nursing schools in southeast NC

mamatojoe · May 9, 2006

Heya, sorry for the lateness of my post but I read this just today and wanted to have a say. I am in the second semester of the ADN program at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. I can tell you a few things about the program's admissions process. It's highly competitive and very difficult to be in 14 places at one time. The window for applications opens in the late fall and stays that way usually until the middle of January, you file an intent to apply form and once that's done and you get through phase one you can take the PSB exam which is your admissions test. After that, they rank you in numerical order highest to lowest based on 50% PSB scores and 50% prior classes credits and grades. THe top 80 students get in the next 25 get alternate letters. We had I believe somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 total applicants before phase one the year I applied. I did get in on the first try but I had most of my prereq's done already as I have a BA from a 4 yr school elsewhere in the state. I am told this is not the way things normally work though, and that most people have to apply at least twice before they get in. Admission to any program will be tough, the important thing is to hang in there with the process once you decide on a school. Also, when you do get in, and start classes and you are patting yourself on the back for getting all of your ducks in a row by the required date (i.e. CPR certif, Hipaa paperwork, background checks etc) to allow you to sit in the class, don't lose faith in your instructors when they show you that the program itself is far from as organized as they require you to be.
I almost did, but I stuck it out and realized this is how it is, and I want to see myself succeed at this more than I want to spend time worrying about the organizational skills of my department. LOL
Best of luck to you
Chadley

]Hi Chadley! I start at CFCC in August. Do you have any advice? Could you tell me what your class schedule was too? Thanks!

]Wallis

mamatojoe · May 9, 2006

Nuberianne,

I was recently accepted to CFCC and will start in August. It took me three tries to be accepted, but in all fairness I didn't have the two Anatomys and Microbiology until this last attempt. I do think having those three classes is the key to being accepted. Good luck to you!!

Wallis

ChadleyNC · May 10, 2006

Hey Wallis,

Got your message here, just now getting a chance to breathe and reply to emails and the like. I'm not sure what advice to give you about the program other than keep your expectations of it in the middle. My expectations of my instructors and the program seemed a bit too high and had to be taken down a notch after I started. Also my expectations of myself had to come down too. I can tell you that A's are not a common theme amongst nursing students at CFCC. The program is hard. It's that way on purpose. But it is NOT impossible. Our final this past Monday was the worst final exam I have ever sat through in my life and that includes advanced study at UNCG. It's unlike anything you have ever done, or will do again, but when you are done with it, even small parts of it. The sense of accomplishment that you can have is overwhelmingly positive. Just don't give up

as for my schedule.. I am in the night program, so things are different for us. If you are doing nights, I'd be happy to share my schedule from the first couple of semesters with you. If you aren't then I would just end up confusing you.

Anyways, hope this helps and feel free to ask if you need any further info or have other questions.

Chadley

mamatojoe · May 10, 2006

Chadley! You are scaring me!! I have heard that the tests are situational in that you are given a situation and have to pick the best solution. Did you take any other classes at CFCC besides nursing? I took both Anatomy classes in the summer and figured after taking them I was up for anything! Now I am starting to wonder! Are you working too?

ChadleyNC · May 11, 2006

No the instructors are not bad. And don't get scared! It's tough but totally doable. None of the staff are out to frighten you out of nursing. Nor are any of the other students in the program Least of all me. As is the case with any nursing school, it's about priorities. If you keep those in line and keep your schooling first, you'll do fine. Yes I work, fulltime at that, but not all of my classmates do.

As for the tests, they are NCLEX format questions. Sometimes they are situational. Rarely are they based on definitions like:

Which of the following is the correct definition of leukoplakia...

It's more like...

Pt is in bed, post op after X procedure with this list of interventions, and you notice this. What's the first thing you do..

The tests are multiple choice. In an NCLEX style question, all of the answers may be right. Your objective is to pick the BEST answer of those given, and sometimes that can be hard. After my first one, I realized I had to change how I studied, how I read the material in the first place, and how I took notes. But you have to find what works for you, so the situational part is you and your situation, and you know yourself better than anyone else.

Seriously, do NOT get scared about this, it's not as bad as you think it will be. I swear it. If you can take A/P in the summer you can manage nursing, trust me.

I took my computer course, my tech writing course, A/P I and II, and Micro at CFCC.

Hope this helps, I am off to mow the grass.. lucky me.. lol

let me know if you want to know more. I can give you my email if you want to talk more about this in a different forum. just let me know

Chadley

mamatojoe · May 12, 2006

Thanks Chadley! I would love to have your email readily available to hound you with questions! I was wondering if you knew anyone in the day program and what their schedule was like? Please send me a private message (PM).

Edited to remove name of instructor and personal email addy