space monster

They just had one for the med/surg units and there may be another in the spring. Keep checking their website -- they post it on their Job Finder as Clinical Nurse I - New Grad Training Program.

I'm so sorry you're going through this; sleep deprivation is just awful, and can cloud everything you do during the day. I think you need to make sleep training your top priority. It's no wonder you are falling asleep during the day if you are waking up 6 times/night! Sleep training can be brutal, but you can't function on the quantity and quality of sleep you're getting. I recommend Weissbluth's "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" book, which has good background info on sleep and outlines his method. It's not a pleasant method to implement, but consistency (and hopefully help and support from your partner or family/friends) can get you all sleeping through the night relatively quickly. Good luck to you and I hope you can get better sleep soon!

The new 12" MacBooks are out and they are great! I'd definitely choose it over the Air. Super light (2 lbs.) and thin, beautiful Retina display, available in 3 colors, and full-sized keyboard: Apple - MacBook - Tech Specs I have a 13" MacBook Pro and love it, but it's heavier than I'd like. I tried out the new 12" in the store and the screen doesn't seem small at all to me. The only thing I'd have to get used to is the keyboard, has a different feel from what they've offered in the past.

I hear you, Kym! Anyone else confused by the orientation email? It mentioned a "mandatory" orientation at SF State in July, but then said the SF State orientation is optional. Are there two, with one being mandatory and the other optional? Confused! Thanks for the info, Tara! I also noticed that you can go to the College of Extended Learning site (College of Extended Learning : San Francisco State University : Bay Area, California Continuing Education : Extension Classes + Certificates : SF State : SFSU) -- our program is run through the CEL -- and then click on "SF State Class Schedule" in the right-hand column. On the search page, select "CEL Academic Credit Session" under Session and "Nursing" under Subject. The results will show the current spring schedules for the Sequoia program which it least gives us a rough idea of start times. The best time for me to meet is in the afternoon on Sunday the 14, if that works for other folks. Should we meet in RWC? I can PM everyone who is interested, collect email addresses, and send out a group email so we can organize off-site.

The weekend of June 13/14 looks good for me, if that works for others. I should also have time closer to the start of classes. Anyone heard anything new? Very curious about our class schedule for fall, schedules for the program and hospital orientations, etc. I know the program administrators are probably busy getting through the end of the school year, but I hope we get some details soon! Hi Tara! I know you IRL and sent you a PM. Nice to see you on here!

I am in a similar situation as 3doodle with kids' events, work, and general life stuff right now. I also work as a CNA on Sat./Sun. every other weekend, but if you hit me on the right weekend, I'd love to meet up!

Glad you accepted! There is also a scholarship program for the Sequoia BSN, although I'm not totally sure how it works (maybe you need to be in your 2nd year to apply?). Here's a little info: https://www.sequoiahospitalfoundation.org/kennettscholarship

Hi 3doodle, just an FYI for when you accept: When I accepted my admission, it took me to a page with a confirmation message, but I didn't get an email or anything. I emailed the grad office to make sure all was ok with my acceptance and to see if there were any fees associated with accepting, and they said I was all set and there are no fees. Today I also got an email with info about my SFSU email address/account. I would think you can go ahead and accept! Also the grad office was quick to get back to me via email (and they were super nice!), so if you can't get hold of them by phone you could try that. Don't worry about being the annoying one -- I'm sure they are getting lots of questions right now. :)

I finally got my email today notifying me of acceptance to SFSU through the grad school (2nd bac degree student here). It's nice to know I'm fully "in" as I was having paranoid thoughts about having forgotten something crucial with my school application! Congrats to all of you, and I look forward to the FB book getting started and getting to know everyone!

Hey all! Saw you on the other thread but thought I'd post over here since this one is specifically for our program. I mailed my letter on Thursday so I'll wait until tomorrow to call them. Definitely want to make sure it doesn't get lost in the mail!

Congrats to you! I'm sending you a PM to exchange info.

Congrats! Sent you a PM.

Congrats! I sent you a PM with my email if you want to connect before classes start.

Right, not for the main campus program. For the SFSU/Sequoia BSN program (which takes place at Canada College but is identical to the main SFSU BSN), there were interviews in March. I got an acceptance email yesterday for the Sequoia program. Did anyone else hear back? Maybe the main campus applicants will hear soon!

Actually, we did have interviews in March for the Sequoia program. They said they were piloting it with our group, so maybe they will roll it out to all applicants next year. It was nice to know I'd gotten a little further along in the process, but still very nerve-wracking!

