CDEWannaBe

Just start taking classes. Start with one and see how you do and how many you can handle going forward. I went all year round and did a mix of online and traditional classes. The online classes offer more flexibility but usually take more work. I'd also try to schedule easy and tough classes in the same semester, so I did Statistics and Nutrition together since stats was difficult for me. Nursing school is incredibly difficult to get into, so work hard and get A's in your prereq classes. Before enrolling in a class look up the teacher on www.RateMyProfessor.com Save money by renting books from www.chegg.com (get the book's ISBN from the school bookstore's website and then see if Chegg has it, you'll save lots of money). The biggest surprise to me going back to school in my late 30's and early 40's was that despite all the technology, the top students in my Microbiology and Physiology classes still learned the material using flash cards they'd made. You will also love some of the new stuff, like how you enroll online and how fast professors grade. And their gradebooks are online so you can see exactly what grade you have in a class. Much better than in the past.

I've just used one as a patient and no it was covered by my employer's insurance, but don't know it they typically are. I used it several years ago when I was pregnant to insure my pump's basal rates were on track. The needle was big and sort of angled so I was glad not to place it on my self. I ate low carb and logged my glucose readings and food. From a patient perspective it was disappointing because it gave no readings on the device itself, so I couldn't tell if it was working or not. Later when my results were downloaded they were very consistent with my meter. As a patient it was very useful. I'd only use with a patient who was really wanting to do it since the patient needs to to do quite a bit of work along with wearing it 24/7, which was a pain.

He should be giving his own injections and managing his own care. I'm guessing the mom is just reassured that you'll be there for backup in case he needs help. Talk specifics with her. It's stressful for parents of diabetic kids to find daycare or let their kids sleep over at a friends because the treatment is so complex now now between carb counting, multiple daily injections and pumps. If you both you and the child's parents talk through everything and feel comfortable with what the arrangements are, then it's okay. You should not be expected to be his "nurse" though.

Steve- I apologize for taking a while to reply. It's not worth switching meters if the patient has to pay more to use the meter that's compatible with the pump. The truth is, syncing the meter and pump mostly benefits the CDE and physician. It has little positive impact for the patient, other than getting an "atta boy" at their next doctor appointment because they have a complete log in their pump, along with basal, bolus, etc. reports that the pump will produce. My doctor especially liked this since I use multiple meters (one in purse, one by bedside, one at the office) and they hated having to download and compare 3 separate reports. Once my meters fed to my pump all the results were available on 1 report. I could have just logged, but after almost 38 years with diabetes, I only log if I have glucose patterns that need tweaking. Since your patient has already started the pump by now you've figured out that he can manually enter his glucose reading if he wants to use the bolus wizard to calculate a correction dose. If he can do the math of a bolus correction in his head, he can also just have the pump give the bolus dose without using the wizard feature. Hope this helps.

Heather gave good advice. You are smart to take your prereqs at the community college where classes are less expensive. Research which classes you need to apply to the community college and the BSN programs at the universities in your area. Then start taking those general ed classes that you will need, no matter where you go. Every school will require: Freshman composition Algebra or some type of math History Non-western studies Biology (usually for healthcare or science majors) Anatomy and Physiology Microbiology Chemistry Do those classes first so that you can asses your skills as a student and be ready to apply to apply to any and all programs.

That's a great point delphine22. The best carb counting resource is the Calorie King Guide to Calories, Fat and Carbohydrates. There is a book you can find at Walmart or most bookstores for less than $10 or if you can get an app version of it. It's also worth it to learn the carb counts for some of your favorite meals. Because of fat some meals take more insulin than the carb counts indicate. There's also phemonenons like the "Chinese Restaurant Effect" where when you eat a big meal it takes much more insulin than the sum of the carbs you've eaten. I always say diabetes makes people become very creative and quick problem solvers. You have to be when dealing with all this stuff! In my experience with getting the pump, the Minimed rep just supplied the pump for me. My doctor referred me to a diabetes educator who did the pump education and set up.

SteveDE makes a great point about meter accuracy. The current meter accuracy standard is: "FDA’s standard for glucose meters is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirement of 95% of results within ± 20% for glucose values >75 mg/dL and ± 15 mg/dL for glucose values So 95% of the time a reading is + or - 20%, as long as it's greater than 75. Definitely wouldn't apply to the situation the original poster described. The most accurate meters statistically, and in my own experience, are One Touch meters. But because of expense hositals never use them. I currently use a Bayer Contour Next because it feeds the results directly to my insulin pump and the insuarance co-pays are more affordable.

