barnettdcm

In my state, the requirement to even get a PCA/PCT job is to either have your CNA license, have already worked as a PCA/PCT in the past however many months, or have completed the first semester of nursing clinicals (in which you learn all the required skills of a CNA plus more). One of the hospital systems and another private hospital in this area still train PCA/PCTs on the job, its I think a 4 or 6 week class but its so hard to get into. In the hospitals around here, a CNA does exactly what a PCA/PCT does. A CNA can also be hired in the rehab hospitals, nursing homes, etc because they have that license.

Thanks for the Maryville info! I talked to an advisor last spring (2011!) and he said since I didn't have 20 credits at Maryville it would be highly unlikely that I could get in. Very frustrating. So, i'm meeting with a different advisor soon and hoping for better news!

Thanks MeatballExperience, your input helped a lot! I've been put off by the cost of Chamberlain because I have a family but I feel like i'll just be waisting more time getting the RN now and later having to go back to school to get my BSN. I'm also nervous about not getting a job with an ADN since i've heard several people recently talk about their hospitals preferring BSNs, even most job listings for RN's now say "BSN preferred". I've been hearing really good things lately about Chamberlain :)

I have not attended Maryville but I really want to get into their Weekend & Evening BSN program. Which semester did you apply for? I talked with an advisor in the past who told me since i'm a transfer student that I would need to take atleast 20 credit hours at Maryville to have any shot of getting in. So, i'm meeting with a different advisor soon and possibly transferring there next fall to try and get close to the 20 credit hours that i'll need. I'm hoping for Fall 2013 start. I've heard their program is good. I don't think it gets as much recognition as UMSL, Barnes or SLU but I think its still pretty good.

Does anyone else have input for Chamberlain? I'm at St. Charles Community College finishing prereqs- I have almost all of them done except Chemistry because I put that off for so long :) So I have just about all of the gen eds done for a BSN. I won't be able to get into SCCC til Fall 2013, probably the same for STLCC so i'm looking at Chamberlain, Golfarb (Barnes), and Lutheran School of Nursing and hoping that I could get in sooner or atleast start a Bachelors program at the same time I would've gotten into the ADN program. I know Chamberlain is very pricey. I've talked to a recruiter at St. Luke's who said they hire grads from every school, Chamberlain and Sanford Brown included! She said if you've got the degree they'll consider you. So, any new thoughts on any of these schools?

I didn't say that it is equal, I said maybe she was trying to explain to her child what she does and was telling him she helps take care of patients, like nurses do. I'm not okay with adults lying about what they do for a living, I don't see the point in it but I do think its silly to get bent out of shape over a 7 year old thinking his CNA/NA Mom is a nurse.

Is it really that big of a deal that a 7 year old thought his Mom was a nurse when she's a nurse assistant? Seriously? Maybe his Mom explained that she was like a nurse? That she helps the nurses? Geeze, give the kid a break. Most kids just associate working at a hospital as being a doctor or nurse. A lot of people mistake the CNA/NA for the nurse anyway. They think everyone that comes into the room is a nurse if they aren't the doctor. And yes, I understand the educational differences but a CNA/NA and a nurse often do similar things (yes, I know RNs do more and more important things) but its not like she's a secretary or a housekeeper and called herself a nurse.

Congrats on the job! I would love a PCA/PCT position but no one will even call me for an interview since I don't have my CNA. Are you a CNA? Or will they train you?

I'm a prenursing student, hoping to start next fall (if i'm lucky) or atleast by fall 2013. Ive been job searching lately and cannot get an interview for a PCT position since I don't have my CNA. I planned on taking the CNA class next spring (when I can afford it!) but until then I still need a job. I have an interview at Cardinal Glennon for a Unit Secretary job on 2 South-- what floor is that? I'm not familiar, i've only been to St. Louis Children's but I hear great things about Glennon all the time. The job is for every other weekend, which for me would be perfect because I have 3 little kids and I don't want to pay for daycare! I'm just curious as to if others that work at Glennon would recommend a Unit Secretary Job? I've been a secretary in the past, for a few months on a busy med-surg floor and I didn't enjoy it. The job itself was fine, but the environment was not. The nurses were all extrememly unhappy, never helpful, always acted like I was such a burden because I was new, they had 7-8 patients daily and of course, that was the secretaries fault (?) and the doctors on that floor were terrible to work with, always rude and would yell at anyone and everyone in their path. I questioned going into nursing for a long time after working there because I don't want to end up mean unhappy nurse but nursing is my passion so im hoping a different environment will be better. Any advice is appreciated :) Do you think this would be a good position? Or should I hold off job hunting until I can take the CNA class since that would give me direct patient care experience?

I'm not a nurse yet, just a student but I wanted to comment on this. I have a male OB and i've had female OBs in the past, totally prefer the male! If I would've had a male RN for any of my 3 children's delivery it wouldn't have bothered me. Some of the females I had weren't pleasant at all. I think it just depends on the person and how they handle themselves with the patients. I can see how some might be a little uncomfortable with it, atleast with their first delivery, when they are probably already anxious and scared so then seeing a male RN might throw them off a bit. Legally though, they can't discriminate based on your gender!!!

Okay, I have to correct my previous post. The point system is for the traditional and the part time program. The accelerated has a higher GPA requirement(3.2 minimum I think) and they won't consider you unless you have atleast that. You should talk with an advisor though, they are really helpful. I was just there last week and talked to Jill.

They give twice as many points for your science GPA than for your other GPA so if you have more science classes to take, finish them before applying. The advisor I talked to (Jill) said she recommends taking atleast 3 of the 4 science classes before applying but ideally having them all done will give you the best shot.

I'm going to apply for Fall 2012. Seems like a really good program. How difficult is it to get in to? I had a terrible first year of college (in 03) and have hardly any shot getting into a BSN program until after I get my RN, since they calculate cumulative GPA on every class taken, unlike the community colleges who said they were calculating the last 12hrs. Anyway, just wondering if Lutheran School of Nursing would be too much of a long shot for me. My grades the past few years have been good.

Thanks for your quick reply! I've been going back and forth between UMSL and Maryville and ideally I want to stick with UMSL since i've taken just about all of my prereqs there and I know that eventually I want my bachelors but after talking to the Maryville advisor and being really frustrated with that, I want to have a back up. I'm at SCCC now finishing A&PII and I do love the school so i'm thinking about just sticking with them. The only science class that I haven't taken is Chemistry--because I hate chemistry--so I haven't been able to apply to STLCC yet. I'm going to call tomorrow and make an appointment with an advisor at St. Charles. Thanks for your help!

I just have a question for all of the SCCC Nursing students. What were the requirements to be put on the waitlist? I know at STLCC you have to have Chemistry, Biology done before you can apply and be waitlisted. Is this the same for St. Charles?