chiliwings

On occasion our trusty truck acts funny very good vehicle any how.

Hi..! I have a previous Bachelors degree which I took from another country. Anyway, I applied for the Nursing program at NIU. And they credited most of my subjects execpt for English.. It says I need 2 English subjects or English 105. Anyway, I was wondering if I can take these classes together with the Nursing major subjects or do I have to take it before I can start Nursing classes? Please help coz I dont know want my admission to be postponed just because I need to take these English classes. Thanks!

Hi... I just had my international transcript evaluated from ECE and how come their evaluation I think is too low.. I got my C's converted to Ds! But this was not the case in all of it. So I don't know it's really like that..I mean, if C's are D's, how come some of the subjects where I got C's not converted to D's? I'm just confused.. so in effect, my overall GPA was so low! Did anyone run into this problem? Thanks! :angryfire

Hi! I am starting to fill out applications I will be sending out for a few of the nursing schools here. I would just like to solicit some of your ideas on what to write. I am one of the career switchers. I used to work in IT and decided to switch to nursing. Although potential job opportunities and mass outsourcing contributed to SOME of the reasons, is this still advisable to include this in the essay?? I think because of these essays, I stumbled upon a dead end with my application! Argh!

Hi thanks for the tip! I did the same thing every single day. I would wake up around 6:30 since online registration doesnt open till 7 am just to check classes. Good thing I was able to enroll in both classes. Anatomy 111 and Microbiology. By the way, if you dont mind, who were your professors? I got Karen Persky for Microbio and Aruna Septhupathi for Anatomy. Any word on these teachers? Thanks!

Hi!!! Would you know if there is a long waiting list for NIU?? I am hoping to get into that school too for SY 2005.

Hi.. I am shooting for Spring semester for a nursing transfer program in Loyola for the accelerated BSN. The problem is the pre-reqs I still need to take in College of DuPage are already closed since the number of students for the class have been maxed out. I was wondering if anyone had any similar experience and yet was still able to get in. What were the usual steps that you did in order to get in? Thanks!

Hi ! I live in IL too.. which schools did you apply for? I am hoping to get into Loyola ABSN, NIU or UIC. Any word on these schools? I'm just a little worried because of my GPA from my previous bachelors! I am hoping that I am not wasting my time in taking the pre-reqs only to find out I am not qualified!!! Argh!!

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding the GPA in order to get into nursing school. I know nursing is one of the most competitive programs to get into may be primarily because of the huge number of applicants. Anyway, I already have a previous degree in Information Systems. My overall GPA was not even a 3.0 I think it was only about 2.65. But my overall GPA SO FAR for the pre-requisites for nursing that I am currently taking is a 4.0. So I am wondering do I still have a chance of getting in? I mean I am a little bit hesitant because of my mediocre GPA from my previous bachelors. Anyway insights will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

One major factor that influenced me to pursue nursing is job security. At least with nursing, I can concentrate more on doing my job better and providing the best care to patients than having to constantly looking behind my back because of fear of seeing that dreaded pink slip. I also wanted to eventually move to California sometime in the future to avoid the winter here in IL. And if I become a nurse, I am sure I will not have trouble finding a job right away. And the salary that nurses earn of course also come into play. I mean, of course I also have bills to pay so the average salary plus the variety of fields in nursing that I can eventually get into are another two of the mjor factors that made be finally jump ship from IT to nursing. :) Last but certainly not the least, Ive been working for an IT consulting firm for 2 and a half years now. The projects Ive been proud of being involved with are now obsolete. Plus Ive had my share of ungrateful and complaining clients. I know its part of the job but the fact that knowing that the projects Ive been involved it and worked really hard for could easily be scraped at a CEO's or client's whim is what bums me out. With nursing, at least I know that even if I get the chance of dealing with difficult doctors, it wont be as bad because I know that I still made a difference in the life of the patient and the family too. That to me is my number reason why. With nursing I know I can at least touch people's lives and make a difference.

