LauJen

I had my titers and drug screening done at St. John's Main, where they have an occupational clinic or something...basically where their employees get their shots/testing done, and it is also open to the public. I want to say the drug screening was only $25, but I remember them running my credit card for 2 hundred something for all the titers, flu vaccine, drug screening and physical...I ended up having to pay more because my MMR titer showed I had no immunity anymore...and I was only 23 at the time. Just goes to show that the titers are important, because the shots apparently dont always last forever! There is a physical form that you have to get from school, but I want to say that there isn't anything for the drug screening, because wherever you go will just have you fill out a consent form, saying it's okay to share the results with a third party (school).

Zhockey- Your first clinical site depends on who your instructor is. I was on a med/surg floor. But ----'s students were on Cardiac. Although, my instructor @ Troy was an ER nurse, they made her operate on Med/Surg for us (she would go back to ER when not with us), so that may be the case in a lot of sites. We just got our sites for Med/Surg and Psych.... I'm trying to switch with a classmate because she has Beaumont GP which is basically next door to me, and I have HF Warren, which is kind of closer to her in Romeo...but ------- said they're trying to do away with switches....we'll see. I'm hoping though, it would help out with my childcare situation a little bit!

Usually only the August and October starts get their whole schedule from Teri right about now, January and March starts get them more towards November/December, due to clinical sites changing and people dropping out and what-not.

Does anyone's financial aid summary on their website have an amount there yet? I'm supposed to be receiving a pell grant, and I had to fax my tax forms over to them by June 1st, which I did, although my fax machine can act up sometimes. It use to say that there was no information (on their website) at this time, and now it just says $0. I'm hoping I didn't miss out on this because of my stupid fax machine! Please let me know!

I received a letter telling me that I had to bring signed copies of my tax paperwork, and a household verification form by June 1st, but that's all I've heard so far..

We had tons of dumb/repetitive questions last year in our orientation... it was pretty ridiculous. Just wait, cause you're going to have them in your classes, and if they'll ask dumb questions in front of ----, they'll ask dumb questions anywhere. I found myself frequently the first 8 weeks thinking, "Deep breath...take a deep breath..."

Congrats to you Corazon, for both the grades and upcoming graduation!! I agree with you, I am in the program and still have a life. I've got a 3 year old daughter and a husband, and we still manage to make it out on the weekends with friends, take trips, and make time for family things. I haven't gotten straight A's, but I'm okay with it. As long as I feel that I know the skills necessary to be a good nurse, and not necessarily how to play word games on tests, Im okay with it. I have people in my class who still complain about not having a life outside of school. I dont know what theyre doing with their life... either they like to exaggerate/complain for sympathy, or like Corazon said, they have no time management skills. I think some live and breathe nursing, and thats all well and good if youre into that sort of thing, but I think that everyone should have a healthy balance of school and their personal life. Stay on top of your material, dont get behind, and relax, and you'll do just fine!

Blynn - I made it in last year, and we werent ranked on whatever we wanted, it was the A&P, Micro, and English, just like you guys. Some people arent test takers. They may be extremely brilliant, but dont do well on the HESI. Just because someone has a higher ranking doesnt mean they are any smarter than anyone else. I would say it's more important to have common sense and be able to relate to people more so than being able to memorize everything out of a book. Nursing isnt about reciting things out of textbooks and knowing the definition for every med term on the planet, its about helping and caring for people. There is one person in my class who I cant stand because he seems to feel like he belongs there just because he gets decent grades, and yet in clinical, he is the worst. Doesnt relate to patients, doesnt talk to them properly (or nicely), is extremely slow, and seems to not know what hes doing. Its really annoying, and I can see my teacher is very frustrated with him. So, at the end of the day, I would say grades arent everything. Its rare that people dont want to take the soonest start date, so the chance of 15 people wanting to start later and 15 people not wanting to move up isnt going to happen. There are just some people who either cant get their student loans figured out in time, or may be pregnant/getting married/moving, etc. and cant start early, but Ive never heard of anyone being pushed back, only forward. If youre that concerned about it, call and talk to the woman in the nursing office, she can explain everything to you.

I wish I had gone the BSN route from the start. Im in MCC's ADN program, and I didn't make it in the first time around. So, once I'm done, it will have taken me 4 1/2 years to complete the 2 year program (pre-reqs included). You have to do whatever is best for you, but now looking back, I wish I had just jumped into the BSN route, because the ADN isn't as quick as they make you think it is (its not JUST 2 years).

Yep. Thats how it starts, with the first 1-40 being able to decide if they want to start immediately in August, or wait till a later date, at which #41 would be notified that theyre able to start in August instead of October if the August start chooses to start later. I started in January, and we had 42 in the class instead of 40, and one of my friends started in March, and they had 42 as well, so it may be #'s 1-42 start in August (provided they took their seats in the first place.) Lots of variables, but you are correct.

