StayingCalm

Correct! I joined Stanford Health Care with around 3 years of experience & started at Clinical Nurse II step 4. Using our latest contract, that would mean $76.25/hr before differentials (10% for evening, 18% for night, & 5% for weekend)

I work for Stanford health care & our pay is openly posted at our union website ( CRONA.org ), under "SHC contact 2016 - 2019". But the range is between $66.48 - $98.5 per hour, depending on various qualifications & experiences. We also have differential pay for afternoon, evening, and weekend shifts. Per-diem RNs are paid a bit more. As far as housing, I was living in a less than 10 year old condo/town house community at the edge of San Francisco, between 2014 - 2016. I was paying $1020/ month for a single bed room (not sure about measurement but it fit a double size bed, study desk, and had a double door closet) with a private bathroom, shared living room & kitchen, and a tandem garage parking space. Community was quiet & neighbors were mostly tech professionals. I was lucky & but bargain are out there. I also know SF have laws for housing rent control so I am not sure if that has to do with the mentioning of "bunch of roommates and pays only $300 a month". Just my 2 cents...

While job searching as a new grad RN, I did come across & applied to a few "internal candidates only" positions. But after working a while & seeing the hiring process from "within", I realized when they say "internal candidates only"...they really mean it (at least that is the case at my work for RN positions). So I would say, if the application is relatively short & easy then go for it! But if it's long & complicated, then your time might be better spent elsewhere.

I came across a few "ultra-competitive" students during prerequisites. Things got even worse in one particular class, when our professor declared his curve grading policy. People started making pacts and factions, sort of like reality TV shows. I guess part of it is also due to the fact, that this class is one of the last prerequisite classes one has to complete before applying (we sort of have to take them in order at this particular school). But in the end, it's like someone else stated, we're really competing against those that we can't see. And like someone else also brought up, once you're in a nursing program, competition should die down. I'm a couple weeks into a nursing program and our professors had said to us over & over again, that we're no longer competing against each other and we're in this together now.

I think you're referring to the CNSA list of recommended equipment that was part of the orientation packet. It includes stethoscope, BP cuff (w/o Sprague option), medical clipboard w/ calculator, stainless steel bandage scissors (5 1/2" is recommended), and pen light. Other recommended items are wristwatch w/ large face and secondhand & plain white t-shirts to be worn under uniform.

onesmartgirl - i couldn't have said it any better myself! your nursing program sounds intensive but the return on investment can't be beat! i totally agree that opportunities are not just about resumes. one of my best friend, who is a regional executive for kaiser permanente, had said the same. if you don't mind me asking, which csu will you be attending? i'm about to begin a csu nursing program myself (2 year bsn w/ public health cert).

I took general psychology online, at a local community college. I did my research on the instructor & class before registering. My class was very organized (1 chapter of reading + 2 mini projects w/ replies + exam ... every 2 weeks) and progressed at a relaxing pace. If you can, I would recommend taking it on campus. I think group discussion will enhance your learning experience with a class such as psychology.

@Omglizison - Check your PM folder.

@Omglizison - I agree, studying biology for 3 years previously will definitely make your life easier. I'm hoping pharm & patho will not be too difficult at CSULB, like you've suggested. I'm trying to get a head start by reading the "made incredibly easy" nursing reference book series. BTW, I remember you from the other post & I believe we're in the same assigned clinical group. @mmm62892 - You might be able to join CNSA (California Nursing Student Association) @ CSULB as a pre-nursing student. It might be beneficial since you'll have the opportunity to network with current nursing students & possibly other pre-nursing students.

Seems like you're rushing but I can understand your reasons. Perhaps you can accomplish them rapidly without jeopardizing your GPA, if you can stay organized and focused. I haven't been to SOAR yet but I will be starting the BSN program next month. It is indeed difficult to get into the program, but it's not impossible. It's probably a good idea for you to apply for spring program. I believe spring application periods are for enrolled CSULB students only, which means it should be less competitive. If you haven't already, check out the latest applicant pool statistics compiled by the nursing dept. Good luck!

I've bought international edition microbiology textbook + lab manual. Our instructor actually suggested international edition texts to us. The only noticeable differences were back & front covers and binding.

