plasmatix

I sent you a PM with some edits meant to clarify certain statements. They are suggestions, NOT definites. You should use what you feel good about. After all, it's supposed to be your personal statement. Overall, I think it's pretty darn good. Your writing skills are quite a bit above the average seen these days, which will help you enormously, especially if you're trying for a BSN program. Best of luck!

a keen observation and some cautionary advice, wrapped in a lovely quote. alas, it's a message overlooked by increasing numbers of today's "communicators", who seem hell-bent on intentionally limiting their linguistic fluency to twitter-speak. i do appreciate poe, but i didn't think it quite fair that he receive credit for pope's intellectual property.

J-NO, I'm not sure, but I think that you may have missed half of GrnTea's message/suggestion. Did you see the part about checking your lab text for info on focused assessments? I can certainly appreciate that you're being overloaded with schoolwork, and in all likelihood, you're sleep-deprived also. However, I think GrnTea made an excellent suggestion, one that I'll second: get your nursing assessment lab text and/or a good nursing skills book (i.e., Perry). Read up on abdominal assessment, and integrate it with text info on pre-operative assessment (don't forget GrnTea's advice on reviewing cholecystectomy). This may seem like an unrealistic and demanding way to deal with your assignment, but if you're at the end of your LPN program, your base of nursing knowledge is well-developed. You should be able to skim the reading, and isolate what you need from each source fairly quickly. Good luck to you! p.s. I think it's Alexander Pope's sentiments that are being served up with GrnTea's nursing advice (very appropriately, IMHO).

Weezy, IMHO it won't be a waste of time. However, aside from my opinion, there's the question of whether you plan to attend a BSN program, either for your first nursing degree, or an RN-to-BSN in the future. Keep in mind that many BSN programs require one or two general chem courses (w/labs). These schools typically require the chem credits for all their BSN programs. Over the years, I've worked with many ADN-nurses who hadn't taken chemistry since it was not a pre-req for their ADN nursing program. When they finally decided to go for their BSN, they were shocked to discover that they had to take college chemistry courses before they could apply to the RN-to-BSN program of their choice. Some were really struggling with the difficulty of the class material, and with juggling the demands of the class, their full-time nursing jobs, and their families. Many expressed regret that they hadn't taken chem when they had taken their original nursing prereqs, but they hadn't had any idea that they would ever need the credits. Since you have the time now, I'd go ahead and take the class. Just make sure that the specific class you are taking is transferable to the BSN programs in your area.

33762fl, i'm old enough to have witnessed the feminist movement of the 60s-70s, and can fully recall just how limited the options were for women in the pursuit of an education and a career prior to that. i want to haul off and slug those of my generation who have spent their adult lives dissing feminists, yet have had no compunction about taking advantage of the accomplishments of feminism, or encouraging their daughters, nieces, or grandchildren to do so. the notions that a girl shouldn't go to college, or that being an engineer or a surgeon or a welder are male-exclusive career choices, or that women can only apply for jobs in the "female help wanted" list are virtually extinct; in fact, many people under the age of 35 don't believe they ever existed (if you don't believe me, sit down and watch "mad men" with your favorite twenty-something). as far back as i can remember, i was fully aware of my femininity, but at no time did i believe that it meant that (1) i was weaker or less intelligent than a man, (2) that it made me a second-class citizen and legal target for abuse, and (3) that a decision not to bear children would permanently and irreversibly eradicate my femininity. in fact, i wanted children, and have several, all grown now. my once pert parts are now soft and saggy, and collagen creams, ibuprofen, and loreal "preference" crowd my medicine chest. but my husband still thinks i'm one hot, sexy mama.....primarily because i know i'm one hot, sexy mama! and i can guarantee that my abundant femininity has nothing to do with my history of pregnancy and childbirth. i'm so tired of seeing people who have children, not to love, but to please their in-laws, compete with their friends, or just show the child off as another acquisition. look around at the parents who don't recognize that children require attention, even simple, basic human touch in the form of cuddling. i've seen mothers who look at their 3-month-old babies as though they are alien beings, and carry them like sacks of flour; they appear concerned only with finding ways to distract them and shut them up. and the truly sad results of this can be seen in the "acting out" of increasing numbers of toddlers, young children, and teenagers. so, 33762fl, you go, girl! i can't tell you how much i respect you for deciding not to have children in the face of the unbelievable amount of societal pressure that still exists to do so. you are every bit a woman, and a most unselfish one at that. but you already knew that.

Fabulous post! I very much appreciate the considerable amount of thought and time that I know you put into it. Unfortunately, the people we need to heed this are the very ones whose heads it will fly over. They may read it, but they're so into their perception of what a nurse is that they'll unconsciously reject anything that doesn't align with the image. The sentiments in this post need to be crafted into a checklist form that all aspiring nursing students have to read and sign off on. Nursing programs used to conduct interviews of applicants, or at the least, require essays from them about the reasons they wanted to go to nursing school. Admissions committees could get an idea of whether a hopeful student's expectations were within shouting distance of reality. But even essays are a thing of the past, with more and more programs moving to rolling admissions, in which academic qualifications, emotional maturity, and classwork ethic take a back seat to the speed with which a student can submit his/her application. It's a great post!! Many thanks for sharing it with us.

