El Centro Spring 2015

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Hi all,

I am starting a tread for all the students that will be applying for spring 2015 ADN program at El Centro. Please join and give any info that you might have. I want to be successful as well as everyone else trying to apply.

I think we are in the same boat... I cant wait. I keep thinking of everything that can go wrong between now and then. Its hard to stay positive...my mind keeps drifting towards all of the issues that could pop up.

Right now, my biggest fear is my incompetent mailman. I'm afraid my notification letter will sit in his truck for 3-4 extra days.

Does anyone know if we don't get the letter by the 15th or 16th if El Centro will let us come down to the office and pick up a copy?

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10 more days!!!

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So is it 10 more days plus mailing 1-3days? Or do we get the letters on

the 15th?

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This is the first time I have applied, so I dont know this for a fact.... but other people have posted that in the past they mail the letters so that they arrive on the 15th for people who live locally.

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That would be awesome if they did arrive the 15th!

Thanks

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Hello, Im new to this site. I planning to apply for FALL 2015 semester at the El centro college. I have completed all the pre reqs towards a BSN degree, my only concern is the HPRS 1204 AND 1202 course. Currently I am a resident of Arkansas. I am a little confused with the HPRS 1204 and 1202 course listed for extra points. I have registered for the CNA course where I live currently and will be starting it next monday. I want to know if completely that course will be an advantage of getting extra points for the selection process or not. In the Information packet of the El centro nursing college it states that people who have formal or informal training with patient care by being PCA, CNA, Paramedic etc can get extra points. But then it also states that you have to be registered in HDEV 0110- Human Development Course. And also need to submit a portfolio documenting their training and experience. I'm really confused with this little section, can anyone who has applied or who are planing on applying give me some information regarding this course?

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I think they dont require HPRS for consideration no more but I could be wrong. But speaking that you have finish your pre req towards a BSN degree i current attend University of Texas at Arlington and they have a online AP accelerated program you can complete in 15 months for a BSN and the good thing is you can attend the program while residing in Arkansas

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HPRS 1204 gives you an extra 3 points and 1202 gives you an extra 2 points. My understanding is that you do have to take the 0110 to take the place of one of the courses in addition to completing one of the certification and having some work experience. To get the extra points without taking the HPRS courses you have to take the HDEV courses.

If you have all of the BSN courses, that should give you a total of 14 courses plus your HESI points, the GPA points, and the support courses points.

Completing the extra HPRS courses/HDEV course will give you extra points which will help increase your total score.

It really depends on how many points you have without the HPRS courses. In prior years you needed 28ish points to get accepted. If you dont have that many, you should take the HPRS/HDEV courses. If you haver 29 points, based on prior years, there is a really good chance you will get accepted.

If you are low on points, consider retaking the HESI exam and try to get a few more points that way.

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And kevin is correct about the HPRS course, you dont have to have the HPRS courses to be accepted into El Centro. They will help you get into a BSN program after completing the ADN program at EL Centro.

UTA offers two different Accelerated BSN programs. One is for people who are already RNs and have an associates degree and the other is for students who do not have an associates degree in nursing and allows you to get the BSN without doing the associates degree first (which takes most people longer due to the extra prerequisites classes that they want you to take before they will let you start).

If you want to take the accelerated BSN program (for people without an associates degree) at UTA you will have to do your clinical at a site here in the DFW area. I don't think you can do it while in Arkansas. This will allow you to get the RN license. This program has a very limited number of spots and 75%-90% of the students are employees of the hospitals that host the clinical sites. I was told by the UTA advisor that on average only 10% of the students accepted into this accelerated program are not employed and sponsored by the clinical hospital sites. They give the clinical spots to employes of the partner hospitals. To be sponsered by the hospital, most of the hospitals require that you work there for 1 full year before applying.

UTA also offers an accelerated ADN to BSN (the bridge program) that is 100% online (they call it the ADN to BSN bridge program). You must complete your ADN degree before starting this program. This program is web based and you can take it anywhere you have computer access. This program is for people who already have an associates degree and either already have or will be sitting soon for the RN licensing test.

UTA offers a traditional route that lets you get the BSN in two years, but you have to do more pre-reqs than the El Centro program.

So, if you dont have an associates degree in nursing, you must do your clinicals here at a local hospital to do the UTA accelerated BSN nursing program.

For most people, the fastest way to get into nursing is to complete the associates degree and then do an online bridge program to complete the BSN online. This is the route that I am planning on taking.

I have done a ton of research on the different programs in the DFW area and the El Centro associates degree followed by the BSN bridge program at UTA will be the fastest way for me to get my RN license. I already have a bachelors degree in another field and its MUCH MUCH faster to start at El Centro than to take the extra courses UTA wants to even start the BSN program.

And keep in mind, there are a lot of people that tell you that a hospital will not hire with out a BSN, which isnt true. I know ALOT of people who graduated from El Centro with an associates degree who easily found a job in a hospital within a few months of graduation. A few of the hospitals say they want BSN graduates, but if you make good connections during your clinicals, its a lot easier to hire on. Many hospitals want quality nurses... if you make a good impression during your clinicals, you will have a much better shot of getting hired there than a BSN graduate who hasnt been able to make any connections.

But dont take my word for it. Everything that I told you is available online on the El Centro and UTA website. You can also call UTA and they will answer any of your questions. I have called the numerous times and they have been very helpful and helped me make the decision to do the ADN at El Centro and then do the BSN bridge program (even though they tried to talk me into do doing the UTA program). But keep in mind that the UTA people who talk to you over the phone are sales people who want to talk you into doing their program. They provide useful information while trying to talk you into do their program.

Basically it comes do to this.... if you do not have an associates degree in nursing you would not be able to take the accelerated bridge program that I think was mentioned in the above post above.

And for full disclosure... I already have two bachelors degrees (not in nursing) and I feel like I have a good understanding of the application and the selection process.

Good luck with your decision!!!

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@edge00 very valid and informative information. I wish I would have done the research from the start. I would have went to el centro for my ADN and bridge for BSN but I got accepted to the BSN traditional program at UTA. you are absolutely right about people saying hospital require BSN but you can actually find jobs with a ADN degree. There are a lot of nurses at the hospital I work at with an ADN degree with good pay.

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If you don't mind me asking, what hospitals have you done your clinicals in? Have you had any that you really didn't like?

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I haven"t done clinicals as of yet.I"ve just received my acceptance from UTA for spring 15 two weeks ago. I also applied to El centro and TWU as back up. I currently work for UT Southwestern but i am wanting to do my clinical in spring at Parkland hospital you can learn alot there due to the traffic of patients that goes in and out daily

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