Were you told you were on the waitlist? Meet or at least have a phone interview with an academic advisor there and learn about their schedule and when waitlisted people are contactacted. Also have your file evaluated to see how close you are to eligible. Some people are right on the verge of getting in and others haven't even met the basic requirements. You need to know exactly where you stand so you can plan.

I think this is on the edge of possibility. Back when I had hypoglycemia unwareness, I could have extreme lows and still function. The current meters just read Low below 20 now (I think), but they used to give lower readings. I remember one time having a reading of 13 and walked from my office, across the street to a cafe an bought a juice. Another time I was awake with eyes open but not responsive, my husband tried to give me juice and I couldn't swallow so he sqeezed cake frosting in my cheek and spooned juice in my mouth. I came to a couple minutes later and tested about 30 mintutes after that and my reading was 15, so who knows how low I was to start. Exteme lows with hypoglycemia unawareness are SO dangerous because patient can appear coherent but be seconds away from brain and vital organ shut down. Hypo unawareness happens after years of high and low blood sugars. Mine occured after about 25 years with type 1 diabetes. Because of erratic blood sugars the body stops releasing adrenalin and patient becomes asymptomatic to hypoglycemia. After getting an insulin pump about 12 years ago, the severity and fequency of my lows were drastically reduced and the hypoglycemia unawareness reversed within a couple months. I now have low below 60 mg/dl maybe twice a month and have not had a low below 40mg/dl in years. I can sense my blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dl and have the classic hypoglycemia symptoms. Thank God for modern diabetes technology. With shots I would likely have been dead instead of healthy and complication-free after 37 years with diabetes.

Since the house in CA is available anytime you want it, make sure your husband has a job and you are accepted into nursing school before you make the move. If it's meant to be, you will both find something.

Like RunBaby said, you need to call the school you're interested in and get information. Every school has a minimum GPA but that doesn't really matter as much as what the school tells you about the class of students they most recently admitted. They don't accept everyone who meets the minimum... you're competing against other applicants for a limited number of open spots. For example, my school requires at least a 2.8 overall GPA and a 3.2 in prereqs. But in the last couple of years they've not accepted a student with less than a 3.5 overall and a 3.8 in prereqs. Knowing that can help a student decide whether it's worth the $100 to apply. It's also not smart to apply unless you have most of your prereqs completed, with maybe 1 or 2 in progress during the semester you apply. There are too many other applicants who have all their prereqs completed and strong GPAs. The nursing program is looking for applicants who can handle the classes and who will do well. They don't want someone who will drop out after the first semester, so that's why they are looking for folks who have 4.0 GPAs and have already completed Microbiology, A&P, Chemistry, and Statistics. It shows they'll be up the to classes in the nursing program. Hope you do well and good luck.

Before applying to a program you should ask what their NCLEX pass rate is. It should be at least 95% or higher because that shows they are training nurses capable of passing the national certification exam. Also call some hospital HR departments and ask if there are any nursing schools they won't hire from or any schools they prefer. Frankly, I don't think the school you receive your undergrad from matters much, even for a business major, unless you're graduating from an Ivy League school. In my experience you actually have better teaching at less prestigous colleges because you have an experienced professor educating you, instead of a grad student handling the class for a professor who's off researching, working on something to publish, or guest lecturing somewhere else. And if you have the ability to pay and the basic academic ability, you'll be able to get into a master's program. It's not the big deal that people make it out to be. I work in higher education. There are a lot of extremely intelligent people with Masters and PhDs and also a lot of dopes. =)

You have to post all of the classes you've taken at every college you've attended.

In my area the masters programs require you to have a current nursing license to apply. I think you'd have a hard time find a job with and MSN but no nursing experience.

While CNA training is helpful, it now requires a lot of schooling to get the certification and then you're in a fairly low paid job. For current CNAs it's smart to take the certification they have and look for a bridge program to nursing school. But if you want to be a nurse, then apply to nursing school. Find out what the prerequisite classes are for both community college (ADN) and university (BSN) programs and start taking the classes at a community college, where it's cheaper. Contact advisors at both types of schools and get advice on how to be the best applicant possible. Then apply and see where you're accepted. Getting a BSN right off is ideal, but it's still okay to go the ADN route if that's where you're accepted. Like others have said, you may not be able to get a hospital job with an ADN, but you can still find jobs in long term care. Some employers will then help you pay to bridge from your ADN to BSN. You do need decent math skills to become a nurse, especially algebra, which will be used in Chemistry and also Statistics. But don't fear these classes. Take them and do your best. Ask the teacher for help and get books like "Algebra for Dummies" to help you get the skills. I believe ANYONE can pass classes like Algebra and Chemistry if they keep up with the work, do every assignment, and struggle through to master the tough concepts. Not only will this help you towards nursing school, but you'll feel like a rock star for overcoming a difficult challenge. Good luck.

