angelalala

I have never worn CCAC scrubs for sale if anyone is interested in buying them. XS top/Jacket and Small/petite drawstring flare pants. $45 will ship.

I'm in the same boat, and regardless of what hospitals want, there's no way I can or am willing to pay for a BSN. I already have a Masters to pay off, I can't take out any more undergraduate student aid. . .and the way I look at it, plenty of MSN programs will accept RNs with BA/BS in other fields, so taking courses toward a BSN would be time wasted when I could be using that time and money toward a second Masters or PhD.

I KNOW. I came here to see if there is anyone who knows if there were books we absolutely did not need. I can't afford all this. This is completely out of hand. . .I also have to pay my tuition in cash so there is just no way.

I think. . .your frustration with not getting into the program is understandable, and if what you indicate about your grades is true you probably just have to reapply and wait. But (as someone else mentioned) the list of prerequisites are the *minimum* required to apply to the program. There is no guarantee of admissions here or to any program: that's just a fact of life. Of COURSE they made the requirements more strict when they didn't have enough seats, and understandably so. That's not illegal or grounds for a lawsuit that's just how admissions works.

Good luck spring applicants! What kind of classes are you taking? I'm starting this fall, but if I can afford it I also want to take some Spanish. I don't plan to work in Pittsburgh forever and it is definitely a plus to be bilingual in this job market (I've had a lot of Spanish but I'm not fluent). How far has everyone gotten along with the clearances/etc? I haven't booked a CPR course yet or gotten my fingerprints. I'm going to try to get both taken care of tomorrow.

Wow, it's like you didn't even read my response. The thing about your statement is that it's INCREDIBLY PRIVILEGED: you obviously don't have "life circumstances" that stand in the way of your career and educational advancement. I'd rather nursing be seen (by ignorant, privileged people) as a "lesser field" than have nurses (OVERWHELMINGLY women) denied advancement and further education because they cannot afford it.

Re clearances: I JUST had mine done in the past month for work and I have to have them done again; our packet indicates that they have to be dated AFTER our acceptance letter.

You do have to go to the scrub fitting (at least for Boyce); it's during the registration session, which is mandatory. I'm likely not buying my scrubs that day, though, because I doubt I'll have the money yet.

Do you take your kids with you? I'm wondering about doing this myself with 1 kiddo (he's in kindergarten). I don't own a home, so we're not "stuck" anywhere, but I also don't want him to have to switch schools every 6 months or whatever.

I'm really worried about not being able to afford all the stuff we have to do in time:/ I'm going to have to find someone to borrow money from. Ugh.

My packet came before my letter.

When thinking of personality disorders in general (vs an Axis I disorder), think of the personality being "stunted": a lot of borderline (and other personality-disordered people) behave like a child, throwing "tantrums" (quite literally, or other types of tantrums like self-injurious behavior) in order to get their own way. Still, there's another school of thought that isn't even convinced of the existence of BPD: it is, after all, overdiagnosed in females (men with similar behaviors tend to get the Bipolar label). This website is very useful: borderline

I'm not a psych nurse (yet); I'm a student nurse who has a MA in psychology and have worked in wrap-around services with children like those you've described (and children on the spectrum). One of my first concerns about the scenario you described is the lack of a core staff: without that consistency I don't forsee the situation on that floor getting much better. Kids with behavioral problems absolutely need consistency, consistency, consistency (with staff, routine, schedule, etc). Is their day well scheduled/managed? You didn't mention how old these kiddos are, so it's hard to really give specific advice regarding interventions. You're already doing a good job by rewarding good behavior (depending on age I've used the things you've mentioned, stickers, books, magazines, etc). Some kids (especially younger, especially on the spectrum) may need to work on communication skills to circumvent behavioral outbursts. Are these kids on any kind of behavioral plan? I'm sorry, I know it's hard, especially when they throw a bunch of kids together in one place without one-on-one staff.

I've been researching this as well, and most of the jobs I've seen are in the pacific northwest and the southwest.

Yeah, that sucks. That wouldn't work for me either. I don't know how Mercy is, but at Shadyside you have no choice regarding where your clinicals are soooo. . .if you have a clinical at 7am at Passavant and you're a single mom who's daycare doesn't open until 6:30 in the city, that's too bad. They don't make any exceptions. That's wild that they're considering Bio162. . .are there really THAT many applicants who've already taken all of those classes already? I guess so. I would assume that as soon as you get that course finished you'd be in, then? I know that for some of you a semester seems like a big deal, but I've been waiting over 4 (for my son to start kindergarten. . .I couldn't do it otherwise). So don't get discouraged. . .you'll get there!