NCphoenix

Hi PacificaRN, Congratulations on being accepted and finishing your first semester. By now, I’m guessing you’ve finished the first year. Have you started clinicals yet? Do they help you with clinical placement? Thanks!

Great! Good luck!!!

Hi Bumblebee, how's it going? have you had any luck? I ran into the same problem. I ended up going to the HR department directly (a couple of times) but didn't feel that was much help. After the third time, I was told that most managers are probably wanting to have someone with experience so they wouldn't really consider me. I got the feeling my resume wasn't being forwarded to any managers. So I decided to go straight to the hiring managers myself. My first choice was the ER so I went over and asked for the manager. I was dressed up and had resumes in hand. I told her that I had applied for a job but felt the process was a bit impersonal so thought I would come and introduce myself. Her words to me: "You are very smart". She asked me what my plans were and I told her I was in nursing school but have the summer off. She asked if I wanted something for summer only and I said no. She asked if I had any experience in the ER. I said no but I'm a quick learner, hard worker and willing to learn. She asked if I wanted a tour of the ER. I said yes. After about an hour, we said goodbye and she gave me her direct line to call her if I didn't hear from the hiring manager. I sat down right there to write her a thank you note, handwritten. That was on a Friday afternoon. I called her back on Wednesday around 4 p.m. and left her a VM saying I hadn't heard anything yet. She called me the next morning and left me a VM saying she had forwarded my resume with her recommendation to the hiring manager and that they were contacting Nurse Recruitment. By the following Wednesday, I received an email from their HR department requesting an interview. I meet with them all next week for my interview. They asked me for a minimum of 2 letters of recommendation. I think that's a good sign. I guess I'll find out next week. My recommendation to you: put a face to the resume. I had been submitting resumes online to 3 different hospitals for the past 8 months and this is the one and only in-person submission I've made, which resulted in an interview. Good luck! Keep me posted.

Hi All, I posted this on the Pre-nursing forum but no responses to date. First of all, congratulations to all who have been accepted in to the nursing program of choice and to any new grads out there! I was finally accepted into the nursing program of my choice (YEY!! ). I'm finishing the last few things before orientation and already selected my Fall schedule. As I wait patiently for classes to start, I was wondering if there are any current Durham Tech students or recent graduates who could share something about your experiences with the program. Do any of you have any advice? Anything I should keep in mind over the next two years? Anything I should get started on? Can you tell me more of what I should expect? Anything would help, such as technical requirements or tools that helped you - did you have a PDA? did you use a laptop in class? I'm waiting until August to pick a new phone/PDA and laptop. Are iPhones allowed? How hard or easy was it to get a job upon graduation? I'm assuming most of you are local to the Raleigh/Durham area. Did you go with the hospital where you were doing your clinicals? Thanks in advance for all responses! NCphoenix

No one has attended Durham Tech on this forum? I'll try posting on the North Carolina threads as well.

Hi All, Congratulations to all who have been accepted in to the nursing program of choice and to any new grads out there! I was finally accepted into the nursing program of my choice (YEY!! ) and I have the next several years semi-planned out until I achieve my ultimate goal of an MSN. I have completed most of my additional pre-requirements to start the program - background check, getting on the CNA registry, immunizations, health insurance (OK for now) and will take my CPR for healthcare providers class tonight. The next big thing is the nursing orientation. I have already selected my Fall schedule and it's been approved. For now, I will continue with my current employer on a PT basis, assuming they approve it. Otherwise, I think I will try to work as a CNA at the closest hospital or at the hospital where we do our clinicals. I hope we find out at orientation in 2 weeks which hospital we are assigned to. So as I wait for orientation and classes to start, I was wondering if there are any current Durham Tech students or recent graduates who could share something about your experiences with the program. Do any of you have any advice? Anything I should keep in mind over the next two years? Anything I should get started on? Can you tell me more of what I should expect? Anything would help, such as technical requirements or tools that helped you - did you have a PDA? did you use a laptop in class? I'm waiting until August to pick a new phone/PDA and laptop. Are iPhones allowed? How hard or easy was it to get a job upon graduation? I'm assuming most of you are local to the Raleigh/Durham area. Did you go with the hospital where you were doing your clinicals? Thanks in advance for all responses! NCphoenix