Thanks everybody for all your replies. It sure is very interesting to read different kinds of opinions. Anyway when I originally posted this message, I was still in the stage where I was considering taking up nursing as a second career. Being in IT for quite some time and suddenly doing a 180 degree turn is not at all that easy to do. I had a lot of people asking me why I wanted to get in to nursing. I must admit, had the situation with the IT industry been any different, I of course would gladly stick to it. But as every body knows, things right now are not that what they used to be. Seasoned programmers are being laid off here and there. As for nursing, like what one of the posters wrote, nursing students are immiediately hired even when they are still in school. Job security may be one of the first reasons why I decided to pursue nursing, but it certainly isn't the only one. But that reason did make me consider looking into the nursing field more closely. We all got our own reasons why get into a certain field. These reasons are the ones that motivate us to want to become programmers, doctors, engineers and nurses. But what makes us stay in that particular field is what is more important I think. Because in my opinion, we never really know what makes a good doctor, or a good nurse or a good programmer until you yourself are immersed in that field. Before we enter into a certain field, we only have a vague idea of what being a good nurse (or doctor, etc) entails. In other words, I honestly think you learn more of the field as you go along - from taking classes to finishing your degree, to actually working and doing your job as a nurse, doctor etc. Don't get me wrong, I of course agree that there should be more than just money or security as the reason for getting into nursing. Because if money is the only reason why I decided to enter IT, then I shouldnt have lasted for more than 1 month in my job! :chuckle Of course I know the importance of loving what you do in order to be successful in it. I did my research into the nursing field, did a lot of informational interviews and all. And from what Ive learned it does look like a rewarding job, regardless of what other people say. Yeah, there may be a few "disgruntled" nurses here and there, but what other field doesnt right? :) When I initially considered the nursing field, I did not have that much idea about it (or if it is something I wanted to get into) which was why I decided to take just one class to serve as my "testing" board. I took AP as my first class. In this way I thought, if I don't like it, I can just quit and there's no harm done. After all it is just one class. But so far I am happy to say (and to my suprise too) that I actually am enjoying it a lot and find it very interesting. Before, just the thought of blood and doing lab and all that turns me off, but now that I am actually doing it, I find a certain degree of satisfaction and enjoyment. :) So the saying that "Dont knock it until you try it" holds true in my case. So far I honestly think I made the right decision and I am very happy with it. And in the long run, that's the only thing that matters.

I agree.. thanks UsteGrl. (I take it you're from UST?) :)

Didnt mean to offend anyone. But didnt you read from the Title that it says "Filipino nurses?" Anyway, no need to get on each other's nerves. I was just happy to know that I found some of my fellow countrymen here in this forum. Hence, the post in Tagalog.

Kamusta kayong lahat? Second-career nursing student ako... graduate sa pinas with a BS Management Info. System pero nagiisip na magnursing dahil mas maraming magagandang opportunities compared sa IT. meron ba ditong kagaya ng situation ko? Mula sa Computer Science eh nagdecide na magnursing? Salamat sa inyong lahat!

*Sigh... too bad things turned this way with IT. Long hours and the pay sux (at least in my work). Plus from the way things are at work, we arent getting as many projects unlike before..most our clients wanted to shift all projects overseas. It's hard competing with equally qualified but lower paid programmers overseas...! :angryfire So as far as raises go, I guess I should not get my hopes up!Argh! Sorry for ranting but this is the major reason I decided to go into nursing. I dont mind being over worked as long as I am appreciated, you know what I mean? Thanks for letting me rant! If there are any others who jumped ship from IT, let's hear it!

Haha! It's funny you said that.. :chuckle I just started doing my pre-reqs too. That class was also my first after about 5 years. I was lucky I took Bio in college so that is out of the way. So far it's been alright. Anyway.. with this info about the limitations of financial aid for accelerated BSN, I may have to consider doing direct entry MSN. I was just hoping I could get out of having to do GRE, which is a requirement for MSN. Anyway... as far as I know, here in IL, the only university offering direct entry MSN is DePaul. I was wondering if anybody knows the NCLEX passing rate of DePaul. I know Loyola is known for their medical programs, but I am not sure about DePaul since I know they are good with computer programs. Anyhow, I am crossing my fingers that I will be able to do good in my pre-reqs since my over all GPA for my 1st bachelors is barely a 3.0. With my luck, I am hoping to get into a nursing program by next school year and begin my diet of ramen, rice and water.

that's not good. since i will have to stay in the dorms.. i guess i may need to borrow the rest from banks. which is not good. i guess i will also try to apply in direct entry msn too... i just wanted to avoid having to do the gre...! but hey if it can save me more money, why not right? thanks top cat for all your info!

Hi! Have you started your pre-reqs yet? I just started mine and I plan to apply in 2005. When do you think is the best time to submit applications?

