jimmy53

ANYONE? ANYONE?!

Hi all! I'm moving to the Naples area in the next year or so and was wondering if anyone has heard of Edison State College (very cheap!!!) or Florida Gulf Coast University nursing programs and whether or not they are worth my time? I'm almost ready to enter Nursing School, just not sure how much longer I can take living in the DC area! Please lemme know if you can help me out with some info! Thanks and Happy New Year to everyone out there!!! - Jim

It's definitely cost for me! I'm probably gonna have to take out a lot of loans and I'm applying for as many scholarships as possible. I have a sorta new roommate who is in the accelerated program right now. We live within a few blocks of the main campus and it's mostly out of shear convenience that I've settled on MU. Plus, their program is pretty thorough.....I think they pass the NCLEX at around 99.9 %! Two more schools I'm considering are Shenendoah U, out in Ashburn and Washington Adventist University in Tacoma Park......don't know much about either! Good luck and lemme know what you find out! - Jim

Hi, I just took that class in the summer. It's a bit different in the summer, but, it's not THAT hard! I had a&p 1 and 2 the previous two semesters and it was essentially the ONLY schooling I've had since graduating from college in 1997.....wow, I'm old! Anyway, Vander Maten is the one to take! She is an asst dean of the Bio dept. and she is amazing! She makes it simple and always seems to go back to the premise of.....you should be able to explain this concept on a bar napkin.....being a bartender, I find that to be awesome! Seriously, she is a bit kooky, like an eccentric aunt, or something, but very effective.....by the way, there's only a couple of professors who teach this subject. My roomate had a guy and said he wasn't too bad. I got a B with Dr. V and I easily could've had an A if I didn't work so much! Another thing, Chemistry will definitely HELP you with this class! If you can put it off til AFTER Chem, do it, otherwise, just study.....I didn't and got a B....that's saying a lot!!! Don't let the NOVA counselors push you around, be confident and they will let you take what you NEED, not what they WANT you to pay for! Hope this helps! - Jim

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows much about Trinity University in DC. I'm trying to start Nursing school next Spring and Marymount may just be outta reach.....I'm a 2nd degree student! I'll take any advice you might have! Thank you so much and take care! - Jim

Hey Rose7! I'm sorry I never replied to your last post....for some reason, I never got it. If you're still active on this site I'd like to ask you a few questions....especially about Marymount! They DO kinda suck, don't they?! Have you heard anything about Trinity college in DC? I'll be finishing up my pre-req's this fall and hopefully, I'll be in Nursing school by next January! Is school getting any better? What's the summer classes like? My roomate is in the same program as you, but he took off for the summer.....we live right down the street.....one MAJOR reason I even considered Marymount! Hope all is well and talk to ya soon! - Jim

Anyone....anyone!

Hello, I'm trying to get into the Fall '09 Accelerated Second Degree Nursing program at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. Has anyone been through it, heard about it, etc.? Any information you can give will be helpful. Also, I'm a guy...will that be a problem? Thank you - Jim

Hi, I'm enrolled in A&P2 (got an A in 1!) and I am totally UNSURE about whether to make Nursing or Physician's Assistant my career. If I go the RN route, I want to eventually get an NP licence. If I go through the PA program, then where can I go from there? I'm leaning toward the RN, mostly because I have absolutely NO hospital experience and there seems to be many more programs available for RN's. Also, I'm a former teacher who will be trying to enter an accelerated BSN program in the Fall. I have a few more pre-requisites to sew up first, but I HAVE options. Please tell me whatever you might know about this because it's obviously causing me to miss valuable sleep! Thank you - Jim:banghead:

I heard that HRSA has received millions from the "spend-no-less" package passed by congress last month that is "ear-marked" for nursing students, physician assistant students and myriad of other health related education. I was also told that these are grants which include tuition, room and board and even a stipend! This young lady works for HHS, which is aparently overseeing most of this money. She told me this program will be posted on their website in a week or so(this was 2 weeks ago). Has anyone out there heard about this program? Please tell me everything you know about it!!! Thank you - Jim

