ICU11

I landed a job in a clinic recently by applying within my specialty, Neuro, and emphasized my desire to work with this population, wanting more time for patient education, etc. I also asked to shadow. When she asked in the interview what I wouldn't miss about my inpatient job, I did mention the hours. I thought it was a mistake at the time, but I got the job anyway!

I applied and got into both Duke and UNC. I loved Duke when I interviewed, but ultimately the price led me to pick UNC. I am so happy I went to UNC. I would have really struggled to pay the Duke loans on a nursing salary. Go with UNC if you get in.

Do Dallas hospitals pay more for CCRN? I am applying for jobs in the ICU at Parkland and Baylor and just wondering what hourly pay to expect. I only have 1.5 years experience but BSN and CCRN.

All of the hospitals in the Triangle area are hiring new grads. UNC, WakeMed, Duke, etc.

I agree with the previous posters to get experience, but in my case I did turn down the first job I was offered. I had an interview lined up for an ICU position, so I gambled and turned down the first job offer. I did end up getting the ICU job that I wanted so it worked out for me. Good luck.

I ended up being hired into an ICU at a teaching hospital where I live- I asked to shadow after my interview and hit it off with the nurses. I think being a good fit for the unit is a plus, so if you can shadow and be friendly while you are there that might help you get the job over others. I didn't even have nursing assistant experience, but I had great clinical experiences that I spoke about in the interview. Good luck.

Do the prereqs at a CC. Some you can take online. It is much faster to go the UNC route. I had to take ALL of the prereqs and did them in just two semesters at a CC. UNC is extremely competitive, so you need to get all A's in prereqs and write good essays. UNC is the #5 nursing school in the country. Really calculate the time it would take you to get into the ADN program and do the program. I am getting a BSN in 14 months at UNC, plus the 2 semesters of prereqs. The ADN would have taken much longer and then I would still have had to the BSN classes on top of that. I have three children under 5. It can be done! Go for it, no matter what school it is. I am about to graduate and can't believe it. It seemed like such a long time when I started but it has flown by. If you really want to be a nurse, pick the right program for you, and go for it.

I have a BA, have kids, etc. I chose to go to UNC. It is much less time than doing an ADN or Diploma program, esp. if you want to get an MSN later. If you have a decent GPA try to go to UNC. I did the ABSN program, 4 semesters, and that is much cheaper than doing the 6 semester route. I definitely encourage doing the BSN.

I know of people who got waitlisted for last January and got accepted anywhere from a week later to right before school.

No, but if you do well in clinical you probably won't have a problem. I am not worried! :)

I applied to both and ultimately went to UNC. It is a great program for a great price. I ended up spending a lot of money to apply to Duke. If I had it to do over again, I would not even apply to Duke until hearing from Carolina. Good luck!

I am in the ABSN program now. It is very competitive. I really love it. Great program!!!!

I have three kids, 4, 2, and 1. I am in an ABSN 14 month program. I have more time with my kids than if I worked full time. The kids stay with their grandmother or my husband while I am in class.. I have class 4 days a week. Anyway, I think in some ways I have it a lot easier than the moms with older kids. It is doable if you have family support! I absolutely love nursing school. Doing great!

Well, I live relatively close to Wake Med and not far from Rex where clinicals might be. I own a home so it seems silly not to commute. Uprooting 5 people for 14 months of school doesn't seem worth it. I am focusing on the positives I guess- I will get to unwind on the drive home! :)

Nogames- I have about a 40 minute commute too. I will probably be parking at the Friday Center park n ride. You don't need a pass for this lot. Congrats on your acceptance BTW. :)

ReneeSuzy, Orientation was a lot of information! Check out the FB group because it has a lot of answered questions there. I would get your first Hep B shot if you haven't had it yet. Make sure you sign up to take the TEAS test too. Glad you are coming!

I think Duke really looks at the whole person- the interview really helps! I think you have a good shot at it- They are really looking for leaders in nursing and what you could contribute to the cohort with your background. Do your research about why Duke is a good fit for you and tell them in your interview. I really really loved Duke's program even though I chose to go to UNC ultimately. I heard of people getting in with all kinds of GPAs so I think they are looking at the whole person like I said before. Good luck! I am excited for you. :)

It completely sucks you can't apply to both. If I was in your position I would apply for the BSN- I think generally the mean prereq GPA for the UNC ABSN is about a 3.7.

Congrats on getting married! I am an older student too. I understand not having time to volunteer. I think that would make a great third essay, just make sure to include any volunteering you did while in college. Work experience will work to your advantage too. UNC is very competitive but they look at your entire application. Writing strong essays could get you in if you pull up the pre-req GPA to around a 3.5. Are you doing online classes? It would be pretty easy to retake any classes if you did them online even while working full time. I understand the rush- I did all my prereqs last spring and summer!

AznCutie, Exciting that you are starting prereqs soon! I think the prereq GPA is weighed heavier for UNC ABSN than the cum GPA so make sure to make those 5 classes A's. In addition to a high pre-req GPA make sure you have some regular volunteer experience too. The UNC ABSN is really competitive. Duke's is competitive too, but I think there is more movement on the waiting list there. I didn't apply to NCCU because I wanted to focus on the prereqs I needed for the other schools, so I can't help you there! In all honesty, I think you need at least a 3.5 on your prereq GPA to be competitive at Duke or UNC. There are some minimum grade requirements for certain courses so make sure you check those out if you opt not to re-take a class. Good luck on your journey to becoming a nurse. I start the UNC ABSN program in January.

ReneeSuzy, Just wanted to say congrats and give you my support. When I was in college the first time, I had challenging circumstances to deal with and school really helped me get through it. I am one of those people that deals with stress well this way- others don't at all. You have to decide if school would be a good thing in your life right now! I had two grandparents get sick with cancer and my dad was killed (active duty military) all in my freshmen year of college. I really needed school at the time to help me focus on something else ( and I still had time to be with my family). My sister handled it differently- she took a year off from school. I really have a lot of empathy for you- And whatever decision you make- feel good about it!

Wake Tech nurses are fantastic! Good luck NYCGyrl!

I am a fellow NC nursing student. If it was me, I would go for the less expensive school.

NYCGyrl- I can't believe they won't tell you! I am glad you have another good program to focus on in the meantime...my goodness! Maybe there will be a tiny bit of movement on the waitlist next week since today was the respond-by date?

Does anyone know how many Hep B we need before matriculation? I know I can get a 2nd shot before Jan. but not the third one.