Hi Top Cat! Thanks for that info about receiving financial aid. I too have a previous degree, but fortunately was already paid for by my parents. I am considering getting a a second bachelors by going the accelerated BSN route. My question is, so if the total lifetime limit loan of an undergraduate is $46,000, can I avail all that if I apply in accelerated BSN? I dont have any student loans from my previous degree, but I am thinking of applying for the ABSN in a private university here in chicago (Loyola University). And if my calculations are correct, the total amount I need to borrow including living expenses (dorm, books etc) is about 40,000. So I was wondering if I can get the maximum amount?? Thanks again!

Hello, due to the nursing shortage it seems to me that everyone want to pursue a nursing degree. This makes the program even more competitive. In line with this, I do have some questions about how hard is it to get into a nursing school particularly here in Illinois. The schools I plan to apply to are Loyola Univ, Rush university, UIC and NIU. My questions are as follows: 1) How hard is it to get into the nursing program of the schools I had specified? 2) Is there a waiting list? How long? 3) Would it be an advantage if I already have a bachelors degree, but from another field? (Computer related) 4) I intend to apply for spring of 2005. How early should I submit application? Right now, I am still taking pre-reqs. Should I wait when they are done? 5) I took my bachelors from a foreign country, is there an easier way to have my transcripts sent to the schools I want to apply to? Thanks everyone and I cant wait for your responses.

Thanks for the encouragement..! Just curious, what made you decide your current job? How long were you in it? As for me, I am still with my old job but I dis start taking my pre-reqs. I am aiming for spring semester next year for enrollment to nursing school. Are you enrolled already in nursing school? Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Thanks Lizz! That was very informative... I too had heard about the demand for nurses in the coming years. Although this is not to say my only reason why I decided to pursue the profession. Altough it is one of my mojor reasons why. It is just sad that people here are losing jobs because of this so-called outsourcing. But like most of the second-career nurses here, Ive decided to take the proactive stand. Rather of waiting for anyone to respond to the job applications Ive sent out, I decided to just pursue nursing. I guess I just got tired of waiting for something to happen. And surprisngly, I am actually looking forward everytime I go to class. I actually like it. :) This makes me even more excited to finally get into nursing school hopefully by next year. Anyway.. just out of curiousity, does anyone know the entry level or recent grad salary for nurses? I live in IL so any information will be really appreciated. I couldnt seem to find any information about this.. Thanks and keep the posts coming!

I am so happy for you. I cant wait for my turn to give my two weeks notice. Right now I'm at work but all I can think about is *looks at clock "Is it 5pm yet?". I just hate slow days at work. I think I like it better if the job is more fast paced. Call me crazy, but I like being pressured. I guess that's another attractive reason why I am considering nursing. Things here at work used be much better. But now things have changed. Every morning I have a fear of seeing a pink slip on my table. The uncertainty of my job security is the worst! Oh well.. I still have 4 more pre-reqs to go after Im done with AP. Microbio, Organic Chem, Nutrition and Psychology: Development. I can't wait for everything to be done so I can finally enroll in Nursing school. I just hope I get accepted. I am hoping that the fact that all my experience had nothing to do with nursing wont hurt my application to get into nursing school. If everything goes as planned, I intend to stay here in my job until the end of the year. By that time I shouldve finished all my pre-reqs. I am aiming at Spring term to apply. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, are there any techies out there considering to jump ship?

Hello NeilC, Thanks for the insight. Just curious, do you think you will miss working in the IT world? And what makes you so sure that nursing is what you really wanted even after considering a signifcant decrease in salary? As for me, like in my previous posts, I still like working in IT, but as everyone knows, due to the economy right now it is hard to look for better jobs especially in the IT industry where there are a lot of unemployed, but skilled people looking for jobs. So I guess my motivation in pursuing nursing is to have a chance to get somewhere in my career and in life in general. With nursing I know what I will do matters. Not like in IT where all my hard work can get scrapped with a snap of a finger. I hope I am making sense. I guess in general I am just frustrated with all the outsourcing issues going on and I just want to be in a profession where I do not have to worry if I still have a job tomorrow. I began my first pre-req which is Anatomy and suprisingly, I am enjoying it a lot. :) Anyway, any stories where you can share your transition from IT to nursing will be greatly appreciated.

Hi... just curious.. what made you decide to take up nursing considering you already have a master's in Computer science? Do you think you will miss the IT World?