There are. My ABSN program only looked at the last 60 hours completed, so that took my cumulative GPA from a 3.0 to a 4.0! Like others have said, get As in your prereqs. Not only improves your chances of being accepted into a nursing program, but it's important to have a solid understanding of Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Statistics, etc. before you go into nursing school.

Ask your teacher if you can talk with her about the issue. It will help you understand the tests better and also help her know that you really are trying to do well. Ask your teacher if there are extra assignments that might help you learn the concepts or extra credit you might be able to do. I struggled with Chemistry too. Keep up with the reading and do every assignment. But know that you might need to supplement the textbook (in my experience most textbooks aren't that great). I borrowed "Chemistry for Dummies" from the library and looked for online teaching through youtube videos and iUniversity (don't need an Apple device, just with a computer and an iTunes account) to get some of the basic concepts. I finished with an A. If I can, ANYONE can. Yesterday was cool because I ran into my Chemistry teacher and got to tell her I'd been accepted into an accelerated nursing program. I thanked her for helping me through the class. It was my first pre-req class and if I hadn't done well I probably wouldn't have continued.

I'd love to know where these better paid jobs are. You might luck into a better paid job somewhere or have an extraordinary skill set that allows you to be promoted in a different industry. But show me another career where the average income is as high for people, especially for women, with an Associates or Bachelors degree. Healthcare is unique in that women have more job opportunities. In an office environment there are women who are promoted, but very few. Most admin assistants and other low paying jobs in my office are held by women. My admin assistant job requires me to have a Bachelor's degree and I've topped out in the salary I can earn at $38,000 a year. To be promoted I'm told I'll need a Masters. That salary is close to starting pay in my part of the country for RNs.

You seem cool Kode and you've gotten good advice. My cousin became a nurse years ago and worked in the emergency room. He now oversees the nurses who work on the emergency medical helicopters at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. There are many cool jobs in nursing. Take care and we all hope you do well in school and in your future career as a nurse.

Insulin pumps are great for type 1s but can also be beneficial for type 2s. Some medical professionals have the mistaken idea that you should get in good control to be allowed to get a pump, but most diabetics have improved control and use less insulin with one. A pump definitely takes work and requires frequent gluose testing. However the work is worth it, which is a much different experience than with multiple daily injections. You will have to evaluate if your patient has an understanding of what the pump requires. The biggest benefit of pumps is they use only short acting insulin, more like a real pancreas. Long acting insulin causes highs and lows when it conflicts with the body's natural basal (base) rate. I use a pump and at different times of day my basal rate varies between 0.525 and 1.35 units an hour. A flat rate of Lantus can't do that. To get you up to speed I'd recommend John Walsh's book "Pumping Insulin" and also Gary Sheiner's "Think Like a Pancreas." Sheiner's book is targeted to type 1s but has great pump information. He actually offers advanced online pumping classes at www.type1univeristy.com for nominal fees. I'd had type 1 for 25 years and my A1c was around a 9. Despite my A1c I had frequent severe lows and hypoglycemia unawareness. It felt like no matter what I did I was either high or low and I felt like a pincushion taking 5 shots a day, totalling about 60u of insulin. My hypo unawareness got so bad that my endo said the only option was to start using a pump. I was newly married and didn't want to be connected to a machine, plus back in the 1970's when I was diagnosed I'd seen pumps and they were big and scary. I didn't want a needle in me all the time. Thankfully pump technology had improved a lot since then. It took a couple weeks to get basal rates set and within about 3 months my insulin dose had fallen to 45u a day and my A1c was a 6.9. This was all without making changes to my eating or lifestyle. Best of all, I rarely had lows and my hypoglycemia unwareness reversed. I have not had a severe hypoglycemia in the 11 years since I've used a pump and my A1c has stayed between 6.5 - 6.9, except for when I was pregnant and got in extremely tight control and maintained a 5.1 with no lows below 60. None of this would have been possible without a pump. I was my same self. I had my same knowledge of carb counting and bolusing, but a pump provides accurate dosing and gave me a reason to test. I felt in control of my diabetes for the first time in my life. It does take work to use a pump. Once or twice a year I'll fast for 24 hours to check my basal rate. It does cost more than injecting. But I am complication-free and am able the be the wife, mom, and employee that I don't think I could have been without a pump. Frankly, I don't know if I would have still been alive on shots. For me the small cons are worth the huge benefits it brings. Most mornings my blood sugar is about 5 points within what it was when I went to sleep the night before. It feels like a miracle. I attend church with woman who has used a pump for about 6 years of the 20 she has had type 2 diabetes. She has insulin resistance and uses a pump with a larger reservoir (300 units for 3 days). For those who use >2000u there are also pumps for U-500 insulin. Both you and your patient should read Pumping Insulin and contact the pump manufacturer for a demo. I'd probably start with Medtronic Minimed since they have good customer service and are well represented across the US. Other major companies are One Touch Ping, OmniPod (you can get a free sample off their website), and the t:Slim from Tandem (looks like a smartphone but this company is newer, since you are new to this I'd start with someone more established). Please contact me if you have any questions.

