blughst43

Check out www.testpreview.com... The ATI testing website also sells a workbook that's also a big help, but a bit pricey. Good luck!

I just finished my first semester of nursing school at LBCC! Good luck and congratulations to all incoming nursing students for fall...:heartbeat If you are an alternate, don't fret...I know of at least 10 students last semester that got alternate letters and then were called later for a spot in the spring semester. Btw, the due date for spring 2010 applications is July 30th. The computer class requirement started in 2006 and there are a few classes you can take in the summer that can fulfil this. Check the computer science department for a one day test. One student last semester took an equivalency exam for computer proficiency and passed before applying to the program...I wish I had know about it. Have most of your GE classes done before starting the program because you will be too busy during the fall/spring semester with required nursing lecture/clinicals and skill lab. Although it is not a requirement to have all GE classes done before applying...just your english/anatomy/physiology/micro and GPA of 2.5 in the sciences. Most of my friends are taking their psych or sociology or history during summer school. No need to spring for the PDA just yet...its better used for 11B and later. 11A and 11AL is mainly fundamentals of nursing. Clinical instructors will teach you the basics (taking vitals, changing a bed, foley cath insertion, etc.). So take a deep breath and get all the rest you need before August 17. Take care...

Hi emtj...I agree with matilda123 100% . I've been an EMT for 9 years (2 with a private ambulance, 7 as an ER tech) and will be entering ns in the spring. Being a tech, cna, phlebotomist, etc. is invaluable experience on your road to becoming a nurse. You'll be light-years ahead when doing the vitals, but you'll also have a keen understanding already of what patient care is all about. You'll already have that experience of assessing a patient (young and old and all walks of life) and you'll know what to do in every emergency situation. No sweat! You'll be that much more prepared when you enter nursing schoool.

:icon_hug:Hugs to you, figisawesome!

A secretary in the health science department told me that if an applicant does not have at least 22-23 total points (based on grades in science pre-reqs and english) one should expect to be on the wait list at least 3-4 years. A guy in my dosage calc class said that he wished he had known he would wait so long (he's in 1st semester now) he probably would have taken extra classes for a future BSN.

Congratulations, AZMOMO2! Cheers! :cheers:

I'm taking a dosage calculations class at Cypress College and some of the students are currently in the nursing program. Some have said they waited 3-4 years on the wait list. I asked the "lady in the window" of the health science dept. office and she said that the program just started looking at students who applied in Spring 2005!

Congratulations, Csantos! :w00t::w00t: 4.0 Gpa! That's awesome! I also start in January 09, but won't graduate until December 2010. This is soooo exciting! Way to go!

my orientation/luncheon will be Jan. 8th! I'm so excited! School starts on the 12th. I just passed the teas last Friday and it's such a relief...its like a ton of bricks off my shoulders! In January, I hear we will have a tour of the labs, meet our first semester instructors, and have a chance to purchase our uniform patches. Did I mention I'm soooo excited?! Good luck to all who are waiting...its all worth it!:redbeathe

My school gave us a book list for the Spring semester last month so we can start planning financially...which was actually pretty nice of them. I've started buying some of the texts (online or at a used textbook store)every other week when its payday. The only required books to buy at the bookstore, at my school, are the shrink-wrapped syllabi for the first semester.

I just started reviewing the Teas using the ATI study manual and found it to be very helpful especially when it came to the math portion. There were a lot of 'hints' on formulas and what conversion factors would be needed to memorize for the actual test. I know the book and the online practice tests are pricey, but I've talked to several RN students and they swear by it. Several said the study manual is a good representation of the test. I also checked out the Teas practice exams on testpreview.com and they were ok...its good to get several takes on an exam...it just didn't have further explainations and pointers on approaching certain problems. So I figured cutting out my Starbucks fix for 2 months is a small price to pay for a little edge on the Teas...:typing

Congratulations, Katie!! I'm sooo happy for you! Cheers! :cheers:

Almost there! Congrats on the awesome pre-req grades! :cheers: Cheers!

and they collect the paper, too...if I'm not mistaken! lol

Definitely check out your intended school's pre-requisites for nursing and see a counselor. Most NS programs want you to have A/P, chem, micro, and english 100 finished before you can even apply.