Hi amberleigh, I know you posted a while ago but was wondering if you received a response to your questions. As you may know by now, the admissions application to Durham Tech changed to a competitive (points) process starting for the fall 2011 class. What pre-reqs were you taking? Are you all done? I know several nurses working in different hospitals in the area and all have told me good things about Durham Tech. You can also check out their pass rate for the NCLEX on the BON site. I'm starting the ADN program in August and am very excited. Our orientation is in a few weeks and I already have my schedule. For now I plan on continuing to work PT with my current employer (if they allow it). I'm also changing careers and will be giving up a well-paid job to pursue this dream. At first, I expect to be making less than my current salary but hope to gain much more in return from this new career. In the long-term I think it will be a good career change and much more fulfilling. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer. You can also PM me. NCphoenix

That's great news! Is this for the BSN or for DTCC? When do you know for sure? I'm an older student with a family so I'm very happy that I got into a good, small school where I can excel and that I can afford while still paying my mortgage. More importantly, they have a great NCLEX pass rate. Once I have my RN, I will work on getting my BSN and my MSN. One step at a time. :)

Hi studentmom, Well, I did very well on the NET, finished and enjoyed my CNA class. I'm taking the state exam next week and my teachers say I should do well but I'm still a little nervous. AND, I got my acceptance letter to Durham Tech today!!! I'm really happy but a bit nervous, not sure how we're going to pull it off financially. My husband's contract was cut short and as of last Friday he is unemployed. Not only that but I'm encouraging him to go to school. I would have to quit my job to go to school since it's a day program so that means 2 college students with 2 kids BUT, I have faith that we will somehow figure this out I am finally on my way to become a nurse. How are things with you? Any updates? NCphoenix

Hi Hagaman1, Unfortunately, chances are slim for this fall. You have to have all your pre-requisites complete and take the NET before you can apply. The deadline was March 31. You also need to be on the CNA registry by June 15. However, I think it's always worth trying. You can stop by the admissions office with your transcript in hand (unofficial copy is fine) and see what they say. Since many people apply to several schools, there may be some who have applied to Durham Tech but will not attend. I don't know how many people applied or are on the list. The second round of letters went out already. I don't know if there are any spots left. Good luck.

Hi Jenniferkristin, The deadline for spring admission is July 1. By then you need to have all your pre-reqs done, be on the CNA registry and have taken the TEAS. You also have to attend a mandatory information session before then. I'm still waiting to hear from Durham Tech. I would have to take some classes over (over 5 years) to go to Wake Tech and by the time I do that I would have to apply for Fall 2011. If I don't get into to Durham Tech now, I'd also have to wait for Fall 2011 but DT is much closer to me. We'll see - there's still hope. Good luck!

I don't have any recent stats but I didn't ask. I'm trying to be patient. :uhoh21: Unfortunately it's been a really stressful week. My husband lost his job yesterday so I may not be able to go at all even if I'm accepted. But I'm still going to move forward and hope that I find a way to pull this off. I suggest you do the same. You never know - I'm not letting go of my spot until the last minute and if I can't go, you may get my spot.

:yeah:I just spoke to the admissions person, she just came back in to the office today. She is very nice and I think as long as you are respectful and considerate, she does not mind too much if she's asked about student status. Just imagine how many people are trying to reach her. She understands that we're all stressed and anxiously waiting for a response. I know I'd be avoiding the phone... I asked her again about the process. She said admission is determined by application date so now I'm higher than I thought. (App in Dec, NET in Feb). She hopes to send second round letters out by mid next week so we should get something by Friday or early the following week. I also asked her about Financial Aid and she said it's probably a good idea to work on that now. So that's what I'll be focusing on now.... I knew that but have been tied up with a million things, like finishing my CNA class. I have a couple of other options but unfortunately they would take longer and are further away so don't really want them. If I don't get in now, I would just have to be patient and stay in my job longer. I would use the time to take classes for my BSN. I realized that no matter where I go, I would still need to take a few more classes for a BSN, regardless of the number of credits that I already have. I just need specific classes. Good luck to you. Relax, keep the hope and wait for something good to happen. BUT I would also work on a plan B and C. Let us know where you end up going.

The first round of acceptance letters went out and I know a couple of people who are definitely in for the Fall. The second round of letters was supposed to go out by early last week but did not go out. The admissions person had a family emergency and has been out of the office. If all your pre-requisites were done and you're on the CNA registry, your admission is determined by the date that you took the NET. Cut-off for the first round was December 2009. The cut-off for round 2 has not been determined. Even if round 2 receives an admission letter, they still have to fulfill the post-admission requirements, including being on the CNA registry. I don't have an acceptance letter yet because I took the NET later than when I could have taken it if I had known the importance of that date. However, I still have hope. I'll keep you posted.

