Hi everyone! Okay so I decided to make a seperate thread for those of us seeing what our options are because we got the dreaded letter from OCC. It was getting hard to filter out the information pertinent to us in the general OCC thread.
I just want to tell everyone not to give up.
I had a meeting with a counselor yesterday, who basically assured me that any drastic changes made to OCC nursing admission policy could NOT be implemented in the very next admission cycle. He said that he had been a counselor for over 16 years, and the last time they made a drastic change (like from waitlist to gpa based) they grandfathered in everybody who would have been 'caught up' in the transition.
I had a 3.824 gpa. I had three classes that were not straight A's (An A- in both american government and english composition two, as well as the dreaded B in A&P 1). I am retaking all three and am going to seriousely aim for all A's. The gpa cutoff is gonna be a 3.9 something and I don't want to have to worry about not getting in again. I am going to do my best to get all A's.
I met with the counselor to discuss my options and see what to do at this point. I was considering going LPN but I don't think i'm going to do that anymore because my biggest aim is to get my RN as soon as possible. The LPN to RN transition program is only offerred every even year. What this means for us? If I were, for example to start the LPN program in January of 2012, it would be over in like March of 2013. Then I couldn't start the transition program until like July of 2014. Then I wouldn't be done with the transition program and have my RN until December of 2015! This versus the ADN RN program, which would start in the Fall of 2012 and finish in like early May of 2014.
Good luck to all of those still trying! We can't give up!!!!!
sv99, yes, you can use a basic calculator (no programming, no smartphone calcs, etc.) for med calculations throughout the program.
BTW, congratulations to all of you! As a first-year student with a bit more than three months remaining before summer break, I was in your shoes this time last year. It's a great feeling knowing you're in, isn't it?
Brace yourselves! The program is doable, but A LOT of work.
Thanks a lot for encouraging words.You must be second year student now. Would love to get any tips you have for acing this program. I am happy that we can use the calculators. Please advise on how to well in pharmacology class... I am taking it in summer.
Pharmacology requires a lot of memorizing. For each of the umpteen drugs you'll be tested on, you'll need to know their generic and trade names, their drug classes, their modes of action, their side effects, and their nursing implications.
So, my suggestion would be to figure out your best way of memorizing a large quantity of information and stick with it; i.e., do what works for you. Some people use flashcards. Others write the info over and over. I've heard of some people listening to lecture over and over, even while sleeping. Still, other uses mnemonic devices, like ACRONYMS (my method). You can find some pharmacological acronyms by searching this site; you'll find plenty more doing an open Google search.
With packet in hand, it dawns on me that this is, indeed, all really happening. I knew once we recv'd our acceptance letters we'd be bombarded with all the forms, tests, yada yada, but this is so overwhelming! I signed up for the 4/14 CPR session through OCC (schedule was included in our packet). I figured it would be best to get it done ASAP. I called the bookstore yesterday but they do not yet have the syllabus for 1290. I did, however, order my books from half. I'm so afraid I'm going to forget something. Guess I'd better sign up for the twitter thing!
Can you advise how to study the pharm text as the syllabus will be availabel only mid April. Should i go chapterwise or is there any other method? Since I have extra two weeks of time may as well use it. Thanks in advance. I am also practicing the math problems given on occ website,hoping it would help me.
Each instructor might go through the text a bit differently, so there's no particular way or sequence to study it. I don't even remember the order in which we covered the chapters on the specific drug classes.
However, basic pharmacological principles (history, safety, drug reference sources, the nursing process and nursing responsibilities in regards to administering meds, etc.) are at the beginning of the book. I would study those chapters, as they pertain to all drugs.
Probably the most important tasks for staying on top of pharmacology, and nursing school in general, are to determine your best way of recalling/memorizing a large quantity of information and getting organized.
Enjoy your free time while you can! You won't have much of it, especially once you start clinicals in week 7 of Foundations.
Just an FYI, Quest Diagnostic in Waterford stops doing Drug Screens at 3:30p, also the White Lake Police station will do the finger printing for only $10 just make sure you show them that you have a special card we recieve when we pick up our 2nd packet!
I was wondering if you had any suggestions for a medical dictionary. I heard it was a good idea to get the app for your phone instead of the actual dictionary. Do you think that is a better way to go?
princessim2003
38 Posts
Thank's sv99 for the heads up. I'm stuck at work until 6:45P, boo!! I hope my packet came today :)