I work in the restaurant business. Granted, it's certainly not for everyone, but you can make in 20 - 30 hours a week, what most jobs pay for 50 - 60, even more if it's the right gig! I'm not sure where you live, but the closer to a coast and a mid to larger city helps, especially with tips! Another thing is student loans. You may be able to take out the max, pay whatever essential bills you have after school and maybe have some money left over. Yet another way to go, is to work at a hospital, have them pay you for the work you do and for the school you're attending....it may not be much, but school's covered. Either way you go, you're gonna have to sacrifice for a few years, but it will be SOOO worth it when you finish up!!! GOOD LUCK! - Jim

I'm not sure what YOUR A&P is like, but my A&P1 was hellish. I was lucky enough to take a 1 credit Medical Terminology class beforehand and it helped me tremendously! I hadn't taken a college course since I gradumutated waaaay back in '97....so it was a bit of an adjustment, especially with all the youngsters....they need to BAN cellphones in college, too, by the way!!! Anyway, A&P 2 is much harder for me, since it's a lot more DETAIL oriented. Lotsa little fine points and WAAAAAY too much information to take in. I suggest you check out ratemyprofessor.com to see what other people are saying about you're next potential professor....ignore the haters!!! Don't miss class, for any reason, especially labs, never be late, ASK QUESTIONS and for you own sake, do the freakin' extra credit if given a chance! I'm half retarded and the last person who WANTS to study (unlike miss NOVARN!) and I managed an A....if I can do it.....ANYONE can do it!!!!! Good luck! - Jim

Hi, I'm a newbie to this site and I must say that it's very helpful! I am kind of in the same boat as you. I was trying like crazy to get a measely interview with the dozen or so hospitals within a few miles of my house. I tried in vain and all I got was rejection post cards, not even a letter...how rude!!! Anyway, it's a tough economy right now and even the private "prestigious" hospital right up the road from me is only hiring RN's and "essential" staff. By the way, I live in Arlington, VA, a suburb of the Nation's Capital....which is ALMOST recession-proof! I was rather disappointed though, when I recently found out that the girl I sat next to in my A&P class was hired at the same hospital and for the same job, no less....she was REPEATING the class! ....not because she got a D or a C, but an F! And she failed it again! What's up with that?! ....I got an A, I'm older and more mature, plus I have a degree! ..........she was a minority with little or no education! I don't know how these things work, you must keep pluggin' along until you find your place. Hang in there! I'm trying to find out whether or not one MUST work in a hospital BEFORE they practice nursing. I have heard many nurses say that you get enough training and experience in clinicals and classes during Nursing School. I just want to be sure, that's all. Incidentally, you may want to give restaurants a try. I have been a bartender forever and Nursing will be my new version of bartending. Servers and bartenders are able to work at night, have a relatively flexible schedule, they make great money with the right gig and more importantly, you gain a new appreciation for knowledge...i.e. schoolwork! Your priorities change when you are at the mercy of a customer who will pay you with a tip....It FORCES you to treat EVERYONE like they're special....even the ones we despise.........food for thought! Good luck! - Jim

Hello, I'm a newbie! I'm currently enrolled in A&P 2 (got an A in 1!) and look forward to Nursing School in the fall. I have a degree (Education, English) from just over ten years ago and I'm wondering if I should get a job in a hospital (mostly to pay for the expensive private college I'll be attending - Marymount University's accelerated BSN program) or should I stay at my current job as a bartender. Keeping in mind that I make pretty good money as bartender, I was thinking of taking out loans to pay for school. I am worried that I will not be adequetely prepared for hospital life without having worked in one! I was considering volunteering a day or so a week to get a feel for this and I still may do that....but, I'm still worried about hospital experience after graduating. Will I have enough experience under my belt from Nursing School? Is three to four nights per week too much to work when attending an intense program like Marymount's? If anyone can help me out with some information I would appreciate it! Also, which hospital in DC or VA is the best for ICU or ER experience - I love action and get bored with nothing to do! Thanks and God Bless! - Jim