mntgrl

Hi, I work and live in PA, but go to an online school in Texas. I graduated last year from a diploma program and when I was hired I was told I needed my BSN in 5 years. I started looking around and it was so pricey and time consuming. Jefferson wanted over 22k and 2 years! I thought I would be going to school forever. Then a co-worker told me about University of Texas at Arlington's academic partnership program. It is all online, affordable, 13 months and costs about $9,000. The program is accreditated by CCNE. Most classes are 5 weeks and you can even do electives on line if you need them. I started in Jan of 2011 and will be done in March 2012. It is great that it is online, most classes you can work ahead if you have time. There are weekly deadlines but no mandatory online class meetings. So far everything has been working out great. I work full time and am able to finish my school work with no problem. They have great support and answer questions right away. Check it out. Also, the 13 months is considered full time, he could go at a slower pace too

Well I took the NCLEX RN in PA on Tuesday the 14th. I took it with another person from my class. I was so worried. She had 75 questions and found out the next day that she passed. I had 130 questions and had to wait 48 hrs. It was nerve racking. My computer terminal rebooted during my test and I thought there was a problem since I didn't get my results the next day. The only thing that kept my sanity was the pearsonvue trick. Thanks who ever figured this out! It worked for me.

I think you are using the amount of the ml in the whole vial instead of the medication concentration which is mg/ml for example 1)Calculate the number of mL to administer with each dose. Round your answer to the nearest tenth. Ordered: Trimethobenzamide 125 mg IM q4h prn On hand: Trimethobenzamide 100mg/mL 20mL Multi-Dose Vial I got 25:sniff: if you use Desired/Have x ML (ml of the doseage concentration not the whole vial) you get the answer 125mg/100mg x 1ml = 1.25ml rounded to nearest tenth=1.3ml hope it helps

Hi Valerie, I did not notice until you pointed it out. I posted a reply and I am not a nurse yet. So I am not an expert. However, having worked in the corporate world for the last 20 years and for several different companies, there are no guarantees that a good job will continue to be a good job. No matter what you do. If someone has the urge to try nursing as a career and finds that direct patient care is not for them, there are non-clinical options someone with a RN can pursue. When looking for a career change, I did research my options and felt that a nursing education gave me the best options. I really do look forward to clinical days in school and plan to pursue direct patient care, but when I get there and if I find it is not for me, I like knowing that I have other options.

Hi, I too was in a higher paying job, good benefits, head of the household, but it was not a career that I chose. I just fell into it. I am a mature student, I will be 51 when I take the boards. I have always known in my heart nursing was for me. I just never did anything about it. I started my pre reqs a couple of years ago and nursing school last year. I am in my second semester. It was scary for me too. I had many questions and doubts. What if I can't make it through the classes? Am I too old? Then I made a list...one side had the advantages of nursing, the other had the advantages of staying in my old job. For me, the nursing side won at every point. Flexability, advancement, educational options, and opportunities. I was still working full time when I started school. Then with the economy and the company cutting back, those left were taking on more and more responsibilites. That meant more hours without more pay because we were salary. It was crazy. I could not work the extra hours or the weekends due to school and was laid off. I hate to say this but, I feel lucky that I was laid off. It gave me a chance to concetrate on school. I am looking into getting a part time job in the hospital as an assistant. To me, this is like a new part of my life. My husband is very supportive. I am so happy with my decision. Only 4.5 semesters to go. I will be done school in about 17 months. Good luck to all of you with whatever you decide.

