JustPlainJenn

I was in your boat not so long ago. I had to take some time in between to work and save, and in the end, it ended up being cheaper for me to enroll in an RN program at the community college vs the LPN program (2k/semester vs 7500/semester). The yearly tuition was actually cheaper, and the school had more options when it came to loans, scholarships, and financing. Yes, I work full time, which makes it difficult to find time to study and be with my family, AND I'll be up to my neck in loans when I graduate, (but won't go into repayment until after graduation), but if you want something bad enough, you make sacrifices. If it was easy, everybody would do it. In a perfect world, it wouldn't cost anything to attend, but if you want it to work, don't stop until it does!! Best of luck!

how old will you be in 4 years if you go to nursing school? how old will you be in 4 years if you don't go to nursing school?? i'm in my 40's and just finishing fundamentals. no, its not easy, but if it was easy, everyone would do it! chase your dreams!

I'm about 45 min depending on traffic. I actually don't mind, it gives me time to de-stress before and after class/clinicals.

Our professors are very careful to keep individual grades a secret (they do post a list with the percentage of A's, B's, C's and failures - no names of course), however in my clinical group we are very open and honest about grades. On the last exam everyone in the group exceeded the minimum grade (74) except for me (gulp!). The first thing I did was cry on their shoulders. Then, for the next two weeks leading up to the next exam, every day they emailed me study tips, copied notes, worked study groups around my schedule because they wanted me to do well. I'm not sure I would be comfortable sharing with others in the program, but as you know, you become quite close with your clinical group. So I guess sharing your grade depends on the relationship you have with your peers and how comfortable you are with them. Do what is best for you!

My wound care rotation almost ruined me. As a paramedic, I've seen some pretty horrific sights, but nothing could have prepared me for a day with the wound care specialist. I, too, nearly fainted when I encountered a deep leg ulcer that had to be debrided. Hang in there... everything isn't for everyone!

Ours is EXACTLY like that!! Sometimes I wish they'd go as slowly in lecture/lab as they do in clinicals!

I'm working 40-48hrs per week (3-11) while taking the fundamentals course (4 hrs lecture/16hrs clinical) and I'm realllllllllly struggling. Not working or even cutting back work hours is not an option for me and my family. The instructors expect us to be "flexible" (ie: they don't finish teaching skills in lab so they call a "mandatory lab extention" for the next day which is not a scheduled school day) and not allowing us to pick up patient assignments until 4pm the night before clinical (class gets over at 2pm that day for me!) and be expected to write the care plan for 7 the next morning. But, despite all the hurdles, I'm getting (most of) it done. However, It does mean skipping group study sessions, extra time in the library (the only place to view the assigned mandatory videos) and sleep The hardest part for me is conceding to the fact that I probably won't get straight A's - I've always been a perfectionist when it comes to school. In the grand scheme of things, a B, or even a C, isn't the end of the world. Passing the NCLEX is what counts. You have to do what works for you...... maybe the answer is finding a PT job that has tuition reimbursement:nurse:

It was difficult getting in to my program, but I have to agree with KimB - I felt like I was my own biggest competition. It does get better, I promise! I walked in to the lecture hall on day one not knowing a single student, and today, just three weeks in, I had lunch with 8 members of my new family. I even had one classmate call me this morning to make sure I was up because she knew I had to work late last night! We study together and help each other with our weak points. Some competition is healthy, but with the workload we are assigned, I'm glad our class has bonded together! Hang in there!

