Georgia baptist college of nursing/Mercer University Fall 2018

Published

Hey! Just wanted to start a forum for anybody applying to this program for fall 2018. I have everything turned in and I'm just waiting for it all to process on the portal. I retook some science course after I dropped out of school for three years but managed to repeat all my classes with an a so my science gpa is looking like a 3.7 but it will be a 2.9 if it is averaged but I am not sure. I have 400 hours of volunteer service. 2 years of CNA experience. 1 year of managent experience ans I got an 85.3 on my teas first try. Feel free to share your stats or your anticipation! If I'm accepted I also would like to know my future colleagues :)

Specializes in ICU.

What issues are you speaking of? yes, I'm in the D2D program and find nothing about the program or our treatment crippling. In any program it's always a good idea to find a faculty mentor or mentor in general. I've had a positive experience at Mercer and have not heard of any experience from anyone like yours. That's not to say your experience is invalid, I've just never heard of anyone have that much negativity regarding the program. Having a previous degree from another institution and having gone to a different nursing school for a semester before deciding to transfer, I find Mercer's program great! It was a HUGE difference when compared to my last nursing school. Mercer was One of the best decisions I've made. I will say that camaraderie among students in the JR could be better but that's not on the faculty, that's on the character of the students. I'm sorry if your experience has been trash so far. Nursing school is already stressful enough. I'm just surprised that all has happened.

For all prospective nursing students, I highly suggest you take what you read on forums with a grain of salt. Including my own opinions!! You will find a range of opinions on the same place, as you can see. The best thing you can do is figure out what it is you want out of a nursing school (i.e. high NCLEX pass scores, clinical sites, high graduation rate, high employment rate, tuition/affordability, etc) and find schools that match your wants and needs. For me, that was Mercer. Also, if you can, visit schools, talk with students face to face, talk to alumni and see where they work/worked, get an idea of the reputation of the school. Nursing school is already stressful enough to feel like you're not getting everything you need to be successful in your transition as a professional nurse.

As far as my stats:

Overall GPA: I think 3.3?

Science: 3.2

TEAS: 90

Mercer pays the most attention to your essay! Of course your grades can't be mediocre but make sure that essay comes from the heart and grammatically good!

If you have any personal questions, please feel free to PM me!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do you know if they average all attempts or take last attempts? I'm still under review and it's killing meeeee

Up Vote Up Vote ×

And thank you for all the info, both of you. I really want to have a great experience at Mercer . I've heard nothing but good things about it so this is my first time hearing something negative. Either way I'm grateful for both opinions. Thank you very much!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

D2D is supposed to help you do better but you get so many meetings that you barely have time to recover. The convention they forced everyone to go to was also ridiculous. It was four days the other students got off to catch up on work and study but not if you were apart of D2D. Some of the D2D students have families (singles parents too) and were told they must go. I remember one student was traveling back and forth to pick their kids up from school. They were driving like 2 plus hours or more. I forgot the actual time but something like this. Another student also voiced they did not have money to buy the professional clothing needed for the convention and felt embarrassed going. The university still used scare tactics and told them they would lose their scholarship. That blows my mind! Sacrifices should be expected but this was too much. I mean a lot of students aren't working and family comes before anything. I can't imagine how the single mom's managed with all the dates, they always came up with short notice. We had support group meetings with a 2 day advance and some a few hours because of emailing issues. And the meetings seemed more like a show for their funders than a genuine effort to reach out to their students actual needs. I am glad you at least found some value in them. I voiced my opinions to the faculty and how they could improve the program and thats where I got into trouble. I even apologized and tried to make stress kits for the class, the assistant dean stopped me because it was changing the narrative they wanted to have around who I was. Then they started the surveillance efforts, they tried to following me on Instagram to find reasons to kick me out of the program ( I would imagine). It wouldn't be the first time they do something like this. A few seniors have told me they aren't surprised this has happened.

I had also voiced how they needed to evaluate students without black and white thinking. They have a critical thinking class and it requires you to come to campus an extra day. They don't ask if you want to be in it. I got placed in the course and requested to be removed from it. I'm very good at managing my mental health with space and felt I did not need this course. You have a few years of college under your belt and tell them this is what I have. And they don't listen to you. I got denied. This class wasn't even a part of the NCLEX. Sure... its supposed to help you become a better test taker but students should be heard. And I didn't find it helpful. I mean.. the faculty is full of nurses, some pt's don't always agree with the care plan. You should respect them and understand the person should be supported while informing them. Thats all a nurse really can do. You can't force someone to do something.

I am also wondering if you were in class to hear schlerit talk back to students. She is super condescending and rude. There was a lecture where she asked students if they had individual pts assigned to them and she would snap at their responses. She was one of the main ones trying to fail everyone. She made sure to not inform the class we had a flu shot and titters penalty. She eventually gave the points back to students but it was a real issue. People failed midterm clinical because of it.

