nickasarbata

I'm also sorry you had a difficult time. My whole enrollment process has been a breeze too, and they were very generous in their credit transfer policy, even accepting old classes I took at Ashworth College (which my RN program absolutely did not accept). I was very happy to find that they accepted all of my prereqs and my RN degree, and I'll be starting in December with just 31 CUs. If you're having an issue, talk to your enrollment counselor or ask for a different enrollment counselor. Before WGU, I tried at Texas Tech and UT Arlington here in Texas, and both schools seemed incredibly unorganized. WGU has been a breath of fresh air -- so far! I'll let you know how I feel once classes have actually started!

I'll also chime in. I'm also graduating in December. In my experience, one thing I would have liked to know is that the calendars are hugely deceptive. Our calendars (especially in level 1) would show that we had class two or three days a week and then clinicals three or four days a week. Just know that you'll do somewhere between 12-16 hours of clinical per week pretty much every semester, and that's always done either on one 12hr day or split up into two six or eight hour days. You'll have classes one or two days a week (usually two) and you might have labs on additional days, especially in levels one and two. Your calendar may show four clinical days each week, but that's because there are many clinical groups. You will NOT have four days of clinical! You can also swap clinical sites with classmates if there's another group that works better with your schedule (as long as somebody from that group is willing to trade with you). Finally, it's all relative. In my opinion, level one was the hardest and it got progressively easier after that. We're busy in level 4 but I certainly don't think it's the hardest. But again, each student is different, and we have three/four separate campuses with different instructors so we all have slightly different experiences. Good luck!

Thought I'd chime in since I'm also a guy who moved to Austin from NYC. I did my CNA certification there and then immediately moved to Austin and jumped into nursing prerequisites. Pretty much what everyone else said is true. It's a great city if you can handle the insane heat, the ridiculous traffic, and say goodbye to at least 50% of your salary just by moving here -- if not more. For me, it's absolutely worth it, and I really love love Austin. Pay for CNAs is crap here. I work at a hospital and my base salary is $11.50/hour. They pay a dollar more on weekends, about 85 cents more for evenings, and something like a dollar more for night shift. So if you play your cards right, you might make $14/hr if you work weekend nights -- that's about as much as you can hope to make. We also have no unions here, so be prepared for dangerous patient loads! I work on a med/surg / IMC unit, and the CNAs are "supposed" to have 12 patients, but we always have more - I usually have 16-18, and I've had as many as 23. It is dangerous, not to mention impossible to manage. We're not a peaceful nursing home, we have very ill patients, and it's just too many (our nurses have six patients when everywhere else they'd only have 4-5 with this level of acuity). I'm two semesters away from graduating from nursing school. I blasted through all my prerequisites in two semesters, but most people need three. I had a 4.0 GPA and still had to wait THREE semesters before being accepted, because basically everyone has a 4.0. I didn't waste time though. I did all of my BSN prerequisites while I waited. I'm finally in and the program itself is fantastic. I'm at ACC, and you'll hear all the time how hospitals love hiring ACC grads over UT grads -- but that's an argument for another forum! Also, what was said about in-state tuition is absolutely true. I paid out of state tuition my first three semesters here, and ended up paying about $14,000 for one academic year at a COMMUNITY college. I didn't want to wait since I knew how long I'd have to wait AFTER being allowed to apply to the nursing program. But yes, it can add up! I will say that now that I pay in-state tuition, ACC's program is only about $900/semester. Very manageable. Finally I will say I tend to agree about the New Yorker thing -- it doesn't impress people around here. NYC work experience is really only something that employers in NYC require and/or are impressed by. I got my very first ever CNA job with no experience in a hospital not because I did my CNA course in NYC but because I spoke Spanish and had experience working in luxury hotels and they wanted staff that was customer-service focused. So go figure! (If you do happen to speak Spanish, let them know! It's immensely valuable around here!) Good luck! I think you'll like Austin, despite the warnings! Just be ready for the heat!!

