chris7

Look for an email end of april through may. Give them a call at the beginning of may to check in if you haven't received an interview invitation. They made decisions at the end of may and the first week of june. Double check with them regarding the decision date and also that they have all your documents. They lost my things several times!

Advanced Med-Surg is the hardest course in my opinion. Pharm is relatively easy at the Mount. Sandra, some schools are more competative than others. CSUN didn't take anyone under 3.8 GPA or any pre-req "C's". You have a health-related degree and relevant work experience--I had neither of those. I have a degree in Spanish Literature and World Religions, which have nothing to do with science. I did have some hospital volunteer experience and humanitarian work. I had a few pre-req "C's". During my interview they questioned my academic competency and asked me what I would do if I was not accepted to the Mount. I told them that I was determined to be a nurse whether or not I was accepted. I planned to be a phlebotomist and EMT while retaking the "C" pre-reqs if I was not accepted. Though of course I wanted nothing more than to be admitted, I went in there with the attitude that it was not the end of the world if I didn't make it the first time through. The interviewer replied that she was impressed with my determination and planning. The point here is that not all programs focus solely on grades--the Mount at least looks at the overall student. They understand that book-smart people do not always make the best nurses. Getting into nursing school can be a roller coaster ride of emotions. Sure it's easy for me to talk about these things having been admitted, but the worries and anxiety do not diminish once you're in school. We are under the gun to perform. We've lost a few classmates who didn't earn 75% in a course. This program is a beast. It tests every fiber in my body. It's mentally and physically challenging in so many ways. A constant focus for me is to take care of myself and keep some semblance of balance. You're going through this experience, and you have a choice to be stressed and worried or you can believe in yourself and confidently take on this challenge. It may not happen your first time through. You may have to take some more courses to pad your GPA. If you have any C's or B's in pre-reqs, you may have to retake those course to try to earn A's. The pre-req GPA is much more important than your overall GPA, but again it's not everything.

I understand. It's never easy going back to school and arranging finances for it. School is such an irony to me--we study, work on reports and clinicals and we have to pay money for it. We have to pay to work. I wish there were a way around it, but if you're serious about nursing, I trust you will create a way to make it happen.

Sure, it would be my pleasure to post updates here regarding my experience at Torrance. If you don't hear anything from me around July and you're wondering how it's going, I'm probably going to be swamped, but definitely shoot me an email reminder and I will respond here.

Thanks for the info, Sandra. Not sure where SMU is, but SMC costs about 20k more over the Mount. SMC costs 5k for the 2yr program and you end up with and ADN. The Mount costs 45k for one yr but you earn a BSN and are working after 12 months. The second year you are finishing SMC, you would have been conservatively making 60k+ in a hospital. 45k-60k-5k= 20k more to attend SMC. Not to mention what it will cost you if you decide to go back to school to get your BSN. If I were you, I'd apply to as many schools as possible and take what you get... nursing is competative! Glendale College, College of the Canyons, and Pasadena City College have reputable ADN programs as well.

Sandraellen, as I mentioned, I do not know CSUN's program status. Best bet is to call them. Let us know what you find out, okay? Much appreciated.

FYI, many hospitals offer sign on bonuses that do not require commitment terms.

There's always financial aid or community college. Though the community college route ends up costing over 20k more in time and money versus the accelerated track. The Mount's ADN program is nights and w/e so you can still work, but it's two years and a lesser degree and the tuition will still cost an arm and leg. Most of the students take out loans. It's worth it in this economy to have a stable career in nursing. The benefits far outweigh the cost of loans. You can get federal loans that you're not required to start paying back until 6 months after graduation and they have pretty low interest rates. Most people want to apply to Kaiser because they offer several locations and higher pay, so you have a better chance of getting Torrance. Torrance is going to cancel offering fall scholarships but keep them for your summer group, so I've been told. It's about to receive Magnet status whereas the majority of Kaiser locations are not Magnet. Torrance is also a top 100 US News and Health Report Hospital. Stay positive and things should work out as long as you keep working hard. I imagine if you've made it this far, that you're gonna be successful, it's a matter of whether you want to be stressed during the journey or enjoy the challenges of the journey.

Here's the CCNE website... http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CCNE/reports/rptAccreditedPrograms.asp?state=CA&sFullName=California CSUN is up and so is the Mount. My classmate related the story from her friend who was in the CSUN program, so I couldn't tell you for certain. Probably best to call them 818-677-2883. You have a 30% chance of getting into the Mount and less then 1% chance of getting into CSUN. Not new news, but it's best to apply to several programs.

