Tommy2001

Rach, I was wondering if you would share your stats. I'm applying to their FNP program for May 2013 and was curious how competitive it is to get in. Are you from the area? I'm part of a research group for U of M cardiovascular and work with some faculty there if you have any questions I could answer.

Personally I can't imagine carrying a med dic or any reference for that matter in a clinical setting. Everyone uses smart phone apps epocrates is awesome and I can tell you we all benefit from it. Don't waste your money on those med dic, term, etc books. It's not as helpful as your phone apps. One more thing....I see you all are not taking my advice and enjoying the rest of the summer...lol...it's ok it will settle down once you get going. Again congrats to you all.

Cbrooks...lol..breathe. here is the lowdown regarding text books. At the end of the semester -------------- was working on a package deal through elsevier. My study partner swears by the ebook. I personally bought both. Why? Well I like to traditionally read yet don't care much about carrying 500 lbs of books to class. Those online versions are great for in class. You can highlight, take notes etc. Yet, when I'm home I like the hard copy. It's really up to your personal preference. 275 is going to be a writing course. Get the most updated APA. I don't think we had any other text for that class. 220 depending on who you have. These Prof will email you a few weeks before class with your syllabi. Like I said Potter and Perry and read. All your classes link so it is the back bone of your first semester.

ATI .....is a killer. It is used in the calculation of your course grade for most of your classes. It depends on your Prof as to how much they weigh. when you guys get started you will get study guides from the nursing office....read them. The ATI exams are based off of them not necessarily your course lectures. Also they will hit you with a fee around a hundred bucks to get started : )

cbrooks, Most of the prof's are ok with using an older edition....but I never did. I always wanted the most updated version do to any changes at all. They will use the most recent edition. So my advice is don't cheap out on your life line...those books are read from cover to cover.

Taking micro and DTC right now is a very smart move. I did the same and many in my clinical group didn't. They are in the classroom this summer and I'm working in the SICU making money and gaining experience.... You chose right.

Hey everyone first congrats on your acceptance and welcome to EMU Nursing! My name is Tom I have been the President of EMU's SNA over this past year and now the VP of Michigan SNA. When I got my acceptance letter I had all the same questions. Scrubs, etc. Over the past year I pledged I would help alleviate these uncertainties. This year at orientation we have scheduled a rep to be there from scrubs and beyond to help you all purchase what you need at a discounted price. You won't need your scrubs for a few weeks into the semester so no rush ok. I will answer any questions you have, but my advice is to enjoy the rest of your summer. It is true that nursing school takes a large amount of time. If you want a tip buy Potter and Perry and just start reading...lol...you will read that book from cover to cover.. The first semester starts off slow and picks up the second semester. No sweat. I'm here for any questions. Our SNA has a FB page and my email is [email protected] if you want my phone number just ask. Again Congrats! can't wait to meet you all at orientation. Tom