Lisa- I never seemed to remember the classes by their numbers, just by the teacher or class name.. if you're talking about the 6 hour lab, since we had the same teacher, she kind of just checks you off as you do stuff. there is no final, as your one day in the hospital with her is like your final. Super easy (provided you do the injections and catheters right in class)...if you're talking about the 3 hour lab, we have different teachers. Mine wanted us to know everything off that check off sheet, in the right order, under 20 minutes. It was super tough for me. I literally locked myself in my bedroom for about 3 days just reading and repeating it over and over and over again, and would practice on my husband every time i would memorize another page. Repetition is the only way to get that down. I can't find the code for Skyscape, and I cant post faculty names on here, but go talk with the woman who runs the nursing lab. She was the one who I got it from. Just say that you need the Skyscape MCC discount info, and she should have it. If she doesn't, she has the email of the girl who initially found it. Best wishes to your daughter! They really do blow through the alternate list since so many people move, dont take the seats, etc. Our class started with 42 for some reason, and were down to 34 as of today. Granted, thats people failing out or quitting, but still. People seem to change their minds a lot, so I bet she'll be okay!!

No, thats not allowed, and you cant put that in your pocket as far as clinicals are concerned. You are allowed to take notes in class with ipads, computers, tape recorders, etc. Skyscape is only able to be registered to one device, so you arent able to put it on a laptop and phone.

To broadly answer a few questions I got through PM that may be helpful to all, and to answer the last few...: - I have a Samsung Fascinate (Verizon). I love the phone (but the person I learned about it from had the ipod touch i believe), and Skyscape doesnt cost me any extra as far as my month bill is concerned. It doesnt wear out my battery either, since I search for a drug or disease and then shut it back off. There is a med sheet you have to complete each week while in clinical for each patient with every drug they're on, and when your patient has 15-20+ meds a day, you're going to want something quick. As we all know, nurses can never do anything fast enough for anyone, and someone always needs or wants you, so its best to get the busy work out of the way! :) There is a MCC discount, which I will fish through my email tomorrow to try to find it and post it for you all. DONT buy it until youre close to your 2nd 8 weeks, because it is a yearly subscription, and you wont need it until your clinicals start, so there is no point in using up part of your subscription for nothing! - No, there are no other meetings other than expected orientation (that Im aware of, unless theyve added something new). Obviously everyone needs to complete the Intro to nursing class (I have no info on this class as I attended a one time orientation on it that they offered due to time constraints last year that they will never do again). - Be prepared for a different type of testing. You are officially out of the memorization phase, and now youre into critical thinking. It isnt: What is a myocardial infarction? Its now "a patient is presenting with symptoms of a myocardial infarction, what would be your first action?" - I would not recommend taking other classes on top of your first 8 weeks, or anything leading up to it. I came from Baker, and had had a Pharm class already, and it hasn't done too much for me at all. Any drug you need to know, the teacher will tell you (in depth) about, or you learn on your own from giving it constantly at clinicals. It seems like if youre on a med/surg floor as a patient, you get diuretics, anti-hypertensives and anti-coagulants no matter what. So, lasix, lopressor and lovenox for all! get to know those! - Youre going to have FOUR classes your first 8 weeks. some people get lucky and get to take 2 a day, and only come to campus twice, others have to come all four days. there isnt much you can request, as it seems to be just the luck of the draw, so be prepared to be flexible. You have a 6 hour lab, two 3 hour lectures, and another 3 hour lab. i got lucky and had a lecture and the six hour lab one day, and then the other two spaced out between a tuesday and a thursday. BE AWARE: There are saturday classes and clinicals. It sucks, I know, but you just have to think of it as being happy to be in the program! - You start clinicals the 2nd 8 weeks, and you barely get to chose where you go...I live in grosse pointe and ended up far away (dont want to say where for HIPPA reasons), which I was upset about at first, but its a great hospital facility, and I couldnt ask for a better instructor. You do get to go to your 6 hour lab teacher/nurses hospital for a one day clinical experience and follow around a student from the class ahead (I went to st. john main and followed an october start, who luckily showed me about the skyscape program!) - I wouldn't recommend doing anything other than class the first 8 weeks if you can help it (Im a mom of a 3 year old, but did nothing other than that), because there is a TON of reading and lots of assignments that arent hard, but are time consuming. Am I saying youre going to have no life? No. In the orientation, they make it sound like youre not going to have time to do your laundry or take a shower. Dont worry. If you stay ontop of your work, join a study group, and get help when necessary, you can still have fun and have a social life. Ive realized that I am a great hands on nurse, and do fantastic in the hospital, but am I great nurse on paper? No. I struggle with tests and dont get all A's like I did in all my pre-reqs. But what is going to matter at the end of the day? The fact that I knew what I was doing when it was time to take care of the patient. Like, how to do trachestomy care, how to push meds through a PEG tube, how to change a colostomy bag, how to do wound dressing changes, not necessarily if I knew how to play word games on paper for a test. *Im not saying you dont need to read/do well in class/on tests* , Im just saying that its important that you are more than just book smart. APPLY what you learn, use common sense, and treat patients the way you want to be treated! - We've lost a few students due to them failing to realize that nurses deal with blood, guts, death, poop, sputum, MRSA, and AIDS. I was helping a classmate with a patient who has had her small intestines exposed for the last year, defecates out the front of her stomach and requires a dressing change every 2-3 hours...are you sure you can you handle that? Nursing is not a cushy job. Maybe once youve worked the floor for 10+ years with your masters and can finally boss people around, perhaps, but even then, peoples lives are in your hand, and it isnt always pretty. MAKE SURE YOURE DOING THIS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS! Dont take a spot from someone who truly wants this because youre chasing the 3 days a week job with good pay and benefits. If you think nurses aids do all the gross stuff and you just pass meds, youre dead wrong. Nursing isnt glamorous and its super stressful, but it is emotionally rewarding most of the time! Im not saying this to scare anyone, Im just irritated that I had classmates get to the 2nd 8 weeks, start clinicals, and be surprised at what they were expected to do, while taking the seat from someone who really wanted it! Hope this helps, and again, feel free to PM me!

