perkinsflower

Sure, I have one of those I'm willing to share if you PM me.

I'm a current LSUHSC student, just wanted to wish you guys good luck!

I had a semester in between when I finished with my prereqs and when I was scheduled to start nursing school, and I was attending a vocational community college at the time. So I spent a whole semester taking classes that I thought would help me in nursing school. Best decision I ever made. I took medical terminology, human diseases, medical nutrition therapy, dosage and calculation, abnormal psych, and a class they offered called nursing school success. When I got to clinicals, I knew about tube feeding, IV and dosage calculations, lots of basic pathological processes, and if I didn't know what it was I could figure it out because I had enough med term to figure it out! I also had a really excellent A&P teacher that taught me to think critically. I'm almost a year into my program, and I still don't have to study as hard as my classmates do because I learned a lot of that stuff in the votech classes. You could also get your Basic Life Support card ahead of time, and that will open up a few doors for you if you decide to work while you're in school.

Nolagirl, from what you were describing I think you and I may go to the same school but I'm a semester or two behind you. If that's the case, I have to think this semester has been pretty hard on everyone because of losing time with the hurricane and having to push harder than normal to make up class and clinical time we missed that week. I agree that this has probably been the worst semester of my life, and I just have to keep telling myself that nursing school will end! And it will pass by sooner than you or I think - if you're in OB/Peds, you're more than halfway done with nursing school! Just keep trucking and when you're done your friends will still be there, but you'll have more money to have fun with them :) Hope the semester has gotten better for you!

academicselfservice.lsuhsc.edu is the actual address for student self service (although it's dumb to give you the directions and then not tell you where to go from there...) but they haven't processed anything for the fall. If you go to the link that says "Student Center" your information might be on there. Good luck! And as for the BRS Physiology book... the more MCQs you can do, the better, because that's how the professor asks questions on the exam - you have to be able to apply the knowledge and not just recite the information. Doing lots of MCQs will help you think critically about the material. If you don't like the Costanza book or are strapped for cash, just google "physiology MCQs" and there are a few websites that have some for free (usually for medical school but there are often a few you can use).

lsutigermmm, yes. it is a very good idea to get the book and start reading over the summer. Also, always look at the questions in the back of the chapter - a lot of clicker questions come from there. Find some good sources for MCQs, because those are also a good way to figure out whether or not you really understand the material. As far as getting your titers cheap, there's a place on Canal Boulevard, I think it's called Innovative Risk Management. It's in the Liberty Bank building. If you tell them you are getting titers done for nursing school, it's $100 for four titers. My job paid for my TB test and my Hep B vaccine (PM me if you want the scoop on that).

I saw the article. I'm keeping my fingers crossed too, but my sister is graduating from LSU on Friday and they told her during her first semester that they would be shutting down her program. I'm cautiously optimistic :)

I can't imagine them cutting the nursing program in New Orleans, considering nursing is the largest program at the downtown campus (larger than OT, PT, the med school, audiology, all of them). If anything, I would guess it would (once again) just delay finishing construction. I didn't see the news story and I am far from an informed source :) but I would say it doesn't sound likely.

I don't get creeped out really easily. The only part that I think was a little hard for me personally to handle was in the last quarter when we started dissecting out the face. We kept the heads covered until the very last block. When you don't see their faces, it's hard to remember that this is a real person and when you do finally see them, it hits home. But there's nothing like learning anatomy on a cadaver. Now, every time a friend asks me what could be wrong when something hurts them in a certain area, it's really easy to visualize exactly what happens where he's pointing. You also get to find out how they died, how old they were, and what they did for a living. Based on that information, you can see how whatever process happens in a real body. We had cadavers with Alzheimer's, heart bypass, central lines, liver transplants, goiters... I can't tell you how rewarding and fascinating it is. It's a really unique experience and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Nope, they replaced the grade with the higher grade! I was in the same boat - I got into Charity but my heart was set on going to LSU and I'm so glad I go there instead (and nothing personal to any Charity folks, I just went to LSU and knew it was the place for me, I really love it there).

