msturn1975

crzyNP you are the bomb! I think about work schedules exactly the way you do. You hit the nail on the head!

Assuming you are young, then you will fit in at UoM. There are so many different viewpoints about everything. You may want to really think what is most important to you. Another thing is that UT offers a Masters in about the same time you would earn a BSN. Just remember-nursing school will test your endurance/sanity to the nth degree. Get ready to give a lot up. It is nothing like what you have experienced so far. Good luck.

I had the same question as you did a year ago. I had a very nice person write this for me, so I am passing it on to you: I attend the University of Memphis right now so I can tell u a little bit about it. 1st semester you will take Intro to Med/Surg, Skills lab, Pharmacology, Patho, Health Assessment, Health Assessment lab, and a clinical. Yes this is a large load and was probably one of the worst semesters for me because you are new and are thrown into it. I think all of these classes are to basically weed people out because a lot of these classes are preq's at Baptist! The schedule was Patho on Tuesdays', Health Assessment on Wednesday's, Pharm on Thursday's and Intro to Med/Surg on Friday's. Each class was 3 hours long and everyone also had their two labs and clinical at some point during the week. edit:I think things have a changed a little bit and from what I've heard 1st semester students no longer go to clinical every week, but every other week is a clinical day and the week not at clinical you do a simulation in the lab. 2nd semester there are less classes but the material seems to get a little bit harder. You will take Med/Surg I, Nursing psych, skills lab, and 2 clinicals (1 for Med/Surg and 1 for Psych). Classes were still 3 hours long but if I remember correctly they were on 2 diff days. 3rd semester you will focus on O.B. and Pediatrics. I loved this semester and I thought it was a breeze. I actually had time to have a social life on the weekends! We take O.B., Peds, Geriatrics (online class), plus 2 clinicals (O.B. and Peds). They also at the last minute added in Ethics so I had to take that 3rd semester as well. 4th semester....This is the semester I am in now and it focuses on Critical care. We are in the ICU. We take Med/Surg II, Community nursing, Research (online class) plus 2 clinicals (ICU and community). 5th semester is Leadership. You will work with a preceptor and make your own schedule. The classes are Leadership, Issues and Trends and then Leadership the clinical. You are required to complete 100 and something hours prior to graduation. Over all I think it is a good program. It is hard, but I do feel like I learn alot in the end. I think the passing rate is 98% last time I checked. They also offer a NCLEX review/practice class that you can take 5th semester. Clinicals are fun, we get to do more and more each semester as we pass check off's. We can chart our own assessments and give medications. The only thing I hate are the care plans because they take forever! But that you can't escape no matter what nursing school you go to so you better get used to it! Ohh, also to answer the other part of your question you pretty much have a test every week. For example, the first test will be Med/Surg then the next week you will have a Patho test, and the week after that a Pharmacology test, ect until you have had your 1st round of tests for each class and then it starts over. Then during those weeks you also have tests in clinical and in skills lab (1st/2nd semester) over whatever skill you are supposed to be learning. All of our exams are taken on the computer and you can only see one question at a time, and you also can not go back and change your answers (the screen only lets u move forward). The teachers are okay, some I cant stand because they are kind of discouraging, while others I love.

I hope you do well. Have you always had problems with reading or is it just feeling like your pressured and running out of time on the exam? My lowest scores have always been in reading comprehension. I am starting nursing school in January and dread the hours of reading required-it's like I have to read the pages over and over again to understand because I get distracted easily or lose interest-not because I can't understand the material. I think it is anxiety before an exam-if you can get that under control you will do fine. Because you are passionate you will succeed.

FINALLY will be able to turn in my health status packet-just got CPR certificate! Doen't matter I guess, I won't be able to pick my days and times for classes!lol I hope it is not a varied schedule like one day in the morning and the next-late afternoon,etc. Has anyone gotten a schedule yet and have you heard that clinicals will be every other week?

Did you get into Memphis?

