SoCalHeart

I'll be taking my last pre-req this summer, microbiology. Then this fall I can apply for Fall 2010 and I've registered for a few of the last "core" classes I need for the degree. I have no clue what I'll take the following spring semester, I should have everything but the actual nursing classes completed! Best wishes to everyone, study hard! :heartbeat

Congratulations! How beautiful you give glory to God!

You can also set up allotments to pay your monthly bills while you are deployed, then you don't have to worry about getting online every time a due date is coming up on a bill. Check with your bank, or once you are AD I think you can go through your MyPay to set it up, or if you use a credit union/bank affiliated with military service (Navy Fed, FSNB...) they'll have lots of info and be used to that! Then you can spend your computer time doing something you actually like to do:D, not trying to remember due dates, account numbers and passwords. Best wishes to you.

I second checking with Half.com or Amazon. I buy my texts from there and have saved soooo much over the school bookstore. I got my current Phys book from Half for $17 plus shipping in great condition with NO highlighting/writing while most my classmates spent $70+ on the same book. Also good to sell your older texts so you can afford to buy the ones you need now! As an alternative, your school library may have a copy of the text you need on hand. At my school you can check out texts for a few hours(can't leave with them though) and they will let you (pay to) make copies from the text. I am sure that probably infringes on some copyright laws somewhere but the school pretty much condones it and the students sure aren't going to be notifying anyone about that... Maybe you can borrow from a classmate and copy or try searching for the E-Book version online. I've heard of classmates that choose this option, they say it's much cheaper than the physical text. Check out the publishers website or try with google for that. Good luck on the book hunt!

Hi, I am not yet a nurse, but I have a suggestion, although I am in a bit of a bad mood, but here goes! If they think you're lazy, educate them! Do you do the cooking, errands, cleaning or other household duties? If so, stop completely for a few days. Only do what you need to take care of yourself, everyone else can fend for themselves assuming your son is old enough to take care of himself. When they ask what's going on say THIS is lazy, I thought I'd lounge around for a few days so you're not mistaken. Maybe they'll start to appreciate your schedule and sleeping needs a little more. I also like the idea of having them up all night staying busy and asking how they feel the next day. Best wishes to you!

Have you looked at Crafton Hills in Yucaipa or Valley College in San Bernardino? Not sure if those places are reasonable to get to for you but they both offer A&P and Micro. You may have better luck getting into them than RCC, I know they are super competitive to get into thier and registering for classes can be a nightmare! I also know that College of the Desert in Palm Desert and Copper Mountain in Joshua Tree offer the science sequence for RN programs and are not as packed as RCC, however they are both a bit of a drive from the Riverside area, especially Joshua Tree!!! But if it means you get into your classes and have your pre-reqs wrapped up sooner then the commute may be worth it for you. As far as I know I don't think schools look down on you if your pre-reqs came from other insitutions as long as they are accredited and you hang on to your course syllabus to prove the class you took is what your school requires and they'll give you the transfer credit. And if you have all your sciences taken within the last 5 years or so it shouldn't be an issue anyway. Best wishes to you!!!

I may be a little late on this, but last semester I had anatomy and we got cats to dissect. The preservative odor was really strong after a couple weeks so we got masks at the end, but I figured out if I sprayed a little body spray/perfume on my right or left shoulder I could always just lean over and get a wiff of that when the icky dead cat smell was getting to be too much. The smell wouldn't have been so bad if we weren't all leaning close to check out muscles and other structures on the cat, and you can't hold your breath the whole time! And to add to the discussion, I would have LOVED to have had a cadaver to work on, or even just to view one that was already dissected even if it meant shelling out a lab fee (here is CA CC tuition is only $20/unit for in state and we had no lab fee at my particular school). The human body is amazing and the chance to have an intimate look at our inner works would be worth the extra fees to me, seeing pictures in books or online just doesn't do justice to real life. I was also really glad we did not have to skin our cats, I thought I would have a hard time since I have a couple at home but I was more enthralled in getting to see everything and appreciative that the animals were getting to serve a greater purpose than just being disposed of.

I agree with the other posters you should probably take anatomy before physiology, then micro. You may want to double check your school(s) course catalog though. For my school students that are going into nursing HAVE to take their science courses in sequence and some are the pre-req for others. Personally I took chem first(was a pre-req for Phys) then anatomy(had to be before phys also) taking physiology now (A&P both pre-reqs for micro), and can complete micro next semester. This is kind of a pain because it seems like it makes the sequence slow going, but personally having taken classes in that order helped me have a good starting point and I understand how everything ties in together. Good luck in your journey!!

i am glad my rambling could help you in some way! take care and keep up all your hard work, you really are doing great with that 4.0!!

