New pre-nursing student looking for some ADVICE!

[valadeybug]

hello there!

last semester i decided that i was going to switch my major from journalism to nursing. i am completely vested in this venture, but i have a lot of questions.

first, i'm in tucson and i have heard a lot of negative things about anything pertaining to nursing at the u of a. i am at pima and taking classes at rio salado trying to get my pre-reqs out of the way. i'm wondering what hospitals (in tucson or phoenix) aren't too hard to get into to work at? i've heard that there are a lot of positions you can work in at the hospital to get your foot in and the hospital will pay for your classes.

second, i'm looking into different programs in arizona and was wondering what was the most recommended.

please give me a little bit of insight/advice/ bewares/ etc. i would really appreciate it.

thank you!:wink2:

[groovy jeff, RN]

There are several post that highly praise Univ Medical Center. I would suggest perusing the forums and look at the threads that have Tuscon or UA in their title

stay groovy

[CRNAspire]

you should check out Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher. I called them in October and was accepted for the following January!!! (that was two years ago, and now i am graduating next wek!!!) No wait list!! also, they do mostly COrequisites not PRErequisites (sorry about spelling) very low tuition. (like

you do, however, have to travel for most of the clinicals. NOne in the first semester.

anyways, just my 2 cents!

[Hausfrau]

CRNAspire ~ Can you tell me what your schedual is like at eastern arizona? How many days of week do you go to school/clinicals, etc and what are the hours like?

Thanks!!

[CRNAspire]

class is twice a week for like 3hours.

skills lab is eight days first semester. with, i think, about 4 12 hour shifts clinicals. there are also some "observation" clinical hours that are like 4 hours each in different departments of the hospital, like surgery, respiratory, and x-ray. just to give some exposure to those students who have o real hospital experience, or something.

second semester i had four twelve our shifts at or local hospital, and 6 twelve hour shifts in the phoenix metro area. these are usually a friday saturday, to ease traveling. and i think another 8 skills labs, except they are shorter and more fun.

third semester is about the same clinically

fourth semester clinicals were AWESOME! we only had two days here in town. it is a small rural hospital, and i enjoy the big critical cases, so it just was not for me. but we did four 3 day in phoenix going to different ICU's ER's and even the Burn unit in down town. it was tough to travel for that long, but i was done with clinicals in the begiining of october this semester, so it was worth the sacrifice.

anyways, that is probably more than you wanted to hear, and i am sure that is not all exactly how it went, but pretty close....

there are a few nght shifts, but not very many, and none out of town. i was able to work part time through most of school. i had a great employer though. i think a TON of my class mates worked at the local hospital as CNAs and eventually LPNs, and they are pretty good towards nursing students and their schedule.

hope that helped!!