From what I understand, you could probably go about this in two ways. You can try to get the MMR & varicella vaccines again, get the records, and show them to your school as proof of vaccination. Another possible method is to get the MMR & varicella titers through a hospital, clinic, or student health center. Titers will indicate whether you're immune (through previous vaccination) to MMR & varicella. If you were a community college student, try checking their student health center. Sometimes, all it takes is for you to pay the registration fees, in order to have access to the health center. I was a CC student but didn't register for any class this summer. I was denied access to the student health center, until I registered for a PE class (which I later dropped) and paid the registration fees.

Besides the patient's voice, caring: making a difference, and interpersonal relationships, I'm also thinking about buying nursing diagnosis handbook used. It seems to be a paperback book without any extra features if bought new. Anyone have any suggestions on this book?

As stated by several people on your other posting, "pre-nursing" alone is not an associate degree program. You can think of "pre-nursing" as a name of some sort to categorize yourself as, during the period of time when you're working on your prerequisites. For those 3 schools specifically & as a transfer applicant, I had to declare myself as a pre-nursing major during university applications (via csumentor.edu). I'm not sure if it's absolutely essential to do so but it was clearly stated on their informational packet/pamphlet. I'm not sure how that works if say, you're a current student @ CSUEB. I believe once you're accepted into the BSN program & you accepted the offer, you major will be changed to BSN nursing by the nursing department. At least that was the case for me. If you're a current student at CSUEB, for example, you will not need to submit another university application there. Nursing program application deadline for these schools varies. You should definitely visit each of these nursing school's website, download their informational packet/pamphlet, and study them well. Many of your questions (including deadlines) will be answered by reading them carefully.

I strongly recommend you to visit each of these nursing school's website, download their informational packet/pamphlet, and study them well. Each school have informational meetings that you might want to consider attending. But just to give you an idea, prerequisites + lower division GEs will take you about 2 years to complete. Those 2 years are generally considered as your college freshmen & sophmore years. Once you're accepted into any of these nursing schools, you're typically in sophmore/junior status. BSN program from these schools will take about 3 years to complete. As far as the application process goes, once you've completed the prerequisite classes & some of your lower division GEs, you'll likely need to take some sort of entrance exam (TEAS for example). You'll need to apply to each university & their perspective nursing school. So for example, when I applied to CSUEB's BSN program, I had to submit a university application via csumentor.edu & a nursing program application online through their website. So technically you'll have to submit two applications per CSU. I believe the deadline for university application is typically late November. Nursing school application deadline varies. Typically when you submit your university application, you'll want to list "pre-nursing" as your major. Once you're accepted, your major will be changed accordingly. Hope this answered most of your questions. Good luck!

Hi Ankha. I'm assuming you're talking about the BSN program. I will be starting the BSN program there this fall. You probably already know that spring application periods are for current CSULB students only. Looking at the application pool stat, it seems like spring application periods are less competitive so you'll probably have a good chance of being accepted. But it probably wouldn't hurt to take the TEAS again & hopefully you'll score higher. CSULB looked at my overall TEAS score, math TEAS score, overall GPA, and science prerequisite GPA. On a 10 point scale, your science prerequisite GPA is worth up to 4 points. Overall TEAS, math TEAS, and overall GPA are worth up to 2 points each. You're probably in good shape if you have a overall rating of 8 or above. Good luck!

I agree with everyone else, nursing schools in general don't care where you took your prerequisite classes ... as long as they are transferable. I saw this on a different post, that a prerequisite class from a particular SoCal community college is not acceptable at a few state universities within the area. Not sure if that was really the case but you don't want to be in that situation. Otherwise, I don't think it matters where you take your prerequisites. I took the same microbio class at a local CC with 4 other individuals and we were all accepted into different nursing schools (ADN, BSN, ABSN, and ELMSN) without any problems.

Find out if there's a deadline for semester fees at your school. Perhaps registered students might forget to pay their fees and therefore be dropped from those classes. All you have to do then is "swoop" in on that date, register, and pay for the class(es). I know this happens quite often at my school & not many people know about this tactic. Also, try to find out if there are other ways to "boost" your registration priority. At my school, we are able to "boost" our priority significantly through counseling (educational plan, orientation, etc). That way you'll be better positioned during future registration periods.

When I first started taking prerequisites, I made a list of nursing schools that I was interested in, found out their individual application requirements, and made a annual plan of classes I should be taking each semester. Then I found out my registration priority can be "boosted" through a simple counseling appointment. After that, I just followed the plan and take them one semester at a time. As far as study tips, I would say to utilize all your resources. Find out whether your school offers tutorial services, student open labs, instructor office hours, or if they have anatomical/biological models outside the classroom for student usage. Study group works for me because we motivate each other. Most of my study buddies were accepted into competitive nursing programs, including myself, so it definitely helped us. Try to stay ahead like JROregon suggested & not cram too much. It might be easier said than done but try to score well on the first couple exams in each class & give yourself some cushion. Good luck!

If you want to get started on nursing studies but don't want to abandon your current situation, perhaps you can squeeze in a prerequisite class or two every semester? Some junior colleges in the area offer hybrid prerequisite courses. That way you are not leaving Cal & if timed precisely, you can apply into ELMSN programs as soon as you graduate from Cal.

You don't necessarily need a BSN to be a RN. An associate degree (ADN) will do as well. As far as the difference between the two, just do a search and you'll find a ton of postings. As far as how to become a RN in your situation, you can go about it in a couple ways. You can go ahead and finish your studies at Cal, take the nursing prerequisite classes, then apply to acclerated BSN programs or entry level MSN programs (Samuel Merritt University offers both I believe). Another route would be to begin taking prerequisite classes right away then apply to traditional BSN or ADN programs.

kslyr5 - When I first started taking prerequisite classes, I thought ADN programs were easier to get into than BSN programs. I applied to 5 ADN programs & 3 BSN programs. 3 of those ADN programs & all 3 BSN programs were point based. 2 ADN programs were lottery based. I was rejected by all 5 ADN programs & accepted into 2 BSN programs (the third BSN program haven't replied yet). Your situation might be different but in my case, I would say BSN programs were easier to get into. I think part of this is because ADN programs have less prerequisites, which means more people can complete those classes sooner and apply. BSN programs have more prerequisites in general, which takes more time & might be harder, so it naturally reduces the amount of applicants. Perhaps some might feel that BSN programs are harder to get into, like you & I initially, so they don't even bother trying. When it comes to lottery based system, I was sort of in a "disadvantage" because my high science GPA did not increase my chances. But point based system from each school might be a little bit different so it's really hard to pin point the exact reason for this.

Like everyone said, you chances are dependent on the applicant pool. Just for the sake of comparison, one of the CA state university BSN program that I was accepted into had 3.85 as the average GPA & 89.5 as the average TEAS score (about 500 applicants & 70 were accepted initially). If you take into account that some accepted applicants will reject their offer and their spots will be replaced with alternates, the average GPA & TEAS score might be slightly lower. Therefore I think your odds are pretty good. If you can, apply to multiple schools to better your chances & good luck!

I would think it's mandatory since it is on the to-do list. I'm not a microbiologist or anything but I believe if you get the "dead" vaccination shot, you'll likely be fine. I got mine from CVS a month ago & I had no side-effects.

I think older students tend to know exactly what their goals are & what it takes to get there. Perhaps due to age, older students tend to be more dedicated because time is " running out". Nursing is a popular major now-a-days & it's no surprise that one can feel they're constantly competing against other students. I came across a few classmates in prerequisite classes that "plotted" against other students in order to make themselves stand out. But in the end it merely exposed their true character & was totally unnecessary. I totally agree with texas, that it's those you can't see that's competing against you. Many of my former classmates ended up getting into different nursing schools, including myself. So ultimately, we were not competing against each other for school acceptance. You might feel like those that already have a bachelor degree are "ahead" of you. But if you're willing to do whatever it takes, anything is possible. I was in a prerequisite class with another student that graduated from UC Berkeley. But it was me, who never obtained a college degree, that always score the highest on exams. I'm stating this not to show off, but to prove the point that anything is possible as long as you're willing to do what it takes.