jrbakern

I faced a similar situation and chose the BSN route, so now I have two bachelor's degrees; and I feel like I made the right decision. At my school, I could have went into a CNL program which was a master's program. The CNLs took the same classes as the BSNs and had to do extra papers. The big thing is that if you were to decide to become an NP later on, NONE of those "grad" level classes would count for that NP degree. As far as I know, the starting pay is the same or close to the same (and the same is true if you are starting as a nurse with an associate's degree.) Nursing & education aren't necessarily treated the same as it works in the business world. You really need to do your research on this one. I would ask around to potential employers and get their take on it. Good luck to you. If you have any other questions feel free to private message me directly.

Good luck to everyone. I know the wait is excruciating. I have to tell you the morning I saw my status change was the most memorable & probably the high point of nursing school at UMB. And don't worry about breaking the system -- I know I easily checked my status over a 1000 times. And don't get discouraged if you see postings of others having a status change and yours is still the same. They didn't happen all at once for my class. Just make sure if you are still taking classes to keep those grades up (B or better for everything prereq or not.)

All of the RNs I know in the program at Shady Grove do work full time but none that I know of have tried to complete the program in one year. Community health for example requires two days: one for lecture and another for clinical. Nothing is impossible but I know of more than a few that started and did not finish because it was more involved than they were expecting. The only thing I can tell you is that when you plan your schedule, if you are planning to take classes in the summer, find out which ones are likely to be offered. Some summer classes fill up quickly and I am not sure if RN to BSN students get preferential placement or not so you need to find that out. Core classes that have a clinical component such as Community Health are only offered in the fall and spring. Hope this helps. If you send me a private message I will try and find an RN to BSN student you can communicate with directly.

Most of us who applied in the past and used these threads must have checked our status a thousand times. It is nerve wracking and seemingly takes forever, and admittedly, the day I found out I was accepted remains one of the high points of my experierence at UMB. (I am graduating this December.) Two things. The biggest one is that for ALL the classes you are taking now (prereqs or not) you must get a B or better; it will be one of the conditions of your offer letter. If you end up with a C they will offer your slot to someone else. Second, there will be some people that won't be accepted until literally the last minute because of Cs and late cancellations. It might be a good idea to think about a possible backup plan of action in case UMB doesn't work out. I know in the past some people that ended up not getting into UMB were able to get into Towson or Coppin without having to wait a semester but not sure about how they managed that. And lastly don't wrack your brain comparing GPAs, TEAS scores, etc. The committees seem to look at the whole picture, a high GPA for example doesn't guarantee being admitted. All that is out of your hands now anyway!! Focus on getting As and Bs in your current classes. I saw some of you talk about Chem and that is one class (Stats being the other) where some people start off well and end up with Cs. If you are done with school or have free time the best thing to do is enjoy it while you have it. Once we are into January 2011, you won't have time for much of anything besides school. Best of luck to you all!

I will be finishing up at the end of this year. UMB is a great program. I don't really have anything to compare it to and I imagine all of them are just as hard. It's not hard conceptually; its the volume of information you have to learn in addition to performing on camera and then direct patient care. There is nothing I can compare it to that you have taken up until now. Just a word of caution on the part time thing. People that ended up part-time in my group are pretty much gone now. I think part of it is that when you start, you will know everyone in your starting class. Without the support of fellow classmates you won't make it. When part time people fall behind, they have to make new friends every semester with the classes behind them, and it's not easy to fit into groups that are already established. Again nothing is impossible but its already hard enough so limit the hardships where you can.

Sorry you misunderstood me. IF you have worked then have a decent resume to back it up. UMB is a very competitive program so you have to sell yourself beyond the grades is all I am trying to tell you. Be clear that this is what you want to do and that your family is 100% behind you. Nursing school regardless of where you end up going will be more intense than having a full time job. You will have long clinical hours at oddball times and days in addition to all the classes and labs, plus have to make time to study.

The grades that matter the most are the core prereqs: anatomy 1/2, microb, chem. I wouldn't spin my wheels worrying about what happened in the past. The worst thing they can do is say no. My grades from the distant past weren't great and I got in. Your essay & pertinent volunteer and/or working experience that relates to nursing, and a resume if you've been working, are just as important and those are things that are now in your control/things you can work on. In my opinion, I would set the goal for the BSN, and fall back to the ADN if you don't have any success with UMB or other BSN programs. Good luck!

