Cortisol

First and foremost, medical residents are required to do more than just "graduate from medical school" before earning the right to use their doctor title on the floor. They are required to pass a minimum of three US Medical Licensing Examinations (two written exams and a clinical exam) as well as hold a medical degree before they enter residency. Furthermore, most states allow residents with one or two years of residency training who are US medical school graduates apply for full licensure.

Monmon87, From what I have seen in past threads about Samuel Merritt is that interviews are offered on more than one date. From the way it sounded, interviews were offered in "waves". I have not heard anything "official" regarding this, but that's how interviews seem to have been conducted previously (based on past threads, anyway). I would not make any assumptions based on the fact that you have not yet received an email. I remember reading that in previous years, some applicants with early interview dates did not get accepted while others with later interview dates were ultimately offered a spot. Stay positive! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that you get an email soon! :)

Xzalense, There seems to be a lot of questions throughout the nursing community regarding this change. Recently, an NP, who is also a professor here in IL, said that students must be enrolled in an NP program before the change goes into effect in order to avoid having to get their DNP. I honestly do not know whether or not this is true. A lot seems to depend on who you talk to. From what I have heard, state boards of nursing and the nursing school accrediting bodies are working diligently to work all of this out. As for SM, I haven't heard anything from them either way.

Congrats to those who have been invited to interview! I, too, received an email invitation today (for the ELMSN-FNP Program) and will be interviewing on February 11! I hope to meet many of you there. Will anyone else be interviewing on this date?

I know someone who was a medical transcriptionist for 20+ years before going to Medical School. She knew pathology, diseases, and treatments VERY well and accredits much of her knowledge to her career as a transcriptionist. Like almost everyone else, she lacked the clinical skills when she first started her rotations, but she managed as anyone else did. As a transcriptionist, you don't have to really understand pathophysiology like you would as a nurse, but having heard about the diseases and having a sound medical terminology background will definitely help you in nursing school!

I know someone who double majored in Nursing and Psychology. She is a very happy Psych Nurse and has been for many years. :) Nurse Case Managers do generally make better money than Social Workers, but if being a social worker will make you happy, then go for it! I have heard of people getting their MSW with a B.S. in Psychology. There are direct entry MSN programs with a specialty in Case Management, there are direct entry MSN programs with a focus on mental health nursing, accelerated BSN programs, and even direct entry general MSN programs available to those who hold bachelor's degrees in fields other than nursing. Take the time to shadow people in these different fields. Talk to social workers, case managers, psych nurses, etc. before you make your decision. I have found nurses to be a wealth of information when it comes to questions about the field. Most of them are very honest and will tell you the pros and cons of their specific job. In one shadowing experience, I got to observe and/or talk to floor nurses, NPs, nurses with cardiac specialties, nurse managers, PAs, and NP students. NO JOKE! I would also suggest that you research any programs of interest (nursing and other, graduate or undergrad) and talk to an advisor about the specifice program/requirements.

Nutrition was actually a great course! We learned about nutrition throughout the lifespan (childhood, adulthood, pregnancy, and in the elderly). We also learned about foodborne pathogens and the diseases they cause. Vitamins and minerals were also covered. It was a very interesting class that wasn't at all difficult as long as you payed attention. It was easy yet very informative. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. It is one of the easiest nursing pre-reqs, in my opinion. :)

I took the TEAS Nov 2. Back in October, I was told that the applications are reviewed by admissions in December. In January, the faculty reviews them. Interviews are scheduled in February/March. It would be so wonderful to hear back soon! I haven't logged on here in a while (which is why I haven't responded), but I'm getting nervous and excited again just thinking about the waiting process!!!

Naznazy, I was told the same thing about the TEAS. :) I was just wondering if there is more too it than that. To private message, I think you must have made a certain number of posts.

I'm sure you did great! You will probably get your results in less than 48 hours. I got mine the day after my exam (but in the evening). :)

I found the McGraw-Hill Nursing School Entrance Test book very helpful. I also used the Kaplan review book.

