at an appropriate facility. Here, you just talk to the patients and do various assignments. You don't pass meds or anything like that. Just talk and learn about mental illness. Third semester, there are two rotations again. One is focused on OB, and the second is Adult Care. These rotations will be more of a hospital setting. You may have the opportunity to be in a surgical rotation. From what I hear, the last semester is focused on doing your senior practicum. I'm not sure what it involves yet, however. I hear there is more freedom of where you can go and you can actually choose which facility you can go to with Linfield's approval.
As far as choosing your clinical rotation, other than the last semester, your whole schedule is chosen for you. You'll be placed in one of at least two groups with varying schedules. You may be able to switch your schedule, but this requires you to do so with another person, and you have to switch entire groups, not just certain classes. For clinical locations, you may have a slight chance of being able to "choose" where to go. There are times where the person organizing the clinicals sends out an e-mail saying "I need eight volunteers that are willing to go to 'Location B'. Do I have any takers?" You may also get an e-mail asking to state your preference for staying within a certain area, so if you lived in Salem or Clackamas, you can state that you would rather stay within or close to that area. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to, but you can at least try.
I hope this answers at least SOME of your questions!

RASKL · Jan 13, 2014

Anyone else finding that NursingCAS is kind of a pain to use? I have attended several schools over the years and ordered all of my transcripts but because NursingCAS requires their Transcript Request Form to be sent with the transcripts, it is causing a few problems. I had to fax the forms to the respective schools a day after I ordered them online and I think that extra step has caused some wires to become crossed. Because I wasn't able to communicate with a person, I believe that the faxed forms were not associated with the ordered transcripts. As a consequence, 2 of my transcripts are still not showing up on the NursingCAS site even though they were all sent in the middle of December! It's just a hassle. I know that it might seem useful if you're applying to multiple schools that use this site, but as I'm doing all of this for only one school, it is merely an annoyance. Sorry, just needed to rant.[/quote']
NursingCAS does take awhile to process transcripts. I think I remember freaking out just like you last year! Mine still didn't show up as being received the day that they were due! I just e-mailed the person at my school and asked if she knew if my transcripts were received. She checked and replied to me the same day saying that they had received them a week or so prior. Hang in there!