In my program, everyone is required to take a basic nursing skills course (basically a CNA course) before being accepted into the program. So in first semester's clinicals we were expected to be able to do all of those basic skills from day one (baths, vitals, toileting, transfers, etc.) In our first semester we learned physical assessments, non-parenteral and parental meds (including all types of injections), catheterizations, NG insertion/removal and NG/PEG meds/feedings, and (basic) wound care. They put all of our checkoffs in the first 6 weeks or so of the semester and as we were checked off on a skill in lab, we were from then on allowed to do it in clinicals. Every program is different, but you'll never be thrown into a patient's room alone to do something you don't know how to do - nor should you be. Now not knowing how to do something and being nervous about doing something are different things. Most people in my clinical group felt very much out of their comfort zone quite a bit during the semester, but that's how you learn and grow!

lejpej - Just now seeing your message so you may already be retaking some classes. Their system is pretty ridiculous, but it's because we're now competing with so many other schools for clinical sites. I had the max 56 points my first time applying and didn't get in. Don't forget that once you apply and take Nursing Skills, that will also count to your points, so everything will be multiplied by 11 instead of 10. So my first application I had 56 and the second I had 65. I'd advise against retaking classes over at this point with the score you have. The reapplication points plus the nursing skills class should give you enough to get in. I'd start working on BSN prerequisites while you wait. I had three full semesters (including the summer) between finishing my last ACC prerequisite and starting the program, and in those three semesters I got ALL of my BSN prerequisites done which will make for a quick transition to the BSN. Work on those and you'll be in the program before you know it. Don't waste time and money retaking classes to give you a quarter of a point higher on your reapplication points. The days of needing perfect scores are over, they're not enough anymore. You need reapplication points, so just work on BSN stuff in the meantime and soon you'll be in the program!

Does anybody know what we're supposed to wear to orientation on the 10th? Scrubs, business casual, or whatever we want? Also, where did you guys get your patches sewn on? I got the patches, but the lady at the scrub store basically discouraged me from having "their person" do it... she said it was expensive and took a long time. If they were iron-on I could do it myself, but I'm not going to attempt to sew them on myself!

It is pretty overwhelming to take all three, but it can be done. I did all three plus human g&d and still got all A's. Things are different now - perfect grades are no longer enough, reapplication points are required. So I'd say do it, get that first application in as soon as possible. Reapplication points will mean way more than the tiny difference between an A and a B.

I got CEC, my first choice! Excited to begin! Annoying that they've still got delays, but I sent my CBC today and working on all the medical stuff next week, so it feels like things are starting to happen! Congrats to all, excited to meet those of you who'll be at CEC, and soon it'll be time to review for that skills checkoff and try to remember dosage calculation which I completed more than one year ago!

Has anyone received their campus placement email yet? They were supposed to arrive yesterday right?

I got in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chose CEC, Hybrid, EVC, RRC CONGRATS to all who got in, and to those who didn't, don't give up!! With ACC, it's not a matter of IF you'll get in, it's a question of WHEN.

Thanks michellemc! I hope you're right, but with ACC, I'll believe it when I see it!! Where are our letters?! They can't send them all out at once since each email is personalized... (or maybe acceptance letters aren't and they'll send them all out at once?!). Can they just send them already?! They've got 38 minutes left. What if we don't get them today?! :-(

We don't have rankings until we get the letters (and even then I don't know if they "rank" the people who actually get in. Last time when I didn't get in I had 56 points and was ranked 167). This time I have 65 points, so unless they lied to us, we should all know our ranking within the next 42 minutes!!

Tick tock, tick tock... :-/

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!! The day has finally arrived (again)! I had 56 points last time and really thought I would get in, but alas it wasn't so. This time I've got 65 points so that better freaking be enough! I agree with everyone that it's totally ridiculous how tough it is to get into this program. Something's gotta change. I remember last round of applications everything was so delayed because they said they were trying to hire more professors to be able to take in more students. After all that extra waiting they ended up taking even fewer students than ever. I guess we lost some clinical spots to Texas State and Concordia. So it gets more and more competitive and takes longer and longer. At this rate people will have to take all the pre- and co-requisites with perfect grades and then still wait around for two or more years before they get in. I worked my butt off and did all the pre- and co-reqs in just two semesters, managed to get all A's, and I really thought that would mean something. Apparently not! I finished last December, so with perfect grades working in hyperspeed, you'll still wait two full semester (three if you count the summer) before getting in. Totally crazy. Luckily I've spent my "downtime" working on all my BSN prerequisites, so by the end of this semester I'll have everything required to jump right into UT Arlington's online RN-BSN bridge. So not wasted time, but I don't exactly feel like I'm working toward becoming and RN when I'm studying Texas Government, British Literature, statistics, etc. Oh well, I guess it's part of the process. Once again, good luck everyone, hope to hear good news from you all soon!

Good luck to everyone! Emails coming today or tomorrow!! Crossing fingers for us all!!