What you observed wiley is a common occurence that threatens the health of many diabetics and even kills some while they are in the hospital. The lack of knowledge many healthcare workers have about diabetes is shockingly inadequate, outdated, and often completely wrong. Diabetes is different than most diseases because patients dose their own medication and also learn how their blood sugar is affected by different variables, so the patients quickly becomes an expert in their own disease. Some physicians and nurses are threatened by that. In my own experience, when I was in the hospital a few years ago to give birth (after having a healthy pregnancy and a 5.1 A1c with no lows), my OBGYN promised he would put in my chart that I could test using my own meter and administer my own insulin, but failed to do so. The nurses had orders to give insulin as prescribed. There were times when I had to refuse because I knew it would cause a severe low and instead of just calling the doctor and charting it, on 2 occasions the nurses told me I was a terrible mother and non-compiant diabetic! I was not non-compliant, I just was not willing to put myself into hypoglycemia in order to to do what someone had charted. And I was right each time. Just as I should have been. After all, I've had type 1 diabetes for 36 years, which in effect means I have 314,496 "clinical hours" managing it. I have been blessed to have expert doctors (Donnel Etzweiler from Park Nicolett and later Peter Chase from the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes) and am a reasonably intelligent person. But I have repeatedly been treated like I am either uneducated or non-compliant anytime I have questioned the advice of a medical professional, whether in the hospital or anywhere else. My experience is not unique. Now I know there are non-compliant patients or those who are working off bad information (the other day my dad-in-law who has type 2 told me his endo told him to eat bananas, but I said he should double check because they're so carb heavy). But the truth is if you take a minute to hear what the patient is saying, you can usually weed out those who are concerned for their health and are trying to share valuable information they know about their disease and those who just don't want to take a shot.

You might be a better applicant than you think, at least GPA wise. I am a little concerned that you seem to have a lot of excuses for why you can't meet the other requirements. That's great that you have a 4.0. How many credit hours are you taking? How many hours are you working? Do you have family and other life responsibilities? You may be underestimating what you are capable of. I'm guessing you probably have 4 hours a week of time you spend online, watching tv, or sleeping that you could instead spend getting hospital hours. If you want to apply to the nursing program, then do what you have to do to make it happen. That might mean finding out what's on the entrance exam and studying or taking the exam multiple times if they'll let you. The truth is every nursing program is looking for applicants who want to be there and who are willing to work hard. That often entails sacrifice. Most things worth having require sacrifice. Don't sell yourself short, you can do it and will be glad you did rather than taking the easy way out.

AP Biology and AP Statistics may help you test out of college classes or will at least help you be more familiar with these classes when you have to take them as prequisites for nursing school. Physics isn't required for most programs. Does your high school let you take classes at a local college or community college while you're still in high school, to get advanced credit? If so, consider doing this. Most programs pay your tuition and you have to pay for books. If that's the case, you can often rent your books from chegg.com or other similar sites so it's not so expensive. Starting college with a headstart is a big advantage.

They wouldn't ask you for an interview if they didn't think you were a viable candidate. So don't worry about having a lower GPA or anything else that you see as a detriment, focus on the things about you that will make you successful in the program and that will make you an excellent nurse. Be honest and friendly and answer their questions to the best of your ability. Even if you don't feel confident, fake it. I'm sure you'll do a great job. Don't worry about the number of applicants. Just do your best and trust that if you are meant to be in the program it will work out.

Just start writing a draft and some ideas and examples will come to you. Then take the best ideas and write another draft. Ask a friend or someone at your school's writing center to edit it. Don't use fancy words or too many cliches. The essay is really your only opportunity to personally connect with the selection committee, so help them get to know who you are and stand out from the rest of the applicants with similar test scores. I'm sure you will do really well.