You will do fine smarty pants! And you better not read any books over the holidays-cause I need 'em!lol

girlshunt2 I lost my job as well a few years back as well. Took the easy route in college and got a business major. I always figured I would have a job with a degree but was oh so wrong. My father died during my last years in college and I had to help my grandmother care for him and knew I wanted to get into medicine or nursing. But like you I kept thinking my past gpa in school wouldn't let me pursue what I wanted to do. It was really tough when I did make the decision to go back into nursing to be told my gpa wouldn't get me in the schools of my choice. I figured being 33 I was past my prime to go into medicine and the next best choice was nursing. I decided at that point that I would not accept any less of myself and deserved to go where I wished. I went to take these pre-req classes with the mindset that anything less than an A was unacceptable. Believe me all of my high school and college grades were just average. If I can do it you can. Now the hard part will be here in 6 weeks-NURSING SCHOOL.

Don't worry Girlshunt2 you are on the right track. I didn't do too well in undergrad as far as gpa-a little under a 3.0. And when I decided to start my prereqs for nursing school I went to U of M to see an advisor and she told me to not even try for their program. She said I would need to try a community college. She asked me if I partied all the time in undergrad!lol Anyway, I went to SW and made all A's in the prereqs and got a 148 on my NLN. I applied to U o M and took the TEAS and scored 90%. I just wanted to try. U of M sent their letter of acceptance 2 weeks later so I accepted. SW just called me last week-I wasn't really sure if they would ever call me because U o M's deadline for acceptance was Oct.28. My point is that you should apply to UoM. Baptist also called me but like SW it was too late. To be honest, you are probably better off going to SW. You can get a job and then get your BSN and have wherever you work pay for the rest of your education.

To Stace75 and Scifi I was referring to first semester clinicals that had changed this semester to the Jewish Nursing home. They are trying it for the first time. I am aware that you will eventually go to major hospitals. Talking to different people that I know that go to different schools, it seems that there is a different focus area as far as where the majority of clinicals take place.

As Dixielo said, you are fine. I know folks who got in with a few C's. Again, it all depends on who you are competing with and how well they have done. And you are right about the deadlines being screwy. I was really waiting on SW to call me first but another school replied faster so I went with it-and their deadline for acceptance was way before SW even called me. I CAN'T SAY WHICH SCHOOL BECAUSE IT IRRITATES CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT I AM EVEN ON HERE! But I was waiting on SW up until a few weeks ago. My major factor was cost and didn't want to dive in the MSN program not knowing what I was getting into! SW is cheaper but since you can't work full-time realistically, you will need assistance with day-to- day expenses like gas,food, and a tent. So that is why I went to THE OTHER SCHOOL! And each school does have different criteria. IMO, SW has a good setup so a person knows what to achieve to get in. With UT, UM, etc. it is a cum G.P.A. and a grade of C or higher in sciences with the disclaimer that those are the minimum requirements but to be competitive you need .... And people for some reason need to let everyone know their NLN score and grades- I guess it is good for people to get some idea of what is needed to get in, but I think you have an excellent chance! What are your thoughts on getting a BSN?

I was not being antagonistic first of all. I applied to all and made a decision to go to UoM. Secondly, the message was not sent to you. I wanted her to know I have another classmate that went to Union and is doing very well in the accelerated program and will finish in December. You cannot understand or even interpret my tone from these typed messages. Does she want a supportive environment from the faculty, does she want to do clinicals in major hospitals immediately,etc.? She answered that by saying cost was a factor. I know it is rachie-roos decision to go wherever she desires, but she needs as many perspectives as possible. I appreciated all that replied to me even if I didn't like it. Good luck rachie roo and if you have any questions about the SWCC program I am sure that my friend that is in it will be glad to lend her support to you.

Ok. Try UoM they are not much higher than SWCC. I think it is around 4000/sem-but you would be getting your BSN. On the flip side you probably will be better off going to SWCC to save money and can always return for your BSN while you work.

There's no preparation! Just preparation H for the strain that nursing school puts on you!

I thnk what she meant to say was not to take a professor whose name rhymes with Rake for Micro and take a professor of middle eastern origin for AP whose name I can't make a rhyme to at this moment.