There is an online form on their website, that if I remember right, just requires a fax with your account info and signature. As far as cards being thrown away or other problems, I wouldn't sweat about it now. You will receive endless regular daily emails from Higher One in your UMB email account when and if there is money due to you. I initially ignored them because I didn't want to deal with Higher One and thought I could get a check directly from UMB but that isn't the way it works. There will be links and contact info in the email and I would take care of it then.

Hi there. Congrats to everyone that have been accepted and look forward to seeing you around this fall. I am a current student at Shady Grove, graduating this December. For the Higher One Card, you need to go into the account and set it up. I don't remember if I actually had to activate the card itself or not, but I never use it. If you get loans and/or grants, and there is a balance owed you by UMB, the funds are sent to Higher One. From there the money can be direct deposited to your personal account or sent by check through One Card with no fee. UMB won't send you any money directly. Hope this helps.

3-6 pockets on scrub bottoms is ok - I think the point was not to have pockets all over the place. Students have worn full length and short labcoats so that should be ok as well. As far as vaccinations go, mail it BUT ALWAYS make a copy before doing so, and put it somewhere where you won't forget just in case there's a last minute problem. For CPR cards make sure you copy the front and the back.

Don't be in any rush for the clamp. The penlight you will use the first semester. The scissors I used during clinicals in the second semester though there were scissors around everywhere at the hospital I was at. I haven't used the clamp once during the first two semesters. Only thing I would recommend is keeping it short enough so it doesn't constantly fall out of your pocket. For scrubs any style is ok but plain & simple (Cherokee) is best in case you have to buy replacements. I know for the bottoms they don't want an overabundance of pockets or "painter's" pants.

For SG I think the bus is a great idea but just keep in mind on Mondays & Tuesdays you will have pathopharm from 500-730pm, so that may make for a very long day waiting for a bus especilly at night. You will have health assessment that starts sometime in the morning on Mondays, and somewhere between Mon and Tues you will have a 3 hour lab for health assessment. Wed & Thurs may be more feasible since those classes end sometime in the afternoon. For BSNbear - its not that we bond through suffering, its that we bond through the amount of time we have to spend together practicing, writing and studying - all of this is beyond the time you spend in class and assigned lab together, so maybe "struggle" is a better word. I don't want to be all doom & gloom but there is a lot of work ahead of you. While your friends are out partying and you are stuck at home trying to memorize pathopharm meds, just remember when you graduate, you will have the potential to make a lot more money than they will. And trust me, you can make up for lost partying time well into your 30s if you want to go that route :-) JR

Whatever school you applied for is the one you are accepted to. They won't put you at the other school without talking with you about it first.

Congrats to the people who are no longer wait listed! The CPR cert should be completed before school starts (25 January) simply because you won't have time once school starts. You will get a few weeks once school starts to get CPR and immunizations but it's a nightmare to get it done and recorded at B'More. The biggest thing is that you should definitely start your hep B before school starts or else you won't make the deadline for the second dose. And there is no fooling around with this; I know people who had to drop 304 because they didn't get these done in time. SG orientation is Jan 20 and Jan 21. Don't know about Bmore. Think the other questions got answered. Congrats again - JR