Hi All, Congratulations to everyone starting in June and Jan. I have applied to Durham Tech for Fall admission and am waiting for a response. I would love to go to Watts and have heard that it is the best program in the area. However, my big concern is the expense. I would have to quit my job, which I would be doing for DT anyway but in addition to figuring out how to pay the mortgage and daycare, I would have a significantly higher tuition. I also fall under the category of people affected by the economy and we are still trying to do a short sale after two years that looks like it will end in foreclosure. I know there is the tuition reimbursement in exchange for work at Duke for 3 years. However, I would like to get an MSN from Duke in the future. Anyone else planning on going for an MSN? If so, how are you paying for it? How does this work if I do the 3-year contract - can I also get them to simultaneously cover an MSN? This is the main obstacle to me going to Watts. If I go to Durham Tech, I can then go to work at Duke and get the tuition reimbursement for the MSN. Anyone else thinking about this? I'll be going to the next info session in April and also plan to test on the first week of April. I need to study but feel confident that I will do well. I had a high score on the NET... I also have to keep telling myself that nothing will stop me from achieving my goal of becoming a nurse. I just don't want to do so at the expense of my family. I need financial aid and need to plan it well. I am still paying off the loans from my first attempt at a B.S. Thank you for any information you can provide.

Hi All, I need advice - sorry, long post. I have submitted my application to Durham Tech for the Fall 2010 and it was implied that I will get in. However, my long-term goals are to get at least a BSN, preferably an MSN. So I did some research today. It seems that the requirements are about the same for BSN and MSN online programs. You get in on a conditional basis, just move on after the BSN. I looked at ECU, Western Carolina and UNC-Chapel Hill. I've pretty much discarded UNC because even though it's the closest to me, there are too many hoops to jump - volunteer work, too many classes to still take, higher tuition and there is no online MSN program. For both ECU and WCU, I would need to take approximately 7 classes after my ADN in order to apply for an online BSN or MSN. With this in mind, (7 classes to go), I started to think about when and how I would do this. It seems like it would be too much to try to fit those in while in nursing school. I could probably do 2 over the summer but 5 over 2 years still seems like a lot when you consider that I have a family (two kids - 2 and 16) and still would like to work part-time. So I started thinking about doing them all at once - 5 classes this fall. That also means no Durham Tech in Sept. Since they only have Fall admission, then I'd be looking at Wake Tech for Jan. I have the points to get in, would need to take Patho to get more and take the TEAS test - no problem. Summary: Durham Tech in the Fall, graduate in May 2012 with an ADN - 15-20 minute commute OR Wake Tech in January, graduate Dec 2012 with a 30 minute commute but I have all the pre-reqs for a BSN done. Does anyone know which is better - Durham Tech or Wake Tech? anything else you can tell me about their program? where are the clinicals? did you like the teachers? anything you did or didn't like? Also, any info or opinions on ECU or WCU are welcome. I can't wait to be a nurse but am trying to be smart about how I go about it. I am certainly not about to waste time if I can avoid it. Thanks.... this is what happens while you wait to get in to a school - information overload!

Hi, as I wait to find out if I'm getting in to an ADN program for the fall 2010, I'm getting more info on the RN-BSN and RN-MSN programs in NC. It seems that even though I have all my classes and pre-reqs for the ADN, there are still about 7 more classes that I need for a BSN and ultimately an MSN. I was thinking of trying to get those done this fall and delay my entry in to the ADN until Jan 2011. I'm looking at ECU and WCU right now for BSNs or MSNs. How is it going for you so far? Did you already have a bachelor's or did you do RN-MSN? If WCU was closer to you, why did you choose ECU? I hope you like it so far. Good luck.

I hadn't heard about the BON not approving out of state programs. However, I do plan (so far) to go to a state program. I was hoping to go to UNC-Chapel Hill but it depends on how many credits I can transfer in once I have my RN. I was also going to look at other campuses of UNC that offer the online option to see if they are a better fit for me in terms of transferring credits. My first choice is to stay in state so I can take advantage of the state tuition at a top-rated school.