John F. Kennedy, Jr. did not fail the NYS bar exam ten times. He didn't even fail the bar "something like" ten times. He did, however, take the bar exam 4 times in a 15-month period. He graduated from New York University School of Law in 1989, and took - and failed - the bar exam twice. There was a fail rate of 30% in both testing cohorts. In the summer of 1990, he passed the Connecticut bar exam, and in November of that year, passed the exam for New York. I don't have an opinion, one way or the other, about JFK, Jr's intellect, knowledge of the law, or ability to pass standardized tests. But perhaps, prior to posting statements of this nature, they can be checked for something that remotely approaches accuracy? http://abovethelaw.com/2007/07/the-bar-exam-a-list-of-famous-failures/#more-5350

Call my ex. I can't take credit for laughs that his "assets" get me. Although I wish that I was still in a position to take his assets.

Not me. I've heard a LOT of those in my time. At least 70 or 80 from my ex-husband, alone. I like the idea that I've been able to add to his repertoire.

My understanding is that National Geographic is neck-in-neck with Vogue for a Valentine's Day pictorial, Paco. Subjects of the article are holding out for the cover. Personally, I don't understand why you're interested in a story about my ex-husband.

Altra, I agree totally with your sentiments, and I'm very happy to see that people are noticing this trend. However, it's getting increasingly difficult to identify "legitimate" journalism. Almost every mainstream media source (newspaper, magazine, TV news, etc.) has moved into "blog journalism" (a term that, I believe, defines "oxymoron" better than any other). All of them are either hiring bloggers to "write" regular columns, or else they've enlisted journalism hopefuls to contribute (for no recompense, or very little) to their news blogs. The result is that you'll see articles that you think are legitimate news, that are anything but. Case in point: came upon an article on the website of "The Atlantic" (a well-respected magazine) that had been written by one of these "journalists", in which she discussed the "wealth gap" between Baby Boomers and younger Americans. It was in early November, and there was a lot of coverage on the topic because the Pew Foundation had just released an extensive study on generational discrepancy in economic status. A sharp-eyed reader (not me) had taken exception with the author's claim that the #1 source of income stream for "Boomers" was Social Security, saying that, chronologically, this was impossible. The author, apparently not believing an error was possible, stated that she had taken it directly from the Pew study. She provided a link to the report itself, and a portion of text from where she had gotten her inarguable journalistic "facts": "Meantime, older adults continue to have the advantage of inflation-indexed Social Security as the anchor of their annual income streams. Today, as in 1984, on average Social Security accounts for 55% of the annual income of households headed by adults ages 65 and older." My own examination of the actual Pew Foundation study showed that the author had taken journalistic license to replace every mention of "older Americans" with the term "Baby Boomers". In fact, there was not a single reference to "Baby Boomers" in the study, and "older Americans" referred to anyone over the age of 65. The earliest boomers, btw, turned 65 in 2010, and the data in the Pew study was collected in 2009. I don't even want to get started on how she interpreted the study itself. However, had I been a jobless twenty-something with $100K in student debt, that article in "The Atlantic" would have inflamed me to the point of contemplating irrational acts against anyone over the age of 45. And that's only one of millions of "news stories" being published under the banners of very well-respected publications that, in reality, are merely personal opinion disguised in news format. The author of the article I mentioned has a regular (albeit small) following that perceives her as a legit financial journalist. None of these publications feels in need of having any of these articles put through the typical fact-checking and editing process; perhaps they feel, because the authors aren't on the payroll, or because they're "bloggers", that they don't have an obligation to provide that type of screening. However, since the publishers do not make a clear distinction between what is generated by their own journalists, and what is contributed by "unofficial" reporters, most people reading some of the more skillfully-written contributions believe that they represent legitimate news stories. However, in the case of the "article" cited by the OP: that is definitely something on a nonsponsored content site, and very clear that it's not a genuine news article. But it warms my almost nonexistent heart that the author stands to make a serious piece of change from it - it should get tons of hits now that it's been posted on the AllNurses site.

