HIMtoRN2b

I realized after posting that I was mistaken and biochem from Straighterline is not currently accepted. A&P I and II with lab are, as are nutrition, psychology, sociology, pharmaco, and math and some general ed stuff. However, on the list of accepted biochem courses there are several that have no prereqs. I'll be taking it from Weber State, which is on the list, and there are no prereqs. Sorry about the confusion. For some reason I had put it in my notes that biochem from Straighterline was approved but it is not on the list of approved Straighterline courses my advisor sent me. Either it has changed recently or I was mistaken and it is probably the latter.

That is not completely accurate, although some schools likely do have those requirements for biochemistry. WGU can provide you with a list of approved biochemistry courses. None of them require previous chemistry. It is one course in chemistry and as far as chemistry goes it is one of the easier ones. WGU has a partnership with Straighterline and Straighterline does offer biochem with no prereqs. It is $99 a month to enroll in Straighterline and then a $40 fee for the biochem course and you need to buy a lab kit that is $98. Straighterline can be transferred to some schools, but that is a bit of a gamble. If a school works with ACE for credit evaluations, it may transfer. It will absolutely be accepted by WGU though. If you contact a WGU pre-licensure advisor they can provide you with a list of approved biochem class and many of them are online. I would recommend WGU, based on what I have seen so far, if you are extremely disciplined and can complete your work on your own at home. I have extensive previous online learning experience and can tell you that online learning is not as easy as it sounds. You have to be very very self-motivated. Yep, learned that the hard way! If you struggle to keep a schedule or manage time at home then WGU might not be for you. In my area the clinicals are scheduled for working adults except for the last part of the program that is clinical intensive. Your clinicals will mostly be evenings and weekends at first but towards the end you'll need to be a lot more flexible. This is what I have been advised by nursing admissions in my area, your mileage may vary. I have to work while going to school, but I'm already in an intense program and making that work. It just means 3 hours of sleep a night and very little family time. I am screwing around on the internet this morning because I am burned out. Very. Burned. Out.

I was reading that a big issue with it is the GPA and how WGU assigns a 3.0 GPA for passing thus it is impossible to have anything higher than a 3.0 from WGU. Now there is that line that always says "x.xx on a 4.0 scale" that might make a difference, I don't know. At the University where I did most of my undergraduate work I know they do take WGU graduates into the NP and MSN programs (or so I've heard) but their rule is that if you have less than a 3.5 you have to take the GRE. Yuck. I'd rather pluck my own eyeballs out with a spork than take the GRE. I suppose that is going to depend on how competitive the program you're wanting to get your MSN from is. Nurses that I work with advised against WGU if the end goal is to become an NNP (neonatal NP) but if if the goal is a MSN it should be fine. I have no idea what a firm answer is though. If I had other options I would go elsewhere just so there would be no question about it being accepted everywhere, but as a working mother with young kids and a disabled spouse WGU is the best choice for me even if it limits a few options down the road, and it is important to know I am not even certain those options will really be limited.

Yes, every job does have it's stresses. I work in data analysis in an NICU right now and that is a very stressful job at times. I also hate being at a desk. Physically it is easy but then at the same time being sedentary for 8-10 hours a day causes its own set of problems. I think for the original question the easiest is what you have a passion for. I'm in the nursing school application process right now but I worked as a clinician in sports medicine in my previous career (before kids) and in a level III NICU now in the health information management side of it. I know I have a passion for learning neuro trauma and all of the science that goes with it, especially neonatal neurotrauma. I could see myself in a NICU for sure but I could also see myself on the neuro unit or maybe L&D. What I cannot imagine is anything outside of a pediatric hospital but once I am doing clinicals I am certain those experiences will open my eyes to new interests. One area I know I could not work in is a burn unit and also psych. I wouldn't mind staying out of ID and wound care either, but burn units are a no-go and so is psych. I know I'll have to suck it up through school and deal with those things, but I could not do it on a long-term basis. The hardest for me would be a pediatric ER for the emotional side of it. I think you'll be amazed at what interests you once you're actually doing it. I have no doubt my own interests will change along the way. If you had told me a year ago that I'd be spending weekends absorbing every detail of hypoxic ischemic encephalopath and hypothermia therapy, I would have said you had a hypoxic event yourself.

