Hi everyone! This is my first post after lurking and reading posts for over a year. My reason for posting now is because I haven't seen anything here about the current application cycle for Pacific Lutheran University's BSN program. It's located in Tacoma, WA!
My application was received by PLU on the very last day of 2016, and they sent me an email 5 days later saying they needed one more LOR and formal admission to the university. I checked in with my instructor again, and she sent the LOR very shortly after. I also got a letter from admissions saying I was admitted with a great academic scholarship just a bit smaller than the Provost. Yay!!
As of right now, I have a 3.93 cumulative GPA, 3.96 college level GPA and 3.975 in the pre-reqs. I'm also a CNA with over 3 years of experience in long-term care. I'm almost done with a pre-nursing direct transfer agreement at Green River: currently taking AP 2, Chem& 121 and two humanities/fine arts electives. In a couple weeks, I'll be registering for Microbiology, Chem&131 and two more electives for Spring quarter to finish up the degree. I guess in the meantime, I'll prepare for the long wait and keep up on my grades.
Has anyone here applied for the 2017-2018 cohort? Feel free to reach out! :)
Oh my goodness futurebsnmj, thank you! I'm a mother with 3 children so any head start I can get on things is truly helpful, thank you for the heads up on the clearance with vaccines, yes will have plenty of time to clear that. A little more rushed for late notice fall starts for sure! I'm not sure if I will minor, psychology only requires 2 classes to consider it a minor. The first semester is an easier load, but then come Junoir I year it goes up to 14-16 credits and I don't want any added pressure. Just need to get this done, good luck to you!!
luccabell29, No problem! I don't have kids yet but I can imagine that having time to plan things and get a head start can be really helpful! Best of luck to you with everything. :)
LUTE2021, Absolutely! I'll just make a list that includes the university requirements, because I think they go hand in hand. Another thing I'll note is that I'm an off-campus transfer student with a DTA.
What I've done so far:
- Communicated w/ fin aid about loans, remaining costs and payment plans.
- Made a registration appt involving an advisor walking me through class registration.
- Picked up student ID (same day as reg appt)
- Ordered 8 books for 3 classes (weren't as expensive as I thought they'd be)
- Ordered a parking permit (opted for a reserved space; more pricey but worth it)
- Got my Tdap vaccine at a local pharmacy
- Had titers done for Varicella (VZV) and Hep B to confirm immunity
- Did my 2-step TB test at the PLU Health Center (included in wellness plan for BSN students)
- RSVP to both university (new student) and nursing orientations
- Completed AHA BLS CPR class for healthcare providers, included Bloodborne Pathogens and First Aid.
What I still need to do:
- Repeat Hep B series, probably at a pharmacy (w/ insurance) or PLU Health Center (reasonable fees).
- Get the influenza vaccine whenever it becomes available, probably same places as above
- Complete HIV/AIDs training this month
- Sign up for CastleBranch website (drug test, background check, upload health docs; more info later)
- Sign up for another website for pre-employment type quizzes (more info later)
- Buy a laptop per SoN specs (at semester start, for Kaplan exams)
- Order uniforms and shoes (at semester start, more info during orientation)
It looks like a lot, but if you're starting in the spring, no need to worry about everything right this second. You should get emails about registration appointments and orientations in the fall from PLU. You can ask about your ID, parking, classes, books and general university stuff at that point. You can also email the advising office about all of this stuff too.
The SoN emails us separately about their own requirements, including the health/clearance stuff (and who to contact for questions), laptop, uniforms, website sign-ups, etc. Fall folks are still waiting for more info on most of the things on my "still need to do" list.
If you want to start taking care of things early, the vaccines, titers and CPR and HIV/AIDs classes are pretty much doable any time. I started looking into these a couple months ago. The form on the SoN website I talked about in a previous post explains this stuff (everything down to HIV training on pg 2), and it's pretty specific about what type of cert classes to take and which vaccines and titers you need. You'll need to keep all of your documentation so it can be uploaded into one of the websites later.
If I forgot anything, I'll share it later. This is just from my experience so far, so if you have any questions or need clarification on something, the people who work in all of PLU's offices are all really nice people who usually respond to emails pretty quickly.
Thanks a bunch, futurebsnmj. This is very helpful. One thing to note though: the laptop. Do we need to get a special laptop? Do you know the name and where to get it just in case?
Not a problem! I'm happy to help. I don't think we need to have a special laptop. I don't have a link to the info, but it looks like the minimum requirements are pretty basic, like 512mb ram or higher, dual band wifi, able to run Adobe programs, antivirus software, etc. The info should be included in a big SoN email with the rest of their requirements, and they emphasized that it's okay to wait until the semester starts to look into buying one. :)
Futurebsnmj thank you thank you!! That took a bit to type out and share and we appreciate it a ton!! The only question I have is where is the SoN link? I've looked around for it and have no idea what this is? LOL!
Wow, it feels like it's been forever! Semester 1 has been everything we thought it would be and a lot more. Chilli (Adrian) and I have been trekking along, doing the best we can.
That initial "YAY, I'm in nursing school!!" feeling was pretty consistent for a while. The instructors, staff, nursing club and other cohorts are all wonderful. I believe most of us have exceeded previous averages on exams and passed dosage calculations so far. We just completed a lab skills assessment and are starting clinicals this week. The exams have a lot of NCLEX style questions. Everyone supports each other, so we're all studying like crazy and meeting up; it feels like a 7 day/week thing.
A lesson we're learning is that it's easy to jump in and take on commitments right away, but time management is really important. If you start with Nurs220 (semester 1), folks usually have to take at least one other class. Religion and electives are more time consuming than we thought...some actually more so than the nursing class. e.g. languages, computer science, certain religion classes, etc. Definitely talk to an advisor before registration! (Rate My Professors is pretty helpful too.)
Otherwise, definitely still grateful and excited every day, just a liiittle more tired than week 1. :) We're about to register for spring. I keep hearing about how difficult patho is, but I loved A&P and am pretty excited.
In terms of stress...If you have to take 12 credits, and if you have room for electives, I'd suggest one in something you're already familiar with or know you'll enjoy. I've heard of people taking yoga, aerobics, art, vikings, European history, etc. I imagine 100 levels tend to be less advanced, though it depends on what's available.
In retrospect, I jumped into a foreign language I've never heard a single word of, which was good for stepping out of my comfort zone but bad for stress. I don't regret taking it and am getting a good grade, but it felt like A&P all over again with grammar/vocab memorization.
And just a note on religion, since we all have to take one whether or not we have a DTA. I thought it was very tough if you enter with little knowledge of the bible. Some folks have gone to church every week since infancy but still work really hard for a B+/A-, while there's a few who have a knack for it and do exceptionally well.
Some take it in J-term - one month long w/ full credit; may not be easier, but done sooner. Additionally, there's pass/fail for one gen-ed and one elective, up to 8 credits total. (Not for nursing classes.) You get credit for C- or higher, and it doesn't affect your GPA, but the decision is based on if you think it'll hurt or help you. One girl found out she's getting an A and can't reverse it.
Now that I've written another essay, I hope that helps
luccabell29
13 Posts
Oh my goodness futurebsnmj, thank you! I'm a mother with 3 children so any head start I can get on things is truly helpful, thank you for the heads up on the clearance with vaccines, yes will have plenty of time to clear that. A little more rushed for late notice fall starts for sure! I'm not sure if I will minor, psychology only requires 2 classes to consider it a minor. The first semester is an easier load, but then come Junoir I year it goes up to 14-16 credits and I don't want any added pressure. Just need to get this done, good luck to you!!