wendy, lol...i can appreciate your comparison of the debate having served eight years in the military. i agree with a lot of what you said but also believe some of it is skewed by your belief that you are on an equal playing field as a new bsn. my intent is to educate people that there is a substantial difference between the education of an adn and bsn. i don't look at how i spend my money when it comes to my education that will eventually provide me with a solid base to save lives. in your comparison of mba and j.d..... isn't even comparable. we both know that nursing and law are headed in two different directions. maybe for you it will be hard to land an interview because it is a fact....that there are some hospitals and units that won't even consider a new adn. let me ask you this...if an adn and bsn fresh out of school apply for a position who do you think they will choose? the economy has taken a toll and i like it. why? well it starts to put the pinch on new adn's. meaning positions will decrease and people who have invested in a four year education will eventually close the door to adn programs. this will happen. survival of the fittest. maybe not tomorrow or years but it will. for example look at the push for np programs to become dnp programs. it will eventually trickle down to the adn level. for too long nursing has been looked at as a job rather than a profession. why? the lack of respect due to an easy route. community college. community college has long been a stepping stone for students who couldn't achieve university status. yes, money reasons could be a factor and i agree to that. yet, overall that is the reputation and you shouldn't convince yourself of any different. you view the job market as being difficult. i can't believe how many recruitment and retention offices and extern programs i have already talked to. my wife is a bachelor's prepared l&d nurse of 12 years currently completing her midwifery program. at least three times a week her job placement office at her university sends her emails from headhunters looking for graduates of her particular program. what you fail to realize there is an alternate job market for those who take a different route. i am also sure if i completed my education at say.... yale.. then i would be privy to a whole different job perspective. yet, i'm smart enough to understand i shouldn't compare my education to theirs and i wouldn't insult them in doing such. i have looked into many bridge programs. vanderbilt has an exceptional one and is one of the top nursing schools in the country. a bridge program is not an adn program. it is a master's level program that takes an adn and brings them not only up to bsn standards but beyond to a master's level prepared nurse. i commend you on your goals but before you put msn after your name you will take courses that a bsn takes. what i'm saying is you don't just skip over bsn. i'm sure everyone on here has done their research and i'm a believer also that you have to choose what works for you, but in the same sense don't convince yourself that you're someone you're not. for example, let's look at the education and opportunities of the two degrees. i've taken all the pre reqs for wcccd at wcccd. i 4.0 all course work and never had to open a book except during lecture. you are catered to and pampered. the level of expectation in pre req work is not of university level. period. i re-took all pre reqs again and felt i received a much more meaningful education. now the difference in pre reqs. an adn for most programs doesn't have to take gen chem, orgo, biochem..etc. meaning they are not tested or receive the critical and analytical skills they need. ok. let's compare our opportunities. you mentioned research as being your passion. i'm currently working with a panel of phd's conducting research. i've taken research methods classes that have taught me how to not only properly conduct research, but also how to analyze data with programs such as spss to support my findings. guidance from our state's leading researchers on how to prepare my work in accordance with apa for publication. a community college adn doesn't get that...let alone understand its process. also, in an adn program it's in and out. meaning i have the ability to take classes or electives such as "men in nursing", "evidence based prac health care, "special topics""essentials", "pain management", "independent study (in area of nursing interest)", "research occupational health", "smoking cessation intervention", "stages of grief lit review" and as i mentioned research with faculty. as an adn you just don't have the well rounded education a bsn does. i'm not trying to be mean i'm just trying to be frank. in my opinion you have sold yourself short by choosing an adn program. why? well you could have already embarked a clear understanding of nursing research before ever reaching your msn. you look at a bsn as being a waste of money or an over paid expensive education. i look at my education as being priceless. my beef is not with you. our goals are similar but we are just taking different routes. my beef is with an individual who pursues an adn thinking she or he is as educated as a bsn. not even possible. why are there no community colleges or adn programs listed as the top nursing programs in america? you mentioned competitive. wendy competitive against what? fellow adn candidates? the competitive level at the bsn level is far greater. pre reqs are more difficult and more extensive. the level of aptitude is higher and the amount of slots are less. wayne state had nearly 1790 apps for around 40 or so slots. if you have a course repeat forget about it they won't even consider you. you're competing against people who have a strong science background and have waged through a tough pre req sequence. i urge to sit in on an a&p lecture at wayne state. dr. spranger's lecture material and expectations are far greater than any cc around here. i'm not trying to argue that every bsn that graduates is a better worker than an adn. my argument is they are better prepared, but what they do with their education is their own prerogative. my argument is we should close adn programs and increase the faculty size and student acceptance at the four year level. the compensation for nursing is very favorable in a sense to re pay loans etc.. the problem here is americans' generally want the get rich quick scheme or the "short cut". we have allowed this to infiltrate our healthcare systems long enough. we are talking about lives. it's not about your debt or your personal gain. it's about the patient. i want to walk in that room and be as educated as much as i can as a new nurse. i don't want accelerated programs or a pampered adn program. one of the posts mentioned the nclex. she stated her score as if it was some major accomplishment. it's a minimum requirement. this to me is the adn theory. just get by with the minimum and i'm good. i don't even worry about the nclex. an attitude of superiority is only backed by performance let me clarify my point. my better quality level of education and background gives me an edge to surpass an adn with a profound disadvantage. i do agree many look at an adn and bsn as equals but there are many hospitals, doctors and np's that don't. finally you mentioned as long as adn's are allowed to sit for the nclex don't knock them. well the only way to rid the nursing field of them and improve the quality of education foundation of nursing we have to exploit and debate. hence, the reason why this is such a heated debate among healthcare. good luck with your msn and research and if this seems harsh i apologize i just wanted to make my point as clear as i could exploiting the facts. i appreciate you being professional in your last posting i will extend you them same.:argue:

Not a problem you've got my email just let me know.