Seven children and nursing school! Wow! You are amazing! Good for you! Seriously, that is fantastic. I know how much determination it takes and how much sacrifice from the whole family and that is wonderful that you're making it work. Have you now been accepted into the pre-licensure program? That is my other point of confusion. The website says once you are in the pre-licensure program you have 90 days to apply to the cohort. So what do you do during the pre-licensure if your pre-reqs are alread met? I don't understand what is going on during that 90 days or so. Is it like phases of acceptance and once you're accepted for the pre-licensure then you just need to apply for a cohort and you're not actually taking classes in between? Maybe I am in La-La Land that my gen ed will all transfer and I'd be doing that stuff during that time or maybe you can actually get in without every pre-req met. My advisor has told me you can but then their literature online and the brochure I was sent says everything must be met. My advisor said that it is very likely my science classes will be accepted because they evaluate if you're using that knowledge on a continuing basis. I am guessing that if you're working in a role that uses it, for example, they're likely to accept it. I have no idea how likely that is to be the case for me, but we will see. I have all of my general education done other than math and I am confident that will transfer based on other students experiences I've read. I didn't have to take an English 101 in college because of my ACT scores and only have a 200-level English class and 400-level technical writing class. For science I have nutrition done and A&P but I had a B in Anatomy and a C- in physiology (young and dumb!) so I know I'll need to phys again. I'm fine with just repeating those through Straighterline for As but was advised to just wait until they review my transcripts. I'm really hoping my nutrition is okay because that was such a boring class. If they accept nutrition and anatomy then all I really have to do is math, biochem and phys through Straighterline and hope to hell they accept me taking micro through Weber State. I have had pharmaco before and am in an advanced pharmaco right now, but that isn't a prereq for sciences anyway. For micro she told me to not take it until I apply for a review of the course and see if they will take it because a lot of students take it then find out it won't transfer. I am hoping Weber State's (the college I am already attending) micro will be accepted as I am already there and have financial aid and a scholarship anyway and they offer micro online with proctored tests locally. Fingers crossed. Straighterline only makes me nervous because it is basically putting all of my eggs in the WGU basket; however, like you, I don't think I can make a traditional program work at this phase in our lives. My youngest is only 6 and my oldest only 13. School with work and kids is very very hard as it is and a traditional program would make it impossible. Thanks for your reply! It is a pleasure to "talk" to another busy mama making it work!

The basic entrance test is only looking for your level of knowledge in the core areas of math and English. It is your run of the mill college placement test. If you're referring to the TEAS exam for the nursing program, you'll want to take that after you take math, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, etc unless you're a working RN doing the RN to BSN program and are already familiar with the material. If it is the TEAS exam, there are plenty of good study guides you can buy at places like B&N for about $15-$20. I downloaded one to my Nook Color for $10. If you read the literature they provide, it tells you what the topic is. It is right there on the website and in the candidate guide. Once you find that, it will be a tiny bit clearer. My personal opinion is that strong writing skills are a plus. The essay is your first change to tell the nursing admissions board who you are. I am not sure how it is weighted, but I view it as a pretty big deal.

Hello Everyone! A little bit of background before a few questions. I'm 35, married to a disabled vet and we have 4 kids. In the past 2 years I've had to become the breadwinner after being a SAHM. I did 5 years of college before the kids in a medical field and currently work in research and data in a neonatal intensive care unit. I started college at 17 and was in an intense sports medicine internship and let some of my grades get pretty low. I appreciate the WGU realizes that D in Greek Mythology when I was 17 does not mean I cannot be a nurse. I have a pretty cool job that allows me to spend some time on the unit (yes, I see the patients at the bedside so I am exposed to the "gore") but mostly data abstraction in my office. I am currently on full scholarship from my hospital to finish a degree in health information management (HIM) with a certificate in coding. I was selected out of 200 applicants for this so I am a serious student despite very demanding life circumstances. My main areas of interest in data collection are hypoxic events in the neonatal period and hypothermia therapy. I use anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology in my work every day. I also hold certificates in electronic health record management, redesign and workflow analysis. I have contacted WGU and either I am in a brain fog from lack of sleep or the entrance guidelines are not terribly clear. I have a fantastic advisor but it does seem that the entrance requirements are set in stone unless they decide they are not. I would like to retake physiology for a higher grade as I was 19 when I took it and didn't focus so I only had a C but it is not clear if this helps. I will need biochem and micro as well but was told that biochem is a prerequisite but I can apply without having taken it just yet but micro is a must. The printed literature does not reflect this. Straighterline was suggested to me for biochem and math but I am concerned about Straighterline's academics. Despite not yet meeting the criteria my advisor has told me to go ahead and apply to get my name on the radar of the admission board. I really do not want to waste the time of the people I will be asking for letters of recommendation or my own money on renewing my CPR certification if it is very premature to apply. I was planning to spend next school year (2012-2013) taking the remaining prereqs and then apply but my advisor is encouraging me to do it now. Of course the idea of starting sooner is pretty dang appealing too. I am in a very competitive program at the moment that I complete in August and have to be sensible about how I use my time so spending a day writting an admission essay is probably not wise unless this could actually happen sooner rather than later. When you applied, did you have everything in order prior to doing so or did you apply early as I have been advised to? How is your cohort scheduling going? Are you finding it terribly difficult to manage your school demands with work and family? I have selected WGU because of the fact the keep working adults' schedules in mind and I need that, although I am aware of the clinical requirements. Have any of you had any negative experiences with WGU nursing application process that might be helpful? Do you see any concerns with applying prior to having met the requirements? That really feels like a waste of time, but if the advisor is right and it would be helpful then I'll do it. I am just hestiant to start the application process when I am lacking several required classes. I'd like to just have faith in my advisor and do it, but my time is so very limited right now and I do not want to waste it (as I write a 5000 word post...lol). To sum that long-winded mess up, I'd really like to hear your thoughts on starting the application process prior to meeting the reqruiments. I was advised to go ahead and send in my essay, letters of recommendation, resume, and paper work to show work certificates, etc. Thanks a bunch for any advice you may have!