Didn't get in, y'all. Perfect points definitely aren't good enough. I did all pre- and co-requisites in two semesters with perfect grades, and it wasn't enough. My rank was 167 out of 478. I'm sure several people have reapplied more than once, so I know many of you have been waiting a really long time, and you deserve it!! But it's disappointing all the same. You'd think some recognition would be given for effort. Anyway, congrats to all who got in! I very well may be saying goodbye to ACC and hello to UT. :-/

Hybrid vs. CEC - time and clinicals Guys, can anyone give me any advice on clinical locations and the ability to choose a clinical site? I'm going back and forth between CEC and hybrid, but I'm trying to figure out how to fit everything in. I'm also working as a CNA and not sure I'll be able to work even one day a week, let alone two. Hybrid sounds like a really interesting option, but I've heard most clinicals are up in Round Rock or Georgetown. That would be pretty inconvenient for me since I live in far south Austin. But I did hear that some hybrid students can do clinicals at Texas Neuro Rehab. That's VERY close to my house, and would be amazing! Do we have the possibility to choose or influence our clinical sites at all? If so, I'd definitely like to apply for Hybrid. If not, I'll really have to do some thinking. I like the idea of being at CEC, but it seems like it's full-time, five days a week, and I'd pretty much have to quit my job entirely and apply for some serious loans. I just don't know what to do! I guess CEC is where I'd like to be, but hybrid would give me much more flexibility... unless I have to drive waaaay up north three days a week, in which case I'm not sure it's worth it. Thoughts from you wise people who know more than me? Thanks!

Is anyone else obsessively checking their mail/email every day for notification? I know the website says we'll hear from them in June, but I can't help myself. By the way, do they send notification by email or regular mail? I've got 56 points, did all pre- and co-requisites in just two semesters (that almost killed me!), but it sounds like that's no longer a guarantee of getting in. I did get the nursing skills petition, so i'll be at EVC on Tue/Thurs during the second summer session. Will anyone else here be there? I'm crossing my fingers for a miraculous acceptance letter. Not sure if my dreams are unrealistic, but I still have hope! I just want to hear from them! I had two friends from class who had 51 and 48 points, and neither of them even got the nursing skills petition, so I'm holding out hope! :-)

I got my first CNA job at one of my city's largest hospitals working on a med/surg floor that also treats oncology and psychiatric patients. It's a pretty wild place with a very high level of acuity, but it's a great learning experience. I applied at several hospitals directly through their websites, as well as at the local state psychiatric hospital. I got interviewed for this position and at the psychiatric hospital (they had SIX immediate vacancies and pretty near begged me to take a position, seems people don't stay long there). I'm so glad I took this job. It's a great experience, they'll pay my entire nursing school tuition, I'm virtually guaranteed an RN job there when I graduate, and we do self-scheduling, which is really nice. Benefits are great, and there's always overtime available for those who want it. I feel so lucky to have gotten this job as my first CNA job, even if the work itself is difficult, we have high patient loads, and a very high level of acuity. I'm learning so much! If you want a hospital job, don't give up. Look on their websites and apply directly.

Just got a job at a hospital here in Austin, TX. No experience. Was offered $10.10 per hour for full-time, 12hr shifts, days. They do pay more for nights and weekends, but I have't found out how much yet (I think if you work weekend nights you'll make about $5 more per hour). They also have plenty of overtime available, and if you volunteer to come in on less than 24hrs notice they pay you $2 more per hour on top of your time and a half for overtime. So if you work 4 shifts per week instead of three, you can virtually double your salary for the week with just a little strategic planning! They do offer full benefits, tuition reimbursement, and I was told at my interview that I'm basically guaranteed an RN job when I graduate if I work for them through nursing school. Pretty great to have my tuition paid and have a job waiting for me when I graduate! (I'm sure I'll have to work for them for at least a year or two as an RN if they're paying my tuition, but we haven't gotten that far in the conversation yet). After working in NYC for years, this TX salary was a bit of a shocker. But cost of living here is much lower too!

Hi guys! Quick question for those of you who know. I just got my first nursing assistant job in a hospital. The just implemented uniform standards, so I need to get some specific scrubs quick. We have to have either Landau or Urbane, and I need "sandstone" tops and black bottoms. Can anyone recommend sizes for me? I'm a male, I'm 5'11", slim, and my pants size is usually 30 waist and 31 long. I'd like something that has some shape to it, nothing too boxy if possible. I think both brands have several styles, and it doesn't matter what style we get, as long as the colors match their standard. Any tips on what sizes I should order and what styles you like? There is also no store here where I lives that sells those brands, so I need to order them online and receive them within 10 days or so. Any recommendations on the best website for cost/fast shipping? Thanks guys!

