Oregon Community College NURSING CLASS OF 2015

Hey y'all! I've sent in my deposit and letter of intent to PCC so I'll be joining you in the fall. I prefer to stay anonymous for AN but look forward to meeting you all in person.

I too am wondering about child care but realize I can't really make decisions until I know more about our class schedule. PCC says plan M-F from 8-4 (general info on the website) but that doesn't seem quite right considering clinical days will be much earlier than that. So...hopefully the schedule will be made less nebulous at the orientation.

I am planning to utilize child care for our class/lecture/lab days only. I feel like the clinical days will be the most difficult to arrange care (due to the odd early hours). I am fortunate that my husband can rearrange his work schedule to cover those days.

I wish that our orientation was a bit earlier - I am a type A who needs to plan! :) Instead I'll practice patience!

I'm also starting PCC's Nursing Program in the fall. I have a 3 year old and an 8 month old. I cannot stress enough how thrilled I am to not be the only student with children. I'm already nervous about how to balance all of it :)

I have been a CNA for the past 5 months and it's great. See you all at orientation!

PCC won't give out immunization information until orientation. And...I have a regularly scheduled doctor appointment before orientation of course! So...do any of you have any insight on what is required for us old timers that actually had chicken pox (of course not documented, whose parents actually took them to the doctor for chicken pox)? Is the titer enough or do we really have to get vaccinated too?

I am trying to get my checklist finished as early as possible because I have vacation planned before nursing school! :)

I have a list that Clark sent me and they required a titer for varicella, MMR, 2 TB tests within 3 weeks, TDAP, hep B (3 shots) and I think that was it (I don't have the list in front of me). All schools are just about the same for required vaccinations.

This is the list posted on the PCC clinical page - guess I'll just see what my doctor suggests. Seems silly to have to get vaccinations on top of a titer if you've already had chicken pox...

"Documentation of current immunizations:

• Two-step PPD for Tuberculosis (or negative CXR within last 12 months)
  
• Complete Hepatitis B series (3 injections) and titer
  
• 2 MMR immunizations and titer
  
• 2 Varicella immunizations and titer
  
• Tetorifice Toxoid-Diptheria Pertussis"
  

I got blood tests for my MMR and my varicella and I was immune to them so if you can show a copy of that result you shouldn't need anything else.

All the titers can be done at the same time. The TB can be done at anytime.

Also you don't need a titer as long as you have record of the immunizations.

Some schools may only require 1 TB test (not 2), so I would wait until we hear at orientation before getting 2 tests. Clark required 2 but I have a feeling we may only need 1 for PCC. As for CPR my mom is an instructor so I took a class with her, but Im sure you can look on the American Heart Association website and find a class. I would recommend taking it through American Heart Association (Health Care Provider course) and not the Red Cross. I have known a lot of people who took it through the Red Cross and had to retake it through AHA because it wasn't the correct course.