I have several friends in other nursing programs like Emory and GSU, and they experience nothing like I have described. Had I not had opposing experiences then I wouldn't have bothered to make a post about Mercer. I am relieved to no longer be there. Other students in the D2D program also expressed similar views they just weren't as vocal about it.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Daniel,

I know exactly what you are talking about. I was 1013d not too long ago and am actually on my way to my meeting. Thank goodness I am not in school at the time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am glad to hear you are getting help and support! Mental health is really tricky. You can't take blood from someone to measure how bad the disorders are. Its all self reporting. And getting on the right treatment and even finding a great therapist/psychiatrist isn't easy. Your self care will definitely pay off when you get into a program. :cat:

And hopefully I helped some. It has been my goal to inform others of my experience and empower them further in there decision making process. We get so caught up in wanting to be a nurse that sometimes we sell ourselves short. I don't know what made you pursue this career but I understand it hasn't be easy. And the program is going to be hard and demanding anywhere you go. I am just hoping you get faculty that will value your hard work as much as you do and have your back if your brain isn't being kind to you. Thats what I hope for at GSU and I know what questions to ask for myself now.

Good Luck! Let me know if you have more questions or need someone to talk to!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank-you for all of the info! I have only heard good things about Mercer's program and I really enjoyed getting to meet some of the nursing students and admission staff at the open house I attended a few months ago. Mercer is my number one choice for nursing school and I'm getting so anxious about hearing back from them; my application has said "under review" for about a month now. I submitted my application over 2 months and have seen in past forums that decisions can come out as early as December, so I'm hoping to hear something soon!

If you don't mind answering a few questions, I would be very grateful!

1- What does your typical schedule look like week to week?

2- Do professors try to organize the exams so that they don't fall on the same day?

3- Do you get to choose what area your clinicals are in?

4- Do you think it's feasible to work at least part-time? (I currently work from home and my schedule is

very flexible)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.
Thank-you for all of the info! I have only heard good things about Mercer's program and I really enjoyed getting to meet some of the nursing students and admission staff at the open house I attended a few months ago. Mercer is my number one choice for nursing school and I'm getting so anxious about hearing back from them; my application has said "under review" for about a month now. I submitted my application over 2 months and have seen in past forums that decisions can come out as early as December, so I'm hoping to hear something soon!

If you don't mind answering a few questions, I would be very grateful!

1- What does your typical schedule look like week to week?

2- Do professors try to organize the exams so that they don't fall on the same day?

3- Do you get to choose what area your clinicals are in?

4- Do you think it's feasible to work at least part-time? (I currently work from home and my schedule is

very flexible)

Sure, I'd be happy to!

1- So we are wrapping up the semester. Apart from the first two weeks, Monday class is 10am-4pm (with an hour lunch break. This is patho), either on Tuesday or Wednesday is your clinical day so you either have clinical on one day or the other. That doesn't necessarily mean you have an "off" day on the other day; you can still have on-campus assignment or something else. A better word is study day! So for my schedule I have study day Tuesday and clinical Wednesday. Thursday 8am-4pm (two classes on that day) and Friday class 8am-12pm (two classes)

2-Professors actually make a note not to schedule exams on the same day. That would be torture! HOWEVER that doesn't mean you won't have an exam on a Friday and an exam the next Monday. I say this because understand that nursing school and the exams are nothing like undergrad exams. You can't study the night or two before and expect good grades or to retain information (which will appear on future exams and the NCLEX)

3-clinicals are based on your zipcode. You fill out an informational sheet at the beginning and they try their best to match you somewhere close to your place. My clinicals were less than a mile away from me!

4-so you will hear different opinions on this. Nothing is impossible. HOWEVER. You will find it very very very very hard to work part-time (assuming 20-24 hours a week?) and remain satisfactory in the rigor of this program. Again, I warn that nursing school is not like your pre-req courses. Completely different ball game! Material is harder, the demand is harder, the study time is longer. Mercer is very much a "learn it, now do it" type of program meaning we learn about it in class and in lab, we get validated on it, now we are expected to do it on real patients. It's just a lot to balance. But I understand the neccessity to work. I, myself had a full time job with a a full salary before nursing school...my bills have not changed since I started and can no longer work. I work PRN as a tech in the hospital because they are the most reasonable and flexible with my nursing school demands. I work when I can so I can schedule myself whenever. My personal opinion is to see how nursing school is for you in the first month and then assess how much you will be able to work. The first month is arguably the easiest month as far as test material. If you find yourself struggling it will only get harder!

Hope that helps!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you don't mind me asking, how are you paying your bills then? Because I had every intention to still keep my job while in school...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I got my acceptance letter this morning!!!! Whooo hoooo!!! So super stoked to join the fall 2018 class!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congratulations!! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congratulations! That's so exciting!! When did you apply?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion