PDowling

Hey Brittani22 If you have taken all your prereqs you should have a good base knowledge. I studied the NLN review book for 2 weeks intensely and did very very well on the test. If I were you I'd take it and see how you do ... worst case scenario ... you don't get in and take it again for the next application period ( you can take it again after 6 months)

@smileanyway ..... YEY! Congrats to you!!!! I'm so happy for you. I know how badly you wanted it. ....and I also know how hard it is to wait ... and wait .... and wait. No more waiting for you...let the torture begin! (kidding). Congrats

@and1096 ... you are absolutely right there could be many people with the same score. @smileanyway ... Don't lose hope ... I was accepted within the last two weeks before class started. Wishing you all luck!

You will hear this many times in the program ... "Blessed are the flexible, for when they get bent out of shape they do not break." I know that the people you have been dealing with up to this point seem to care less whether you are "in" or "out" of the program.... but please believe me that that will all change once you are in class. The instructors are fabulous, caring, knowledgable women. They do not want to see ANYONE fail. So far, the ones that I have had, will bend over backwards to help you if you are working hard and ask for their guidance. Give it a chance to work. This new curriculum was not the random idea of someone in the IRSC nursing program. It is being used with great success nationwide from what I was told. IRSC was approached and asked to implement it. I would be a bit anxious myself ... but starting the program with such negativity will only work against you. Try to get back the excitement you had when you got your acceptance letter. Best of luck to all of you.

We didnt have a list of drugs to learn really. When doing our clinicals we would have to research and type up drugs info cards on all of the drugs that we would be giving to our assigned patient for the next day. Changed with every patient - usually between 6-15 medications was what my patients were on. The Davi'ss Drug Guide for Nurses 13th Edition (definately get it with the CD) is our medication bible! You get familiar that way. They stress learning the general classifications rather than the individual drugs (beta blockers, anticholinergics, analgesics, etc) and gaining general knowledge of side effects, what assessments are needed to administer, etc based on that. Its hard to say about what to read/do ahead ... I didnt do anything ahead of time. Just be prepared to hit the ground running. Also - Amazon has much better prices than the IRSC bookstore. Sign up for their Free (for students) Prime account and you will get free 2 day shipping - its worth it.

Regina ... you can have my Fundamentals success workbook if you want it. I might have done 2 chapters in it. Just let me know when you are at the school and I can try to get it to you.

Hi Allison1993 and Reg4fun.... The book list has drastically changed with the curriculum, I'm sorry to say. We used Math for Meds and Kozier and Erbs Fundamentals of Nursing as our required books. In my opinion, no matter how much it changes you will ALWAYS need The Nurses Pocket Guide. I'm sure you will still be doing nursing care plans ... that book is a savior for that. I would not spend the money on the Kozier workbooks since that is no longer the main book for the course. I bought the Kozier success book, but only because we used Kozier Fundamentals as our main text (and never had enough time to look at it). I never bought the Taber's med dictionary either ... I was waiting for the new edition ... then realized I never once wished that I had it. You guys are the pioneers for the new curriculum ... wish I could help more. Good Luck!

FYI ... Just a heads up on uniforms ... make sure you get tops with big pockets. You will need plenty of room to stuff your stethoscope, light, pens, note pad, gloves, scissors ... etc.

reg4fun ... do you need the Lilley Pharmacology book still? It was on our Fundamentls book list, not sure what they have you guys ordering for your first class. If you do ... dont buy it until you get ahold of me.

CONGRATS Allison1993 !!!

@dreamgirl823 .... FYI. There were a Total of 70 of us accepted into the program in the last class. LPN/medic's included. Congrats on your accomplishments so far!

@dreamgirl823 ... I found out 2 weeks before class started. They never would tell us how many alternates there were ... and I know 5 others in my class that were alternates ... but I dont talk to everyone so I'm not really sure how many got in. Wish I could be of more help. Keep hopeful! There will always be people who miss a mandatory meeting, fail a drug test, a background check, or just have changes in their personal or financial life that changes their mind after being accepted.

You are very welcome! Maybe one of you will pass it on to the next applying class of Spring 2014 ...

Allison ... They select from the alternate pool in order of score. I watched it happen one by one when I was an alternate. Dont loose hope... a lot of us got in that were on the list. Good luck!

@scott5989 They will give you the exact dates during the mandatory meeting that you need to have them done by. We had a choice of two or three days the week right after the meeting to get the fingerprinting done (right near the school), and I think they gave us till that Friday for the drug testing....they dont want anyone to be able to prepare for it I guess. You will have like a 10 day window for your physical - that should be about 4 weeks before your start date. They also have a specific date for your CPR so you are covered the whole 2 years you are in the program. I had 7 months left before mine expired and had to take it again anyway. They don't want to have to track who is due for renewal. @johnnyvirgo I am so darned happy to be done with Fundamentals that I dont mind passing on any info that might help. I hated all the unanswered questions. Yes, the Tote is absolutely positively necessary. We used those materials throughout fundamentals lab and still have some supplies to utilize in future labs. BTW, There is no stethescope in it.