Sounds like you guys are insecure with your two year degrees and assumptions. Detroit Mercy is known for taking U of M scraps. Two different worlds. -Mr.BSN

If an ADN was the "same level of education" then they would call it a BSN. A two year degree is the same as a four year degree???right...... This is the attitude of nurses who typically believe they know more than the residents. The fact is most of ADN's know what to do but don't know why they do it. The Residents understand this far better. I can't speak for anyone's work ethic, but a two year degree is exactly that a two year technical degree, for people who just want a paycheck. It isn't the same at all. The teaching staff isn't the same. The students aren't the same. The pre-req's aren't the same. Heck! the nursing classes aren't the same. Why would you sell yourself short to a second best education? To achieve only the mininum? This is what I asked myself when I walked out of WCCD's info meeting. An education is an investment not something to look for a "discount" in. This is your career we're talking about not a sale at K-Mart. You get what you pay for. If I was patient I would want someone with a four year nursing degree, not a community college student. No offense.

Mohi, Sorry to hear about that. Last year I was in your shoes. I remember reading my rejection letter over and over. I felt horrible and I thought I have a 4.0 what else do I need to prove? This is my advice to you. The year will fly. If nursing is what you want to do then you will do what it takes. The point system works like this. Every credit hour you take you get a point, so even if you have say a 3.6,3.8 but have taken your pre reqs at EMU your in better position than a 4.0 transfer student. I transfered to EMU for the winter semester and re-took sociology, psychology, stats, life span and english. I made sure I had all TEAS points. I got A's in all these classes again. This gave me enough points into the 160's to get in. Historically over the past few years the cut off is in the 150's. I know its horrible to think you have to take classes over you already have A's in, but it was an easy semester and it got me to my goal. There is a graduate advisor named ------ who advises for pre nursing students. Make an appointmant to see her she will tell you exactly what you need to do for next year. So this is what I would do. 1. Re-take at least the pre reqs I mentioned. I would stay away from chem or A&P it may be a gamble. 2. Re-take TEAS go to the TEAS website get the study guide and take the online pretest. You need all these points! 3. Make an appointment to see Katie in academic advising (nursing). Listen to her. 4. Keep a good attitude and stay motivated towards your goal. "You were mean't to be a nurse nothing will stop you." 5. Finally, I will see you next Fall because you will get in. I know a lot of people refused to take classes over. Guess what a short year later their still complaining and I've reached the goal. Take them over its worth it. I will help you with teachers if you choose to take them over. EMU is a great school I really enjoyed last semester. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you. [email protected] -Thomas

Mel, If you haven't taken any classes at EMU forget it. I tried last year with a 4.0 and didn't get in. I transfered to EMU and took the pre reqs over and got in for this Fall. If your not at EMU my advice is you should transfer.

This may be the case for you but not all. Sorry to seem harsh but it's offensive to me. Would you compare a person who has an AA in Business to a person who has a BS in Business? Of course not. Why do you think it is acceptable to compare an AA nurse to a BSN? An ADN is not at the level of education of a BSN and shouldn't be held to that level. Last time I checked a community college wasn't listed on any list for the top nursing schools, and try to get into an extern program at U of Michigan with an ADN. A smile and a "sorry you don't qualify" Stop trying to compare.

I did a lot of my pre reqs at WCCCD and went to an informational meeting there. I lasted 10 minutes and walked out. I transfered to a four year the next semester. I'm not saying I'm better than people but that group of people was not the group I'd want to nurse with. You want a good education go get your BSN. You get what you pay for. It is much more competitive but you'll be surrounded by front runners. Don't think for a second doctors and BSN's won't judge you for only having an AA. There is no comparision.

