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Hold up - are you saying your nurse to patient ratio is 1:140??????????????

It will make zero difference. Choose the University that best suits your needs in terms of the classes offered, price, etc.

I work with anywhere from 13 to 19 patients. I find once I get over 15 it starts to get really tough. Everything is fine of all I'm doing is standard care - med pass, G-Tubes, IVs, TPN etc. Once any slight thing happens, such as a patient starts to go downhill or there's a fall or an IV needs to be placed, then my day starts to tank. Since Covid hit, the acuity of the patients has risen...hospitals are pushing people out to make way for Covid patients, and we also seem to get patients that they just don't want to deal with. The end result is that patient care is weakened, and small things that can have significant consequences get overlooked. I love SNF work, I love the patients, and I love my colleagues, but the patient to nurse ratio is terrible. When I did rotations in acute care, they were upset if they got over 1:6. That would be a dream to me .

That is wonderful news - congratulations!

and yet you keep responding to me .... so please do the same and continue with yours, preferably in a thread that has something to do with your own nursing application and not those in the Maricopa area. I won't be responding to anymore of your posts because yours are filled with ridiculous insults that just makes you lose all credibility. AGAIN - if you have anything positive to add, please do. Otherwise please don't. Thanks.

This was a very pleasant thread of pre-nursing students encouraging and supporting each other until you posted a third-hand-"knowledge" post about some hypothetical situation that may-or-may-not be the case about someone from a University that is not affiliated with Maricopa CC. Good for UofA if they accept such students. Maricopa does not. They accept student entirely on credentials. It will come back to bite UofA *if* this is true as they too will have their nursing program overseen by the AZBON. Regardless - to what end was the point of posting in a thread that has nothing to do with UofA? What was your goal here? To scare people? To try and demoralize those who have or haven't go in? To make people question their acceptance? To make people doubt themselves? Your post holds nothing positive - what kind of reaction did you expect? I actually think people have been very restrained in their response to you. If you wish to post something helpful about your nursing student experience, please do. Otherwise, perhaps try and find a UofA thread where you can discuss the pay-for-a-place goings-on?

You have proven my point. Introducing "hypothetical situations" that "may or may not be the case"... "points could have been miscalculated", and "how could I possibly prove"..... what exactly is your goal here? To heap even more anxiety on top of already anxious pre-nursing students? Nice. You are correct that this goes on at many institutions - take the recent shenanigans at UCLA. However, nursing programs are a whole different breed because they are overseen by the Board of Nursing which protects the interests of public health. There are very strictly enforced rules and regulations that schools have to abide by. They would lose accreditation for breaking those mandates, and there are checks and balances in place to prevent such behavior. Furthermore, the nursing degree is renowned for being very challenging and rigorous. Getting onto the course is only the first hurdle. Staying in it and graduating is the second. Buying your way in would be irrelevant if you were unable to meet the demands of the course. Even with all the education and passion to get into nursing school, it is an unfortunate reality that, on average, about 1/4 to 1/3 of those who start will not graduate. I lost 1/4 of my class at the end of block 1, and by the end of block 2 a full 1/3rd had dropped out. That's just the nature of the beast. I agree the world isn't fair. It can also be very hostile, callous, and unkind. Sadly, you are adding to that with your posts. I would encourage you, again, to think about what you hope to achieve here. And, when all is said and done, choose kindness.

As someone who has *served on the selection committee* plus has gone through the CEP program, I can assure you that this information is incorrect. Since I doubt you have served on a selection board (although correct me if I am wrong), and since you are not even applying to this program, and since your "information" is third hand at best, I strongly suggest that you refrain from posting such antagonistic commentary. Nursing is a very stressful profession....as a licensed, F/T RN I can speak from experience, not "I know someone....". I also know first hand the incredible anxiety of waiting to hear back from the CC about your place, the scores of questions that students have, and the intense journey they are about to begin. Thus, comments such as yours serve no purpose other than to belittle the huge sacrifices, hard-work, and dreams of so many students. If your approach to life is to drag others down, then I feel pity for you. The more we start to support and uplift each other, the stronger the profession of nursing can become. Why not use your student experience so far to provide some insight or advice to upcoming students? Or offer study tips? Or upload study guides? Or anything other than trying to cause upset? Every single person who earns a place deserves to be there. Period. Congratulations to those who have secured a place, and for those that didn't this time around - don't give up on your dream! Keep going, it will be worth it! ? A/C

I absolutely agree with this - many of my classmates who were CNAs essentially walked right into jobs on the same unit once they passed NCLEX. It really helps to build those relationships, plus you have already proven yourself workwise (hopefully). Volunteering is great too!

What is it you want to know about EMCC and NAU? My advice before you start school would be to brush up on your A&P, especially diabetes, heart, lung, bowel diseases. Start learning/refresh medical terminology. Start looking into medications. Brush up on math.

Hi gomezy - That must be something new because I have never heard of a lamp lighting ceremony being done before you complete your course.

Most likely yes.