From what I know, there is only one Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exam, and there is only one prep book published by Kaplan for that exam. I paid around $20 for the book, and it was the ONLY book I used when I studied for the Kaplan test. http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-Nursing-School-Entrance-Exams/dp/1419550349/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322714493&sr=8-2

Once you have your BSN, most people won't care if you did it at a school in the UC system, the state system, or a private university. As long as the programs are accredited, you shouldn't have any issues. I would go to whatever program suits you best. If you can, talk to students/grads from those programs and ask about their experiences. Don't be afraid to ask about clinical sites, externships, and job placement upon graduation. Just for fun, you may want to research a few graduate nursing programs and see what their entrance requirements are. Don't be afraid to call those MSN programs and ask their opinion. In some cases, where you went to school can influence your chances of getting a job or getting into graduate school. Perhaps if you want to get your MSN at a HIGHLY competetive university, this may be true in nursing, but I know plenty of nurses who have started as ADNs and have wound up eventually getting an MSN later in their career. It seems as though most MSN programs look at your GPA from nursing school, GRE scores, and experience. :)

Kaplan has one review book that is specific to the exam, but other nursing school entrance exam prep materials may be helpful. The Kaplan book is a great reflection of the Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exam, especially for the Math and Reading sections. The science section was heavy on A&P. I took the TEAS V several months after taking the Kaplan Exam and used the McGraw-Hill and Kaplan books. I thought McGraw-Hill was a good book and would recommend it for extra practice. It is pretty similar to the Kaplan book with a less-detailed Science Review. The two books are pretty similar, so if you're looking for an additional resource to use, I'd definitely consider the McGraw-Hill book.

I think that the amount of time you spend studying is very much dependent on your past academic and test-taking abilities along with where you are in your course progression. The sooner you can start to study the better. :) College Algebra will definitely help with the math part, but it may not be completely necessary to do well on the math part of the TEAS. If you have had more basic algebra at some point, you will probably be able to do most of the problems. There is definitely a lot of Algebra on the TEAS, but most of the problems are straightforward. Just practice, practice, practice and you will do great on the Math! The Science section is the most difficult. Having some general knowledge of biology and A&P is helpful, and ideally, you will have taken these courses before taking the TEAS. The Chemistry is pretty basic as is the Physical Science. I really liked the McGraw-Hill book for the Science and Math Sections. While the Science was not all inclusive, it gave a nice overview of the topics I saw on my actual exam.

Sometimes I purchase the previous edition of the book online (ie the class uses the 9th edition, so I purchase the 8th). This has saved me a ton of $$$. You may want to email the instructor, explain your situation, and ask if they think the older version may work. My A&P teacher told us the first day that older editions of our book were basically the same, so if we inherited one from a past student we didn't need to buy a new one.

For my A&P II class, we only had 3 practicals that covered a LOT of material (most of them covered multiple systems). Each practical had about 100 questions. Some stations had multiple questions (we were permitted one minute at each station regardless of how many questions were there). The class was ROUGH, and the exams were extremely challenging. I had to take this class after completing multiple other A&P courses from previous degrees (thanks to very strict nursing pre-reqs, this particular class needs to be on my transcript :) ), so I know what to expect in most Anatomy and/or Physiology courses. Yes, many people did get Bs in this class, but I can guarantee you that they know a heck of a lot more than many other students who recieved As in their A&P II course. Does it stink? ABSOLUTELY. Is it fair? NO. But that's just the way the cookie crumbled for a number of my peers. What you are going through is unfortunately very common. I can totally relate. My first semester of college, I enrolled in calculus. I simply registered for the course that fit best in my schedule, not knowing that the professor was notoriously difficult. We started with 36+ students and only about 6 took the final. I spent almost every free moment I had that semester in the tutoring center, and got a C in the course. I am darn proud of that C because so many of my peers backed down from the challenge, and I know a number of people that would never even take that class with that professor. Does it stink to have that C on my transcript? Of course it does, but I learned a lot and worked hard to get that C. My advice is to talk to your professor about your situation and ask if he/she has any suggestions for you. I'd also inquire about extra credit opportunities. You still have time to bump your grade up to an A. If you wind up with a B, don't stress out about it too much. Once you become an RN, no one is going to ask what grade you got in A&P or any other course for that matter. Do your best to understand the material and study your butt off. Best of luck! You can do it!

