kalyani

I'm in California (Los Angeles area)

So, just about every hospital I know of is asking their diploma RN's to get a BSN "by 2020". When I ask for clarification of this, I am met with a blank stare, including my manager. I work nights, but eventually I will need to stay awake after my shift long enough to call HR and have it clarified. LOL But, I'm just wondering, for those of you who are mandated to get your BSN "by 2020", does that mean you need it by January 1st 2020? Or do you have until December 31, 2020?

There are pros and cons for each. If you have a BS in Biology, you are probably really close to fulfilling your BSN requirements (pre and co requisites) and it's' possible you could be done in 2-3 years. An ADN will take at least 2 years, then another 2 years to get the BSN, however, it's much easier to get into a BSN program once you already have your RN, and then you can sort of take the BSN courses at your leisure at a lot of schools, go part time if you want, etc, while you gain experience as an RN. My advice would be to finish up your pre and co reqs and apply to both RN and BSN programs and see what happens. I only applied to one school and luckily got into an ADN program, but sort of regret not applying to other ADN and BSN program as well. Good luck!

Hi there! I think it takes a lot of courage and maturity to ask yourself if you are cut out to be a nurse! And yes, early on, you may have to take whatever job you can find in order to get experience, which may involve doing things that are unpleasant, but here are some real life examples of nursing jobs that have little to no "butt wiping" involved. A friend of mine who just got her RN landed a job as a grammar school nurse. She gets home at 3 pm and has summers off. Hasn't had to wipe an ass yet. Another friend of mine who started off as an RN, but now has a BSN, has been working in a NICU for almost 20 years. She started there in her 20's and I remember when she graduated from school, she chose to work with neonates because, and I quote "their poop and pee is not like adult poop and pee". Okay, so she does wipe some butts, but wiping the butt of a 1 pound baby doesn't compare to what you do in nursing school. You could also end up working for a health insurance company. Not only will you not wipe butts, but you probably won't even have to touch another human being. I also knew someone who did case management at a hospital. Lots of paperwork and arguing with health insurance companies, but No butt wiping involved there. I also had a friend who was a transplant coordinator. She didn't wipe one butt at that job. She talked to the family and potential candidates about the heart transplant process and kept track of their vitals and blood type, etc. so that when a donor match came in, she could match them with a candidate. She got to go on helicopters , fly off to where the donor was, and helped the surgeons harvest the organs, then fly back to the candidate. Very exciting work, but Again, no butt wiping in her job in the 2 years I worked with her. Now, most of these jobs have higher degrees than an RN, but all these people started off as an RN. So, don't be discouraged!

I've seen LOTS of women in my class who are mothers do it, so it can be done! Not sure how they pull it off, but anything is possible if it's what you really want. Good luck!

Well, I've decided to stay put where I am, and stick to my original plan to get my RN and get the BSN later on. However, lesson learned! Any pre-nursing students out there, don't enter into program just because it's inexpensive and seems convenient! My bad!

Ooops!

Wow, bols27, I feel like I'm having an identical experience to yours! But, I've come to realize, my school is just underfunded and understaffed, and maybe that is where the problem truly lies. I too received my bachelor's degree from a reputable University and the way the counselors, teachers and even administrative staff treated the students there was like night and day compared to this community college. but, I'm slowly learning which people/teachers in the program are actually are helpful, and just steering clear of the teachers/people who aren't, and trying to do my work as best I can. In earlier posts, I've mentioned that I really wish I could transfer elsewhere, but I've come this far, so I'm just going to suck it up and deal with it.

Wow, it sounds like you are going to my school! Something similar happened to me. My school leaves us in the dark about everything. The handouts tell us to read the wrong chapters and the study guides have wrong answers on them, etc. And like you, I don't expect to be spoon fed either. I have a degree in something else, I've worked in some very prominent hospitals, and haven't been in high school in almost 25 years so I'm not some stupid lazy kid. Some schools are just hiding under "Nursing school is hard" so they never have to update their handouts or teach the curriculum.

Yes, that thought has crossed my mind that the "grass is not always greener".

So, I've been in Nursing School (NUR 101) for over a month now. I have to say, 90% of the people I spoke to about this school before I applied had nothing nice to say about it. I applied anyway, because it's in my county and so inexpensive as a result. I'd hoped the other students were exaggerating, or that maybe they weren't prepared to do the work. Unfortunately, they were actually DOWNPLAYING just how bad things are! and we pretty much learn everything from DVD's and internet websites. DVDs and websites are great study tools, but they shouldn't be the BULK of a nursing program! Despite this, I've been doing well in the lecture and on tests. I spent several years re-arranging my life so I could attend nursing school. I take it VERY seriously. But I'm concerned about clinicals because there is SOOO little hands on! While the lab is open long hours for practice, it's not always easy to get an instructor's attention for help, or a student willing to be your patient to practice on (when a manikin won't suffice). I may have an opportunity to transfer into a BSN program (at a very competitive school) but I truly feel worried about clinicals. Should I withdraw now while my GPA is still 3.8?? I know my 3.8 means nothing if I don’t pass clinicals. Does a withdraw from NUR 101 look "bad" on your transcript? I imagine it looks better than an F!! Should I try to tough it out? I'm really concerned!! Any advice??? Anyone ever decide to leave one program for another who maybe could give me some insight? Thanks!!!

Hey Cupcakestar! I'm glad you've heard a lot of good things from other people. That's hopeful! Yes, what we had to do with the SLM, I've heard other schools actually have a class for that and you don't have to learn it at home on your own. But, I guess that will make us more autonomous later!! But the page numbers/chapters and DVD selections they tell us to watch/read are not always correct and most of the handouts are NOT in chronological order on the portal, so they are just overwhelming to sift through. Also, the course outline is not in chronological order with the calendar they sent us, so you have to sort through that as well. I just would like to not be confused about what my tasks at hand are. I don't mind a ton of work and I want to learn the subject matter! I've read a ton of stuff already and did hours of math with that CD-Rom and I just hope I read what I was supposed to. I don't want to feel like I am wasting study time because I have to go on a scavenger hunt to find out what pages we are supposed to read! Yes, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, too. Hoping for some clarity!

As far as the content, it does seem like we will be well prepared at the end for the NCLEX. It is TRUE that PCCC students have a good reputation in the Hospitals around here and they get hired, on average, within 6 months of graduation. The NCLEX passing scores in the past were around 88-89% about 8 years ago (according to PCCC's website), but within the last couple years, they are up to 97-98%, so we just gotta keep remembering that's what we are there for and it's a great opportunity to have been accepted (no matter how bad the bureaucracy is!!) On reflection, the truth is, we're always going to encounter someone or something, no matter what school we are in, that is going to be frustrating, and it's always a lesson in patience! LOL! I'm hoping once classes start officially I'll have figured out a way to navigate their "system" better.

Sussexgirl, send me an email at: Kalyani670@ Yahoo.com so that I can share more info with you, if you want!

Oh, PS...I did by a 3 ring notebook and a hole-puncher with dividers. I put the calendar, exam schedule, and contact numbers (which I will probably never use again lol) in the front, and I'm just printing out the stuff that "seems" to correspond with the calendar in putting it in there for each day. I'm actually getting together with a fellow classmate today and we're going to try to sort through stuff. But, the three ring notebook really helps organizing all that paperwork!!! We got an email yesterday that told us to "have the content we should have received on September 1st prepared for the first day of class" and none of my fellow classmates, nor myself, received anything on Sept. 1st! Ahhh, fun!!