I confirmed that the course I'm taking is accepted where I'm moving before I started, so that's not a problem. And I wasn't told that any of this would be a problem when I registered. I was told the course would finish in mid-February. I'm moving in the end of March, so I didn't think there would be any problem at all.

Hey guys, I have a question for you. I'm guessing nobody will know for sure, but I'd like your opinions. Here's my situation: I just recently started a CNA course, which is my first step into the world of nursing. I'm hoping to enroll in a nursing program next fall, but this is how I'm getting my foot in the door (of the field!) so to speak. Now, after our classroom and practical hours, we are sent to do a 30-hour externship in a nursing home. In order to do that, we have to have a physical, get a TB test and get titers for MMR. I went to get all my medical stuff done today, and the TB test went fine (I hope, 12 hrs in and so far no reaction at all at the injection site!). Rather than having MMR titers done, I had an MMR vaccine. The reason is that I've never been vaccinated before, ever. I've always had religious/philosophical exemption. I did have measles as a child, but I'm quite sure I've never had mumps or rubella. So my instructor recommended that I just get the MMR vaccine rather than wasting time and money on titers that will surely come back negative. Here's my dilemma. I found out today that the MMR is typically a two-step vaccine, and I've been told to wait 28 days before getting my second dose. After that I was told I'd have to wait another 28 days before I could get the titers done to prove immunity. That puts us two months from now. But my externship starts in about three weeks! My doctor also told me that the second dose is actually just a booster for measles (not mumps/rubella). I told him I've already had measles and asked if it's really necessary to get a booster. He basically just shrugged and said, "it's a good idea." That was the answer I expected, but not the result I'm needing. My question is, do you guys think it will be enough to provide a record of my recent MMR vaccination to my school, and do you think that will be sufficient to be able to do my externship? Or do you think they'll demand the blood titers? If they do, do you really think I should wait a month just to get a booster for measles, when I've already had measles, or should I just request blood titers after 28 days? The reason both of these options are a "problem" is that I'm moving across the country in March. I need to complete my course before then. Waiting a month or two months to complete this blood work really isn't possible because I'll be gone before that. My course finishes February 10th and I'll complete the externship the week after that. In mid-March I'm moving, so I'm getting worried. And I'm not getting real answers from my instructor about what is satisfactory. The college I'm hoping to enroll in states that they require EITHER a MMR blood titer or proof of vaccination. So I'm assuming proof of vaccination would be enough to spend four days in a nursing home as part of a CNA course... but I'm not getting answers! Thoughts appreciated, and I'm hoping for good news!!!

There's an awful video floating around the internet of a guy who decides to insert a glass bottle into... himself... while filming the whole thing. I guess that's what does it for him. Whatever. Anyway, the bottle breaks, and there's about a full minute of blood dripping (pouring) and pieces of glass being pulled out, before he sort of creeps off camera and the video stops ... ugh. Turns my stomach just to think of it, but you nurses would probably find it interesting! :-) I wonder what glass shattering inside of you does to your insides. Ugh. :barf01:

Last year my mother went into the hospital and spent 28 days in the ICU. She'd had a heart attack, pneumothorax, one week on a ventilator, severely underweight (75 lbs), various psychiatric disorders affecting her cooperation with doctors and nurses... it was a mess. She lives in Iowa, I'm in New York. I was there that whole month (she was very, very touch-and-go for several weeks). When we finally brought her home, I was there for two more weeks before turning her over to occasional visits from home health aides. That time cleared out all of my vacation time and ate into my savings... well basically cleared out my savings completely. Two months later she fell and fractured her pelvis in two places. She went right back into the hospital (well, an assisted living facility) for another full month. By that time I had no more paid time off, barely any savings, you know. She told me to not come to visit because she said she'd need more help from me when she got out of the facility, and that she really didn't need me there while she was in the hospital. So I didn't come for a month. Can I tell you, I got some of the rudest looks ever from the nurses and CNAs in that facility when I "finally" showed up. One girl even said, "Oh, I didn't know Nancy had kids, usually kids come to visit their parents." Yeah, thanks girl. Even though it was what my mom wanted, I got some serious cold shoulder and evil eye from many people in that facility as I was coming to bring her home. I'd say don't feel to angry about people's family situations, you never know what's going on. And like somebody else mentioned, maybe he was a horrible father. Who knows?