Sarah, I think you have a great start on being a fine nurse. I'm not referring to your grades, but to your ability to think ahead and to use your time effectively. That's a quality that is much more rare than you would expect. It's a smart move to take these additional courses now while you have some "down" time. Even if you enter an ADN program, if you continue your nursing career for a few years after graduation, you're going to want to get your BSN and/or Masters. Unfortunately, some people choose an ADN program because they don't want to do additional prereqs that are required for the BSN program, and they figure that once they are licensed and working for a couple years, they'll do an online RN-to-BSN bridge. What they don't realize (very often because their ADN school tries to keep it under wraps) is that they'll still have to do those same prereqs they evaded a few years before. And it can be so much harder to get through OChem when you're doing it with a brain that's 6 or 7 years older, and a couple of toddlers that weren't in the picture the first time around, and you're pulling tons of (involuntary) overtime at work. If you've got the time and the money right now, get those courses out of the way.......because the requirement for them isn't going to go away. You and Nicole both have the right idea: when students are registering for classes in their current school, they need to check with the programs they plan on attending one day - each and every program - because they may enroll in a course that doesn't teach an adequate level of material, or that may not transfer into the degree program they'll want 1 or 2 or 5 years down the road. Even though the basic course of study is the same, they can have small differences that can end up costing a lot in time and money later on. A couple phone calls or emails will cost far less. When you finally start your nursing program, you'll be glad you kept busy with additional classes, too....that extra learning will help you deal with those challenging nursing courses. As for whether to repeat some of your 'B' courses, I say don't bother, unless you honestly feel like you didn't learn it at a level you'll need. A program isn't going to turn you down for those few Bs you have (if they do, trust me, it's a GOOD thing). And a competitive, high-quality program will understand exactly why you took that course again and won't find it a particularly admirable trait. Don't get me wrong: when you dropped the course in which you were getting a C, so that you could begin another with a fresh start, THAT was a smart move. If you have that option, I believe you should definitely do that instead of hanging in, hoping that things will get better, until one day you wake up with a permanent D or F on your record. You're doing a great job, and you're being very astute in your approach to this. I know that time seems to be dragging for you, but you'll be be prepping for your NCLEX before you know it. Best of luck!

Your refs sound good; I'd choose a professor from your current school, over the family friend. FMU will be interested in things about you that aren't always easy to tell from GPA alone, such as your attitude in the classroom, your consistency in submitting high-quality schoolwork, whether you have genuine curiosity, and a desire to learn and open your mind to new ideas. If you've had an instructor that you believe recognizes those things in you, I'd ask him/her to write a letter. Make sure if there are FMU university guidelines to follow and/or forms to complete, that you provide them to the letter writers in a timely fashion, so that they have plenty of time to complete them. I also suggest that, if you have to write an essay, you mention why you chose to pursue a BSN instead of an ADN. Don't say it's because you'll make more money, or believe that hospitals are all moving in that direction, even if that's true. Find things that clearly set FMU apart from other programs: if a school believes that a student recognizes special qualities in the school that they've worked hard at maintaining, they'll want that student on campus. But don't try to "wing it", or bluff your way through. In addition, about 18 mos. ago, FMU appointed a dynamic and very bright individual, Dr. Ruth Wittmann-Price, to direct their nursing program. You will really benefit from attending a small program that's directed by a nurse with a wide range of professional and academic experience; you'll have an opportunity to find out how wide-ranging the nursing profession can be, and the diversity of directions in which your career can lead. If I were you, I'd make the effort to read up on her, and on the results of her work over the years. Best of luck!

I can't say that this is the case with your friends, but I hear about an awful lot of students who have near-perfect GPAs, 'A's in all sciences, in the 99th percentile on the TEAS....and they're turned down. keepmovinglpn is right: often there's more to that story. But another reason may be that everyone's credentials may not be as stellar as they are claiming. There seems to be a growing phenomenon: "Don't like your reality? No problem. Create an alternate one." I'm not saying that your friends aren't truthful. But I am saying that you should use caution in using other people's experiences as a frame of reference, especially in allowing them to plant and nourish seeds of doubt in your head. Look back on your performance in each of those classes? Did you work as hard as you could in them, and put the amount of study in that your instructor recommended? If so, then I don't think you need to take it again. However, if you slacked off a lot, and barely studied because you found the class material incredibly boring and irrelevant....well, I'll let you answer that one. What you may want to work on during this time is the essay that will accompany your applications (if the programs to which you are applying require them). There are hopeful applicants who submit applications with 4.0 GPAs, stratospheric TEAS scores, and impressive resumes that list countless volunteer gigs..... and essays that reveal their inability to spell, punctuate, tell the truth, or form cogent thoughts. If you have to write an essay, just be yourself. Be honest about why you've decided to pursue an education and career in nursing. Make sure that you have a very clear and accurate understanding of what it is that most nurses do on a regular basis: many nursing students don't, an inconvenient truth that tend to emerge during their first clinical. Also, do some research on what sets each of the schools to which you are applying apart from the others: it will demonstrate to the admissions committee that you don't consider them as just another school on the list, another opportunity to get credentials. BTW, keep in mind that many schools (especially some the the community college ADN programs) are moving to rolling admissions, where applicants are admitted on a first come, first served basis. As long as an applicant meets the admissions requirements (often, a 2.0-level GPA, min. TEAS score of 65, no essay), they're on the list, and will get a seat in the program ahead of students who have worked hard for near-perfect scores. So make sure that you know how your chosen school processes applications. Best of luck to you. Get your confidence level up, and keep it there. You'll need it when you start your nursing classes.

I can't make it quite that easy, but I can make it a little less labor-intensive. Go to the website of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing; The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is their accreditation arm. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation/accredited-programs Click on Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs. You can then use the pull-down lists to designate a state and program-focused search. It doesn't distinguish between type of BSN programs, but every institution listed has a web link. Click on it to go directly to the nursing schools, and find out there. Best of luck! You do have a difficult decision to make, and I don't envy you.