You are welcome. I know without allnurses I would been completely crazed by the whole application process and the waiting and waiting and waiting.....It was good to know there were others that were going through the same thing I was as well as people who were in the program and were kind enough to answer questions. Yes you can ask to switch campuses after the first semester. It is VERY limited though as Shady Grove accepts only a set number; the slots that will be open are because of people who didn't make it or decided not to continue on. And its those that decide not to continue on that can be problematic as they usually don't share their intents until the last minute. So if you do decide to try to switch be patient and flexible. Uniforms: all white tops; all khaki bottoms. Tan will work as well. You can purchase them at a number of scrubs stores or uniform stores in the area or order them through the UMB bookstore (always more $$.). I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a white shirt since they are hard to keep clean though knock on wood mine are still stain free after a year. You can also buy scrubs off the internet which may be better for the person needing a specialty size. You can wear a white shirt underneath with short or long sleeves; guys also can wear regular undershirts. If you go the internet route, you should still have plenty of time, as you don't have to show up on January 25 in your uniform though you will need it soon thereafter. For the holeless Crocs I bought mine on the internet. It was hard to find a real white pair (bone white looks gray to me though I am sure they would be ok.) I prefer a good pair of sneakers for a long day at clinicals but for school, I found the Crocs to be better. There will be some weeks you will have to wear your uniform 3 times as you have to wear it to your 304 lab, for video validations, and to your clinical days. For 333 lab, we had the option of wearing the uniform or your lab coat. If you go the lab coat route, just be aware you can't wear shorts or jeans, so sometimes its easier to wear the uniform and change out of it if you don't want to wear it all day at school. I feel having two uniforms is better than trying to keep one clean and ready all the time. JR

For those of you wondering if they have your deposit yet, one way to check is to log onto SURFS and see if it is posted. If you haven't set up your UMB ID to log onto SURFS it would be a good idea to do that as well. There are other things to fill out in SURFS like emergency contact info, so play around with it. You won't break anything :-) Once you have a UMB ID you can also log onto Blackboard although there really isn't anything there for you yet. You can get to Blackboard and SURFS through the UMB/SON website. As far as classes go, they have allotted the spaces needed for the new students and you are guaranteed a spot. Payment is due the first day of classes 25 January 2010. JR

Congrats again to those of you starting next month. Getting into the program is no easy task as most of you know by now :-) I too finished up yesterday (along with Dorkalicious!! yeah me made it!!) and can answer questions. It seems like most of them have been answered already. If you haven't bought a stethoscope you can buy the package mentioned at orientation. There will also likely be students there selling their books if you want to wait until then. Lab coats are not sold at orientation - you can buy them at the same place you buy your uniforms. Any white lab coat is ok - you will just have to put the nursing school patch on it. Patches can be ordered through the UMB bookstore. There is a delivery service charge which is high. Since you don't have to have them the first day of class it may be a good idea for those who don't want to drive/park/walk in downtown Bmore to get together with a group of folks at orientation and make one order. The "president" people referred to is the president of the association of nursing students. They sell the packages as part of a fundraiser for the organization. I haven't seen it mentioned in awhile so I will throw it out there again. If you want to get ahead, the best way to do so is to be fully prepared for Medical Calculations which is part of your fundamentals class (and will be an ongoing thing throughout nursing school.) There is a workbook that the last time I saw was "recommended" by Boundy on MedCalc; the truth is you are responsible to know everything covered in that workbook so it's hard to get by without it. The workbook will show you a number of ways to solve problems; if you attend practice sessions, you will likely see even more techniques to solve problems that are not in the workbook. For your test, they are interested in the right answer and the professor will not care what method(s) you use to get to the answer, so if the "ratio" formula doesn't make sense to you and another one does, stick to what works for you. There are some things you have memorize (such as formulas, metric conversions, terminology, etc); the rest you just have to practice, practice, practice, with a pencil and paper. Last January, I tried to read ahead in my other classes but I am not sure overall how helpful that is. It's hard to know what to focus on until you have attended class. If you have some free time and want to start looking at something to get you started, try this. One book that you will have to know pretty much cover to cover and is easier to read on your own is probably your Health Assessment book. The lab manual also serves as a study guide; the lab manual is one book you will have to get new or "slightly used" since there are tear out sheets you will have to turn in during lab. The first week you will probably cover chapters 1-2-4-5-8-9. The way the book is laid out, it will seem like there is a lot of "supplemental" information at the end of some of the chapters; the truth is that information is just as important, and more to the point you will see questions from there on your exam. Look at the same chapters in the lab book; pay attention to the glossary (you will see these words again in other classes as well) and exercises. Also sign up for student tools on the book website; there are additional multiple choice questions there to look at. You will find your exam questions will generally be a bit more diffiicult as they tend to be application questions, but if you know the subject matter, you shouldn't have too much difficulty. Enjoy your 41 days you have left! JR P.S. I also have a favor to ask of everyone. Whenever you have time once school starts, check back here periodically and help out the people coming behind you. It gets harder to do so as you make your way through the program, plus it will be far "fresher" in your mind than it is in mine! Thanks ~

most people buy their own scrubs and sew the patch on. I used my labcoat from microbiology. If you aren't sure about where the patch goes its in the student handbook on the website or wait until school starts and get guidance from your instructor.

sorry didn't mention it before. mynursinglab.com is a place where you can buy it separately. it's an access code - there is no cd if I remember right.

