rissykim

I applied for fall 2013 and am now starting my first week. I would say that smoup offers excellent tips, but would add that if you cannot make it to Baltimore, phone interviews are an option. That is what I did because I am from out of state. And yes, you still have to do a writing sample. All I remember from the interview is being so nervous that I honestly thought I had zero chance. Had a major freak-out. Lesson: trust yourself and don't panic, and you'll be fine. I think almost 100 people interviewed and they picked about 60.

While I completely agree that volunteering is not going to show you what nursing is really like, it is certainly good that you are at least getting a glimpse of that world. I think it also depends on what you are allowed to do and where you volunteer. I luckily volunteered in the PACU and because the nurses knew that I was planning on going to nursing school, they were extremely willing to teach me and involved me as much as possible. I learned how to read EKG strips, took out a catheter, transported patients, cleaned up a patient, emptied Foley catheter bags... While I never did anything crazy since I was just a volunteer, I was still excited to be shadowing the nurses and grateful that they took time to teach me. Being exposed to that environment helped me decide that yes, I was making the right decision. Of course it was not the single deciding factor for me, but it had a lot to do with it. I was so glad that I wasn't limited to just answering phones and stocking patient rooms. I learned so much about anticipating patient needs and how nurses react to different situations as well as the working dynamics within a team of nurses, the importance of acting quickly, and why nurses are nurses. But like others said, I think seeking a tech or CNA position would make sense as your next step.

Don't know where all of y'all are coming from, but I live in Georgia and flying up to and booking a hotel for orientation is not cheap! As I'm on a budget, I am thinking about only attending the June and August orientations, and just skipping the July one...even though it is "highly" recommended. Is this a terrible idea?? As an out-of-stater, I find the orientation dates to be inconvenient; would've preferred it to be 3 consecutive days in August when most of us will be in Baltimore...

So glad I found this thread! I was in the same boat as y'all...I was freaking out all day, thinking that they changed their mind or somebody made a mistake! So relieved that my status changed back to admit-institution. Nice to meet all of you!