sugarbee

This was the best post I have ever read.

CJ, That is just what I was hoping to hear! I went into nursing to become a L&D nurse! I'm a FSCJ student in OB now and Graduating in Dec. I am literally in the same place you were 6 years ago. Frustration, hope, excitment and all! I haven't looked into GA, I think I'll do that next. I'm willing to drive 40mins to get the job I want. If you have any other words of wisdom please share. My personal email is, [email protected]. Thank you for sharing, S

CJohn, I would love to hear a 6yr follow-up. Did you get that L/D or NICU job? Anyone with a similar story? Accepting forms of inspiration. :)

Any news?

Lura,Yes, you need to be accepted into the program. What you will do is get on their website and fill out a general questionair. Answer the questions as if you were in the program. Do you gross over $25,000 yearly? No! Even if you do, answer "no". You won't be when your in school. Don't claim your husband/wife's income. Address your and your partner's income/employment status once you get the appointment. When you get an appointment, you will be asked to bring in 3 paystubs, so if you are currently working a high paying job but won't be able to during, you may want to go half-time for a while. They aren't going to ask for tax info just paystubs. The point of WS is to help us get through. They pay for all our classes, about $2000 worth of books, and the NCLEX test at the end. Sorry if there are any misspelled words or funky phrasing, I'm on my phone ;-)Best of luck:-)S

hi summer2012:):) i'm hoping to bring a little peace and perspective to this thread. i'm in my second term, so the anxiety of making the cut is still fresh in my mind. here it goes:) if you have over 200 you are in:) start buying your nursing school stuff:) if you search through it is very uncommon for the cutoff to be higher than 200. from 195-200 you should be fine. start buying your nursing school stuff:) 191-195 you may be shaking in your boots but you've got a very good shot. under 190, i'm not going to say it isn't going to happen. the closer to 190/200 the better. there is a period of time after acceptance letters go out that people decline their seats (either they don't have $$ or time or have been accepted elsewhere) and you may get a call. say stay positive. :) all hopefuls!!! start saving you're pennies! check into worksource (they will pay your tuition and most of your books), most of my classmates have ws. your first semester is going to drain your savings. even with worksource or fa the requirements are expensive. so... get your bcls cert now, it must be bcls for medical purposes. check st. vincent. start buying: stethoscope, bp cuff, white comfy shoes, white scrub pants, a watch, a passport photo from cvs, and comfy khakis. if you have insurance call and ask if they cover "well care", more specifically you will need: mmr & vericella titers (not shots, titers); hep b vaccine, tdap, ppd, and a physical. do not get these until you have your acceptance letter in hand, they have to be done within a certain time frame laid out in your letter. call northside medical clinic and ask about how much these are. northside is the best priced and the same place you go for your drug test. everything together for term 1 is over $3000. if you get books and tuition covered you will still be paying about $1000 out of pocket. and fa will not cover all of your term 1 books, so this is where worksource is a lifesaver. i say get this now because we were only given a few weeks to do all of this and more. do yourself a favor and start now:) getting in is only half the battle, i knew a few people that couldn't start because they couldn't get the money together for all the requirements. so start now and get used to asking your family for money. every term, every class, every week is going to have its own struggles. while you have the extra time make sure you use it to kiss and cuddle your loved ones because they make struggling worth it. :) xo, s

Yeah, you should be fine. I missed the only unsub loan part. That limit is super high and hopefully we will never hit that ceiling. lol. :)

That is where they get you. Warning! Blanket statement, and not all FA cases are the same. But, FA doesn't care what credits were obtained with FA. 150% rule just looks at credits toward a BA. I just thought I'd throw it out there. This is another case where being on top of your business is a necessity. I love to be wrong about stuff like this. :) :) S

You should go talk to a FA adviser, tell them that you're concerned about the 150% rule. Worksource will only service you if you're in a program, in this case the ADN program. I can't remember the steps to signing up, but once you're in call the worksource office and ask what to do and they will help. You will be assigned a representative at which ever campus is closest to you. What I can tell you is that it is super simple to get signed up. You have to go to two websites and then see a rep twice. The big thing about FA is to keep yourself aware of what your status is. Don't assume ANYTHING with them. I called or stopped in close to everyday for a two week period this summer just to make sure that I had correct info and my account was clear. Things happen like, you turn in the papers they ask for, but they don't copy them right and don't tell you that you need to resubmit them unless you ask. True story. Do everything early so you have time. Xo, S

:heartbeatThank you. :) I love to think that someone may be more informed of what's ahead than I was. :redbeathe They accept 144 students and only 24 of those are nights. So it is 'easier' to get days. And word to the wise, the night program will probably be ending soonish. The program feels like they want to move toward having one central program and location. I believe they already know when they will stop the nights program. If your points are over 200 you should have no problem getting in. What you should be aware of is the amount of money you are about to spend. It isn't cheap. You need about $1000 for supplies/uniforms/titers and $1000 for books (unless you get FA). This money is going to come out all at once, and not by the start of the program, but A MONTH BEFORE THE PROGRAM STARTS. When you get accepted, SIGN UP FOR WORKSOURCE!!! Even if you get FA! They will pay for all your courses and first term books. Almost everyone gets it. You need to be making less than 25k/year in most cases. If you need to you can cut back on hours (or quit) work 6wks before classes start so that you can get Worksource, you wont be working what that much when you get in the program. Best Wishes, S

The requirements are the same, but it tends to be more competitive to get a spot. There are only 24 seats, you'll still get a spot in the program but it may be for days. Xo, S

I agree with NJ. Be speedy with the clicking. Don't take long to answer questions and don't skip. Xo, S

E, Partial truths. :) You do not need straight A's to get into the program, especially for Days. However, you do need to have a competitive score. Try to get your points over 200 and you should be fine. So, calculate your points from the classes you've taken and then figure out what you need on the NAT to get over 200. Last, give yourself time to retake it if need be. Once in the program the stakes are raised. The grading scale is skewed, and anything under 80% is failing. Focus on what you need to do and inform yourself on the process. :) Xo, S

Don't get the Physical or PPD until you are accepted. If you want to do the titers a little early you should be safe. The most affordable place my class found was Northside Medical, right down the street from FSCJ North Campus. For the Physical, MMR Titer, Varicella Titer, T-Dap, PPD, and Drug screen it only costs $188, and they are so used to handling FSCJ nursing students that error is almost eliminated. Mention FSCJ nursing and they know what's up. You can also invest in a stethoscope, BP cuff, 2 pair of kakhis, 2 pair of white scrub bottoms, a passport photo from CVS, and CPR Cert from AHA for Medical Professionals. I hope this helps, and until you apply focus on APII and Micro because they will kick your butt if you let it. Xo, S

T2N, If you have 225 pts you will absolutely get your N/W spot. Don't stress or worry. A few things to keep your mind off waiting... *Get Titers for MMR , Varicella, and Hep B. (Northside Medical is most affordable, but your insurance may cover it. Call them now.) *Get your CPR cert (it must be through AHA and it must be for Health Care Providers. St. Luke's is the most affordable, $20, and their number is 904 278-4274 ext. 227. They wont answer for a long time. Keep calling, leave messages, and it will pay off.) *Get a passport photo from CVS. Just the photo. They have a $2 off printable coupon online. *Get a seasonal Flu Shot *Buy a stethescope *Buy a BP Cuff *Buy 2 pair kakhis *Buy 2 pair of white scrub pants. I was accepted Fall 2011 with 215 pts.; all of this and more was thrown at us with 18 days to complete it in. Xo, S