CSULA ELMN 2011

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Anyone else applied? I know they're supposed to notify us on April 1st but I'm curious if anyone who applied got any feedback yet. :)

Rosepetalss- Livescan is fingerprints :-) yea the only thing we have to do work on and get done on our own now is the CPR, physical, and bloodwork. Oh and tb!

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Hi all, just got my packet in the mail from K**** today! We DO have to do our own background check thing.. the packet will have information on how to do it.

Do we have to bring our health clearance form completed to the orientation? I'm getting my bloodwork and physical done April 28th, and I don't know if they'll have all the results by May 7th...

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Oh good to know!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Hey everyone,

I am part of ELMN cohort 5 (geez I feel old). Ran across the thread and thought I'd say hi. I started the program in summer 2008 (when tuition was regular university tuition). I am currently in the MSN portion doing FNP... I took some time off while looking for a job... It's kind of a long story! Anyways, I just wanted to offer myself as an advisor if anyone had any questions about anything. Thought you might want an old ELMNer perspective! :nurse:

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NurseJess, thanks so much for the post! How far along in the FNP track are you and what kind of schedule do you have, part time work and part time school? Please elaborate. Thanks so much in advance!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I'm finishing my first year of the MSN portion.

Long story: So, as I believe some of you have mentioned, there is an option to take up to 6 months off (2 quarters) while still maintaining enrollment in the University (without penalty or filing a leave of absence form). I finished my RN coureswork in August 2009 and took the NCLEX in October 2009. I took the six months off while I tried to find a job. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a nursing job (I actually didn't try very hard) so I started working at a day care. I was hired for my current job in January 2010 and started February 2010. I had a 10 week "new grad" program (a very short program compared to others). I had to pick up with school again in the spring of 2010 but I started out with just a couple classes. I did not go to full-time school until Winter 2011.

Currently, I am full-time work, full-time school. My schedule is hectic!

I work 3 days on a med-surg unit

1.5 days of classes

12 hours of clinical per week (ends up being 2 days/ week)

In summary, I do not have a day off this quarter! It's difficult... FNP have extra clinic hours that other concentrations don't have. Since I do not have to take any classes this summer (I have nothing to take), I plan on continuing full-time work until the fall. I am planning on graduating next spring, which means I have to be full-time school, part time work. If you do full-time clinicals your second year, FNP's have 180 hours of clinical per quarter, which figures out to 3 days a week.

It's hard, but I absolutely LOVE family practice. I did my second pap today and I was super excited!

Anyways, feel free to ask whatever questions you have or send me a message! Good luck!!!

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Hello CSULA ELMN 2011 cohort. I'm so excited to meet you guys tomorrow. I wish I could have found this blog sooner but oh well.

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Hello All,

I wanted to say that it was a pleasure meeting all of you on Saturday. It really dawned on me on my way home from your orientation how much I have learned and how far I have come in the last year. I know the program seems intimidating to you right now, that is how I felt at my orientation last year but it's really not as bad as it seems. The program is a lot of work, especially the first quarter when you don't know anyone yet, you are getting used to the workload, and the fast pace. You are also tacking 2 of the hardest classes content wise in your first quarter with health assessment and pathophysiology. Overall, it is not that bad, there is time to have a life outside of class once you get the hang of the program and you will be amazed at how fast time will fly by. A year from now you will go to cohort 9's orientation and realize just how far you have come.

Anyway, you all have my email now on that handout we gave you, feel free to email me if you have any concerns/questions. I will be on campus Monday nights and a few select Wednesday afternoons in the summer quarter so perhaps I will see you around.

Good luck!

Brian

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Thank you Brian! It was great meeting you and the few other members from cohort 7 as well : ) I really enjoyed and appreciated the advice you guys gave! I know I am definitely nervous, so thank you for mentioning what you did above!

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Any feedback from recent graduates or current students? I am looking to apply to this program and want to know if I have a chance, lol. What were your stats like? Lots of healthcare experience? Does this program allow you to go straight into the NP program or is it a generic MSN program where you just get your RN license and need to apply to NP programs after? Do they set up your clinicals for you? Are they good ones? What is your schedule like during the week? Do you have weekend commitments as well?

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Hello danceluver! Most of us on this thread are new and just finished up our first quarter of the program- but we can try to offer some help. So far, the program is going great! You may want to look back through this thread to read the feedback that members from the previous cohort gave on the program. This year, there are 22 of us in the cohort and our stats vary. Some of us had a lot of healthcare experience- whereas others had little experience. Same pattern with GPAs/test scores. At the start of this thread, I think most of us listed our stats.

For the program, after a year, you have your RN license (but you do not have a B.S.N.) Then you continue straight on with the NP portion, which lasts about 2-3 years. At the end, you will have your NP license and an MSN. On a side note-it is important to know that when you have the application and check what specialty you want, you do not necessarily get that specialty. Sometime during the winter quarter we have to turn in an essay and letter of recommendation, and then we are placed into a certain specialty.

Every quarter (as far as I know) there are 2 hospitals to choose from for clinicals. As a group, we divide ourselves in half and decide who goes where. There are good clinicals- LA County, San Gabriel Valley, Huntington, Arcadia, Kaiser Downey and Sunset- I am not sure on the others.

For schedule, last quarter we had wednesday, thurs, sunday off and this quarter we have friday-monday off. (A previous cohort member also posted the schedule for the year in this thread somewhere).

Hope this helped a little! Let me know if any questions come up and Ill do my best to answer.

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Hello! I am also in the cohort that started back in June. So far, I have enjoyed the program. You get your RN quickly and the second part of the program depends on your working status. The whole program including RN will take anywhere from 3-4.5 years.

In general, our weekends are good. This quarter we have 3 days on, 4 days off. Generally, throughout the program you will have 3-4 days off. However, many of this time is spent studying and reading. Be prepared for an intense program!!

In terms of statistics, our cohort pretty much consists of biology majors mixed in with a few social science majors. As long as you can prove that you excel in the prerequisites, you will be fine. Good luck!

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