CCAC Spring 2011

Haha, yes it's me. Hi Amy! Are you in APII and/or Microbio now? If so, how's that going?

First the awful experience with the vanishing professor in API, then my APII instructor got ill (not her fault obviously) with a foot infection and was gone for about three weeks, and then the admissions committee screwed up my application and summarily REJECTED ME. What's next? lol

Anyway I called the dean and told them their mistake, and she acknowledged I was "absolutely correct" and said I would have been high on the list and would have gotten my first choice program. So she offered me evening and gave me first dibs on the day program if I still wanted it as soon as a seat opens back up. I'm not really keen on Sat. clinicals.

I was wondering if that was her...:)

Hello Jason and Amy my fellow AP1 Summer troops, boy was that a crazy experience!

Congrats Jason for getting through the hurdles! I was going to send you an email to see if it was you on this board but no need for that now.

For those still looking for CPR classes, I googled and found this online:

CPR for Healthcare provider's only $40

CPR/First Aid Class Schedule

Good luck!

Ok, for calu- the fitting and registration is dec 13th 9a-3p. Email Shannon to sign up for CPR. Also calling the calu Heath ceter to see what all they can do for us, on tue site it says they do tb tests, I believe their cheap. Going to ask about the titers, drug test, and physical.

Hi GMW!

I called Allegheny County Health Dpt; I believe they said titers are $15 each and the TB test is $25. I'm still trying to figure out where to go for my physical. Doing CPR at CCAC: http://www.ccac.edu/files/PDF_Document/2958b854f5204f61bd148145f7bea2e5.pdf. It's $50.

Registered for FBI fingerprinting-- $33.

Congratulations to those who have been accepted and to those still waiting, be patient I am sure the letters are on the way! I got my acceptance letter for Boyce today. :) I am happy but I still leaning towards applying for the accelerated bsn program at Pitt for Fall 2011. I wonder if CCAC will let me defer my seat until Fall while I figure out what I want to do.

Awesome!! :) Even if you don't go it's always great to get that acceptance.

You can also just do your RN to BSN completely online in less than one additional year-- depending on where you complete it-- while working with your ASN. Most entry-level nursing jobs pay the same regardless of whether the applicant has a BSN or just the ASN, or even only a diploma. I know at UPMC, the pay scale is incremental with amount of experience as a nurse (regardless of the level of the degree) for the first couple levels...I think the third or fourth level becomes dependent on having the BSN or even, as you go up further, the MSN. But I think the third level requires like two years or so of experience as a nurse before one is even eligible to apply for it, by which time you could have easily completed the online BSN or even MSN. This is what I plan to do.

You can also go through St. Margaret, which is a 76 week program; then, due to a cooperative agreement they have with Chatham, you could complete the BSN in only 8 additional months. So theoretically, you could have your BSN in a little over two years.

I was in a rush to get my BSN too, but decided that most of what I read seems to suggest it would not have much bearing on employability anyway. All new nurses basically start as staff RNs.

Jasoninpa--Do you think financially it is cheaper to complete ccac's program

and then complete an rn-bsn program

before going for your master's? Ultimately, I'd like to be a NP. I know that Pitt has an rn-msn program, but is it frowned upon to not have a bsn? It sounds like you're hoping together your msn also?

kg0730, I'm not really sure if it's frowned upon at all to jump straight from the ASN into MSN, rather than going the ASN-BSN-MSN route. I would think not so since the BSN is kind of already integrated into the RN-MSN; it's just that it doesn't stop along the way and at some point specifiy that this is where you completed the BSN. Perhaps you would be "overqualified" for positions that require only the BSN. Honestly, I don't know...I'm just speculating. There are SO many online programs accredited by CCNE that you can complete online, and the costs vary considerably from one to the next. So talking total costs would depend on where you complete it. Chatham, for example, is expensive, but SRU is "cheap." I do plan to get MSN too, yeah.

i had a similar thing happen to me before with ccac. kind of odd it happens mostly to people with the highest scores and grades. don't know what's with that.

Allegheny day program here. See everyone.

Anyone have any suggestions for where to get the drug test?

Concentra Medical Center. I called the South Side office and they said I could just walk in and it would take 1-2 days for results.

I signed up for CPR at The Center for Emergency Medicine of Western PA, Inc. for $35. Next training is Dec 9th in the evening. http://www.centerem.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=34

At the Allegeheny Campus, I saw a flyer on the 6th floor that advertised the CPR course for $2. Yup - $2. The date has already passed (Nov 11) but perhaps they'll offer it again. You get your card on the same day apparently.

hi everybody :)

.... i just got my acceptance letter into the spring 11 semester at cal

after 2 years! so excited