I like to study alone and then with a study partner. It is imperative to find a study partner who it at your level. You don't want them to waste their time explaining things to you or for you to be spending the whole study session explaining things to them. Once you have studied on your own, you can bounce ideas off of one another and ask eachother questions from the material covered in class. I've found that this method is great for both understanding concepts and memorizing details. Sometimes I have a hard time getting details into my brain, and having someone drill me on them is helpful. Ideally, your study partner will pick up on your weaknesses and will randomly ask you things you don't remember well. For example, my study partner asks me on Monday what Methotrexate does. I don't know. She tells me, and I repeat it back to her. Then, toward the end of that study session, she asks me again. During Wednsday's study session, she asks me again to be sure I remember what Methotrexate does. Sometimes, I ask my study partner to go over something very specific to help me memorize a chart, for example. I have found this method to be far moe useful than studying in a group. It allows you really get the material down pretty efficiently. As I said before, the hard part is finding someone at your level (to avoid a teacher-pupil situation). Also, both people must be totally willing to allow the other person to know their weaknesses.

The "pril" drugs are ACE inhibitors (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors). They lower blood pressure by decreasing the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, thus decreasing aldosterone. Aldosterone helps keep sodium in the body (and water follows sodium), and this raises blood pressure. Decreasing aldosterone therefore decreases blood pressure. One thing to remember is that ACE inhibitors also increase bradykinin and therefore may cause a dry cough as a side effect.

I applied to an accelerated BSN program in IL and Samuel Merritt. I'm really hoping to get accepted to the ELMSN FNP Program. How about you?

my mom is a nurse, and early in her career, she worked in intensive care. she once told me that in order to be a nurse, you have to love caring for people and you have to "get through" the science. i agree with the previous posters that mention taking a&p in high school if possible. this will be a great preview to a&p in college and therefore lessen your load. as someone who has taken multiple anatomy and physiology courses at different levels, i can assure you that you can never have enough a&p! when applying to schools, you may want to look at programs that don't require extra science courses. most rn programs require a&p i and ii, microbiology, and general chemistry, but some schools require additional biology and chemistry courses (such as organic chemistry. . .eww!). when you get to college, you may want to spread your science classes out and combine them with easier courses (like psych, for example). the second you realize that you don't understand something get help immediately! utitilze whatever resources are available to you (professor office hours, study groups, tutoring, etc.). never be afraid to ask for help. just remember. . .where there's a will there's a way!

I think that taking Physiology next would make the most sense. Be careful with taking Physiology online. Physiology is very conceptual, and you may have a lot of questions as you go through the course. If you do choose to take it online, be sure that there is somewhere on campus you can go for help (either instructor office hours, on-campus tutoring center, etc). Physiology is the foundation you need for the pathophysiology you will learn in nursing school. Online courses can be challenging if they involve conceptual learning. I'm not saying that taking physiology online is impossible, but I could see how it could be extremely frustrating if you don't understand something and you can't get an adequate explanation.

I would want to know the following: When did the vomiting begin? How many times has she vomited? Is this the same milk she's always been drinking? Have any new foods been introduced to her diet? Is she acting differently than usual (not playng, wanting to be held more, etc)? Has the mother given her any medications for the vomiting?

Find a study partner and quiz eachother on meds daily. One person asks the other questions from a review book for about 30 minutes and then they switch. The hardest part is finding someone who is really at your level. Drilling each other this way allows you to learn actively and retain more info. Your study partner should randomly ask you the meds you're weak on regularly. This way, they get stuck in your head. With pharm, repetition is key!

Some schools do have time limits for pre-requisites while some programs do not. Many schools do have a 5 year time limit. Some schools with this policy are willing to accept a higher level course in place of the pre-req course as long as the pre-req for ns was a pre-req for the more advanced course. For example, Jane took General Chemistry I, the nursing pre-req, 10 years ago. Three years ago, she took a Biochemistry course that had Gen Chem as a pre-requisite. With this policy, the Biochemistry course would fulfill the Gen Chem I pre-req.