Jasmic

@Guy: Yes, I made sure before leaving my interview and even after that the manager wanted both ACLS and the critical care course out of pocket before hiring, not paid or reimbursed by the hospital. As has been said, it's pretty common here in Cali for hospitals to require certifications or courses completed oftentimes in order to even become eligible for an interview. I ended up going with the blood bank job and convinced myself I've seen plenty of positions that work with RNs lacking acute care experience in the event that I'd like to pursue that kind of position in the future. I'm just curious at this point who else has gone this uncommon route and what their experience has been like.

Has anyone accepted a job as a new grad at a place that wasn't LTC or acute care? 2 months after receiving my license and 5 months after graduating with my BSN, I've accepted a job offer. I've only interviewed at a blood bank and for a step-down ICU position. Both interviews resulted in offers, but the hospital position would have required I spend a couple hundred dollars registering for a critical care course before I'd be considered officially hired. They also required I get my ACLS certification, which is also a pretty penny. After considering my financial situation and also comparing the training process for both, I decided to go with the blood bank. I come from a line of nurses, and let's just say my mother tried to drill it into me that I wouldn't be able to go anywhere else if I chose the blood bank as my first RN job. Whenever someone has asked me what my "dream unit" is, I respond by saying I'm open to options and only know where I don't want to go (ED or L&D). I did speak with a current RN at the place I'll be working, and she said RNs either move up to management for the company or try dialysis nursing. I also know another RN who worked there as a new grad and hopes to go into research with the CDC. Those testimonials are great, but I thought I'd return to the website that provided me some comfort back when I was waiting to get into nursing school. Is my mother right in thinking I've severely narrowed any doors that may have been open for me as an RN by not choosing the hospital position? For those who did not enter LTC or acute care as a new grad, what has your experience been like and what position are you striving to reach? Bonus points for any blood bank RNs with advice and/or job outlook

@GOODMED: How difficult the class is really depends on each individual. I've had classmates who were 4.0 students yet barely made C's; I've also had classmates that aced the class through an incredible amount of dedication, focus, and personal understanding. Honestly, if you're looking for something less difficult, I'd recommend RCC's A&P classes. This is not to say RCC's instructors are any less competent, but the lectures are much less in-depth and focus on main points rather than intricate details of each system and embryology. I agree with applying to as many programs as possible as well as a part-time job, but I also highly recommend applying to the COPE Health Solutions CCE program. I joined last summer while waiting to enter the program and can vouch that it's a great way to gain hospital experience and better your patient interaction. I also didn't anticipate just how much it would help during my first quarter in nursing school as many of the tasks you perform as a CCV are things you learn in nursing fundamentals. It also helped clinical be a tad less intimidating since you'll already be familiar interacting with so many different types of patients. The letter of recommendation upon hours completion isn't bad either if you still need one. I hope that information helps. Good luck to you and your daughter.

Has anyone considered or been through the Platt College CNA Program (click here for website)? I was rejected from the ADN and BSN schools I had applied to for this fall, and I thought getting my CNA would not be a bad idea at this point. Out of all the schools I've researched so far, Platt seems like the best, but it almost seems to good to be true. Tuition is advertised as $995 (the lowest I've seen so far). Duration is offered as weekend classes completed in "as little as 7 weeks." The site says after graduation, students are eligible to take the State Certification exam. Site emphasizes that the program, due to its short length, is not accredited by ACCSC. If anyone has any experience with Platt College, I would very much appreciate your review. I called their office, but was told someone else would have to call me back to answer my questions (e.g. is this offered at all campuses, are there any other costs involved, etc).

Congrats, Hopeful4it! I went over the points with the nursing office a few hours ago. I miscalculated my GPA entirely; I hadn't understood how the hierarchy of classes. I had all A's except for B's in 220, 223, and 224, which are the three classes that count the most. So my GPA went 3 points down and brought me to 40. At the time I called, ---------------- told me there were still 12 ahead of me because they had 40 points as well but their GPAs were higher. What was depressing was that even one letter of rec would have got me in. Lesson learned, and I will definitely be applying to Winter. In the meantime, I'm going to continue with COPE and see if I can get my LVN or maybe even just my CNA cert to work while I wait. Good luck to anyone still waiting for a call!

Congratulations to all who were accepted! I was glad to spot a few familiar names from this thread :) As for myself, I think I just went through the five stages of grief in less than three minutes. I still might go to campus tomorrow to make sure there were no errors with point distribution (seems that happened this past winter) or to see if I can see where I stand as an alternate, if I even am one. Regardless, good luck to all who are still waiting for the final decisions to be made.

@Hopeful4it: I just tried to send you an email, but it immediately kicked back as an email that does not exist... Could there be a typo?

Ahh! I wish I had looked at this thread last night! I just asked my friends if anyone was on campus today so I'll be crossing my fingers, but if not, I'll definitely go first thing tomorrow morning.

Called in just a few minutes ago; they told me the list would be posted either at the end of this week or the beginning of the next. I'll call again Friday. Hope everyone's doing well! I've tried to keep busy with COPE, housecleaning, reading different nursing books from B&N and my mom's collection, reviewing old notes, job-searching, and Grey's Anatomy. Definitely can't wait for the fall quarter to begin, though...

Thank you, am90, for the orientation info! I hope we can all plan on meeting there after seeing the list in the coming weeks. I have my COPE interview tomorrow, and if they accept me, rotations begin August 1st. Hopefully that program is as flexible as I hear, though. @Hopeful4it: I hear you. I've already used too much in loans since I transferred to CSUSB. It almost seems unthinkable to me to attend anywhere else when I've invested so much time and money here. I thought there was private messaging on this site; I'm sorry you had to post your email publicly! I don't mind my secondary email being known, so anyone who would like the picture, please email [email protected].

I thought someone posted the list on the Winter 2013 thread as a link and there was no problem, but if anyone does want to give me their email addresses, I'll gladly email you. Starting July, I'll probably try to stop by campus once a week to see if it's been posted (not taking summer school). On a side note, does anyone know if nursing classes are offered during the summer? I tried to lay out a map of my graduation plan, but because I've finished everything except the actual nursing classes you can only take when in the program, I can't graduate until at least 3 full years after acceptance. All the while, I'd be stuck with 8-unit quarters because of each class's prerequisite requirements. @liuyingjun: Welcome! Unless people start receiving their acceptance letters in the next two weeks, I doubt we'll even get a glimpse into the rankings until the actual list is posted. Thankfully, though, this month has been flying by pretty quickly. Good luck to you!

Good luck to everyone studying for finals! Let's power through until the end ~ @Hopeful4it: Welcome! I plan on taking a picture of the list, don't worry. I know exactly how you feel about B's, but it's all we can do right now to hope for the best. I recommend retaking a class or two this summer or fall if things don't work out the way you plan. Did you apply anywhere else or just CSUSB? @am90: Thanks so much for the CPR info! Definitely cheaper than any other class I've found. I also went to a Red Cross volunteer orientation yesterday, so if COPE falls through, I still plan on getting involved.

@amr90: Thank you for your answer! I'm glad I didn't sign up for any CPR classes then -- you really saved me money there. As for COPE, I haven't received an interview or rejection yet. But their application period ends at the end of the month so hopefully I hear something; it sounds like a great hands-on experience. Plus I can't seem to find any other hospitals or convalescent homes that are accepting volunteers. By the way, I overheard some people in my bio lab talking about the nursing program and about how some applicants that had 4.0 GPAs were still rejected. Have you heard anything like that? It made me somewhat panicked, but I just hoped it was because they had an extremely low TEAS score or something and that the point system is still the top predictor of who will be accepted

Hi all! Hope everyone is doing well. Quick question for am90 -- do you recommend we do anything in particular over the summer? More specifically, is there anything we should review, summer classes we might want to take, or certifications to make sure are up to date (i.e. CPR)? I've applied to Riverside Community Hospital's COPE internship program and am currently looking into any convalescent homes or clinics where I can spend the summer as a volunteer, but nothing so far.

Hello, I am about to submit an application for COPE's CCE program at Riverside Community Hospital. Has anyone else been accepted or interviewed at this particular branch? I would like to be as prepared as possible; from previous posts of different branches, it seems like we must have a decent knowledge of some basic health-related practices. I am still completing pre-reqs and have never before volunteered at any kind of health facility. Is there anything I should be aware of and possibly research if accepted to the interview? Thank you in advance!