GST BOCES LPN Program

I don't have any feedback as I haven't attended yet, but I start at Boces next month! Did you end up choosing Boces or CCC? It was between the two for me as well, but I want to start work ASAP so I decided to go with Boces and then bridge to RN at CCC. :)

I will be attending Boces next month too, and hopefully bridge to the RN at CCC.

I will be attending Boces next month too, and hopefully bridge to the RN at CCC.

Awesome! I am excited but also so very nervous. My name is Kristi, by the way. I'm 23 and I live in Painted Post. I will be going to Coopers Campus. Will you be at Cooper or Bush?

I am also going to the Coopers Campus, I applied to the RN program at CCC but was placed on the waiting list. I had to complete the chemistry prerequisite last spring so my application to CCC was late. I feel the same, excited and nervous.

I am also going to the Coopers Campus, I applied to the RN program at CCC but was placed on the waiting list. I had to complete the chemistry prerequisite last spring so my application to CCC was late. I feel the same, excited and nervous.

So exciting! :) Are you doing anything to prepare? I just finished reading How To Succeed In Nursing School: Before, During, & After by Caroline Porter. It was a total waste of time. Now I'm sticking to browsing/posting on reddit's nursing and student nurse forums (Nursing for nurses and by nurses for the care of all. and A Community of, by, and for Students Currently Enrolled In Nursing Programs) and here on allnurses. I haven't taken any science courses since high school, which I dropped out of and got my GED a few years ago. I'm feeling unprepared so I'm going to try to study physiology and anatomy online before school starts, at least a little anyway. I also have a medical terminology QuickStudy guide I got from Amazon, but I'm still not feeling completely prepared!

What specialty are you hoping to work in once you get your RN? Are you going to work as an LPN after you graduate? If so, where are you hoping for? I'm hoping for the Guthrie healthcare facilities... not sure if I could get a job at the hospital as an LPN, but I wouldn't mind working at a doctor's office. I don't know which specialty I'd prefer once I get my RN, though... I love kids, but I'm afraid I won't be able to deal with the heartache of peds. I'm going to wait until we do clinicals to see which areas I feel most comfortable with.

I ordered Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology books for Dummies. Ha! Bought them used online. I was feeling the same way about being unprepared until last semester I took Intro to Organic and Biochemistry at the 'Harvard on the Hill' and pulled off a good grade, which gave me a huge confidence boost. (I have been out of school for a long time). I'm not sure how much of that will be helpful for LPN studies though. I have not purchased anything except some white sneakers that I found on sale. Hopefully they will provide what books we need.

As for a specialty, it is so hard to predict. I would like to work at the hospital if I eventually become an RN. I am open minded about trying any specialty. I think I would also enjoy home health. I am not sure if LPN's are being hired at the hospital. It must depend on the hospital and city you live in. From reading posts it sounds like the bigger city hospitals hire RN's only. As an LPN, I would like to work at an urgent care clinic or similar setting to get experience with all kinds of situations. It seems a lot of LPN's work in the doctor's office or LTC. Kids are great, I have worked with kids in the social work field.

Ha! Funny you should say that. I just added Anatomy & Physiology for Dummies to my Amazon wishlist the other day. Congrats on your good grade, by the way! :)

I haven't bought any sneakers or anything yet, though. I did find a nursing student planner on Amazon that I'm going to pick up, too. And I printed out an Anatomy QuickStudy guide I found online.

I do think that they'll provide the books we need. Well, hopefully anyway, haha.

I've worked with kids too, actually was a teacher aide at an elementary school in Elmira for the past school year, but now that summer is here I'm not working and I want to stay off work while I do school unless I think I can handle it. The director told me we'd be able to take the CNA certification exam in October so I am going to try doing CNA work while in school if I think I can handle it.

I don't think I'd mind working in an doctor's office or in LTC. My two sisters work as CNAs in LTC and they love it. But like I said, I do want to go to clinicals and see where I feel comfortable in before saying anything is definite. :)

I was recently told that Nurse.com is a good resource for nursing information and continuing education.

Thanks for the info! Another one I use is Reddit. There are subreddits for nursing and student nurses. Nursing for nurses and by nurses for the care of all. is for nurses and A Community of, by, and for Students Currently Enrolled In Nursing Programs is for nursing students. :)

Have you finished getting all of your supplies? I got my stethoscope the other day and reality sunk in. Soon I'm going to actually know what the heck I'm doing! I've been watching YouTube tutorials on how to take blood pressure, insert catheters, etc to try and prepare myself.

Wow, your a step or two ahead of me. I was waiting for orientation before ordering a stethoscope; it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Yes. Reality is starting to sink in. I can't believe we start class next week. Other than the supplemental books that ordered I haven't bought anything else yet. I've been doing some reading, that's all. Youtube is a great tool.

I am so excited! I just got an e-mail from the instructor. I was worried about CPR certification, because I had been previously certified because of working at an elementary school but lost my card. The e-mail said to bring your CPR card with you. So, I was freaking out and called and talked to the head of the program. They told me you only need to bring it IF YOU HAVE ONE, and if not you will be taking the CPR class through them. So, I am just going to re-take it anyway as a refresher. Phew, I was really worried about that because I hadn't heard anything about taking a CPR course or having a card until I just got that e-mail! Haha.

Good to know. My CPR/AED is still valid, I took a class last year. I'll bring my card too.