Hi. I am applying for entry to LSU's CARE program for my Accelerated BSN degree in August 2008. I am just getting ready to send my application off, and was wondering if anyone here has done this program, or is currently enrolled in it.
Mainly, I'm curious about the admissions standards. I have always been a very good student, and maintained above a 3.5 in college. I also have an advanced professional degree in another field. I am hoping these things will make me an attractive candidate for the school. I am curious how competitve the program is, especially for someone who is not a Louisiana resident.
Also, I'm wondering what the program is like. I know that it's got to be pretty intense if it wraps up all the nursing education into 18 months. What is a typical schedule like? How many hours a day and things like that?
I'm really excited about this opportunity, and looking forward to reading any responses here. Also, if anyone is currently applying as well, I'd love to connect with you so we can bite our nails together.
I looked through the insurance. It looks good and costs are reasonable but I decided to go on my husband's plan instead. My biggest worry about the LSUHSC plan is the max of either $50,000 or the buy-up at $250,000. From what I understand, catastrophic accidents can easily blow those maximums out of the water. And then what do you do? File bankruptcy?
The vaccination stuff has been a pain. Anyone know an easy place to go get a tetorifice? ppd screen? I wonder if maybe an urgent care place would do that for a reasonable price. I don't have a regular doctor and my ob-gyn can't do it. Maybe my ENT?
I just called Concentra and they can do my TB (PPD screen) and Tetorifice no problem. No appointments, just walk in anytime before 3pm. Great tip. Thanks again.
Thanks for the info, but can I ask you a more specific question. I took AP I and II (lectures and labs) at Delgado this past year and got an A in all my classes/labs. Do you know if any of your classmates who were exempt from Anatomy took AP at Delgado? I didn't even know about "exemptions" for Anatomy for the full semester until I read it on this thread... I thought everyone had to take it regardless of taking AP classes in the past.
You have to take physiology, no questions asked. Anatomy is another story: they just started allowing CARE students to get credit for anatomy this last year. Talk to them about it at your advising or at least sometime soon. This week is probably bad because of all the commencement activities, but see about talking to someone in June.
Thanks for the clarification Cpkrn... I'll definitely ask at my advising session. I might end up taking it anyway because I feel like I need to really get more anatomy in. Physiology was a piece of cake for me... well at least at Delgado! My brain likes to understand processes and how things work, whereas straight memorization is a challenge. Did you get a lot out of taking anatomy or was it just a nuisance?
Physiology will be a challenge no matter what. Just don't get blindsided from it. Nobody finds it easy. I breezed through phys at Delgado and kept thinking there was no way I'd have trouble or fail a test at LSU like everyone told me. It made me cry many times at LSU and, yes, most everyone failed or came close to failing at least one exam. Several people I know who didn't make it through the first time had science degrees too. Skim through the LSU BSN thread - you'll see how everyone talks about it over there. Not easy, but passable. I don't mean to scare you, but I don't want to see someone else go in way too overconfident and have it knock you down like it did me.
As for anatomy, if you don't HAVE to take it, don't. If you don't have to take abnormal psych, I'd say go for it, but it's just time taken away from other classes - phys needs a ton of your time and intro isn't hard but it is time comsuming busywork: several long papers, lots of reading, etc. Abnormal psych is all reading and memorization. If you really want to work with the cadavers, it is a cool experience. It's not difficult, but it is going to take up quite a bit of time you wished you had for other things.
cpkrn, you seem to have a really good sense of what's going on so I hope it's not too forward to run my situation by you and ask what you think:
I took A&P I and II lecture and A&P I lab last year at Delgado. A's in all three. I'm holding a big event (my wedding) five weeks into the fall semester (the weekend around which the first set of exams will probably occur) and am considering taking either Abnormal Psych or A&P II lab over the summer to slightly reduce my load in the fall. I think I would benefit from working with the cadavers cause I've lost some of my memory of anatomy for lack of recent use, so I'm more inclined to get Abnormal Psych out of the way over the summer if LSU is willing to take Delgado credits for it.
NolaRachel: you might want to run this by someone at the school first. I know they'll take Delgado credits for Abnormal Psych, but I just have no clue what they'll really do for anatomy.
I had straight A's across the board in Delgado A&P I and II, lecture and lab. Unfortunately, the semester I started CARE, they wouldn't take our Delgado anatomy credits (August '09). This last year (August '10), they took a ton of Delgado A&P credits for anatomy. You just never know which way the school will turn.
A friend of mine had her wedding in October of our first semester and it comsumed her - she didn't move on. Still in school, but 1.5 years behind the original CARE class. She got credit for ab psych and says she thought she had so much free time when she really didn't. If you can take ab psych, it will free up some of your time, but just don't let that free time get away from you. Phys and anatomy exams used to be late Friday afternoons - not sure if they still are because they've changed testing procedures drastically since I took the classes. We had a phys exam the Friday before her wedding which was her downfall.
Of course, I don't know you or how you handle things, but I wanted to give a concrete example. I know it can be done with a big life event because I had a very personal one myself that semester, you just cannot allow it to comsume you for more than a day or 2.
Anyhow, cadaver work is incredible, but you will have to spend a ton of time in the lab since your practical questions are directly from the cadavers. The entire class is just structured completely different. I think you'll get a ton from it, but if you want that extra time to spend on other classes and can get credit for anatomy, do it. I was used to being a straight A student and sacrificed all of my grades across the board for phys that first semester. They're all passing, but not up to my standard. That's just something you have to get used to through all of nursing school, though.
We have started a facebook group for all of us to connect with one another before school starts! See the link below and join our group. Share some info about yourself and any questions/concerns you have about the program. We are all in the same boat so don't stress!
jschex6
37 Posts
FYI - Current tuition rates are up on the website.