I'll keep the good news rolling!! I got my acceptance letter to! Looking forward to meeting everyone! Awesome news Britt!!

I know I'd like to know my future too. I want to just walk up in Marshall and ask to see the list! lol.. I think knowing the answer is coming makes things worse because it wasn't bothersome until I knew it was coming! I have a feeling tomorrow is the day.

Well whatever they do I hope it's quick! All this anticipation is making nervous!! Email would be nice! or post a list outside Marshall! Well I guess it will be celebrating or crying in a day or so.

That would be great. I'll let you know if I hear anything. Hopefully we'll be classmates!!

Ya I had 145 I think if I remember right the cut off was 150. Either way I remember being five points short. I'm thinking its going to be at least the same this year just with fewer applicants. (my opinion) I think a lot of people who were in my boat decided against retaking pre reqs. I think you'll have a hard time getting in without taking classes at Eastern. In fact even if you have a 4.0 and TEAS points your chances are slim. At least last year it wasn't possible unless you had healthcare exp to add. I don't know what I'll do either. I thought maybe something would have come in the mail today but nothing. Did you say we should get an email? I didn't get one last year did you?

Hey Brit, Crazy isn't it. Ya all my courses were transfers, so I re-took them at Eastern this past semester to get my points. I read my rejection letter like five times last year. I thought there was a mistake!! lol...You must have just missed it last year. I know I was five points from the cut off. I have a feeling there isn't going to be as many apps this year and we are sitting in a better position. I will let you know if I hear anything we should know this week. Keep your fingers crossed!

Last year we heard on the 11th. They sent everyone a letter. Last year I had a 4.0 all TEAS points and didn't get in. I took my pre reqs over at EMU this past winter and got A's again. I have done everything I could so I'm hopeful this year. Good luck to everyone.

johanna, thanks so much for your insight! i have been thinking a lot about what you said. it makes complete sense to go active duty and continue the retirement clock let alone full benefits while going to school. my wife is working on her master's in midwifery at wayne state university and i think i'll be done before she finishes. i want to make sure she's done before i commission so there is no worries of her not being able to complete her educational goals. i know i will go where the navy needs me. during this time i will grab a critical care job as a civilian and get my year of experience. after she finishes i'll go active and begin the transition. i totally agree with you about becoming an officer and a nurse. i was enlisted for eight years and got out as an e-6 it has always been my dream since bootcamp to become a naval officer. we used to say, "before you can be a master at arms you first have to be a sailor." i think so many people who come in are so focused on their job, but fail to realize it's more than that. there are tons of young people who look up to you and idealize you as an officer. i know because i was one of them. it is your responsibility as an officer to guide them in a positive way. i know my plate will be full with becoming a good officer and nurse at the same time. it is going to be a whole different ball game as an "o". busy days. i agree school shouldn't be until after my first four as a new "butter bar"..lol i will do my time and prove that i am worthy of the navy's investment. i think it also gives me the opportunity to see the different avenues in nursing. i also have an interest in psychiatry nursing and noticed usu has a np program for that. it is an exciting time for me, being so close of achieving my dream. i'll get there. a few more questions i was at bud/s in 2000 and remember san diego being a great town but haven't been back since. is it still a nice place and kid friendly? also what exactly or how involved are psychiatry nurse and nurse practitioner in a military setting? i also didn't see any pre-reqs for crna school other than the one year of acute care. no organic chem? thank you for your guidance and i promise i'll leave you alone after this! thanks again.

Johanna767, I was wondering if you'd answer a few questions for me. I am prior Navy of eight years enlisted. I seperated from the Navy to go to nursing school. I want to come back into the Navy as a Nurse and my ultimate goal is to be a Navy CRNA. Should I get my critical care experience before going back in? Should I try to get into CRNA school before the Navy? or should I come striaght in? I'm not sure what the best path would be. I'm definetly coming back in but I want to give myself the best opportunity at reaching my goals. Any advice you could give I'd really appreciate. Congrats on CRNA school!

Well thanks I hope. If I hear anything I'll let you know. I did hear that we should know aroung the middle of the month. If you hear anything let me know! Maybe we'll be classmates come this Fall!