They did specifically mention points at the info session I attended, but that was for the Sequoia program (and it was also for applicants to the cohort that started this past fall). Like you, I think they are looking for well-rounded applicants, but it may be that a point system helps them narrow down the huge pool. We were told at this year's info session that they were introducing the interviews because they had admitted people in the past who looked very good on paper but didn't have great interpersonal skills. Not too much longer until the end of the month... good luck everyone!

The way I understand from the info session I attended it is that you will get points toward your application for having volunteer service/paid healthcare experience, but if you are strong in the other areas such as TEAS, GPA, etc. (and get a high number of points for those), getting 0 points for volunteering might not matter. Similarly, for the SFSU Sequoia program, you can get points for living in the Sequoia Health District, but it's not required that you do so. You want to get as many points as you can, but you can make up for a lack of points in one area with higher points in others.

I wouldn't worry too much yet! The SFSU/Sequoia applicants were told we'd be notified at the end of April. Good luck!

I'd be interested in hearing about the same. I know they changed their curriculum so that patho and pharm are integrated into the different subject areas instead of being taught as single subjects. In theory this sounds like a good idea, but I wonder how it's been working out. They also did away with the traditional preceptorship; I believe you still spend focused time on a single unit of interest at the end of the program, but instead of having one preceptor you might have several nurses that you work with. Did anyone else apply for the SFSU/Sequoia program and get an interview? I'm trying to prep for mine.

Also keep in mind that you can still put it on your resume as "Selected for Phi Theta Kappa" if you choose not to join. That's what I'm planning to do.

I got CNA training through Careway Health Institute in San Mateo over the summer, and there was a 16-year-old in my class. He had to call around a lot to find one that would take a younger student. I know that is probably pretty far for you, and clinicals were in Pacifica (although sometimes they do them in Atherton, apparently). It's also an intensive month-long program that probably wouldn't work during the school year. If you can't find anything closer, it might be something to consider for the summer.

I've also been out of college for a while (other than prereqs) and recently scored 90.7% on the TEAS V. My approach was to get the study bundle offered by ATI -- their study manual as well as the 2 online tests. I took one of the practice tests in the book first to gauge where I needed to focus my studying. I then used the ATI manual as well as online sources (e.g., Khan Academy) for things that weren't as clear in the book. After putting in some study time (primarily for math, much of which I had to relearn), I took the other practice test in the book to gauge my progress. Then I studied some more and took the two online tests. I think it is totally worth it to purchase the bundle so that you get the discount on these tests. This helps you simulate what taking the test will be like and will give you 2 more sets of questions to work with -- it really helps you see where you need to focus your time. I did think the actual test was a little easier than the online practice tests, which I did much worse on. I went in expecting to get a lower score and was surprised to score as well as I did. I was told younger students tend to score better on the TEAS because the material is more recently learned, but we older folks can score well, too! Best of luck to you!

I took anatomy and phys (both with labs) as separate classes simultaneously in one semester, and it worked out very well. However, my classes were with the same teacher (who was great), and although the classes weren't integrated (because some people in each class were not taking the other) he tried to teach us the anatomy for a system prior to covering the physiology. He wasn't always able to synch thing up, but he was at least aware of what we'd covered in anatomy when giving the related phys lecture. If you are taking these courses with different teachers, I think it would be more challenging -- it's definitely helpful to know the anatomy before learning the physiology, and you may not have that luxury if different teachers are teaching the material. If you can dedicate the time, I think it's definitely do-able. I loved being able to get it done in one semester, and like I said, my teacher was awesome. But keep in mind that the content might not synch up if you have different teachers, and that could make it more challenging than it would otherwise be.

The CC I attend also has cadavers, and it was wonderful to be able to learn Anatomy through them. Our lectures were held in the lab, so we had ready access to the cadavers and viscera during class. We were given some background info on each one, including age at time of death and cause of death. It was fascinating being able to see the effects of certain lifestyles (e.g., heavy drinkers) and environments (city living/smog) on the cadavers. At first it is difficult not to think about the actual person behind the cadaver, but eventually you start to get over thinking about the families they left behind and your own mortality -- it becomes clinical but in a respectful sort of way.

At my school they are separate classes, and ordinarily you are required to take Anatomy prior to Physiology. When I took them last semester they were offered concurrently because the instructor offered to teach them in an integrated fashion. I managed to pull As in both but it was a lot of work; that was a lot of material to cram into one semester, and both classes had labs. Anatomy was mostly memorization (a lot of it!), but phys required really digging in and understanding things on a more conceptual level. My teacher was great and that helped a lot.