taytay05

Hi, I currently have my bachelors in psychology. I had a 3.62 when I graduated. I have 8 of the 12 prereqs to enter the accelerated bsn program at West Virginia University where I currently reside in Morgantown, WV. However, it would not be until next year that I complete my prereqs and then half a year till Spring when the program starts. The accelerated program is a year and a half or five semesters. I really want to get into this program, but am scared with the gpa requirements. I have a pretty good prereq gpa especially once I retake chem (failed it the first time). I am afraid that the chem course and my gpa will discount me. There is an interview and according to the admissions recruiter that's 30 percent of the decision. The other 70 is the prereq gpa. So far mine is 3.66. She said the gpa for everything generally falls between 3.4 and 3.7 and that 30 out of the usual 130 applicants get chosen. However, I heard some girl in chem class who is entering the traditional program tell me that at her freshman orientation the advisor said last class was cut off at 3.78. I don't know if this applies to the accelerated program too. I also have 7 months experience as a cna and am starting a new job at a nursing home soon and volunteering at the hospital. I just don't want to waste a year, not get into this bsn program and then have to start the adn program late when I could have started it next fall instead of in 2015. I made a pros and cons list, but still not sure what to do. I haven't even taken the TEAS yet for the adn program and the study materials/ even taking the test cost a lot.

So, this post is all based off of reading a book called "When the Servant becomes the Master." It is a book about addiction by a doctor certified in both addiction and family medicine. It made me realize how complex both the behavioral and medicinal treatments for addiction are and how complex of a disease addiction is. I am really interested in helping those with addiction as a psych np, but I'm afraid, simply by reading this book, that being an np I wouldn't be knowledgeable to either practice on my own or really be able to create that much of a change. In the field of addiction, do you think that an np would be able to grasp the disease, both diagnosing and prescribing, enough to treat those with severe addiction in the same capacity as a doctor? I know that some states allow independence, but I don't want to be so overly confident and excited about having independence that I make the wrong, life-altering decision for a patient. For instance, many medications for addiction to opiates, like methadone, can cause cns depression and can lead to death if misued. I'd be very nervous giving this drug to an addict. Also, do psych nps working under doctors really get to help the patient or is it the doctor simply telling the np what to do for every step of the treatment? Any feedback, especially based in research, would be appreciated.

Thanks for the advice. I actually talked to an adviser and she said because I took a biology course before the chem course, the biology would be my first attempt grade. She also said that because USF has a forgiveness policy they would honor it for my cumulative gpa. I literally asked her about this policy in every single form the question could be asked and she said the same thing every time, that the grade forgiveness would be honored for cumulative.

I have all the credits to graduate with a bachelors, but I think I'm going to hold off graduation and apply for the upper division. I don't want to be rushed. My friend did second bachelors at FSU and finished with a 2.7 when her first bachelors was 3.7.

Do you know how many credits you have to take? There is a class at LA city college that is 6 credits, but I'm not sure if that is a class or just a course

I was wondering if anyone has information on how to become a CNA in California and in Florida. I want to be certified in both places. I know LA city college has a couple courses, but not sure if those are sufficient. I really don't know anything about the process except that there is an examination and you need some sort of training. Any information appreciated:) (I want to do this to make myself more prepared for nursing school).

Would you guys mind sharing your gpas? You can pm if you don't want want to post it.

Congrats Narika! That gives me hope for when I apply next year because I have similar stats.

That's an interesting story. What is it you learned about doctors that didn't appeal to you? I was also interested in psych, but have heard mixed reviews.

*harder

I personally would not advise this. I took chem during a summer term and ended up dropping it. If I had finished I might have gotten a C if I was lucky. I remember getting back those tests crying because I had studied so hard and my grades didn't reflect it. Like you, I am not a math person and need adequate tutoring/time to absorb the material. I also do not do well in summer classes that cram in material. I went into that class with only high school chem so I cannot imagine going into an accelerated chem class with no prior knowledge. Everything an adviser says should be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, I had to take a general math class above college algebra for my psychology degree. My adviser said that I should take calculus instead of precalculus because it is easier! I ignored his advice because why would a prerequisite class be easier than a higher level class. Anyways, I got an A- in precalculus and was able to finish my degree that semester. Look at your strengths such as whether you can handle tough science classes in the summer. For me, chem is hard enough in a regular semester let alone a summer one, but to each his own.

It is very difficult to obtain a volunteer position anywhere, especially in healthcare. I called the hospital and asked to speak to volunteer services and they were able to set up an orientation over the phone. If this does not work, then visit the hospital volunteer services in person so they know you are committed. They probably won't ask for your resume, but bring it in case. They may have an orientation already fully booked for the next month which happened to me so go early in the school year before more months are booked. Also, they probably wants you to get your flu shots which are very cheap or free at a local/school clinic. For my position, I also had to have tb tests, but they provided those free at the hospital. I also received an offer to volunteer at a hospice. I found this opportunity by going to the site volunteermatch.com and going to their special search mode and checking healthcare. Any position you find will require tb, which they usually do, and a background check which may take around 2-3 weeks to go through. The orientation and the background check can obviously delay the process so try to send out emails and talk to people as early as possible so that you can start volunteering early in the semester. I try to do this also because my school has a deadline for including hours for that semester on your transcript. Good luck.

Ok, so it's a while before I apply to nursing school, but I literally worry about it every day. I really want to get into University of South Florida and they require an essay. If I retake chem (and get a B), with the forgiveness policy, my gpa will be around a 3.75. My prereqs will also be high. What worries me is explaining these bad grades. I got an F in chem and lab for dropping it after the drop ad period and I got a C+ in The Criminal Justice System. I also have a W in college algebra which I later received a B in (taking math in the summer is not a good idea). I had the criminology class in the morning and was also dating a drug addict at the time who was up with me at all hours of the night so I got 2 points off my final grade for attendance. For chem, I was falling asleep when I took the second to last test and literally didn't know any of the answers so in my half asleep stupor I forgot about the drop ad policy and decided to drop the class. I'm not looking for judgment. I am working on becoming more responsible and am actually going to an intensive life skills/ independence center for a year. I just don't know how to explain these grades to an admissions committee without seeming foolish or looking like I want to make excuses, especially excuses with poor reasons. I know I shouldn't use these reasons, but I also don't want to outright lie. These grades all did have one thing in common; they were all during summer semesters so maybe that could be part of the explanation.

Did any of you guys find out about your statuses?

Affinity, I'm sorry you didn't get in, but don't give up. Why don't you apply to FGCU? It is a bit less competitive and tuition is still really cheap. If this is your passion then either reapply or apply somewhere else. I switched from nursing to psychology because I was discouraged with the chemistry and then ended up switching back. I wasted a year and a half doing courses for a degree I will probably never use. If this is truly what you want and you settle for something else, you may regret it.