txsuzy

@kazuo: thanks for the info! i am starting in september and this helps me kind of have an idea for planning. which hospital are you partnered with? i am starting my online orientation this week and i'm sure I'll get more answers soon, but i'm just so anxious to get things ready and going! :)

I finished Patho with Todd in April. I skimmed the chapters, but focused most of my time and energy on the modules... including the practice tests. I got an A. Hope this helps! :)

@dyella - I just did a whole lot of googling. I ended up picking Elite Nurses Aide Academy, because they had the best schedule options for me. The class was $895 including CPR, scrubs, steth and books. I already had my CPR, so I got a $50 discount. There's another program at CTK (I think that's the name), in Irving that's a little cheaper. I also checked the partner hospital job postings religiously and applied for quite a few positions. I got three phone interviews, one in person at UT Sw (not a partner, but I had applied anyway), but no offers... For me, I have two young children, so my schedule wasn't ideal to find a job. Good luck to you and I hope you get a phone call soon! The waiting is torturous! :)

Hi there, I am not a nurse yet. But I was a teacher. For seven years, until I had my first daughter and decided to stay home with her. Here is my story: My mom was a teacher, and she has always said I was a teacher from a very young age. I believe that to be true... but I felt very unfulfilled as a classroom teacher. I always wanted to be a doctor growing up. First to animals, until I realized you'd have to put them down. And then I set my sights on becoming a pediatrician. I started college as a Pre-Med major, but was quickly weeded out when I didn't do so well in the sciences and realized I'd have to go to school for 10 years. I'm sure I considered nursing, but at my university, it was still pretty old school - and I mean the girls wore white dresses to clinicals (in 1997!) and I didn't want to be "just a nurse." Oh, how I wish I could've seen the future. I decided to major in Intercultural Studies with an emphasis in Education because my grandmother said "that (my major) and $.25 will get you a cup of coffee." I entered the teaching field after graduation and did well. I was a grade level chair, started an after-school science club that was a huge success and was asked to write curriculum and assessment for the district. I was never one of those teachers that wanted it to be a career, though. And often found myself discouraged with the lack of intellectual stimuli. Also, taking more education classes to pursue a master's never sounded appealing to me. So, like many of you have said, my career couldn't really advance. The birth of my first child was a world-changer for me and I found myself even less interested in teaching after she was born. I finished out the school year, turned in my resignation and never looked back. My husband's company relocated us from Dallas to Phoenix and I was in the doctor's office to get a cortisone shot in my foot and picked up a copy of a magazine titled "RN" or something along those lines. I thought to myself, as I perused the advertisements and articles on the many, many career options within nursing, I should do this. That was 2 summers ago. I started my pre-reqs and just got the call yesterday that I was accepted into an accelerated program here in Texas (we moved back at Christmas). The thing I love so far, is that I am intellectually stimulated and it combines my two loves of science and helping people. I was set to start a CNA class today because I was on the waiting list for the BSN and with this particular program, the best way to get in is to already have some sort of job at a partner hospital. At first, I was dreading the CNA route, because I thought I was "above" the position. However, and I believe this might have something to do with why the call came, after I signed up and started looking through the materials, I became quite excited about starting. I was actually a little bummed today when I went to get my refund check from withdrawing. That being said, I am beyond excited about starting clinicals in the fall. I can't wait to have more material to study and to actually get to start practicing real skills. I am also thrilled about all of the options available as I advance in the field. Right now, I am planning on becoming an NP, but I am also interested in the legal nurse consultant path. And of course, there is always a need for more nurse educators, which is always an option if I really begin to miss teaching. I have met several students that are former teachers. I think it's a common transition, so if anything, you are not alone. Best of luck, and I hope you get the peace with the decision that you seek. I know I question my decision quite often, but that, too is a normal response to change and the unknown! Take care, Suzanne

Hey guys! Thanks so much! I am sooo excited... and a little nervous (which i'm sure will become more profound throughout the summer)! As far as my GPA and such goes, I'm not quite sure... I don't know which classes they used or honestly, how it is calculated... I know that as far as sciences go, including Pharm and Patho, I only had one B in chem (from my first year of college way back in 1997). All of my other classes were A's for the most part, a couple of B's here and there. My overall GPA on the unofficial transcript on mymav is 3.83. I do have a degree, but I can't remember if they take that into consideration or not. My advisor sent me the list of things they take into account when they are ranking applicants. You guys might want to email your advisors for that info. I was feeling pretty discouraged, but was so happy to receive the call yesterday. In my opinion, based on conversations with my advisor and by reading these message boards, if you want the AP program, the best thing to do is to get a job at a hospital. If you want traditional, try to get all A's. My advisor suggested that in the not so near future it will be almost impossible to get into the AP program without already having been partnered. I suppose I got lucky, or someone was looking out for me! Personally, i think it was a "test" to see if I was willing to "humble" myself enough to be a CNA. I have to admit, at first, I didn't want to go that route, but just before I got the call from UTA, I was actually very excited about the CNA class. When I went to get my refund check from withdrawing today, I was a little bummed that I wasn't there learning. :) But, I know that in September, I will be in it full-fledged, so I can't wait! Best of luck to everyone. Maybe we'll meet in person someday! Suzanne PS... I can't send private messages yet - it says you have to post 15 times before you can send a message. So, I'm not ignoring anyone, just can't reply privately! :)