hi! well first of all congrats on recently graduating and starting off in college! sounds like you are doing well so far here's my i think you should finish all your pre-reqs for the rn program at your school and apply as soon as you can with a complete packet. if that is what you really want, just go for it and don't let anything derail you. i am a little older than you and in a different situation, but was having a rough time myself debating on which way to get to rn. my husband is in the military and we could possibly be moving toward the end of this year, although where we are now, there is a high chance we could request to stay since no one likes to come out here. anyhow i really want to be an rn, but was considering the lvn route with a bridge because of the horror stories of the waitlists and if we did have to leave here at least i would have that completed and get some experience as a nurse. however, i decided to stick it out and go straight for my rn, after this summer i can apply to my schools program which only does one fall class and another school further away that does both spring and fall. i don't want to get stuck someplace that isn't what i truly want and even though the lvn route is fantastic, i think ultimately it would just prolong the process. especially in your case where you have to work at least 1000 hrs. plus my thought is that with the economy the way it is, seems like everyone is trying to get into nursing (people i know of anyway) for whatever reason. there are far more programs for lvns in my state that are just cranking out graduates(community colleges and private programs like voc. schools). there would be slim pickings for ideal jobs and i don't want to get discouraged if i can't help it. sorry that was long but i say if you want to be an rn go and get it. you're already a step ahead in being a recent hs grad with the determination and self knowlegde that has directed you to nursing. i know waiting around to get accepted into a program even for a couple semesters doesn't seem ideal, but you could always work as a cna in that time if you get that training or take more classes to go towards your associates or just to enrich yourself. also try looking for other programs aroud you, even if you have to commute a little ways, if that's the trade off for getting into thier program sooner it might be worth it to you. best wishes!!!

Congratulations!! What a wonderful example to your kids too!! They'll never be able to get away with saying "but this is too hard..." Best wishes to you!

You are NOT a failure! :redpinkhe My story-I am 23 about to turn 24 and almost finished with my prereqs and planning on applying to my schools LVN program this spring. I have no children, but have been married about 4 years. I went to a vocational school right out of HS instead of just going to college because I thought massage therapy would be a geat career and I figued if I ever wanted to go back to school I wouldn't be too "old". I think about it now and I really should have just skipped the vocational school all together! I graduated from there but never did massage again after a less than stellar male client creeped me out on internship:no:. Plus licensing is a PITA, you know some cities/counties in CA require massage therapists to have STD tests submitted to get thier license?! Excuse me but I am no prostitute, I didn't work my tail off in school to be grouped together with that!! Anyway, I feel like I wasted a lot of time, had I just gone to a CC and started my Gen Ed then I would be in a different palce, but I think it took those experiences so far to help me realize nursing is where I want to be and to take my classes seriously and RESEARCH this career choice and how I can get there. Thanks ALLNURSES for all the info too!! :heartbeat There are people of all different ages and backgrounds in my classes hopeing to pursue nursing, the kids right out of HS, some my age, married or not, and some ladies with families and children in college in thier 40s starting thier pre-reqs. I think it is wonderful and you know I would rather be in NS and a profession where people from all backgrounds and ages converge instead of everyone being the same age group and very young basically all on the same path. If this is what you want don't let anything deter you. I sometimes feel like I have nothing to show for all the good grades I got in HS and beyond, but one day I will, even if it takes 1 or 3 or 5 years. What is that when you have a lifetime ahead of you? Even those who are in thier 40's or 50's, there is plenty of time to be a fantastic and competent nurse!! career is a huge aspect of most people's lives but it's not the ONLY one. Keep working towards your dreams, they are not out of reach!

I agree with the other posters, inviting in that kind of misery from lack of sleep and maybe even danger (what if you're too tired driving home?) isn't worth it. Maybe you can talk to some of your coworkers who have children and see who they recommend for daycare? People won't recommend someone they wouldn't take thier own children to, and you can't be the only one that works there with kids! Best wishes to you on finding a doable solution for yourself and your family!

Hey, sorry to hear you didn't get into the program at your school. Have you considered perhaps RCC, I hear their programs are pretty competitive to get into, but at least it would be less expensive than a trade/vocational school's price tag! I don't know for sure but they may offer the VN program at thier Norco campus that way it's not quite so far for you? Perhaps you could apply to other community colleges if you have a reliabe car to commute, the gas and tuition there would be much less than the full tuition at one of to vocational schools, and if you already have your pre-reqs they should transfer just fine to the other CC's in the state. The school I am attending begins accepting apps for the VN program in Feb, and the program begins in June and ends next May. But I am out in the desert- a drive for you but it wouldn't cost you 10k either. Best of luck to you in your search, I hope you can find something that suits you!

I am not a nurse yet but have come across some interesting names! I know a little girl named Lark, and a friend of mine who was visiting her sister met the neigbors kids named Swan(little boy) and Dove(little girl). I thought Lark was pretty cute, but Swan for a boy?? I also worked with a girl named Mystery! We all had little memo boxes at the job I was at and about a week before she was sceduled they labeled her box. I saw it and asked when did we get a mystery box?! I thought they were trying to pull one over on me when they said it was the new hire, oh!