The GPA for the CC is taken from specific classes, NOT from every class you've taken. For example, I had a previous AA degree, with a certain GPA. However, they didn't use that GPA, they pull the specific classes and work out a "new" GPA just from those classes. Same applies to your University if you're doing the CEP route, but they may have additional classes over and above those required from the CC to add to make a GPA.

Yes, basically. Most people - if selected to get in - will get their first choice placement. If you're not chosen for your first choice you'll be forwarded onto your second choice, who will select from that pool in the event that students decline their offered position. Believe it or not, people do turn down their seats because of a multitude of different reasons so these places do open up! The goal of each school is to fill every possible seat available.

Our lamp lighting ceremony was during our pinning at the CC. It usually takes place about a week or so after your final exam and classes. That allows them time to audit your file to be absolutely sure that you have done everything you need to do in order to be granted the degree. During our pinning, which was about an hour to hour and half long, we received our pin (on a ribbon that was placed around our neck) and we did the lamp lighting as a group. You choose someone special to pin you - such as your partner, parent(s), best friend, or whatever. From my understanding my university will do a pinning/graduation but no lamp lighting.

HI gomezy - You will definitely have a pinning ceremony at your CC. The universities will have their own graduation and/or pinning, so you'll get two!

I received my acceptance email and letter from my university first, contingent on my acceptance by the community college. I then got an email about 2 weeks after the close of the application date from the CC. It gave me a week (if I recall) to say yes or no to the place offered. From that point on, I got periodic emails that kept me abreast of what was required. There was quite a lot to complete before CC starts such as immunizations, purchase your lab-kit, books (about $700 give or take), uniform, shoes, and so on. We had to sign up for a website (you have to pay for) where you upload your documents into one place for ease of tracking by the school, as well as a website where all your clinical rotation information has to be uploaded. There is also a website where your attendance and feedback from clinical rotation is uploaded. Most of these are available as Apps, I believe. For the university, it depends on which Uni you are with, but you'll be starting those the semester before CC (typically, although each Uni is slightly different so obviously check with your particular one!). I think NAU has an in person class, for example, whereas all my classes were online. As it got close to the start of the CC classes, we had to attend an orientation. This gave us an overview of what to expect, a chance to meet our classmates and professors, and ask questions. It's definitely worth attending if you can. As for preparing for your first CC class, I would suggest brushing up on A&P, disease processes, medical terminology, and math. HTH! AC

EMCC has typically been among the first to send out acceptance emails, which have started to go out about 2 weeks after the close date in the past. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will stick to that timeline, I am just going from experience. I submitted my application on the very last day possible, and 2 weeks later I received my acceptance letter. So - I don't think the day you submit is relevant, as long as it is within the timeframe. EMCC has recently introduced an additional class though - there are now 2 incoming block 1s, (which of course eventually will mean 2 of every block) so that may slow things down some? Typically over the past few years though I have noticed that EMCC is among the first to send out emails (and they have usually gone out mod month) and GCC and MCC have been among the last to send theirs out. Nothing is set in stone of course, but that has been the historical pattern. I feel ya - the wait is horrendous!!!!

They won't release these numbers because it is protected information...a bit like HIPAA, they have an equivalent thing with educational information. However, people typically find out by asking around their cohort.

I'm 99% sure that they will not go out on the weekends since it is a formal email. In fact, looking back I don't think I have ever received an email from Maricopa over a weekend or holiday.

I believe EMCC starts mid month. I know when I applied I heard 2 weeks after I submitted, and others didn't hear until the 3rd and even into the 4th week.

It depends on where you applied - some CCs may start releasing acceptance emails in the next 5 days!

GCU is a reputable school yes, but it has had some hiccups along the way. However, it seems to have overcome these and is on a roll. As far as I am aware the MSN with them is highly thought of. I had several classmates taking it and did well with them. As for jobs - it's somewhat hit and miss. There are at least 800-1000 new grads entering the market every 6 months in the Phoenix Valley. Some have jobs lined up before they graduate and others struggle for months. It often boils down to knowing someone in the business, making very strong connections when you do clinicals, or just timing. In addition, it depends on what specialty you want or where you're willing to work.

It changes every single semester based on the group applying. Typically CEP will be pretty competitive (i.e. high) because it's a point based system.

Unfortunately, no. This is because every year is different in terms of the number of applicants and the average points applying with. I do know that the overall average of applicants for all schools is usually well in excess of 1,000. To accommodate this I know that at least one school (EMCC) has made changes and now takes in 2 block 1 classes a semester, or about 60 students (it used to be about 30). Other schools such as GCC have weekend and evening classes which bump their numbers up significantly. I know the wait is almost unbearable! Make sure to keep checking your Maricopa email because that's where you will get the notification. I do know of a few people who expected it to be sent to their home/private email and therefore missed the deadline to respond yes or no. Emails will start going out mid month, but each CC is on their own timeline, and it can take until week 3 and even 4 to hear anything. Respond as soon as possible to confirm your seat - I believe you get 7 days to reply after which time you'll forfeit your seat and it will be offered to someone else. Despite all the work and effort it takes to get to the point of applying, there will also be people who get offered a place who turn it down for any number of reasons, so don't give up complete hope if you don't hear immediately because I had classmates who heard something literally a few days before the start of the first class!