CCAC Fall 2012 Applicants

angelalala · May 11, 2012

Good luck spring applicants! What kind of classes are you taking? I'm starting this fall, but if I can afford it I also want to take some Spanish. I don't plan to work in Pittsburgh forever and it is definitely a plus to be bilingual in this job market (I've had a lot of Spanish but I'm not fluent).

How far has everyone gotten along with the clearances/etc? I haven't booked a CPR course yet or gotten my fingerprints. I'm going to try to get both taken care of tomorrow.

thomjm · May 11, 2012

Hey everyone.

So my physical is done. I had my titers drawn and I had to get the MMR shot. I just went to my PCP and she was able to do everything. It took 4 visits to get everything complete, but it was pretty painless.

I just went and got fingerprinted. They told me I would get something in 4-6 weeks, so I would suggest to everyone to not procrastinate because if you go do it now, that's taking you into the end of June.

I got my state police clearance (the one you can print out on the computer) and still have to send in my child abuse clearance. I still need to go drug test, and I already have my CPR card.

Luckily, I'm taking the summer off. I'm DONE with everything needed except for nursing classes. I just finished MAT108 with an A and am pretty proud of myself.

Does anyone know anything about drug calc at Boyce? I know north recommends a summer drug calc class and heard that one of the first tests on your first day of nursing school is drug calc. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Congrats to everyone who made it. To everyone who didn't, don't feel discouraged. I wasn't planning on getting in, and hyped myself up for rejection. I even had a family trip to Hawaii planned in December which we had to cancel because the week we were going to go is finals week. I can't go any later than that because I work for a particular hospital system that does not allow vacations between Dec. 15- Jan. 15. *sigh*

I'm definitely nervous. I've heard the tests are excruciatingly hard. I have a friend in the RN program now at north that has a ton of medical background and she had a 4.0 GPA going into this and is barely making C's. She spends all of her time studying, its just that the tests are so based on critical thinking, its hard to pick just one good answer. They are all right in some capacity, its just up to the discretion of your professor.

I've basically told my husband be prepared not to see me for two years. We have three kiddos (8,7,4) and we both work full time. I work three twelves a week (F-S-Su nights) and my eight year old is a competitive gymnast who is in the gym nine hours a week. We are a super busy family so I'm hoping to make this work!! Sorry for the long rant. I'm interested in getting to know everyone so please post!

sewnmom, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · May 11, 2012

It is a definite time committment. I am officially finished (as of 1.5 hours ago) with my first year. They tell you over and over again that C = RN. Not the most encouraging thing to hear. If you get an A or B you are doing FANTASTIC. The goal is to get through but understand what you are doing.

Working while in the program is tough but people do it all the time.

I am not sure about the new curriculum but for 101 your drug calc test is not the first week of class. It is for the subsequent semesters. Since they redid the curriculum, though, I am not sure. I believe they have worked it into the curriculum that you actually cover the calcs in a class. When I did 101 we had to go on our own time to seminars they set up for us.

There are several online drug calc programs - I bought one and use it often.

The tests are different than anything you have ever had. Get a few nclex books to use throughout. It was recommended that we wait until about 1/2 way through the first semester before we used them. That was a pretty good call. The first few tests are recall of material. The third and subsequent ones get into critical thinking. Things you had early in the semester are game so "cummulative" has a whole new meaning. Also stuff from one semester to another are fair game, and rightly so.

Enjoy your summer! There were days my family felt they didnt see me other than the top of my head in a book!

jme123 · May 12, 2012

thomjm

I am also going to attend Boyce campus in the fall. Did your insurance cover the titers? I have everything else done but those. I was going to go to the health dept next week (don't really want to but it's a lot cheaper) because I don't think my insurance will pay for them.

thomjm · May 12, 2012

I'm not sure. I have yet to get a bill yet from my PCP. I didn't have to pay a copay though because I'm entitiled to a yearly physical and this is what they counted it as.

kay0324 · May 12, 2012

I have sent in all my clearances, got my fingerprints done and I have my CPR card. I still need to go do my drug test (waiting until I get paid again). I wanted to get the rest of the stuff done because I know that takes the longest. My doctors appointment is on tuedsay which I am worried about because I can't find my records. I called my old doctors office and they said I am not in their system and they would get back to me. I have already had the Hep B series but I have no proof...ugh! I don't know if you are allowed to get it done again and if you are they obviously will not be completed by july 16 because you get the last one six months after the first one. I hope they don't keep me out of nursing school because of this. I was told by other nurses that as long as I have it started I will be fine. It just sucks because I have already had it done.

kh321 · May 13, 2012

You can get a titer drawn on your Hep B series. I had to get mine done. I had the first done by the deadline. I had to bring proof that I had the others done as I had them completed. I was still allowed in the program. Hope this helps!!

kay0324 · May 13, 2012

Thanks a lot !!! I was worried about that !!!!

sewnmom, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · May 14, 2012

I called south campus because no info packet yet. They are going out this week. Not sure if they moved the due date or not for the finalized papers. Hopefully they get here soon.

Also if you had fingerprinting done in the past, some of the locations changed. Some UPS stores are now doing them. We went to the one in moon across from Ikea and had them done today.

kh321 · May 14, 2012

You are welcome Kay0324!! I spent lots of time worrying about that 2 years ago LOL! Now my worry is passing the NCLEX.

paeez · May 15, 2012

I am still waiting for my packet from south campus. Do I need to wait for my packet or can I do fingerprinting and physical, titer & ...

Do they send the result of fingerprinting to me? I just registered online for fingerprinting and got a registration ID. Do they need anything else?

sewnmom, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · May 15, 2012

You need to take the fingerprinting receipt to a location and have them electronically fingerprint you. Then you wait...

You can get your clearances all done. If you doctor will agree to fill out the ACTUAL physical form they send you AFTER your physical then you can have it done. You MUST have that form, no substitutions.

The nursing departments are a force of nature. They require many things of you - done their way. You jump through the hoops of fire, you continue in the program. Get a 75, move on. Pass this skill, move on. Pass ati, move on. If you dont you remediate. People that got below a 75 on an exam had to remediate that subject. Not sure what it entailed but I believe it was ATI questions. You just have to do what they say when they say pretty much. And do it respectfully and you will have no problems.