Our last 7 weeks at the Mount is our preceptorship. Since we'll be employed at Torrance that's where we'll do the preceptorship. You may know, but for the preceptorship, you basically pick the department where you want to start your career and shadow an RN during their regular shift 3 times/ week. I want to work in ICU, so that's where I'm doing my preceptorship. For employment, you give them your top 3 department choices and they usually give your first pick. The Versant Program is their 6 month new grad training program and they offer a list of departments aside from Med-Surg for new grads--here's the link: http://www.torrancememorial.org/versant_program.htm. Watch the video clip when you get a chance. You do sign a 30 month contract when if receive the scholarship.

I was not offered an interview to Kaiser. I was fortunate to get the scholarship from Torrance. After doing clinical rotations at Kaiser West LA, I'm glad for the way things turned out... the morale is horrible--I've always felt this as a patient there, so it doesn't surprise me. Torrance is a much better fit. Staff are much more upbeat and it will be a great area to live.

Torrance Memorial Scholarship: I believe 7 of 15 applicants received the scholarship. I don't have any knowledge of these scholarships being affected by the economy... though it's not a stretch to think they could be. FYI, most of the students are in the program have loans. Torrance was not my first choice, but after interviewing with them I realized it was the right place for me. I applied as a backup plan and I'm glad I took the hour to complete the application. Getting into nursing school is full of highs and lows and so is being in nursing school. The best advice I can give is to stay positive and work all your options.

The hospitals determine interview dates. They have the money, they call the shots. From what I understand Kaiser interviews once students are about six months through the program, though our office never really knows themselves. 15 students from our group applied and 3 were offered the scholarship for $25,000. You give them your 3 top locations in SoCal ONLY. I hear they only offer Med-Surg positions. We're currently in clinicals at Kaiser and I'm not impressed with them. You would do 2.5 years. You can always walk away if it doesn't work for you, but they charge you some interest depending on when you leave. I would recommend the Mount for it's track record. CSUN was a new program and a mess. They were just closed down in the middle of the semester for not meeting state criteria and the students have to deal with the fall out on their own. Long Beach and UCLA have not been around for too long either. With the state budget crisis I'd expect some of their funding to be cut. Just a thought.

Interviews... Ms. Shealey comes off as hard-nosed but she plays bad cop and Ms. Sloper is super nice and plays good cop. From what I understand you have to really mess up your interview, otherwise you are as good as accepted if you get an interview invitation. Yes, like elementary school, staff are to be addressed "Mr." and "Ms."

The oral interview was about 30 minutes. They asked the following questions: Q: Nursing is a self-sacrificing profession. How will you take care of your personal needs as a nurse? A: Working out. Buddhist chanting. Spending time with friends and family. I understand that no one is there to hold my hand. Nursing is my responsibility. Q: What would you do if one of your partners in a group assignment is not completing his/ her tasks? A: I would take responsiblity and try to complete that person's tasks with the help of other members in the group. I understood this to represent a medical emergency where a medical professional is slacking off and the patient requires attention and decision making. Q: What are your methods for studying? A: Reading before lecture. Videos. Notes. Flashcards. Q: What is a moral conflict that you've experienced as a hospital volunteer? A: An elderly patient was given shots without notice by the RN. She was rough with him and barely said a word to him. This was in direct comparison with the Physical Therapist who was in the room at the same time and was addressing the patient by name, rubbing his chest, speaking slowly and clearly while looking him in the eyes. She was gentle and comforting... I want to give that kind of care when I'm an RN. Q: How are you at test taking? A: Totally comfortable (Lie if you have to). The interviewer really liked that I chant to overcome obstacles in my life. However, she was concerned about my grades and academic competency. She told me I would most likely be put on the waitlist and possibly deferred until May 2009 because she wanted me to retake Anatomy. After talking to other students, apparently they point out your weaknesses so that you begin working on them right away... It's really important that you know how to take care of your personal needs. Apparently there are enough nursing students to fill the gap in the US, but there is high turn over rate due to burn out and career incompatibilities. The average RN lasts 2 years! They want to know you're a trooper. Some questions vary, but a 2007 student relayed a couple of these to me, so they didn't change much.