I had to retake a class too, Kristen! Don't feel bad, just get it done so you can get in!!! :) If your loans will cover a minimum of six credits, why not just knock out the sociology too over the summer and let your loans cover the summer semester?

Not really. I got to choose what day my anatomy lab was. But as far as physiology, it's a little less organized; lab is generally tuesday, and if there's a thursday component (which I think only happened two or three times) you just show up on whichever day is better for you. Oh, and don't be misled by the term "physiology lab". Generally it just means you have another physiology lecture. The only "labs" we really had were on EKG and pulmonary function testing. The arterial blood gases "lab" was cool, though, because the guy who comes to lecture is a CRNA at Children's Hospital and has a lot of information to pass on.

Congratulations to all the new LSU SON students! Buckle up and get ready for physiology Good luck!!!

@KristenNola, yes. My cumulative was a 3.0, but when you go to LSU they only evaluate your GPA in your prereqs and carry that over into what counts toward your GPA at LSU. I wouldn't say that the first year is insanely hard. It's hard but it's manageable, I even worked part-time. But it depends on what course load you plan on carrying the first semester, what kind of student you are, what kind of support you have, what else is going on in your life, what kind of social life you want to have... it's different for everyone. I took abnormal psychology before I went there, and I strongly recommend that you get it over with because it's one less thing for you to take while you're trying to deal with physiology. If you haven't taken A&P I and II (with labs) you can elect to do that, but I went ahead and retook anatomy at LSU because I wanted the cadaver experience, and because I figured it would help me remember some of the finer points during physiology (which it did). An A in physiology... I think I only know of one or two students who currently have them. I have a B and I think I'm still in the minority. Most people are getting a C if they aren't counting the points they need on the final to pass the course. The issue students have with physiology is that you learn the processes in class, but you have to adapt your way of thinking to how the questions are asked (which is anything but straightforward). I did pretty well on the first two exams but the exams got progressively harder and the questions got more obtuse. If he runs the course the same way he did this semester, he will have two options for exam times. ALWAYS sign up for the later time! It gives you two and a half more hours to study and get yourself in the right frame of mind, and you will be able to talk to students who just took the exam as they come out of the testing center to see how the exam was and what was on it to give you some direction as far as what you're going into. Read the chapters beforehand, print out your lecture slides to follow along (he doesn't allow laptops in class) and GET A GOOD TAPE RECORDER. A few of the lecturers are NOT the easiest to understand and you may even find yourself zoning out because it is so easy to get lost in that class, and it really is best to have a record of EVERYTHING that comes out of the instructor's mouth during lecture. I hope I've been some help. Good luck!

Congratulations to all the new CSN nursing students (from one of the folks across the street )!

Hey Nylamama - Why not apply?! I am currently a first-year nursing student at LSU and I got in with a 3.7 (a 3.0 overall). I had a C on my transcript in required courses, but they only care about your grades on the classes you need to get in, and from what I understand they will take the highest course possible if they can when evaluating your transcripts. But the great thing about LSU is that their admissions process is NOT just based on your GPA. They have a four part admissions process - in addition to your GPA, they also consider your HESI score, your essay, and a personal interview that is conducted by a couple of senior nursing students and a member of faculty. I was admitted to Charity right before I started considering going to LSU and I am so glad I chose to go to LSU instead because I definitely feel at home there. I would DEFINITELY recommend that you take Abnormal Psych - if you get in, it will help you out big time because you will have one less class when you're trying to keep up with physiology (which is a monster class) and anatomy and intro to nursing. If you haven't taken two semesters of A&P you can go ahead and take that too if you're not entirely convinced that you want to have the experience of working with human cadavers, but for me that was one of the selling points of LSU v. Charity... If you definitely have your heart set on going to LSU I recommend that you go ahead and retake what you have to retake (I had to do the same with Chemistry I) to get your GPA up if for no other reason than to be competitive; the acceptance rate is reportedly about 30%. But since the admissions process is based on so many factors, I don't see why you shouldn't apply. At the end of the day, all they can say is NO! They have informational sessions at the school so you can find out more about the program and when you go, you can leave your transcript with the program director and he will evaluate it and email you to let you know where you stand. If you have any questions, just PM me and I'll do my best to help. Good luck!