Hi Suzanne, First, Congrats for graduating!!!! YEAH! Secondly, it is JEALOUSY,JEALOUSY,JEALOUSY! Try not to take it to heart. Some people can't help the fact they are donkeys. I just got off of the phone with my sister in law. Family says the weirdest things sometimes. I am a nursing student and both of my sister in laws work in Dr. offices. I have been in the mortgage biz for a long time and always wanted to go back to school for nursing. I am currently working my butt off to get good grades and become a nurse. (just got through my 1st real nursing/clinical class I absolutely love it, nursing is what I should have been doing all along) They have done nothing but give me grief since I started. The program I am going to is a hosptial based diploma program. Even though I will have an RN they keep telling me that I will be the one emptying the bed pans and doing all of the nursing assistant work since it is not a real degree. One never finished high school and the other...well let me just say that she has no idea. She has even told me on a few occasions that the NCLEX would be no problem for her since she has so much experience and that it is not right that she would have to take all the prereqs and nursing classes just to take the NCLEX. I mean really what do you say to someone like that??? At least now she has stopped telling me all kinds of stuff that happens in the dr office, I think it is because she knows I know what I am learning and she can no longer b.s. me on things. Just remember no one can take away what you have accomplished, it is yours, you earned it. Hold your head up high. You deserve to be proud of your accomplishments. A. Mntgrl

Hi Mommabear, I don't live in Berks, but I too was in a similar position as you are. I had no idea where to start. You need to ask questions. I went to my community college and spoke with the professors, academic advisors, and the adult education advisors. They let me know what I needed to get done and where to start. The community colleges also have someone who will sit down with you and go over financial aid. Since nursing is so competitive they gave me a list of all the area nursing programs. I researched each that interested me by calling them and getting as much information as possible. Also while working on my pre reqs speaking to other students really was helpful. As far as paying for school, I found a hospital program that allows me to work for the hospital after I graduate and they forgive the debt or they will give me a no interst loan if I decide to work elsewhere. They did not pay for the pre reqs but community college is very reasonable. You could look into loans, but it may not be too much of a stretch to just pay for it out of pocket. Good Luck Mntgrl

Hi ODOZ, I don't know about the Sunbury program, but I have been accepted into a diploma program in the Philadelphia area. It is very hard to get into, only accepting about 60 day and 60 evening students per year. It is run by a magnet status hospital and they do hire the graduates. In my area a diploma is the same as an ADN. There has not been a problem with diploma RNs tranfering credits to other area BSN programs when furthering their education. I do have friends that are going to the community college ADN program and what they tell me is that they are only scheduled for about 2/3rds of the clinical time that I am scheduled for. From what I understand this is the difference between the diploma and the ADN programs. I had to take all the same pre reqs they did and some they didn't have to take. I also have a few fellow nursing students who are going to a diploma program in NJ, they too had to take the additional courses. I happen to be someone who learns better by doing, so this was the right choice for me. I would check it out. It may work out for you as a stepping stone in your education and career. Good luck, Mntgrl

I know what it is like, I used lay awake hour after hour just trying to get comfortable. Clothes on, clothes off, none, one, two, or three pillows, left side, right side, back, or front. Nothing seemed to work. I have tried no caffine and many OTC sleep aids. The only thing that I have found that helps is to concentrate on my breathing and the inhale and exhale of my breath. I do a 5 seconds inhale and a 10 second exhale. I know it sounds funny, but it really helps me to unwind and before I know it I am alseep. I do this too if I wake up during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. It really works for me. :zzzzz

Abington/Dixon SON has a night and weekend program. It is a diploma program and highly regarded in our area. They also have a loan forgiveness program if you work for them after you graduate. I took all my prereqs at BCCC then it is 2 years at Dixon.

