Cuddleswithpuddles

I am taking Conceptual Physics through UC Berkeley Extension. I compiled a list of potential classes that met my needs (had to be online with a flexible timeframe), ran it by the USC staff and got their approval.

Hello everyone, Here are some of my answers and experience. I attended one of the orientation sessions last summer before applying. Dr. Gold and the CRNA department professors are there to give some background about the profession, the program and answer any questions. I made a point to talk to all of them. They were all very lovely people! I made an appointment with one of the professors to go over my experience and transcripts. I gathered course descriptions of some courses I have taken and the ones I will take so that the professor (Dr. Norris) can assess if they fit the program requirements. I took O chem, biochem and studied for GRE in the fall. I applied pretty darn close to the deadline. I got an email interview invite about a couple days afterwards. My interview was on Jan 19th. As someone already pointed out, we all signed an agreement not to disclose information about the interview. Looking back I can say I had a lot of nervous high energy fun. It was like waiting in line for the best/worst roller coaster on earth. I even got to see the USC marching band! Judging from other people's experiences with other schools, USC definitely cultivated a much more positive supporting environment for everyone. Definitely for me!! I told myself that if I did not get in, I am too in love with USC to quit trying. But I got in!! I am now taking physics, which is the last class requirement I need to fulfill before entering. I am very thankful for Allnurses and everyone who has shared their experiences. Please PM me if I can be of any more help.

No, no waitlist.

I got in!! :)

Hello, I attended Loma Linda's RN-BSN program. I loved my experience. I can honestly say that my time there was life-changing. For one, I am becoming more and more vegetarian since I attended. I am not religious but I deeply appreciated their holistic approach and community service. Yes, it is a strict religious campus. Yes, all the food is vegetarian and caffeine free. The campus and the surrounding area is not a place to party. (Then again, that was never a priority for me.) The student contract I signed stated that I will not do drugs or alcohol during the entire duration of my enrollment. The RN-BSN cohort were treated like professional adults. I get the sense that the rest of the student body were scrutinized more. I feel that it is likely that social media accounts would indeed disqualify someone from the program. I consider myself a fairly.. hmm.. colorful individual. I have not had issues during my time there. As long as you go to Loma Linda to study and be a better professional, I really do not think you will run into trouble.

Hello everyone, I submitted my application a couple of days ago. Dr. Gold emailed me with some very positive feedback. I am waiting for official transcript reviews and a formal invitation to interview, but Dr. Gold kindly gave me some dates in advance. I blocked off those dates in my calendar faster than lightning! For anyone who went through an interview, could you share some insight? What kind of questions did they ask? What tips would you give a fellow applicant? My stats: - A little over 4 years in critical care. 11 years in total. - BSN from Loma Linda. GPA 3.98. - GRE 315. |

calivianya hit on a very, very good point. ICU is where I see the most futile care and the most narrow-minded statements about the patients' conditions. Every day someone makes a breezy, happy statement about the brass and silverware on the Titanic being very, very shiny. A nearly daily high for me is knowing that someone - - is clean and a little bit more comfortable or - has another day to fight or - passed on with as much dignity as possible ...and that I played a big role in that.

Yes! Do you notice you are not as eager to talk about a great day at work or your latest success? I had a friend like this. I have had so many wonderful things go on in my life in the past two years but I could not share it with her fully. It felt like I would be "rubbing it in her face" to tell her I got promoted, I got a pay raise, I got an A etc. when she is struggling and constantly unemployed or underemployed. Then I realized the issue was not me, and I found better friends to be happy with.

Also, please listen when a nurse who deals with a lot of end-of-life issues tells you that a patient may benefit from stopping medical treatment and going into hospice. Everyone makes incorrect calls but, in my experience, it is mostly the doctors who want to forge forward with aggressive care in the face of a poor prognosis. It is not that nurses want the patient to die. However, I think since nurses are the ones who have to coax patients to take pills that cause distressing side effects, shove NG tubes down, put in Foleys, clean incisions from surgeries that are supposed to "save" their life, do CPR and shock them, we see the struggle a little closer and often question is it worth it? When a nurse asks if all of this is worth it, take heed. More often than not, the family and the patient him/herself asks that question too.

This, in of itself, is a heartwarming post and thread. Thank you for the taking the time to seek advice! In addition to all that has been said above, please take heed when a nurse says something vague but ominous like "I do not know what is wrong, but this patient changed and he does not look right" especially when said nurse is experienced and has spent time with the patient. I know this can be a frustratingly subjective and vague but, at the very least, bookmark that thought. Nurses may not have your knowledge and training but we do spend hours watching, touching and talking to patients you will probably see only for a short period of time during the day. A slight pallor to the skin, a sleepier disposition, anxiety in a usually easy-going patient or a patient who was previously belligerent and demanding suddenly becoming oddly silent... Those are the things that I could not put a finger on but have preceded catastrophic events.

Point taken! Thank you!

I fit the bill. End of July will mark my first year in ICU, and I have worked in step-down, home health, postpartum, newborn nursery and floated to a bunch of other units. What do you mean by highs and lows? Do you mean emotional highs and lows, fast or slow periods during the day..?

Try this one. I really, really, really love this. I want you to see it and bask in its glory.

Perhaps I did myself a disservice by saying I am "plugging away" at a BSN. I can assure you that every step I take in my work and school life is a reward in of itself. Nothing will go to waste even if I do not go to medical school. It has been eight years of seeing the scut work of healthcare from a nursing perspective, and I am even happier than I was when I began. As for the scut work from a medical perspective? I will have to see it for myself to make a judgment. As for there being better ways to make good living, I agree. If I were to pick a career that paid well and allowed me enough balance in life to enjoy my earnings, medicine would be far, far down the list.

There are plenty, plenty of individual issues discussed at length in AllNurses. For example, the Nursing Issues in Patient Safety is an entire board dedicated to concerns of practicing and soon-to-be-practicing nurses.