RedHeadRN2b

El Centro College in Dallas, TX does not have a wait list. That does NOT mean the entrance to the LVN/LPN program isn't competitive, because it is. When I say they don't have a waiting list I mean that the class selection process starts fresh every time. Whether it's your 1st or 10th time to apply doesn't factor in and they don't carry over applications from one class selection to the next. You have to meet the requirements and reapply every time. The only time there is a sort of "wait list" is in between the time where they've notified accepted students and the start of the class, during this time people may not accept their seats or drop and they'll fill in the slots in order of ranking. For example - if there were 40 spots available they will offer a seat to the top 40, but if 3 of them decline then seats will be offered to the people ranked as 41,42 and 43. I hope that made sense. You can find out about El Centro's ADN and LVN program here: http://www.elcentrocollege.edu/Programs/HealthLegalStudies/index.asp I'm applying to the LVN program for entrance into the Fall 2007 class.

I hope you all can give me a little info. I took my 40 y.o. husband in for a myelogram the other week and when they checked his BP before they released him, his diastolic was 110 (I don't remember the systolic). He shrugged it off saying he always got stressed at Drs offices. I'm just now starting my nursing journey (I'm in a CNA class) and we just learned how to take a manual BP, so I bought a manual cuff this last Friday night at the drugstore and have been trying to check him every night. His systolic has been running around 138, but his diastolic is still high like it was in the drs office. It's been consistently running around 100, give or take 2. The obvious path of action here would be to see a Dr. about it, but he absolutley won't take meds for this. I know this sounds sort of dumb, but if this is left untreated what will happen?? What could be causing this? What can I do? What s/s should I watch out for that could signal a crisis? Thanks!

Be sure to submit a cover letter with your resume whether you fax, snail mail, email or apply online!! Recently I spoke with a recruiter from a large hosptial here in the Dallas area that only accepts applications/resumes online and she said that adding a cover letter to your online application is absolutely critical. What you say in your cover letter is what will make you "pop" out from the other 500+ resumes they get for the same position. In fact, I had a hiring supervisor tell me that they do not even read the resumes they get - they read the COVER LETTER and THEN if they like your letter you get put in the short stack where they actually look at your resume. You should put just as much effort into your cover letter as you do your resume - make it genuine and specific. A recruiter can spot a "sample" generic cover letter that was copied from the internet a mile away. Hope this helps!

Oh that is just the saddest smiley face ever! {{{{{HUUUUUUGS}}}}}} to you luvmy2angels! :icon_hug: You obviously have the heart and soul of a nurse. It's tough to accept, especially when you are kind and honest yourself, that not everyone will treat you the same way. It's sad and more than a little scary to be honest. Hang in there though - your patients need nurses like you! Don't let them bruise your spirit and get you down.

No pun intended...right...?

The Dallas County Community College District offers A&P online and I've thought about taking it. HOWEVER, one thing that gives me pause is that I'd be missing out on the feedback from my fellow classmates. I'm positive that I could learn something from their questions/observations that maybe wouldn't have occured to me or may be just made clearer. I do take a lot of classes online (History, Govt, misc gen ed) but I've discovered that the DCCCD online classes tend to be the "throw you off the deep end" type of online classes. I have spent days waiting to hear back from a professor who apparently only checks their email once every four days. :angryfire There have been times that I have asked very pertinant, time sensitive questions that have never received an answer. That leaves me to flounder around making my best guess about what the instructor actually wants. I personally don't want to be in the dark with A&P.

Ok, I just have to share even though my most memorable "thank you" didn't have anything to do directly with the medical field. Who could forget the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building on April 19th, 1995? Certainly not anyone who was living in Oklahoma City. I was a young college student at Oklahoma Christian at the time, majoring in Theater, and I FELT the blast that morning. It's an experience beyond description. Anyway, my "thank you" came about because of that horrific day. I mentioned I was a theater major, well I was in a play called "Stepping Out" (a comedy about a group of misfits that are in a tap dance class together) and our opening night was supposed to have been April 19th. Due to the circumstances it got delayed and we weren't even sure if we would be allowed to open at all since the location where we were performing had been turned into the Family Notification Headquarters and one of the lead performers was a spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations. But open we did, on April 24th, to a sold out but somewhat somber crowd. It was common after a performance for the cast to go out to the foyer to "meet and greet", which we did, and during this time was when I received one of the most treasured gifts of my life. An elderly gentleman who had a large gauze bandage on his forehead pulled away from his companion (I assumed his adult son) and came up to me. He grasped my hands in his and I noticed they were shaking. I though he might be confusing me for someone he knew, but then he softly said: "I was in the Murrah building when that bomb went off and I walked away with only this (pointing to his bandage), but I never thought I'd laugh again. Thank you. Thank you for helping me laugh again." It took my breath away. It still does.

I have a couple of (what I think are) bone spurs on the heel and ball of my foot. Those little boogers wear a hole straight through padding faster than a speeding bullet and they make wearing the more rigid support shoes like Dansko's impossible. The best thing I found for me were Klogs - lots and lots of "cush", plus the insoles could come out when they wore out and I don't have to buy an entire new pair of shoes - just insoles! Not to mention they now offer select styles in NARROW. Seriously, a greenbean has more width than my foot does. www.klogs.com

I guess it depends on where you intend on going to school. In the Dallas Community College District, the LPN program does not have prereqs, but instead has "support" courses that they strongly recommend you take before applying to the program. Many of these support courses are the same classes that the ADN program has a prereqs (i.s. A&P, English Comp I, Speech I, etc). The LPN selection process is based on a points system and you are ranked in order by how many points you have accumulated. The top 40 people are accepted to the program. In the event of a tie on points, they look at the applicant's scores on the NET test. You get extra points on your application for each support class you take ahead of time. You also get extra points if you have a certification like EMT, CMA, CNA, etc... The ADN program has prereqs and the selection process is based SOLELY on your GPA in those specific prereq classes and nothing else. Saying that entrance to the ADN program here is competitive would be a gross understatement. There are only 100 slots and there are at least 5 applicants for each slot. The last class of 100 that was accepted to the ADN program ALL had perfect 4.0s. I was so discouraged by that until I found the LPN program. I'm not a 4.0 student (around a 3.2), and I don't feel that a GPA is the be-all-end-all measure of whether or not a particular applicant has what it takes to become a good nurse. To me being a nurse is SOOOOOO much more than just good test scores and book knowledge (helps to have it of course!). I'm just thrilled that there's a program near me that I have a chance at getting accepted into, thus allowing me to become the great peds nurse I know I can be!

I only need TWO more!!! Don't forget you could poll your parents! Thanks everyone!

Just kicking this up for better viewing...

I can vouch for this one. I had my navel pierced about 3 years ago and no matter what I did it never seemed to heal - and I was FANATICAL about care and sanitary measures. It kept leaking a whitish fluid (not pus - white cells??) and stayed tender to the point of being annoying. Finally a year later I had it removed and 2 years later the hole has still not completely grown closed. Not worth it if you ask me, but I know many people who love theirs.

The University of Phoenix has a BSN course that you can take online. This might work for you - not sure about what it costs though. http://www.universityofphoenix-online.com/Bachelor-Science-Nursing/

I'm a little afraid of that, but am hoping that maybe there are a few retired nurses browsing the boards, or like the previous poster would know someone that would be willing to do it.

That would be GREAT!!! This weekend (or even next weekend) certainly isn't too late! Thanks so much!