Hi there, I can not speak for all the types of programs, but I can tell you what I have learned so far. How I am doing it I need to work full time and go to school, so I was able to do the prereqs for my school during nights and weekends, I will be going to NS nights and weekends. It took me about two years to do the prereqs. (I did these at the Community College and I did the extra prereqs I need for my BSN, they transfer to the school I will be going to for my RN to BSN at a much cheaper price) and it will take me 2 years at NS to get my diploma. (so 4 years total)After which, if I work for the NS hosptial I do not have to pay the NS back. Then while I am working at the hospital they will pay for me to finish my BSN as long as I commit to work for them some more. This is the way I am able to do it. When I went to the CC they allow you to pay in 2 installments per semester, which made it managable. Extremly little debt so far just a few books on a credit card. My Son's Plan However, my son who graduated from High School then went right to the community college and is now working on the prereqs, then he has to apply to the nursing program. If accepted, he will be spending a total of 4 years to get his RN, not all at a full time status, he works part time during the school year and full time during the summer. No student loans so far. The tuition for the CC is a really good value. Then he plans on working for a hospital that will help him with tuition for his BSN and beyond. Son's Girlfriend She is going to school for nursing at a 4 year college for her BSN. She is doing this with student loans, her debt for the first year alone is over $26,000. Too rich for my blood, but she says she can't handle the stress of working and going to school at the same time. A friend Finally, I do know someone who went to Frankford. She first applied to Frankford and did not get in, so she took a few classes at the community college, applied again, and then was accepted. Once she got into Frankford it was a 3 year plan to get her Diploma. She then got help from her employer with her student loans and continuing education. There are many different ways to be able to attend nursing school and get your RN/BSN it really depends on you and working within your budget and lifestyle. Good Luck!

Wow, I am going for a diploma program which has a very good pass rate. I am so thrilled to have a way not only to be able to a great education, but all I have to do is commit to work for the hospital for two years and I don't have any student debt to pay off. Like I wouln't want to work there anyway, ha! Also, I have a son who is going to community college for his ADN. He choose this way because he can do clinicals during the day, I work full time so I don't have that choice. The diploma program that I was accepted to is highly regarded in this area. By completing all the diploma pre reqs. and adding in the BSN pre reqs (at the community college prices)will allow me to be able to concentrate on my Nursing classes. When I have completed my RN it will only take me about 12 months to complete the required classes for my BSN on my employers dime. I will be able to do all of this while continuing to work full time which I need to do as I am the head of household, need the money and benifits for the family. Where there is a will there is a way. I am determined. Also, I do not qualify for the regular student aid, I am not distitute but they say I make too much. However, I was told that if I were to quit working, lose my house, go bankrupt, I would qualify, but that doesn't seem like the right thing to do. Any way I am going to be a nurse and I am so happy about that!!!

Hi everyone, I am not a nurse...yet. I have two more years and the nclex to pass before I can make that designation. However I know what you mean. My sister in law, who works in a Dr office, is always telling me how she is doing all kinds of procedures on patients, everything from ear flushing (she told me one patients ear began to bleeding and she sent them on their way) to wound care. People think she is a nurse and she doesn't correct them. She even had the nerve to tell me that she could probable pass the nclex without going to school because of all of the things the Drs have her doing. She has never gone for any further education after high school and I am working my butt off. Then she had the nerve to tell me that when I am finally a nurse that my job will be a piece of cake because whenever she is in the hospital visiting friend/family the nurses are always just standing around talking. I work full time, try to get good grades in school and learn the most I can, so my future patients are well taken care of. Fake nurses just burn me up. Thanks for letting me vent.

Yes you can do it! I had not been in school for over 25 years. I work full time and carried between 13 and 15 credits a semester. Because of the way the classes progress, you can only take A&P after Chem, and Micro after A&P it took me 2 years. During that time I decided to fill in with classes that I would need for my BSN, so now once I have completed my RN I only have to take the Nursing 3 & 4 classes. I will be starting nursing school in Aug this year and I will continue to work full time. The school I am going to attend only accepts students who have completed the pre-reqs before starting on the nursing courses. It is also considered a full time school, classes are Tues and Thurs night 5 to 10 and clinicals on the weekends. I was able to show them that I could handle school full time and work full time and still do well in both. Anyway, I am sure you can do it, while taking classes it really helped me to start up study groups for the AP and Micro classes. A professor told me a couple of years ago to learn something you first need to read about it, listen to it, then teach it to someone else. That has always worked by helping me to understand and retain the info. Sometimes it will be a little crazy, but you will get through it. Good Luck

Hi Data Good to hear from you. I live in Lower Bucks, Bensalem, but I work about 2 minutes from the school. I need to continue working, that is why I really needed the night and weekend program. I went to BCCC for my preques. I am finishing up with Micro this semster. How about you? I hear that we will get the 100 course info in June, have you heard anything about an orientation?