Here are two sites that helped me get through Paramedic school - the first one is informative, while the second link gives you some great visual examples and there is a fun game once you master the rhythms! http://students.med.nyu.edu/erclub/ekghome.html http://www.skillstat.com/Flash/ECG_Sim_022505.html

If you can get the financial aid required to make it work for your family, then chase your dream. BUT, I know how it is to have bills hanging over your head... you need to put food on the table and oil in the tank this winter. For that you need an income. Maybe you can make it work with one person working, maybe not. The first step is to find out how much aid you can get (for tuition and daycare) and then figure out how much you can afford to spend at this time. Decide what corners you can cut (if any) and if you are willing to or can do so. Don't forget, in addition to tuition you have to figure in books. I'd love to join the others and say "go for it", I'm really not trying to be a killjoy, but I've been there, I know that sometimes there aren't right or wrong answers. My husband was laid off right around the time I found out I was accepted. We have two children, one with special needs. For me, making choices meant taking a class here and there so I could continue working. It was frustrating and a lot of work, I felt like I'd NEVER get to my core courses, but now that I'm actually starting my clinicals, I'm glad to have all the prereqs out of the way! There have been so many great suggestions posted... look through them and then do what is right for YOU!!

sooooooooooooooo? how did it go?????

YAY FOR YOU!!!!!!!!! What a great example you are setting for your children!!!! Best of luck!

yay for you! i know how scary it is to take that first step into the classroom after a bazillion years out of school. listen to the other posters when they say you'll be fine, because you will. since your co-worker is taking the class with you, you have a built in study buddy. (i found it hard studying with the 18year olds, many couldn't stay focused.) one of the pros of being a "returning" student for me was that i wasn't nervous or embarrased to ask questions like i was the first time, so if i wasn't sure of the material, i'd ask a thousand times until i "got it". by the end of the first semester, some of the kids would ask me to ask questions for them! take a nice hot, relaxing bath tonight, go to bed early, and walk in there tomorrow with a smile on your face and an extra pen. let us know how you make out!

No, you don't have to score a 100% on the first day math test!! This comes directly from the information sheet they gave out at orientation: MATH COMPETENCY POLICY: Students must pass a pharmacology/medication administration math test with a grade of 85% in NUR 11 within 3 attempts, 90% in NUR 12 withing 3 attempts and 95% in NURS 51 with 2 attempts. Failure to achieve the Math Competency within 2 attempts in NUR 11 & 12 and with 2 attempts in NUR 51 will result in the student receiving an Unsatisfactory "U" for the Program Requirement-Math Competency. This will result in a clinical warning. On a good note, they do offer a math tutorial (one of the few free things!) during the summer. I took a course at CCRI called "Dosage Calculation for Medication Administration" - its a full semester 3 credit course (a prereq for their program) I found it VERY helpful. They really simplified it into an idiot proof formula. Everyone passed the class with a 100% on the final exam which mimics the test the state requires for student nurses. You can also take this course on line. It might be worth investigating! If you are as bad as I am (failed algebra 1 twice in high school many, many, MANY years ago...) you may want to start with some of the basic math classes at BCC. I applied to the program once before (last year). I was bummed at first when I didn't get in (I was so arrogant, I thought I was a shoe-in with my 4.0 gpa!! I really did need to get that reality check!) But I am glad now because It gave me time to focus on A&P and Micro without the stress of NUR11 hanging over my head. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I'd be happy to help you out with any/all questions. If I don't know the answer, I'll try to point you to someone who does. I won't make them up as I go... ! I'd PM you but I don't know how? I'm a computer idiot!! If you aren't applying until 2010, don't stress about the TEAS, you have plenty of time to take it!:typing

Would anyone REALLY keep the only copy of a file on their flash drives? EEKS!! With age comes wisdom I guess!!!

i studied my orifice off! but seriously, i made flashcards. tons and tons of flashcards. i'm also 42 and find it hard to have dedicated "study time". family, job, etc always seems to present some sort of unexpected challenge. flash cards allowed me to take the material on the go and study everywhere. even at red lights or waiting at the dunkin' donuts drive thru. i'm such a visual learner and it really helped. on the tests i could picture the words on the cards and in my mind flip it over and come up with the answer. geeky? yes! successful? most definately!:typing

