ejlaca

newtosursing, So where did you end up?

I graduate in June. I just did an 8 hour OR observation and it was absolutely fascinating. I thought for sure I was going ER, but this experience definitely makes me question that. The only drawback for me, and it could be a dealbreaker, is that most shifts are 8 hours and some are 10. Is that the standard for most OR's? Nursing is a second career for me after a 9-5 job, so three 12's was a pretty appealing aspect of nursing to me.

It is possible to get in with a GPA like yours, but you need to give them a reason to accept you over a person with a higher GPA. I am currently finishing my first year in the UCLA MECN program. My undergrad GPA was in your range. Like you, I had my issues in undergrad. But I corrected it all when I took my prereqs and had a 3.9 GPA in those classes. I had clinical experience which also helped my application. But the bottom line is what got me in was my personal statement. UCLA doesn't grant interviews, so my personal statement was the only way I could convey to them that they needed to accept me. I explained my less than stellar undergrad GPA, accentuated my clinical experience and high prereq GPA, and told them I would be an asset to their program. And it worked. So I would say give it a shot. And if they have a personal statement that you can write, consider it the most important paper you will write in your graduate school career. Good luck

UCLA, I was a patient liaison in the ER

My undergraduate grades were not that strong, below a 3.0. However, in my personal statement I made them aware that those grades were between 13-17 years old. I was an immature 18 year old college kid at the time. Now that I am in my 30's and know where I want to go, I have gotten my act together. I had a 3.95 GPA in my various prereq courses over the few years prior to my applying. So the thing I have told people in the information sessions that I have spoken at, which is also told to you by the faculty, is that the personal statement is the single most important part of your application, hands down. That is not to say that a 2.0 GPA and a kick ass personal statement will get you in. But it will make a borderline GPA candidate more attractive. Remember, there are no interviews for this program, so the personal statement is the only opportunity you get to tell them why they should accept you. The other thing I had was healthcare experience. If you are applying this fall, the applications will be due at the end of December. That leaves you 6 months to get some kind of healthcare experience. This is important not only for your application, but it will give you an idea of whether or not working in a healthcare setting is for you. There are many volunteer opportunities available at practically every hospital, and most only require a 4 hour per week commitment. Before I began working in the ER, I volunteered in the ER. That is what really let me know that nursing was for me. Hope this helps.

So much for sourpunchita not wanting to discourage anyone looking forward to this program, as everyone of her messages is filled with negativity. I too am in the program, and there are a lot of complainers in this program, because they wanted this nice yellow brick road laid out for them. The problem is that this is a new program, and you knew going in that there were going to be kinks. What these people don't realize is that is what the profession is going to be like as well. Every patient that walks through those hospital doors is going to be different, and need a different approach. And if you can't be flexible, you will never make it in nursing. I can say this from almost 2 years of experience in the ER at UCLA as a tech. I am one of those people who is extremely proud to be going to UCLA, and I don't think that is a bad thing. I am not blind to the issues that this program has, but instead of bitching, I am trying to help make changes so that future classes will benefit from our experiences. Anyone who doubts I am in the MECN program, it is not difficult to figure out who I am. I am one of the guys in the class and you can figure out which one from my screen name. Feel free to come talk to me in person if you would like.

I am currently a student in the MECN program, just killing a few minutes before my last final of the spring quarter. I would be glad to share some of my thoughts on the program with anyone who is interested. I may have already met some of you, as I spoke at the final two information sessions for the fall 2007 class. As far as Epi, if you haven't taken it, and haven't signed up for it, I would highly suggest N50. Some of my classmates took 100 and 50, and everyone had a better experience (ie. higher grades) in N50. Plus, that is taught by one of the nursing professors and is through the nursing school. I also believe it might have a more friendly schedule, although I am not sure. Congratulations to all of you that have gotten into the MECN program. I hope your first year will be as rewarding as mine has been, and I look forward to meeting you in September.

I am currently taking prereq's to go to nursing school. I currently work in a boring finance job sitting behind a desk all day. In order to get my fix, I have been volunteering in the ER of a level 1 trauma center. It is extremely interesting and exciting. It has made me realize that I am where I belong. There is always doubt when you are going to make a move from one career to another. But these ER shifts, regardless of how limited my involvement is (I bring people juice, and try to comfort them while they are in the ER), I now know I am making the right move. So while I have about 3-4 years until I am in your position Moni, it makes me excited to hear about your experiences. Keep up the good work, and keep posting your new experiences.