Hi studentmom, Just checking to see how your relocation is coming along. I am about to start my CNA I class and take the NET test for admission to the ADN at Durham Tech this fall. There's only one other person that I know who is trying for the fall class. I know several others who are doing pre-reqs but won't be done until December so we won't be in the same class. Good luck with your plans. Let me know if I can help. I think you were looking for places to live and daycare. Send me a PM and I can tell you what I decided on and why. NCphoenix

I have not heard anything about this new concept ADN program. Can you elaborate on it? Where are you taking it? What's the benefit? It does not seem like it is working for you. But if it's something that will eventually be implemented throughout the state, I think I'd like to know what to expect. I hope it gets better for you. Are you thinking of bailing and getting into another program elsewhere? Where would you go?

You might also want to look into the requirements for the CRNA program. Not all CRNA programs allow you to go for from an ADN to an MSN. Given your GPA, it looks like your best bet might be to go for the ADN then pursue the BSN while working. Not only would you have more time to increase your GPA but you would have time invested working as an RN, which will help you in your application for the CRNA program. Good luck in your pursuit!

It depends on where you're planning to go for nursing classes. Some schools don't require you to have the CNA at all in order to apply. If your school does require you to have the CNA, make sure you find out if they require you to have a minimum number of clinical hours along with the CNA. If that's the case, you may not be able to challenge the exam. Even if you would pass it, you would not have the clinical hours and they may not accept your CNA for purposes of the application into their nursing program. One of the schools I was planning on applying to requires the clinical hours, that's the only reason I know. Where are you planning on going? Good luck!

Where are you going? There is a hospital diploma program offered by Watts School of Nursing near where I live. They work with the Duke hospitals. I decided against it because of the high cost. So I didn't look to much into it. Plus the big turn-off is that I would have to take 12 credits at their affiliated school before being able to enter the nursing/clinical portion. I have already done all my pre-reqs so don't need any more classes. The diploma program does seem good, strict and clinically-focused. The other main thing was that they work with Duke to reimburse you in exchange for time served at the hospital. But if I promise them 3 years in exchange for my reimbursement then go to a master's program will they reimburse me again? Plus I still have to get a BSN in between, what about reimbursement for that? The ADN at the CC seems like the fastest, best and most efficient option for me.

MyBrowneyedgirl - I like your keychain. Lurdes777 - this is kind of the route that I chose to take. I was looking at a BSN (4-year university), the local CC and there is also a Diploma program but for the money I didn't think it was worth it since I'm also thinking long-term and would like to get my future employer to contribute or pay the whole thing. I'm not sure they'll do it twice for the same person. Anyway, my GPA was much lower than yours for a while. No degree but about 90 credits. It is now somewhere in the 3.6 range. My pre-reqs are mostly As, a B and a C. My plan is to go to the local CC and get my ADN, work for a year or so then apply to the university for an RN-BSN, most likely online so I can complete while I work. I will then focus on applying for a master's degree. Along the way, I will decide if I become a Nurse Practitioner or CRNA or something else. My point is "don't give up!". If this is something that you want, you will find a way. If business was not for you (like my previous major wasn't) and nursing is, then it will all work out. Good luck!!

Hi studentmom2007, Congratulations on possibly moving to the Triangle area. I am also hoping to go to Durham Tech for nursing next Fall 2010. I am doing my last pre-req and will be taking the NET in the next few months. In response to your first question, your A & P II has to be within the last 5 years. The application deadline for the Fall 2010 admission is March 31 (if I remember correctly) so I have to take the NET by end of this year/early next. You also have to be on the CNA registry by June 15, 2010 (also something I'll be doing next Spring). My understanding is that once your done with pre-reqs and in the actual nursing program, you go straight into clinicals. I'll know more after I meet with a counselor next week. If you're planning on being here by next year, you might want to apply for the Fall 2010 admission. You also have to go to a mandatory information session (most schools require this). This will provide you with additional information and help you make sure you are following all the necessary steps and in the right order. I looked at most schools in the area, mainly Durham Tech, Wake Tech, Watts and UNC Chapel Hill. Durham Tech provides the best combination of quality, location (about 12 mins away), convenience and cost of attendance for me. I haven't met a nursing student from there yet but hope to and would also like to hear about the program from any current nursing students at Durham Tech. I'm hoping in the future to get an MSN from Duke, possibly UNC, depending on what I decide to specialize in later. Good luck to your husband with the job relocation. NCphoenix