Compare the descriptions & ISBN codes from the bookstore to Amazon. Amazon does sell the "complete" package and it is less money. That package may contain a workbook - the workbook is worthless in my opinion - the questions are the same that are in the text and my nursing lab, so figure out how to get the best price for a text and my nursing lab and go from there.

I would find a used pathopharm book (the previous edition would probably work as well) -- maybe buddy up with another person and buy it together as an alternative. You will have to look up things from time to time that won't be clear from the slides. Make sure that you buy a 304 book with My Nursing Lab packaged with it; otherwise it will cost you $75 to buy it separately. Some students will tell you that you don't need it -- I disagree. Each chapter has tests that point out weak areas for you to review in the text. It also has videos that will help you with 304 and later on in adult health (330). JR

I am graduating Dec 2010. Whenever I get anything from UMB they list me as being from the class of 2010. Amongst ourselves we are usually called "The December Graduates". Congratulations to everyone who is in. For those who are still committee ready and feel they met the criteria, don't lose hope even if you don't end up making the initial cut and end up being wait listed. Some people who are admitted for one reason or another end up not coming. If I am not mistaken someone that started with me last year got in right before orientation started. The bottom line is once you are in you are in and everyone starts off on even footing. Those grades you have made to this point - good or bad - as far as UMB goes, are counted as credits only. Your GPA will only reflect the grades you earn at UMB. Nursing classes and nursing school are radically different from anything you have experienced to date. One of the harder parts of this process is now behind you, so try your best to fully enjoy the 8 weeks you have remaining. A few months from now you will be seem more like a stranger to your family and friends - it happens faster than you can imagine. Happy Thanksgiving to all - JR

For those of you finishing up classes, make sure you make a "B" or better in those remaining classes. They will rescind your offer if you make a "C" - no kidding - it happened to one of the people here on allnurses this past fall. If there is any chance you might be making a "C" get with that professor and do whatever it takes to get that "B". For SG students, see you in January. JR

Orientation is two days and you will have to attend both days. Last year it took some time to get anything in the mail - be patient and enjoy your last few weeks of freedom :-) Congratulations to everyone! JR

Hi future classmates - I have been reading and keeping up with most of the posts though i haven't had time to post anything this semester. I know the suspense is unbearable but hang in there. I know I must have checked online a million times to see if I got in and I didn't break the system though I did wear out my keyboard! If its any consolation I applied to a couple of programs and got offers as late as December last year. UMB is by far the best value for your money, it's a top 10 US Nursing School (Johns Hopkins is the other one in MD but far more expensive) & has a reputation for top notch students. For those of you who might be weighing between a BSN and ADN program, steer clear of the ADN programs if you can afford to. Many hospitals are trying to get "Magnet Status" (look it up online if you want to learn more) which require 75-80% of working RNs to have a BSN degree or better. This is making it difficult for people with ADNs to get hired and those who are working with ADNs are faced with having to go back to school to get their BSN. It's a shame given the fact most ADNs end up going to school for 4 years just like we are doing, but unfortunately that is the reality today. As far as number of applicants to UMB goes - it really isn't relevant. I know a number of people apply who don't meet the basic requirements. Like Grey Lady said or implied the applicant pool for those applying during the Spring is usually lower. And because its a "nontraditonal" time to start, things seem to be more last minute. I had to chuckle when I saw the post about socializing. You will - whether you want to or not - become close with most of those you start with in January. The amount of time you spend together for school work alone will make this happen. Because of the common struggles you face and our unique schedules - trust me your friends and family will never understand how difficult & stressful nursing school is unless they have been there themselves - you will end up spending time with classmates outside of school. Best of luck and look forward to meeting those of you going to Shady Grove in January. JR