Looks like you have to have served in the military for at least 12 months in an applicable field or somehow have 51 months paid bedside nursing experience and taken pharmacology. See here for more details http://www.bvnpt.ca.gov/Licensing/Forms.asp or you can contact the CA BVNPT directly, good luck!

I am not sure where you are on CA, but you can check the state board for registered nursing site here http://www.rn.ca.gov/index.shtml. On the home page there is a tab for schools that list all the ones in CA with approved programs and has links to thier websites and phone numbers so you can get in touch to find out what's next like the other poster mentioned. You can also look at thier NCLEX pass rates to see how thier graduates are doing. Good luck!

I have a family member that had this done. She was in her late 50's at the time and still having regular periods, no menopause yet, punctuated by times of severely heavy bleeding. She was worried and went to her doc who was concerned she wasn't on any type of BC and could still get pregnant. She's been fine since but the doctor was animate that they needed to "scorch" everything so if in the offchance she did end up having a fertilized egg it wouldn't find anywhere to implant. Hmmm, I never really considered that people may pursue this treatment for sterilization purposes solely, interesting!

Hey all, I am not sure if this is the right place or not, but I have a question perhaps someone could give me a little insight! I am doing my pre-reqs for my schools nursing program, and taking Chem over the summer. One of our assignments is to basically summarize several chapters in the text and present it as a report for a grade since we don't have enough time to actually lecture about it in class. So I am learning on my own here and was wondering about a couple of things... First, for fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A and D, obviously several problems develop if there are excess amounts stored in the body fat. So what happens when it is determined that a patient has toxic levels of these vitamins (or any really) in thier system? How is that treated? Also, what about a vitamin deficiency? Say a child is diagnosed with rickets, and has bowed legs and rachitic rosary and so on for symptoms. Are they hospitalized, given supplements, encouraged to have proper diet and if all those things happen do the deformities have to be operated on, ordo they lessen with time as the deficiency is remedied? Just curious so any replies would be appreciated! Also, do any of you nurses encounter these things today? Thank you!

I agree with the last poster who mentioned the CA Dept. of Corrections. I have family that worked for the CDC as medical staff and if you are willing to tackle the prison system it can be a great job. Benefits are good, plus retirement and pay, but some of the locations mean you're living in areas you may not have chosen in another situation and of course working with the prison population isn't something everyone enjoys. But still, even though the prison population may not be the best bunch of people, they still need quality medical care from competant professionals. You can check out the CA state website and look under employment tab to see what's available. Also look into VA hospitals and such on the CA website. Or try USAjobs.com, I have found several postings for LVN positions ranging from hospitals/clinics on military bases, to VA again. Good luck with your search!

Hi there, I don't have too much to add by way of salary info for your wife, but wanted to mention the new GI Bill recently signed into law. My husband (in the military also) was just talking about it the other day as I am trying to get through school while he is in and then work when he gets out so he can finish school. Anyhow, it says: "Eligible students also will receive a monthly stipend for books of up to $1,000 per year and a monthly housing allowance of about $1,000. The housing stipend will be tied to the Pentagon's basic allowance for housing rates." http://www.military.com/news/article/bush-to-sign-new-gi-bill-today.html?col=1186032325324&ESRC=marine-a.nl Perhaps the new benefits can help you maintain here in Cali while she gets some nursing experience? Another poster mentioned the VA hospitals, a great idea, she can try looking at usajobs.com for salary info as far as what they pay and where the RN jobs are. Also, my mother worked for the CA dept. of corrections for several years as medical staff, and RN's are compensated very well (if she is willing to work in that environement). Perhaps she could also check the CA state website, it will show VA hospital openings, corrections, and so on and give upfront info on pay scales. Plus, there are very good medical benefits, something you'll need after you separate from the military, especially with children. http://jobs.spb.ca.gov/wvpos/search_p.cfm I hope this info was helpful for you, best wishes to you both!!

Hi, I am not a nurse yet myself, tryng to get there though! Are you referring to the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program? You may want to try the Military Nursing forum here, I imagine someone there has experience with that program. Also, here is a link for MECP with the Navy, has some info, but I am sure the actual website for the Navy would probably have more info. Hope that is what you were referring to, if not disregard my post! Good luck to you and your wife:D

This isn't a term limited to the medical field, but I can NOT stand when people say irregardless!! When that word comes out, I just can't help but feel like my image of who just said it is now tainted because that word screams ignorance to me, even when I know they are intelligent people, it just kills whatever they are trying to say. It's a double negative, and when you think about it it just sounds off anyway so you don't have to be a grammer champ to be able to figure that one out. What do people think regardless means then? And I am with the posters with the no/know, too/to waste/waist and so on, and apostrophies in the right place. I once worked in an office setting and a coworker was putting up decorations on a bulletin board that said "Happy Holiday's" in huge letters. She was so proud of how nice it looked and asked what I thought. I had to tell her there is NO apostrophe in HOLIDAYS and explain why, she was clueless but glad I told her before the whole place saw her work.