Has anyone gotten into Mt. Sac's nursing program for Spring 2009? There is an orientation week that starts on Monday. Does anyone have any insights or knows about what will happen during this orientation? I know there's a HESI exam for Tuesday. Do they select the final candidates based on the results or are you in regardless? It's all very exciting!
Is anyone already in the Mt. Sac program or has recently graduated? What's it like? Are the instructors fair? What clinical sites do you go to?
I know that as an LVN student, I've seen Mt. Sac students at Intercommunity Hospital in Covina. Where else do you guys go?
Good Luck to you, one recommendation..if you are rusty in math get a dosage calculation book (or review some problems online) cuz that is gonna be a big factor. Unless Mt Sac changed their rule (which i doubt), you are not allowed to use any calculators in pharmacology and there is a dosage cal test for every class (first semester no calculators allowed)..and if you fail both attempts, you're out of the program. Sounds scary but this school wants to make sure their nurses are competent in dosage calculations.
Good Luck to you, one recommendation..if you are rusty in math get a dosage calculation book (or review some problems online) cuz that is gonna be a big factor. Unless Mt Sac changed their rule (which i doubt), you are not allowed to use any calculators in pharmacology and there is a dosage cal test for every class (first semester no calculators allowed)..and if you fail both attempts, you're out of the program. Sounds scary but this school wants to make sure their nurses are competent in dosage calculations.
Take care & good luck!!
Hi studentnurse,
yeah unfortunately they still don't allow any calculator for the first semester. Plus, we'll have to get at least 85% I believe on those weekly test as well. So, that's why I'm trying to get the Pharmacology done in Winter so I don't have to deal with it in Spring. They say it's an intense 6-week class but oh well.
By the way, is there any hospital site or instructor that I should try to -- basically -- avoid? I mean, do you like your clinical sites? Have you had any bad experience with any of them or any instructor in particular? I'm just curious to know. Also, where did you purchase your uniform, name tag etc.? How about the shoes? It has to be all white correct? And do you have to take a HESI exam at the end of every semester? Someone's told me that, I'm not sure.
Well lets see.. when I started last year it wasn't the HESI, it was another test we had to take at the end of every class but this semester we did not have too. Thank goodness bc it was almost $100 per test and that adds up.
As far as uniforms, i remember a lady coming in during orientation and offered uniforms, shoes, stethoscopes, etc. to us. If you did purchase the stuff, that's great but to be honest..you can go to any medical uniform shop and buy it (probably for cheaper)...yes, it has to be all white with white shoes. I bought the nurse mates shoes for like $70 and threw them out before my first semester even ended. They hurt like hell and the soles started to give way. Your student nurse badge will be provided by Mt. Sac. Oh yea, the stethoscope...almost everyone that purchased the stethoscope/penlight/scissor pack went out and purchased a new stethoscope. It's really heavy and to be honest they don't work all that well. To me a littman is the way to go and no you don't have to buy the $500 version.. there's 'basic' littmans for like $40 and they work just fine.
Since there is 96 students that are accepted per semester, they divide us by placing 48 in Mon & Wed. So depending what day you have, that will decide which hospital u have to choose from. So far I've been pretty happy with all my sites, yea there's some i would perfer but overall they did their job by teaching us.
Chowder, hello and congratulations on starting the pharm course. I noticed that you said you got the box set for the nursing classes and that it cost $495. Do you mean for the books for Pharm or for the whole set? Are you serious????? Does this box set come with the on-line Evolve stuff they explained to us during orientation week?
Where did you get the books? I've been trying to figure out which books to get. The on-line Mt. Sac bookstore is still not giving out that information. Can you please list the titles or ISBN's of the books so that I can start looking them up on Amazon? It would be of great help. I might go to Mt. Sac soon to get a list directly from Angie or anyone in the Nursing Dept.
I don't start until the Spring semester. I don't mind taking Nursing 1A and the Pharm course together. Keep us posted on how Mr. Romero is as a teacher. He seems pretty cool. :wink2:
Did u already pick your classes for Spring? Which hospitals did you get into? I think I'm in Group 2. I will take pharm on Mondays and go to theory on Wednesdays, and clinicals Thursdays and Fridays at Foothill Pres and Foothill Nursing Rehab.
Good luck in the Pharm class!! Mr. Romero stressed how hard this class is and I'm running scared!!
Chowder, hello and congratulations on starting the pharm course. I noticed that you said you got the box set for the nursing classes and that it cost $495. Are you serious????? Does this box set come with the on-line Evolve stuff they explained to us during orientation week?
Where did you get the books? I've been trying to figure out which books to get. The on-line Mt. Sac bookstore is still not giving out that information. Can you please list the titles or ISBN's of the books so that I can start looking them up on Amazon? It would be of great help. I might go to Mt. Sac soon to get a list directly from Angie or anyone in the Nursing Dept.