AP program... I just got the phone call, i'm in! I am so excited!!!! :)

Hi guys! I just got the call (I was on the waiting list)... and I'm in! I'm soooo excited! Just wanted to say hi. :)

Yeah, I just don't like to be tied down too much. :) I am taking it at Elite Nurses Aide Academy in Hurst. They all seem pretty comparable, this one is a month long... classes on tues, wed, thurs from 8-2:15. Tuition is about $850 including scrubs/steth. I already had my CPR/BLS (an additional $50). I figure it will be good practice, anyway. And hopefully it will get me a job/foot in the door.

I would love Baylor Irving because I have two small children and my parents live there... but I keep checking the site and they don't have any entry level/tech positions posted. After I take my CNA class, or at least towards the end of it, I'll probably apply there and at Baylor Dallas... possibly Children's, but I'm a little leery of them and THR based on one of these threads...

I hear ya. I did as soon as i got my waiting list letter... for me, it's a hard decision because they require nutrition (which I haven't taken yet) and a completely different entrance exam... since I don't know what is going to happen, I figured I would just wait it out with UTA. In other news, look at the email i just got from my advisor: Ok, I know you are going to think I am crazy but we have been discussing internally today what to do. We have come to the conclusion that as long as you are partnered by the time the ranking is done, which would be October for the spring term start, you can still be considered partnered. This is the final decision, I promise!!! Good news, I guess! :)

Hi all, I emailed my advisor this morning and she sent the following reply: I went and spoke to my manager. You do need to be partnered by the application deadline. She is going to send out an e-mail to all of the advisors right now just to clarify. I would think all of the advisors use the application deadline as the date to which you need to be partnered but they will after today. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. This was after I sent an email that said it would be nice if all the advisors were on the same page and that it was very frustrating for the applicants. She said it might be awhile before she got an answer, so I was like, I can contact someone else if it will help you. She wrote me back with the above reply pretty quickly after i said that! So, I'm going to drop the CNA class - i'll be out $150, but if it's not going to help me get into the program, I'm not going to worry about trying to find a job for right now. So frustrating!

Really? I will email her to clarify... she said "You have to be employed by the application deadline so it will not count for the spring 2012 start." I really need to know too, because if it doesn't matter, I'm not going to spend $1000 on a CNA class to MAYBE get a job as a PCA/tech. I'm a stay at home mom, so I don't necessarily need a job, was just going to do it to improve my chances. That all being said, she has been adamant about me letting her know when/if i get a job. Keep me posted on what ya'll hear!

hey everyone! i was waitlisted... not partnered... which classes do they use to calculate GPA? i have mostly A's... i'm stressing because my advisor said they could call up until the first day of class! it's going to be a long summer, but after seeing this thread, i feel a little better.

Hey everyone! I'm so glad I'm not alone with the frustration with this program... especially lack of communication. I applied and have been placed on the waiting list for the Sept start. My advisor said they could call up till the first day of class! Also, she just let me know that if you are not employed with the hospital prior to the application deadline, it doesn't matter if you get a job there in the meantime. I am finished with all of my pre-reqs and was looking at taking a CNA class because I'm making the switch from education and have no experience either... but now that I know it won't increase my chances (even for the January start), I may just take some time off and enjoy the summer (and hope and pray a spot opens up!) Good luck everyone. It helps to know we're all in the same boat! Suzanne

Hi there, I'm not sure about the traditional program. I applied for the AP program and was placed on the waiting list for the fall. As far as my grades for the above classes, I have all A's except for Chem, which is a B. I was really surprised I didn't get "in." Hoping/praying/crossing my fingers that a spot opens up, but I have already reapplied for both programs for the spring start. I asked my advisor about retaking classes, and she didn't act like that was the best thing to do... so I'm not sure. It's been very stressful and I never thought it would be so competitive! Good luck! Suzanne