Good luck, everybody! If you can believe it, my packet got lost in the mail and I had to call to get my paperwork from them, so I waited extra - I know how frustrated you guys must be! Fingers crossed!

I'm not a mom but i'm a BSN student with a husband in school as well and an almost-full-time job so I can give you some input as to how I operate if that's any help... I'm in my first semester and I am in class every morning, usually from 8 or 9 until noon or so depending on the day. I have two days where I have afternoon labs. I work Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights, generally 6-8 hour shifts each night. I do my best not to work during the week. My husband works six days a week and goes to school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I probably won't have much time if any to work next semester when I start clinicals so I expect that to change for me. I think the school schedule is going to define a lot of what you do, as well as what your support structure is like. You kind of have to plan every minute of your day, as lame as that sounds. See what options your school offers and take inventory of what you have going on now and what you can do to work them together. Good luck!

LSU's program is three years, not four. But I absolutely agree with what kubana says, that you just have to find the right place for you.

I agree with scared88... also, I chose LSU because I took some classes at Delgado and while I learned some valuable things there, I was absolutely dying to get out of anything having to do with Delgado's administrative merry-go-round. I recommend you go to open houses for both schools and see what you think. Also, I know some of my friends are choosing Charity because they want to get out and practice because it's a shorter and less expensive program, but I feel like I'm being challenged more than I would have been at Charity and the environment is a better fit for me at LSU. LSU also has a cadaver lab available for nursing students (which was a big plus for me). If you're planning to keep working for a while too (as I am) I think LSU is a better option, their schedule seems a little bit more conducive to that. But it's definitely a personal choice. Good luck either way!

I'm a first semester nursing student and I just had to write a paper on this; I agree with your frustration. It seems like you probably can't or shouldn't develop a nursing philosophy without actually being a nurse and being immersed in the practice of nursing. But the angle I took with my paper is something they taught us in massage therapy (and at the end of my program I will probably think it's a little idealistic), that if your intentions toward your patients are good you'll do good work. I guess it's a nicer way of saying "do no harm" or "don't screw up", just the other side of that coin.

... I hopped online and did the compliance training, I remembered seeing it on here that people had to log on and do it so when I got my information for my LSUHSC email account I saw it and I went ahead and took care of it. But yes, I think we have to wait for the pre-advising meeting for anything else.

I got into CSN for spring and I think my profile score was 75, but I personally know at least two people that were deferred - they were told by Charity that their scores were good enough but Charity didn't have space for them so they would have to wait. So this fall's class is probably gonna be pretty competitive.

I don't think it's one of the required courses for the RN program, just one of the "strongly recommended" courses. I strongly recommend that if you want to get the best idea of what you have to do to get into Charity, go to the Delgado website and read the RN bulletin in the Charity section of the site. Charity admits on the basis of a "profile score", which is a combination of a lot of factors including your HESI score, your GPA, your GPA in your prerequisites, if you've completed some courses in the curriculum, if you have a degree, what your ACT score is, and if you've dropped/failed/withdrawn. If you can, PM me your email address and I'll send it over to you because I still have it saved on my hard drive and they make things a little hard to find over there at the DCC website! Good luck!

Most of my prerequisites were done at UNO with a few at Delgado. I've never attended LSU in BR. I've heard applicants from the LSU system get preference, but I think that has more to do with getting into the graduate nursing programs...