LSU BSN

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Hi everybody,

Im new to this site and could really use some advice. Im starting LSU traditional BSN program. Was wondering if anyone has any advice about what to expect and what I should do to prepare. Also if anyone is actually a student at LSU that would help or if they are starting in the Fall as well.

For all past and current LSU students, do we pick what class times and days we want or does the person scheduling you decide what to put you in? I was looking at the course schedules and for the first semester theirs more than one choice for most classes and labs and I'd like to choose what would work best with my work schedule.

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Not really. I got to choose what day my anatomy lab was. But as far as physiology, it's a little less organized; lab is generally tuesday, and if there's a thursday component (which I think only happened two or three times) you just show up on whichever day is better for you. Oh, and don't be misled by the term "physiology lab". Generally it just means you have another physiology lecture. The only "labs" we really had were on EKG and pulmonary function testing. The arterial blood gases "lab" was cool, though, because the guy who comes to lecture is a CRNA at Children's Hospital and has a lot of information to pass on.

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So, I just found out that my pre-req GPA is 3.5 :( I thought it was 3.75 for pre-reqs. My cum is still 3.1 though. So now I'm really nervous. What's hurting me is that I have a C in English Comp 1. I'm considering retaking and hope to get an A which will pull my pre-req GPA up to a 3.78, what do you think? I still haven't completed Sociology and Micro but the recruiter told me I can complete them in the fall. If I retake English Comp 1 during summer before application deadline it will cost me around $400 out of pocket since my loans will cover a minumum of 6 credits. AH! I don't know what to do!

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I had to retake a class too, Kristen! Don't feel bad, just get it done so you can get in!!! :) If your loans will cover a minimum of six credits, why not just knock out the sociology too over the summer and let your loans cover the summer semester?

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@Perkinsflower, did they replace the grade you got the second time with the grade you got the first time, or do they average the two graders? I actually looked in to taking both classes but I work full time and can only take 5:30 classes and becuase summer is so condensed I don't have time to take both. I also looked at online classes but those are full already! But $450 is a small price to pay to help bump my chances of getting in. So I think I'm going to just retake it. I applied to Charity as well and from the looks of it from my profile score I feel pretty confident that I will get accepted. The only thing is that I'm set on LSU. I will be devastated if I don't get in to LSU. I don't want to wait another semester to try again if I don't get accepted. I know that a lot of people would die to go to Charity and I don't want to sound snotty but my heart is set on LSU. The requirements are different and I know that the grades I got for Charity pre-reqs are a LOT higher than the grades for my LSU pre-reqs. But who knows, maybe I won't get in to either!!!!!

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Nope, they replaced the grade with the higher grade! I was in the same boat - I got into Charity but my heart was set on going to LSU and I'm so glad I go there instead (and nothing personal to any Charity folks, I just went to LSU and knew it was the place for me, I really love it there).

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Yes, same here. At first I was all about Charity, thinking that I would just do a bridge program to after getting an ADN to get a BSN, but slowly I kept leaning towards LSU and then I learned about the cadaver lab! I definitely want to do anatomy all over again to experience the cadaver lab! Now I'm all about LSU and I wanted to get an LSU Nursing sweatshirt the other day, but then I decided against it in case I don't get in, how embarassing would that be?!?!?! What was your experience like with the cadaver lab? It seems tough because when you look at models or books it's usually color coded. Was it depressing or a little creepy?

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I don't get creeped out really easily. The only part that I think was a little hard for me personally to handle was in the last quarter when we started dissecting out the face. We kept the heads covered until the very last block. When you don't see their faces, it's hard to remember that this is a real person and when you do finally see them, it hits home. But there's nothing like learning anatomy on a cadaver. Now, every time a friend asks me what could be wrong when something hurts them in a certain area, it's really easy to visualize exactly what happens where he's pointing.

You also get to find out how they died, how old they were, and what they did for a living. Based on that information, you can see how whatever process happens in a real body. We had cadavers with Alzheimer's, heart bypass, central lines, liver transplants, goiters... I can't tell you how rewarding and fascinating it is. It's a really unique experience and I can't recommend it highly enough.

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Has anybody heard about educational budget cuts on the news today? They say that LSU's funding has been cut so drastically they're considering cancelling some LSU programs including their nursing program! I am so devastated, how can they cut LSU nursing? Does anyone else know anything else about it, like when they will know for sure if they will resort to cancelling the program?

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I can't imagine them cutting the nursing program in New Orleans, considering nursing is the largest program at the downtown campus (larger than OT, PT, the med school, audiology, all of them). If anything, I would guess it would (once again) just delay finishing construction. I didn't see the news story and I am far from an informed source :) but I would say it doesn't sound likely.

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This is from http://www.lsusystem.edu/index.php/2012/05/15/lsu-flagship-medical-nursing-schools-threatened-by-budget-cuts/:

What follows is a rundown of potential effects from the proposed budget reductions prepared by chancellors and administrators at LSU System institutions.

LSU HSC New Orleans

  • Delay opening of the new Physicians Assistant program.
  • Close the Cardio-Pulmonary Therapy program.
  • Close the BSN Program. Fall 2012 enrollment of 736 students.
  • Eliminate all new scholarships and tuition waivers in the School of Graduate Studies and The School of Public Health. This will impede our efforts to recruit students who heavily support our research programs and in turn contribute to the state's economic development.
  • Close the rural track program. This will impede our efforts to meet physician manpower needs in underserved rural areas.
  • Close the MD/PhD Program. Similar impact to eliminating tuition waivers in Graduate Studies.
  • Cut library hours in half in order to preserve funds for acquisitions (books, journals, databases). We cannot sustain an academic health science library without acquisitions.
  • Eliminate the Office of Institutional Planning.
  • Discontinue all community outreach programs that are not self-sustaining.
  • Close dental clinics in Houma, Alexandria and Baton Rouge.
  • Close the Dental Hygiene program in Lafayette
  • Will need to implement the sustainability fee and to increase tuition to SREB peer averages
  • Allocation of Risk Management Costs to Restricted Sources
  • Increases in Charges to Patients
  • Delay Campus Infrastructure Improvements, Major Repairs, Defer Maint
  • Cease to Maintain NOAH Property
  • Reductions in Medical Education Support

LSUHSC New Orleans isn't the only school. On the website there is a list of many other LSU schools and plans of action each one as well as LSU hospitals. I read somewhere else that July 1 is when Jindal will put the budget cut into effect. So it's not definite, but if he does, then this is the plan. They said that it puts LSU as a whole into financial exigency. Until then, I don't think I'll sleep. This is possibly the worst thing that could happen to this city. LSU is really the only affordable BSN program in this city. I really hope this doesn't occur and I hope that enough people will stand up and protest this. :(

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I saw the article. I'm keeping my fingers crossed too, but my sister is graduating from LSU on Friday and they told her during her first semester that they would be shutting down her program. I'm cautiously optimistic :)

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