Congrats to everyone for making it in!! I started in January (I was ranked 151 out of 160, slated for March start, and got moved up to the January starts)... After reading the posts, I figured I could answer a few of the questions that people didn't know... - Yes, you do lose your spot if you don't pay the $100 AND attend the orientation. We had 4 people not attend the orientation due to choosing other schools/career paths, and a few people didn't accept their seats before that. - tt9223, and whoever else is an alternate, PLEASE dont worry. my class made it up to the high 190's for alternates from what I understood from the secretary in the nursing office (get to know her, she's the one that decides clinical sites and class assignments) - They won't give you rankings over the phone because it's private info, and you wont know your start dates for a little while (although you can somewhat figure it out; 1-40 are august, 41-80 are october, etc. - and everyones ranking seems to move up a few spots since people dont pay/dont take their seats) - you'll learn all about start dates at orientation, and everyone can send in a request for a start date, but she honors them according to ranking. For instance, if an August start couldn't or didn't want to start then, then she would move an october start up who had said they would like to move up if possible. Obviously, if youre a march start, all you can do is tell her you will move up if a seat becomes available. Other helpful tips: - If you have a PDA/ipod touch/smart phone, do yourself a HUGE favor and buy the Skyscape book package for it instead of buying the book bundle (Tabers, Davis, etc.) I constantly hear from classmates that they wish they had known about it before purchasing their books after seeing mine. They're the same price (skyscape vs. book bundle), but you do have to pay low a yearly subscription fee, but it is totally worth it, because unlike your text books, it constantly updates with new drugs and info. It is SOOOO handy in clinicals because you can carry it with you in your pocket instead of having to go back to wherever you left your things and flip through a book to try to find the answer. - They're going to tell you your shoes have to be ALL white. I spent days looking for some that didn't look like geriatric walking shoes, just to find out that they dont really care. If they're about 90% white (and CLEAN!), they dont care if there is a colorful brand sign or whatever. - The head of the nursing program is going to sound very unfriendly, harsh and mean at your meeting. Don't let this scare you. - If you dont grasp something in class, get help IMMEDIATELY. Unlike some of the stuff we learned in pre-reqs, this info doesn't go away. You just build on it. Do yourself a favor and start trying to grasp the concept of "nursing interventions." (carpenito book) You will be doing them constantly in the first 8 weeks. Again, congrats to everyone, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions!!

No, apparently I had to ask for a switch by January 3rd, even though I didnt meet anyone till the 7th, so I dont know how I could have switched! But its okay, I couldnt ask for a better instructor. She is really smart, knows her stuff and is so understanding. I hate the drive, but its worth it because Troy Beaumont is a really nice hospital and I have a good clinical group. Im at school mondays and thursdays 9-12, but were in the university center, not the E building, and Im @ Troy on fridays from 7-3. I dont know what to think of the class I have right now... its fluid and electrolytes, but other things as well...I would recommend getting the book fluid and electrolytes made incredibly easy (the instructor recommends it on the first day) and maybe read it over the summer, because its something thats very complex and theres a lot to it...so you'll be ahead of the game. Hope your first two weeks have been going well, PM me or email me if you have any questions!!