EricaB

I am going the Monday AM meeting, and I'm pretty excited about it. I bought the book on Thursday, and I've gotten about half way through it. It does seem like a good book to read. There was a girl at the bookstore who is going into her second year, and she said they didn't have to do this last year.

Oh I would love the syllabus! I'll PM you with my e-mail, too! Thanks!

I registered, too! I got Patho Mon morning, 110 &111 Tues Morning, Micro Mon and Wed @ 1, and then 112 lab tues at 1, and clinicals at SAMC Fri 7-2. I wish I could have taken micro or patho over the summer, but I have a vacation planned the first week of June, and my husband would kill me if I tried to reschedule just so I could take more classes this summer!

Hi Jessicuy! I think they look at a lot of things, just your GPA and NLN aren't the only things they look at. I have a 2.5 GPA currently (due to some completely non-related classes a few years ago that I goofed because of working two jobs and my pride), my NLN was 91, I had an A in my CNA class, A in Anatomy, and currently have an A in Physiology. After the summer semester I will hopefully have a 4.0 or very close to it. After the initial deadline (March 15 was the deadline for Fall start), they look at all applicants, even those who have not completed all of their pre-reqs (like me, I just have Physiology not completed). They are not looking at people who meet the bare minimums.....and I guess even getting a C in any of your science classes make you look like a risky student to them (heard this at the info meeting, and from someone I know who is in the program). I think in-district is required, or atleast in-district students get top priority. So, a strong NLN, decent GPA, A or B in your science classes. It all depends really on what the applicant pool is like. What's good enough to get in really varies each time. But I think as long as you strive towards those 3 things, it does nothing but improve your chances!

I think I read some old posts where everyone kind of registers together, I will try e-mailing my friend in the program and ask her. They extended the deadline though, so I would think any meetings would be after all the program spots have been filled. My only concern is Micro....what if it fills up before that? I think they hold classes for students in the program, right?

Yay, I got my letter today! I went to an info meeting last month, and they didn't give out a mock schedule....I asked about it and the lady said it would be all over the place. So I hope it hasn't changed, but that sounds reasonable to me.

No letter in the mail today, but I live in Mount Prospect so maybe tomorrow!

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to having to take Micro along with Patho the first semester....but I didn't want to have to mess with any of the other classes. I want to be able to focuse just on my nursing classes. I am taking Basic Pharmacology this summer so I have some sort of an intro.....so hopefully that helps, too!

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely remember that!! I was really nervous up until last week because I'm married and working full time, and just wasn't sure how everything would work time-wise and financially. But my In-law's offered to give us their guest bedrooms so that I can afford to quit or go extremely part time at my dental office job. As long as I have the time to study, I feel I will be ok, and now I will have it!! And their house is VERY close to harper, so that will cut down on my commute time, I could eve walk if I wanted to. I'm waiting for the official letter to come in the mail.....I got my hopes up yesterday when there was an envelope from Harper....but it was just announcing dates for registering for fall.....talk about messing with a girl!

Congrats to you, too! Yeah, I wish I could take Micro this summer, but I wasn't originally planning to apply for Fall and my husband and I planned a long-overdue vacation the first week of June. But I already have Psych 228 and all of the other support classes, so other than Micro, I'll be straight nursing classes.

I have to be at work tomorrow @ 8, and I just can't sleep, my mind is racing! No need to explain...I know exactly how you are feeling!!

I got in!!! I checked my application status online, and it said "Decision Made: LE Contingent Accept"!!!! So as long as I don't manage to screw up the 2nd half of Physiology...I'm in!!! Oh my goodness....don't even know what to start thinking!!

I applied!! I'm currently taking Physiology....so I'm even more on edge because I don't know if they will extend the deadline or not. But all of my other pre-req's are done, so I'm hoping!

I start my class in a few weeks, and I completely see where you are coming from. I wanted to do this, but talked myself out of it because bills and life just got in the way, and I never thought I'd be able to pay for school, and still have a roof over my head. But I am nervous, just because you don't know what it will be like, but I think that all passed once the class starts. Good luck!

I am about to start my CNA program at the end of this month, and I've been doing a lot of reading. And I have prior experience working in boarding home for senior citizens that was owned by my grandmother. I was not certified, nor did I have any real training, I was just kind of thrown into. And as I read up on laws regarding assisted living and similar types of homes for senior citizens, I realized there were some seriously illegal things going on. I would administer meds to a patient who had alzheimers, as she was unable to safely take them herself. When a couple of patients were on hospice, the hospice nurse showed me how to pass liquid morphine and lorezapam (se?) through a port. As I read through the laws governing these types of homes, I realized atleast half of the patients shouldn't have been there. I was only 18 when my grandmother asked me to work for her, and I never even thought any of the things she had me doing would be considered illegal. I originally thought this experience would be good, as I have done many of the things a CNA does, but now I feel guilty as I really should not have been doing those things. Is this something I should keep quiet about, and not openly discuss my experience when in class? My grandmother no longer owns this boarding home, and I think it would definitely be a waste of time to even try to report this since it happened over 6 years ago. I just feel sick knowing I was part of this, even though I truly loved working with the residents while I was there.

Congrats!!

Thanks ladies for the words of encouragement! I just bought my book yesterday, and have gotten through 3 chapters already. I am really excited.

Thanks Katie. I don't actually plan working as a CNA at this point. I currently work in a dental office, and I make more than I could ever hope to make as a CNA starting out. I am taking the CNA as a prereq for the nursing program. But, if I were ever to lose my job or my hours cut horribly, the CNA would definitely be helpful as a back up.

Thanks, Fuzzy. I was thinking about buying the book a few weeks before the class starts to start reading ahead of time. That way I can review the sections as necessary. Because I really want to do well.

Hi everyone! I am registered to take my CNA class this summer. I am really excited about it, but I'm still not quite sure what to expect. I am taking an 8 week course, 6-9 Mon-Thurs with clinicals on Sat 7-3:30. I will also be working full time, and will be either at work or school from 9a to 9p. Is reading and homework going to kill me in this situation? A little background, I used to work for my grandmother when she owned a boarding home for senior citizens (not a nursing home, more like assisted living), and have wiped a many behinds, assisted with feeding, and helped the hospice nurses when they came in to care for those whose time has come, and changing beds, helping with showering, dressing, etc. I do not know how to take BP or listen to heartbeats or pulse, etc. I feel this will be of assistance to me, as I am familiar with some of the things a CNA does, but I know there is a lot I need to learn. Is there typically a lot of reading after each class in a CNA program? I will have Fri and Sun free to do reading, homework, etc. But I'm more concerned if the teachers will want us to read a ton of chapters between classes. I'd appreciate any insight anyone here might have to give me!

I'm a newbie here, but I thought I would comment. I am currently a receptionist in a dental office, and THAT is the fattest job. I am taking my CNA class this summer as a pre-req for nursing school. And I used to work in a boarding home for senior citizens when my grandmother owned it, and did several of the task a CNA would do. And its not easy work, and most of the residents were able to walk and take care of themselves, but the few who really needed help was enough to wear you out sometimes. But once I started working in the dental office at the desk, I gained weight almost immediately due to the lack of activity. So they should have feature the receptionist in that article!