Math really depends on what level of nursing you want to attain. General rule of thumb is at least stats. If you need remedial math that will mean 4 math classes. If you want to go to graduate school you should consider taking college algebra instead of stats. Hardest class I have taken thus far is Economics 519, Economics of Health. Okay so that is not required for nursing school but it was a tough one. Anything business or law is a challenge for me. Physiology, chemistry and microbiology are all challenging but they are also fascinating classes. The most challenging part of getting in for me has been managing full-time work, family and school. If I can do it with all of that, anyone can. It requires a lot of determination and a willingness to put aside absolutely everything else in your life. Forget that party Friday night for the next few years. You have to put school before everything else, unless you have children and they always come first. Good pay is all relative. I would not be satisfied with LPN pay and I would not get out of bed for CNA pay. With a BSN in the state where I live I should start somewhere around $28 an hour. There are always ways to increase your pay in nursing with shift differentials, adding certifications to your resume, and so on. CNAs do the dirty work and that is just all there is to it. If you want to make $10 an hour changing adult diapers then go for CNA. In my state LPNs are only used in clinical work and LTCFs. I have no desire to do either. The plus side of LPN though is that there are many accredited LPN-RN bridge programs you can do online. LPN is a good foot in the door, so to speak. You have to know that every state seems to use CNA/LPN/RN/BSN differently. When I lived in MS there were loads of LPNs in the hospital setting. In my current area LPNs are not employed in the hospitals. I am not currently working as a nurse but I work in an NICU in an HIM capacity and I see what really challenges them as far as the hardest part of the day. Death is always hard, but the death of a newborn is especially emotional. Also dealing with parents can be a challenge. Dealing with anyone in a highly emotional state is a challenge. I joke that it isn't a day in the NICU until you've wanted to punch someone, and that is sadly the truth. The TEAS covers basic nursing information including math, the sciences, pharmcology, and English (there is that grammar issue again). There are many study guides online that you can purchase for pretty cheap. I have not taken it yet but have a study guide that I am reviewing. If you focus on school you can do it. Good luck!

*Reposted in the WGU board. Couldn't figure out how to delete!* Hello Everyone! A little bit of background before a few questions. I'm 35, married to a disabled vet and we have 4 kids. In the past 2 years I've had to become the breadwinner after being a SAHM. I did 5 years of college before the kids in a medical field and currently work in research and data in a neonatal intensive care unit. I have a pretty cool job that allows me to spend some time on the unit (yes, I see the patients at the bedside so I am exposed to the "gore") but mostly data abstraction in my office. I am currently on full scholarship from my hospital to finish a degree in health information management (HIM) with a certificate in coding. I was selected out of 200 applicants for this so I am a serious student despite very demanding life circumstances. My main areas of interest in data collection are hypoxic events in the neonatal period and hypothermia therapy. I use anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology in my work every day. I also hold certificates in electronic health record management, redesign and workflow analysis. The obvious question here is why nursing when I am established in an HIM career and the answer is pretty simply that I miss the clinical work I did before I had kids. Also, many research and data jobs do require an RN and I could advance in my current job field with a BSN. I'd also like to dive deeper into the science of medicine. I could, and have, spend hours reading about the body chemistry happening after birth asphyxia, just for example. I have contacted WGU and either I am in a brain fog from lack of sleep or the entrance guidelines are not terribly clear. I have a fantastic advisor but it does seem that the entrance requirements are set in stone unless they decide they are not. I would like to retake physiology for a higher grade as I was 19 when I took it and didn't focus so I only had a C. I will need biochem and micro as well. Despite not yet meeting the criteria my advisor has told me to go ahead and apply to get my name on the radar of the admission board. I really do not want to waste the time of the people I will be asking for letters of recommendation or my own money on renewing my CPR certification if it is very premature to apply. I was planning to spend next school year (2012-2013) taking the remaining prereqs and then apply but my advisor is encouraging me to do it now. Of course the idea of starting sooner is pretty dang appealing too. I am in a very competitive program at the moment and have to be sensible about how I use my time so spending a day writting an admission essay is probably not wise unless this could actually happen sooner rather than later. When you applied, did you have everything in order prior to doing so or did you apply early as I have been advised to? How is your cohort scheduling going? I have selected WGU because of the fact the keep working adults' schedules in mind and I need that. Have any of you had any negative experiences with WGU nursing application process that might be helpful? Do you see any concerns with applying prior to having met the requirements? That really feels like a waste of time, but if the advisor is right and it would be helpful then I'll do it. Thanks a bunch for any advice you may have!