guavaturtle

no problem =) Feel free to ask anything!

I remember there was simple algebra and a lot of conversions such as lb --> kg, ounces in lbs and stuff like that. I don't know if they do TEAS 4 or 5 now, but there are a lot of forums on this website that you can utilize. A lot of people take the test and come on the forums to share their experiences. You only need a 60 something to pass. I don't think ANYONE in our group failed it.

Hey guys =) I got in the program with 30 points. There isn't a "cutoff" but I think 27 points and above is competitive. As for first semester, the first month or so is pretty packed. It's literally 8-5 Monday through Friday. As the semester rolls on, you can expect to be at school at least 2-3 days a week + clinicals. On the first day of school, they give you a calendar that outlines what your life will be like for the next 3 months =)

Good luck to everyone who applied ! I am currently in the program, so feel free to ask me any questions =) Also, I remember getting notified around Thanksgiving last year, so I think that's when you'll get the notice. Best of luck!

Weird stuff? Now I'm curious. And I heard that St. Joes just laid off about 20 nurses ..

For 192 all u really need is the Taylor book. As for the iggy book, both single and double volume are fine, but I recommend getting it off amazon where it's around 140 instead ! I have 2 day shipping for amazon so let me know if u need me to get it for you. You don't need iggy until 193

Haha true story indeed =) I think although nursing and bartending you're on your feet a lot, the physicality of it to me is very different. I'm working as a CNA right now while in school, and I haul some pretty decently heavy patients all day, but I don't feel as emotionally or physically exhausted as being at a restaurant all day lifting a variety of things and bending over or getting on tippy toes every couple of minutes! It's hard to explain! Only thing I can do right now is stay in shape, and hope my body doesn't age too quickly!

Ditto. I left the business because it wasnt a career. I can't do this when I'm 30+, it's a very physically demanding job! But the OP has the right idea. You can't solve everything with money, but without money you just get a whole new slew of issues.

Haha I worked at a very high end place and it was a madhouse every night. I made almost 100k one year. It's definitely possible . So quitting that to transition to nursing was rough financial - wise You can make awesome money in te restaurant business. And yes, the clothes stayed on hahaha!

I used to bartend, and made 300-500 dollars a night, 4 nights a week. I was also good at it. I feel like there's soooo much to learn in nursing, it never ends! Bartending...way easier, less stress, more money.

A lot of the people who got in were 28 points or more from what i remember. Also for enrolling, if you're accepted, you're in. They will give you an add code, dont sweat!

Congrats on your acceptance! It seems like you already made your decision, but I would have recommended Saddleback as well! I goto Cypress right now, and I work at Hoag. All the nurses rave about how awesome the Saddleback program is, and I've noticed that they they hire a ton of new grads from Saddleback as well =) You're in a great program, enjoy it!

This post is awesome, it made me laugh so hard! I spit out my coffee when I read the "should I be a RN/LVN/CNA/NP/CRNA BLAHBLAHBLAH part =)

I'm in the Cypress program right now. Good luck to all of you! It's been a really good experience thus far, and I hope to see you guys with me soon!

I eat SOOO much when I'm stressed out. I swear, every midterm/final I gain a good 3 lbs in one week easily, and then try to work it off during the "downtime." My first semester I gained 6 lbs total, but I'm one month into summer and I've lost 5 of it already. I want my 6 pack back!

Whoa! We share a very similar story! I'm only done with my first semester of an ADN program, and I decided to apply for a CNA job at one of the best hospitals in the area, seriously not thinking I would have a chance. Somehow...I got hired! Mine are fixed shifts as well, except they are 7pm to 7am yet only two days a week. Best of luck to you as well, even if we do not end up getting that RN job when we graduate, we still have the experience and connections =)

Thank you all for the advice! A lot of my friends have looked at me funny asking why I would want to work as a CNA, they think they're above it. I obviously disagree. Besides, I hear the best nurses are the ones who started from the very basics.

Yup you'll be fine!

I see, thanks for your advice! Doesn't it suck? On one hand you're stressing about getting your foot in the door, and on the other you don't want to work to the point where your grades suffer. Balance ....so hard to find! Thank you again!

I'm a second semester nursing student, and I just accepted a PCA/ CNA position at Hoag . It's a night shift (7pm-7am) and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me? (other than IV-ing myself to caffeine) I felt like I was the only person in my class without medical experience, so I told myself I was going to bust butt in the summer to level the playing field~ I'm really excited about this position, and I want to go in and impress!

http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Nursing-Art-Science-Care/dp/0781793831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306627494&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Surgical-Nursing-Two-Patient-Centered-Collaborative/dp/1437714501/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1306627525&sr=8-4-spell The Iggy one, there are a couple ways you can get the book. There is a one volume and a two volume one, which splits up the book so you don't have to carry a giant mountain everywhere. I got these off amazon because as students you can apply for "prime" status, which is free and gives you free two day shipping.

Heya, I'm in CNSA, and I definitely recommend joining. (not just cuz I'm on it of course) The fee is like what? 40 bucks maybe, and they offer a lot of classes throughout the semester at a cheaper cost to CNSA students. For example, the CPR class they offered was a huge amount cheaper than if you went out and got it through another source. This year they also offered a EKG and Ortho class for a cheap price to CNSA students as well. You also get opportunities to goto nursing conventions (that the school pays for ) if you're a member. So yes, it hurts a little on the wallet, but I really think it's a great deal to look into =) As for the student malpractice, I don't think you need to be in CNSA to get a cheaper price. I seem to remember getting mine through NSO, and it was like 22 dollars for the year. Hope this helps.

I live closer to the hospital than I do to school, so it wasn't bad. A lot of my friends commuted from around school, it sucked, but you get an extra day off haha! That was the only one that had a one day schedule, but things could change.

yup, that's where I was for the whole semester. It's a great place to start if you haven't had any medical experience (like me). The hospital itself is small, so you can really get to figure out where things are and get to know where everything is and who everyone is. I liked it there, and having 4 days off in a row is amazing! Goto clinical and really try to jump into new experiences. All the cool stuff I got to do I had to be assertive so the nurses know that you want to learn =) I'm actually going to volunteer in their ER soon, so I guess ..yeah, I did like it =)

well, for the last semester at least, wednesday was our once a week clinical. It was down in San Clemente (saddleback memorial)