You don't need a laptop, but a flash drive will make your life a GAZILLION times easier. You can pick one up in Walmart for around $14.00 with plenty of storage space. You can load your files, papers, etc on to it and access the information at the school computer lab, home, etc, without carrying around a bunch of cds that might get scratched. Better yet, its so small you can fit it on your key chain! Next to a good, comfortable pair of shoes, it was the best school purchase I made!!

glad i could help! i feel like everything i learned was "the hard way". it seems as though you get a different answer from everyone you speak to! i'm finally "in"! i start nurs 11 in a couple of weeks. a few tips regarding bcc: document everything and make copies! who you talked to, when you talked to them, what they said. trust me, you'll need it. i got all my health forms/drug test done by july 15th and yesterday the office called saying i couldn't take nurs 11 because my file wasn't complete (grrrrr) fortunately i made copies of my "stuff" so i can go in this week and prove it. save everything they send you, including the envelopes! when i originally applied, nobody mentioned the word teas. i talked to enrollement services, and they told me my application was complete. two weeks after the application deadline, i received a letter in the mail, dated three days after the deadline, that new this year was the teas test with the info. i was furious, but i had all my dated info to make my case. then, they posted my scores to another students account with a smiliar name, and i had to fight to get my own scores back. maybe she did better than i, but i wasn't taking that chance! go to orientation! that's when they spring all the "important" info on you. like the $800.00 book list and the uniform fittings (bring your check book), and the first day math exam, and the fact that nobody should work more than 20 hours while in the program. (my kids like to eat, so i'm going to have to make it work while working full time - which is why i got all my prereqs out of the way first!) regarding the teas, when i took it this past january, ccri in newport was the closest place to me that offered it. when i called for the appointment, they asked when i had taken it before (if i had) because you could only take it once per year. a girl next to me couldn't log in to the test because she had logged in within the previous 12 months. it locked her out. i highly recommend calling ccri in newport and ask for jane in testing services. she is a doll! she goes above and beyond the call of duty. she'll let you know what's up with the test. the test itself isn't that bad. its no worse than the math/reading placement tests they make you do at bcc.

i agree with the others... don't skimp on shoes! i was very limited due to our restrictions (no clogs, crocks, sneakers, slipons, etc) the practical side of me knows that comfort is everything, the sassy side of me couldn't bear the thought of wearing the same lace up style that my grandmother wore 35 years ago! i found a realllly cute pair of cherokees that are amazingly comfortable and only $40.00! (which to me is a ton of money for shoes, but compared to some of the other brands, really not so bad) they are very cushiony and springy. really the best thing to do is set aside some time and walk around the store in every brand they have. don't feel rushed, your feet will thank you later!

MCB... I was in your shoes last year at this time. Just a heads up, BCC is the only school in the MA/RI area that would accept my 10yr old credits. CCRI has a SUPERB nursing program, (and the good news is they have spring and summer admissions AND they threw out that ridiculous waiting list!) but they wouldn't accept a single of my "old" transfer credits. URI & RIC would take SOME, but their wait list was not in my plan. Don't forget about Salve's program. Not sure how competitive it is, but it is an option. Also St. Joe's (Providence) has a well respected program. Many of the people I took A&P with applied to and were admitted to the Brockton Hospital Nursing School. Remember, obstacles are there to see how badly you want something....

You can only take the TEAS test ONCE every 12 months. Since this is the first year BCC is using the TEAS as part of the admissions process, they looked at the overall scores of all the applicants, figured out what the top percentage of students scored, and went from there - in other words, this year they did not know what score they were looking for until they were all in (at least that is how the dean of admissions explained it to me!) The content of the test wasn't as hard as I had anticipated, however, you should really brush up on your science and math if you've been out of school for a while. The most challenging part for me was sitting for three hours in front of the computer screen. UGH! Don't forget, when applying to BCC for nursing, they are REALLY strict about deadlines!! Hope this helps!:typing