Pavolga

Hi, Mickey_, A recent Curry BSN graduate here. The statement is one page long, single spaced. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!

I am a nursing student with 2 more semesters to go. Ever since I realized that I wanted to be a nurse, I knew I wanted to work in the emergency room. Several clinical rotations later, I am more convinced than ever that this is the best department for me. I know how difficult it is to get into ER for a new graduate, and am trying to do everything I can to increase my chances of landing a job there after I get licensed. Before starting school, I volunteered in a rural ER, and now I'm looking for a CNA/PCT position in any hospital ER in the Greater Boston area. But it's a slow going, and too often, the listings on the hospital and job websites are severely outdated. Or it takes forever for a resume to make its way to a hiring manager (or even to be reviewed by HR folks). I know the best way to get connected to a job is through someone within the department. So, if you work in ER which needs nursing assistants, would you please consider bringing my resume to your nursing manager? I'm BLS certified, already have one BS degree and will have a BSN in May 2015. I am willing to work per diem, part- or full-time. What is in it for you? I will be one of those PCTs you'd love working with. I'll bust my tail off because I truly enjoy what I do and love the ER environment. Please message me via PM with any information you may have. Thank you so much in advance!

Rachel, no problem! Really love this program: great professors, classmates, and clinical placements. One of the best decisions in my life. You will have an info session sometimes in November, I think. You'll have a chance to ask a bunch of questions, so don't worry if something is not clear yet. The only thing that I would suggest is to look around for a BLS certification class, and schedule yourself to take it right before the school starts. Also, make sure you have all your immunizations or at least the ones that come in a series (such as 3 for Hep B). Let me know if you have any other questions.

My two cents: when choosing your path, please consider not only the clinical schedules, but also the class schedules and the time demand that the BSN program places you under. I'm in an accelerated 16-month BSN program (for those with a previous non-nursing BS degree), and I can honestly say nobody in my cohort even considers working full-time during school.

Hi, guys! Congratulations on your acceptance into the incoming Curry ACCEL cohort! I am currently in that program at Curry (graduating in May 2015) and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Dear ER nurses, Would you please help me choose a topic for my research paper? I am a BSN student and very interested in working in ER; so, when we were given a choice of a couple of ways we can write a research paper this semester, I wanted to pick one that was involved with ER. This paper is intended as an "opportunity to learn more about the historical background of a specific treatment modality or health care practice of interest to the student." We're supposed to - Select a specific treatment modality or health care practice - Describe the current practice - Consider when the practice began and be sure that your search goes back to that date (or earlier to describe the practice prior to that modality) - Describe how the problem was solved previously and the evolution of the practice - Consider the costs and benefits of the previous practices as well as the current practice I am leaning towards treatment of chest pain/MI in ER, but I thought I'd ask here to see if you guys have any other suggestions for me. Obviously, I won't have as much experience and perspective as those who work in the ER trenches every day. Here are some of the sample topics the professor has given us, to give you an idea what she's looking for: Hemodialysis Patient controlled analgesia Advance directives Kidney (or other) transplants Laparoscopic surgery Extracorporeal lithotripsy Thanks in advance for you help!

You have approximately 5-6 online tests during the semester, and at the end of the semester you have to take a proctored comprehensive final. For the labs, you order required preparation materials, and then take and email pictures of your dissections. My kids were my OR techs for all of my lab dissections, and they loved it :)

I have taken both A&P sections (with labs) online at the Clovis Community College (http://www.clovis.edu). It's been a great experience, and 1/2 price of any MA-based community college (even though I registered as an out-of-state resident online).

Felicia, I'll send you a PM with the link.

Jialin, I've just sent you a private message with the link.

Hi, Jordan! I'm sending you a PM with a link to the group.

Hi, Amy! I'm sending you a PM with my information. Please add me as a friend, and I can then invite you into the group.

Here's a link to the map of the breakdown of the average rent per square foot in the Greater Boston area. Hope this helps. Boston neighborhood's average rents - Boston.com

Hi, Mike! I've just added you. Welcome!

Thanks for sharing, guys!

Everybody knows that networking and making connections while in school can be incredibly beneficial to one's future employment prospects. I would love to hear your success stories, tips, and advice on how to make meaningful professional connections in nursing. What worked for you? What do you wish you did differently? What are the unusual or creative ways you came up with to better network? Thanks!

Lauren, I've just added you as a friend on FB. Once you accept my request, I'll add you to the group.

Hi, Lauren! Would you like to PM me for the link to the group? I'll be happy to add you.

Hi, guys! There is a FB group now for the Curry ACCEL class of 2015 (Jan. 2014 start). Please let me know (either in this thread or via PM) if you'd like to be added to it.

rhkTAO, welcome! I'm sending you a PM regarding the facebook group.

Hi, sarah33! I'll be glad to start it. I need at least 1 more person to create a FB group, though. I'm writing you a PM to connect.

I don't know if this is helpful, but here's a little breakdown of cost for some of the accelerated BSN programs in the Boston area (the figures might not be exact, but they're pretty close): Curry ACCEL BSN (16 months): $43,000 MGH Institute of Health Professionals Accelerated BSN (14 months): $53,000 Regis Part-Time BS in Nursing for Non-Nurses with a Previous Bachelor’s Degree (3 years): $64,500 Simmons Accelerated BSN (18 months): $65,000 UMass Boston Accelerated BSN (15 months): $35,000 Edited to add: Like the next poster, I did not realize you were looking only at the traditional BSN programs. The info above, though, might give you an idea of how the costs of different schools stack against each other.

Thanks, stef77! I'll have to pick a weekend to travel to Weymouth to check them out.

Hi, guys - Welcome to the thread! So glad to see new "faces" of people we'll be spending the next 1.5 years with. For those not able to attend the May 23 Financial Aid workshop, here are some numbers: First Academic Year (Spring 2014 and Summer 2014) tuition: $23K Second Academic Year (Fall 2014 and Spring 2015) tuition: $20K We can take up to $12.5K in Stafford loans each academic year. So, the amount NOT covered for the whole program: $18K, and there is an option to pay the tuition monthly. There's more info on the info sheet I have received from the financial advisor, so please feel free to ask here or PM me if you have any questions.

Thanks for the further explanation, KelRN215! Whew, it seems that after that first semester of school, I would have to look at each facility individually to figure out which positions to apply for.