katiequinn

hey! thats great! i'm taking the gre a week from wednesday....do you have any tips? how did oyu study for it? are you good at verbal? id appreciate all the tips i can get! thx:) and congras!

Hi, So...I have decided I would like to pursue a CRNA program after talking to multiple CRNAs pros cons etc. But, I'm gonna take it one step at a time because right now...I only have a BA in Spanish and biology!!! So my question si this...I pursue a BSN via an accleratd route...work for 2 yrs and apply to CRNA programs. Can you work at all during the CRNA programs, like even just a couple of shifts a week? How do you afford the program? How long is the average program Pls et back to me!!! Thx!

I am planning on applying to UMass Worcester, Rochester, Rush, UPenn and then possibly Yale, Case Western, BC and Simmons. Not sure any suggestions?

which essay do you think is better....the first? or this one below.... where are my keys? oh, of course, they are in my hand. why did i just walk into the bathroom? oh yes, to grab a hair brush. who is that person? oh, that is my sister? memory can be such a slippery thing--especially in the elderly. i have always had a keen interest for sciences. in college, i aggressively pursued my interest in genetics and molecular biology. i began working in a cancer-based research lab part-time in college. i absolutely loved the problem solving and critical thinking skills required to understand the scientific processes inherent in causing a normally replicating cell to morph into a rapidly over-proliferating cancer cell. upon graduating from college, i began working in a neural stem cell lab to further my interest in the sciences. i continued to enjoy it, however after about six months, i began to notice a void in my everyday work. while i was impacting the lives of individuals, it was in a very indirect manner. i wanted something more. i wanted to see the immediate effects that my life could make on others in need. working as a clinical research coordinator has given me the opportunity to focus on the experiences that accompany my days at work, and it is here that i have found a human strength like no other. the families of these patients wish harder, hope higher and pray more than i have ever seen. i found in my "everyday" days, that these individuals would allow me to share in their lives. i am able to be a person in which they can confide. they share family stories; even the difficult ones that have lead up to their family member being diagnosed and treated with cancer. we have learned from each other, and undoubtedly, they have been instrumental in helping me determine my true love: care and compassion for another human being. that is when nursing began to make sense. the amalgamation of these experiences has ultimately fostered within me a desire to pursue a career in geriatric acute care/critical care nursing at umass worcester's nursing program. working with cancer patients has given me the opportunity to work with individuals speckled throughout the life span and posed the question: what does it mean to age successfully? i find myself daily questioning why some people seem to age so gracefully, while others succumb to physical illness, mental decline or both. upon graduating as a geriatric acute care np, my hope is to help all patients define quality in their life. for those of whom there are medical treatments available, i plan to help with the acute care aspects of their illnesses and keeping them alive. however, on the other side, inevitably working with an older population means that good clinical outcomes will not always be achieved, independence will be lost, memories will vanish, and death will be inescapable. i believe it is critical in this population to help them realize the reality of their situation, and to empower them to achieve the best outcomes given their circumstances--both clinically and psychosocially. and it is through geriatric nursing that the patient can move toward a graceful end with dignity.

Yeah, I guess I was trying to segway into it...like pointing out that I am not sure why I didn't become a nurse a while ago....and hten trying to work it out in paper. i hate how short these are! i am so verbose and i just want to make it into a short sweet package! any suggestions? thx for the input. if both of you agree then i guess i have some problems!