I don't start until the Spring semester. I don't mind taking Nursing 1A and the Pharm course together. Keep us posted on how Mr. Romero is as a teacher. He seems pretty cool. :wink2:
Did u already pick your classes for Spring? Which hospitals did you get into? I think I'm in Group 2. I will take pharm on Mondays and go to theory on Wednesdays, and clinicals Thursdays and Fridays at Foothill Pres and Foothill Nursing Rehab.
Good luck in the Pharm class!! Mr. Romero stressed how hard this class is and I'm running scared!!
Specializes in CC, ED, L&D, CDE, Education, Advice.
Hey Bella:
I graduated from Mt Sac in 1978. I have been a nurse 30 years. I went on to get my BSN and now have a MS. Congratulations and best wishes.
BTW- I never remember having to take a test like you are describing, however (in the old days) I did get low enough in math on the college entrance exams that I had to take a remedial math class called "Math For Health Occupations". Luckily it helped me over my phobia of math. I still have to work hard not to freak out when confronting math, but working out the problems becomes pretty easy after a while if you can just stay relaxed.
Ironically I am currently working on a math review module for my employer (largest HMO in CA) which will be used by all our nurses in Northern California.
I remember that once I had all those science classes down at MTSAC, the nursing classes were much easier and more enjoyable.
Take a deep breath, the fun is beginning. You sound very consciencious. I'm sure you'll do fine.
im starting the nursing program this wednesday at mt. sac and it's my first nursing course, "pharmacology."
the book in the box cost 495.00 + tax, which is pretty hefty in price. the box contains 9 books which is used for the spring.
let me know if anyone has any other alternatives.
amazon
half
warmest regards,
linda
Ouch $495 is really steep! Yes, what Bella asked... could you post the books and isbn #'s we need? I just wrote Angie to see if she'll give the book list, if she writes back and gives me the list I'll post it here.
Good luck with your Pharm class tomorrow! Keep us posted!
Thanks so much for your encouragement. I am very excited to finally get into the RN program, especially at Mt. Sac. I love that school. Math has never been my forte but I have always been okay with it. I just finished an LVN program and one of my clinical instructors constantly gave us dosage calculation quizzes every week until we got comfortable with it. All of this was done without the use of calculators. So it is possible to do.
They made us take the HESI test to get an overall picture of what our strengths and weaknesses are so that they could better assist our needs. Thankfully I pretty much did well on all the sections.
I'm just nervous about what the classes will entail such as projects, presentations, etc. I hate that part of it. My stomach was always in knots every week we had clinicals but I survived. If I thought it was hard during the LVN program, I can just imagine how hard it must be in the RN program.
I am optimistic though. I know how tough it's going to be. The best part of it all is that in the end I will hopefully have many new friends. They probably don't know this but we will rely on each other so much in the next 2 years and that's what gets us through it all.
Specializes in CC, ED, L&D, CDE, Education, Advice.
Bella:
If you are already an LVN you will do fine. I remember having diarrhea my first clinical day. My first patient was a nursing instructor (Yikes!). She was really great though and I did fine. As you will.
i haven't purchased the books in a box just yet, because i'm trying to see if i could get it cheaper else where. i dont know if i'm cutting my self short, by getting the used books without the online stuff from elsevier (the on-line stuff they mentioned at orientation). i'm still thinking about what to do . . .
i received a phone from the bookstore yesterday saying that the nursing box set was ready for pick up, because i put in an order in december. when they told me it was $495.00 i couldn't believe it.
i hope this helps. i got this this from the mt. sac book store, but they don't give out the isbn numbers. let me know if u find anything. :)
nursing books in a box ------> contains 9 books ----> $495.00 +tax
(if purchased individually $584.00 +tax) savings of 584-495= 89.00
books included: (all new books)
nurs 1a
1. fund. of nursing clinical study guide
2. fund. of nursing with cd
3. davis drug guide for nurses/2008
4. clinical hanbook
5. nursing diagnosis manual
nurs 2
elsevier bundle (6,7,8)
6. medical surgical nursing with e-book
7. body fluids and electro. e-book
8. pharmacology and nurs. process w/cd and e-book
9. clinical calculations
my schedule in the spring
nurs1a
4.75
m
7:00am-11:00am
4.75
m
1:00pm-2:45pm
4.75
tw
6:30am-2:30pm icmc
nurs1b
4.75
m
7:00am-11:00am
4.75
m
1:00pm-2:45pm
4.75
tw
7:00am-3:00pm bev
i hope to see you guys around and maybe we could form a study group. we could definitely use this forum as a tool for us to discuss things in class, events etc.
i couldn't believe it. 
cabo2341
98 Posts
:anbd: Studentnurse, you're right....that's what they told me as well.
So its wait time.....
I'm happy for those of you that didn't have to wait long.....Best of Luck!
Thanks a bunch for your input :anpom: