lizv

well it depends. the program I am in looks at overall GPA, and if you meet the requirements, then they rate you by quality points for just the required pre-reqs...before admitting students. So you might be wasting time and money if you take other classes...unless you need to up your GPA, I would call up the school and see how they rate applicants....good luck!

It's just a warning. I went into it thinking there was so many jobs in nursing. A lot of people have that misconception. But then with the recession people go back into nursing, some put off retirement, and new grads are churned out every year. It's costly to train new grads who then just move on...its just reality, hospitals would rather hire people with experience. Just saying. We can only hope the job market gets better. well thats really a personal question you should ask yourself. I have been a caregiver for awhile. Doesn't mean I don't want to puke, turn away, and not do it. It's a part of floor nursing whether you like it or not. Colostomies, blood, bodily fluids. As a nurse you will see it. Whether in clinicals or in the future on the job. CNA's do a lot of the ADL's but that doesn't mean you won't EVER do it. You'll definitely be required in school. Bed bath's, changing dressings etc. If you can't get over being close to someone and looking at "gross" things you might be setting yourself up for failure.It's not a glamourous job by any means.

job listings are for nurses with EXPERIENCE. Look up the ad's and they will usually say. At least 1 year or 2 years experience. It's the same as you described, like a catch-22. Just type in new grad nurse job. You will see how bad it is in some areas... I believe mass (if thats where you are) is hit pretty bad too...just saying. I'm nervous for when I get out....

no problems! Any other questions, just ask! I usually come on here every couple of days when I'm bored! :)

It's easier to work out a schedule in the summer, when you get to lectures/clinicals it's much tougher to hash out a work schedule, especially the half semesters. In the summer, you will have may-june to complete the nursing skills course. If my memory serves me correct you will have lecture monday, about 3 hours from 9-12 to go over the material, right after you rush to the ETAS buiding where they post sign up sheets and you pick a time to check off (Thurs or FRI from 8-12 or something like that, it's been awhile! Can't quite remember). And then you have a sim lab assigned to you either Tues or Wed to go over the material with an instructor and practice, times were 0830-1230. And then the VERY nerve wrecking check offs which don't last long, I forgot how much time they give you to complete the check off skill, I think 15 minutes? They won't let you go over and they will tell you that, since they are so exhausted from so many student check offs lol. I'm sure they see so many nervous, trembling students fumbling around!! Also, you will have a med admin test which you have a few chances to make 10/10. You must score perfectly and they will have times for you to go in and take it. The math is NOT hard at all. They make it seem like it's calculus but it's really simple simple math questions/conversions. Don't stress at all. They give you a date you have to score perfect on or else you fail out - don't remember how many times you can take it since I got perfect my first time. It's multiple test times you can pick, outside of your lectures/sim labs. You will be so good at it by the time you get to your 1st semester. Don't worry too much guys, they will go over EVERYTHING in orientation. Just relax and enjoy your time off, maybe brush up on anatomy/physiology. Once school hits, you will be stresed the whole way through. It's tough and they make you jump through a lot of hoops, it's overwhelming the amount of material you must retain, and the 78% or higher in a class to go on, so you will be studying a lot! The material I don't find so hard to learn (not like math, physics, chem etc) it's moreso being able to retain the info and spit out signs/symptoms, drug info. It will FLY by so just RELAX before school begins! Enjoy your time off, spend it with family, friends, loved ones before the onslaught.

I actually got my CPR certification at work so I didn't have to do any CPR training. When you go in for orientation, or something...can't quite recall but they will have sign up lists for classes. You can always call the UALR Dept of nursing so they can refer you to a certain program and get a discount if you want to get it done now. Just make sure it's the Health Providers CPR, I think it's the American Heart Association. They want you to have a certain one done so don't just sign up for any CPR course or you will have to do it over again. It was chaotic because you have a lot of things to turn it, you need to purchase a handbook about the policy and procedures. They accept 200 students so they aren't as organized as I wanted them to be, and it gets confusing. You have to turn in shot records, transcripts, get your CPR, TB tests, etc. And also sign up for courses. The nursing essentials course will STRESS YOU OUT. It is basically a skills course where you learn a certain skill set (ex. catheterizing, med administration, sterile dressing, vitals, etc) And then you sign up for a spot after lecture at the ETAS building (ppl will be RUNNING FOR SPOTS! So be careful!!). At the end of the week you test with an instructor, you get 2 chances to correct yourself, and if you still mess up or didn't correct yourself, you fail. And you have ONE more chance to successfully check off - if you do not pass that you are out of the program. So stress level is high, you could be out before you even started!!! Luckily, I didn't have to check off more than once. It's actually not bad, just be sure you are well prepared, you use your time well in sim lab to practice, and ask any time you need clarification. The instructors are very nice and they try not to let you fail, but they are also strict in the procedures. I think we had around 20 or so that failed out of the nursing skills course. But each semester, students fail out and the classes get a little smaller and smaller. It's very stressful.

aww congratulations guys! I remember being in your shoes last year. The first orientation steps are a little chaotic, just remember to get everything in on time. I was scared to open the letter as well, it was such a small envelope. lol! It's a good program and I'm very happy with it so far. Good luck!

aww good luck! Also, if you're not already a UALR student, you have to apply to UALR separately and be admitted and then also apply to UALR nursing. It's a bit tedious! I'm not sure when you will need to do this...I'm not aware that the nursing dept accepts a spring class so you might want to clarify with the nursing dept first before you apply. I know UALR has like a $50 application fee, don't know how long you have until you have to reapply does that make sense? For example, you get accepted in the spring but you don't enroll in classes, I'm not sure if you have to reapply for Fall, etc. And take the HESI sooner so if you perform well, you'll get extra points on your application! I imagine you have some time to take it - they will have plenty of dates for you to pick from. :) I hope everything goes well for you!

Yeah I was surprised they have such a big group of students. They have three sites for classes though: Benton, St. Vincents and UALR. I'd suggest just apply ASAP and cross your fingers! I understand about not wanting to prolong going into school! Worst case scenario (besides not getting in =/) is that you get into the traditional route. I think your GPA is good enough to get in...unless you score very poorly on the HESI. I'd suggest making an appointment early for advising with the nursing department. Good luck!

Hi!! I am responding to your post as a UALR RN student. Just helping you out a little. :) I'm currently in the program and I just started this fall. First, if you want to get into the accelerated, you should apply EARLY, as in ASAP because i believe they only have 40 spots for accelerated and the rest are traditional students. Our class has about 200 that got accepted. about 180 currently because you have to pass a summer course and if you don't you fail. And to get into the program, it's a first come first served basis w/ the points system figured in. They keep accepting past the deadline till they have 200 students along with a waitlist. Hope I'm making sense. Based on your GPA...I think you will get in with no problems! You might even have a good chance at UAMS granted you have fulfilled their reqs. I will say my GPA is lower than that and I applied wayyy after the priority deadline (last resort, I wanted a BSN and applied UALR last minute as my "back up") and I still got accepted!! You have to have a minimum of 2.5 overall GPA. Then you are ranked on a points system based on the pre-reqs for the program. The more pre-reqs you have completed the higher your points, the higher you get rated. (points added for higher grade, points taken away for failed/ retaken courses etc). I believe they have a list of courses you must have completed prior to admission and then a couple you can take after you are accepted. They have group advising sessions and I recommend you go to one of those, before you apply u have to go in for an advising appointment anyways. Those are listed on their website. It's helpful and they will go over the points system. Also, the admissions test is the HESI EVOLVE A2 and if you score high you get added points to your overall score. (again, i don't remember the pts exactly but they will tell you in the group advising session). I think my avg was like an 86....it's math, english, anatomy, physics, chemisty, etc. The test isn't very hard. The math is like elementary math. Just study the book they tell u to get and you should be ok. I am currently able to work FT along with school. The good thing about UALR's program is the classes aren't extremely long ( i see some programs have 9-3 classes etc). If you have fulfilled all the pre-reqs then your looking at about 8-10 credits per semester. Currently I have class 2 days a week and clinical, my classes are 3 hrs (i.e 0900-1150) each and clinical is 6 hrs. I believe this changes to 12 hrs( option of two 6hr clinicals or one 12 hr clinical) once you advance on. I don't have kids or even a husband, but I know several peers have kids and are in the program. I imagine it will take a good support group, flexible schedule ( the nursing instructors don't care - its their schedule and u must abide by it) and a lot of multi-tasking to make it work but I'm sure plenty have done it so you shouldn't be the first! Hope this helped you! Good luck. Any questions just ask, I'm still pretty new to the program though. I like it so far.

congrats! I know how grueling a process it can be!

those shape ups are soo ugly. sigh. but they do seem comfortable when i tried them. better than the easy tones.

It is possible and exists at my program. I think we have to take it before our 2nd year...or something and have to have the chairperson's approval. I'm in an ADN program and just started so I haven't really looked into it. You might ask your current program and see.

how the rest of us pay for school. Loans. A lot of us aren't gifted scholarships/grants. You can take out federal loans that will pay interest if you qualify. As far as states that will pay for your education in exchange for you working for them, i'm not sure it exists? I think some hospitals have a program that exist only after you have graduated and if you commit a certain number of years to them, they'll help you pay off your loans.

Just a heads up but I tried to apply to st. kates as an out of state applicant for their nursing program. When I talked to someone there, they told me that St. Kates has this thing where you have to take all of the prereqs at their school for the nursing program. So definitely contact someone there and ask them beforehand to make sure courses from other places will transfer in. Hope this helps. :)