So I revamped my essay.....PLEASE COMMENT!!! For personal statement for direct etnry np programs Where are my keys? Oh, of course, they are in my hand. Why did I just walk into the bathroom? Oh yes, to grab a hair brush. Memory can be such a slippery thing. Why did I not decide to become a nurse seven years ago when I went to college? That is a question with which I still grapple... I have always had a keen interest for sciences. In college, I aggressively pursued my interest in genetics and molecular biology. I began working in a cancer-based research lab part-time in college. I absolutely loved the problem solving and critical thinking skills required to understand the scientific processes inherent in causing a normally replicating cell to morph into a rapidly over-proliferating cancer cell. Upon graduating from college, I began working in a neural stem cell lab to further my interest in the sciences. I continued to enjoy it, however after about six months, I began to notice a void in my everyday work. While I was impacting the lives of individuals, it was in a very indirect manner. I wanted something more. I wanted to see the immediate effects that my life could make on others in need. Working as a clinical research coordinator has given me the opportunity to focus on the experiences that accompany my days at work, and it is here that I have found a human strength like no other. The families of these patients wish harder, hope higher and pray more than I have ever seen. I found in my "everyday" days, that these individuals would allow me to share in their lives. I am able to be a person in which they can confide. They share family stories; even the difficult ones that have lead up to their family member being diagnosed and treated with cancer. We have learned from each other, and undoubtedly, they have been instrumental in helping me determine my true love: care and compassion for another human being. That is when nursing began to make sense. In addition to cultivating an interest in nursing, working with cancer patients has given me the opportunity to work with the elderly. It is evident that people are living longer and dealing with more chronic diseases than ever before. I became increasingly curious about what it means to age successfully. I found myself questioning why some people seemed to age so gracefully, while others succumbed to physical illness, mental decline or both. The amalgamation of these experiences has ultimately fostered within me a desire to pursue a career in geriatric acute care/critical care nursing at UMass Worcester's nursing program. Upon graduation and in the future, I would like to work with the aging population in an acute care/critical care setting. My hope is to stabilize the patients, minimize complications, manage their on going health care problems and promote physical and psychological well being while they are in the hospital. By educating this population in the hospital, it is my hope for them to be able to live a more fulfilling life outside by preventative measures. Memory is a slippery thing. But senses are evocative. A taste, a smell, a sight, a sound on any day can bring a memory brilliantly alive. And it is when that happens, I remember, I know and I feel why I want to be a nurse.

So a few things: 1. I am 24 and have been out of school for 2 years. Most schools require academic letters of recommendation...I have great grades from a great school..would it bebetter to get recommendations from jobs instead? like 2 form jobs 1 from school since its been a while? 2. One of the people I may ask to write a letter for me wants me to write it for him. HOW DO I DO THAT!?!?!? has anyone had to do that?! I really am terrible at that sort of stuff..anyone have an example of a recommendation or any suggestoins if they have been put in this position before? Thx:) Katie PS..Thx to everyone in this forum for all their help. Its been fantastic!!

Alright, so after many comments from people, I attempted to rewrite my personal statement. What do you guys think..see below. Would really aprpeciate some input fast bc I need to give this to someone to write me a letter of recommendation. Thx! If I wrote that I always wanted to be a nurse, I would be lying. In fact, ever since I was a young girl I wanted to go to medical school, and this belief stayed with me through college. I firmly believed at the time that I loved science more than interacting with people, and desired to pursue a MD/PhD route. While working at my first job as a molecular biology research technician however, my happiness seemed to dwindle. I benefited greatly from working in the lab: it aided in developing my critical thinking and problem solving skills, and for that I am forever grateful. However, I still had a void within me. I began volunteering as a play space activity leader at Horizons for Homeless Children and instantly knew what was missing in my life: human care and compassion. Working as a clinical research coordinator has allowed me to interface with many patients and experience life on an indescribable level. I can't say that all of my experiences working with patients have been so moving. I don't shed tears of joy over cleaning up after patients, trying to make every moment in the clinic perfect and dealing with a belligerent family member. But I have shed tears of joy with a woman whose husband responded to chemo; as a once thought to be hopeless father of two with stage IV metastatic disease responded to a new treatment. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been days of grief and sadness. I have held the hand of an elderly woman when she finds out her cancer has progressed; comforted a family of four whose husband and father had just died. And while these situations are difficult, they are also filled with a passion and a desire to continue to help others. These experiences have ameliorated my decision to become a nurse. I began speaking passionately to others about my calling. I was somewhat disheartened by their questions about my career, "Why aren't you going to medical school?" they'd ask. It's very discouraging to be told that you are, in essence, misapplying your potential. But the thing I think others are overlooking is the fact that my gifts are not limited to the deduction of logical puzzles of the intuitive grasp of certain subjects. I have developed others as an adult that are far more important to a meaningful life. They're the more immeasurable qualities of the heart. They compel me to extend my hand to strangers and to listen with compassion. I believe the knowledge, training and skill required of nurses to aid in healing is both an honor and a dream come true and I await it with much anticipation.

Anyone familiar with UMass Worcester's nursing program? How is it? How difficult is it to be accepted to? I am interested in the Graduate Entry Program. I graduated in 2005 with a 3.62 gpa majoring in Spanish and biology. I am taking the GREs in October. Do you think I will get in? Please let me know what you think! Thx! Katie

where did you go to school? how do you know that you want to apply to JHU so much so that you are goingn early decision? Do you know what perfect of their matriculating students are early decision? I'm so worried about debt so I feel like I should "shop around" if you will by applying to a few schools. Do you have AIM or gmail? Love to chat more!!

Hi, I am applying ot the BSN/MSN program at JHU also. I'm a bit worried. So, I went to University of Rochester graduated in 2005 with a 3.62 gpa and majored in Spanish and biology. Although I took alot of science classes there, I never took anatomy or micro. In addition, due to my double major, I never took a psych class.... So! As a result, I am taking an accelerated A&P I and II courses this fall (2 semesters in 1) and life span psych. On top of that I'm studying for the GRE. I guess I hvae a few qualms... 1. I am taking these classes at community colleges, do you think this will matter? I took stats and physio at Rochester and Pathophys at Harvard extension school but thats it. 2. GRE....Freakin out!! I hate the verbal portion of it. I just dont even want to look at it. I am confident that my math will pan out well but the verbal ahh. I initially was signed up to take it 10/17 but now am wondering if I should take it sooner so I can apply to UPenn..... Any thoughts? How long do people study for the GRE for? I have only studied a couple days and the math portion has already gone up 250 pts,probably bc I had to refresh my memory. I'm hoping to break 700 there. But the verbal....god...I feel like it will be a shoot in the dark. What does eeveryone think? When are others taking it...and how are they preparing for it?

Essay on why I want to be a nurse....what do you guys think?!?! I would REALLLY appreicate any help I can get!! Thx! If I wrote that I always wanted to be a nurse, I would be lying. In fact, ever since I was a young girl I wanted to go to medical school, and this belief stayed with me through college. I firmly believed at the time that I loved science more than interacting with people, and desired to pursue a MD/PhD route. While working at my first job as a molecular biology research technician however, my happiness decreased over time. I benefited greatly form working in the lab: it aided in developing my critical thinking and problem solving skills, and for that I am forever grateful. However, I still had a void within me. I began volunteering as a playspace activity leader at Horizons for Homeless Children and instantly knew what was missing in my life: human care and compassion. Working as a clinical research coordinator has given me the ability to examine both the roles of the physician and nurse. I realized that these two professions are markedly different. While I respect the role of the physician in focusing on the medical aspects of the patient, I found the role of the nurse to be much more appealing as it focuses on the person as a whole. As a person, I have always had a strong drive and determination. I have always thrived on challenges, decision making and taking initiative. In fact, when I bought my first pair of skates, I was so eager to play that my coach stated "Kid, you can't play hockey like a pro on the day you buy your skates." Through my experiences, I have learned the gift of living one day at a time. Although I would ultimately like to pursue a masters or doctoral degree, I know that I need to first work on a solid foundation, and I am confident that Johns Hopkins University's accelerated BSN nursing program will offer me just that.

Thanks for everyones responses. I really appreciate it! I have decided that I am going to apply to both types of schools and just see what happens. I am so nervous about this whole process! Initially I wasn't, because I had already started applying to medical schools, which is riiculosuly competitive. But all of a sudden, I got a gut feeling that its not right and withdrew all of my applications! And so here I am. I am so grateful for switching jobs from a lab to clinical research bc I realized just how little time doctors get to spend with patients. I really love the education aspect of nursing too!! I just poted a couple of new threads....but so right now I am applying to UMASS (I'm from boston), Boston College, Johns Hopkins, and UPenn. I am also going to look into Case Western, Simmons, Rush, and a few others. I'm so nervous! Any suggestions?!?!

Hi, Any UPenn accelerated BSN/MSN students out there? Or applicants? I'm doing my application now and just had some questions. 1. How competitive is the program to get into? I have a 3.62 GPA (freshman year was the worst by far only 3.3). I have to take the GREs 2. With respect to prereqs...do you think it will be a problem that I am taking the majority of my prereqs at a community college? It was all I could afford at this point in time unfortunately. I went to a good college--University of Rochcester--and took stats and physiology there. I am right now taking A&P I and II and life span developmental psych. Next semester I wil ltake micro and nutrition. Do you think this will pose a problem?? I hope not:( 3. What do current students think of Upenn? Was it worth the money? I'm hoping to get scholarships... 4. Finally...do you think its better to dot he BSN or the BSN/MSN. Thx:)

Gotcha...is that what you did?