Panasonic

Hello! Congratulations on your acceptance! I am an El Centro-North Lake grad May 2009. It is a tough program to get into and to stay in. I did get a job a month before graduation. I still work in the same place and love it. As for the program, I'm sure it has changed. I don't have info on costs, etc. But I will say that the first semester, like the ones after it, suck. I don't know many people, I know none, in fact, who enjoyed nursing school. My mantra during those two years was "just get through this." My clinical instructor was a complete but, and writing care plans is pretty stupid, in my opinion. Just keep working hard and eventually graduation will come. In my last semester, I did a preceptorship for clinical. Basically, I was hooked up with one nurse and worked her schedule twice a week. It was awesome because I only had to see my clinical instructor twice. I recommend doing that, if possible. The driving is going to be a drag for you but you are in and I promise it will fly by. My memory is foggy, thank God, but remember, you'll get out of the program what you put into it. Back then, there were a few instructors who I could count on to help me if asked. Get close to some of the other people in the class. Make a study group, if possible. These are the people who will get you through. You won't be the only one from FW, I imagine. We had a few from mid-cities. Good luck!

Frontier University? it's not cheap...but it might be an option. They also have an ADN-MSN-DNP for nurse practitioners that runs around 50K

Congratulations!! That is awesome :)

I know we are still hurting for nurses at the hospital where I work. We have residencies for critical care that last 18 weeks. 4.5 years ago, I was one of ten in the ER residency. Now, the residency has 40 new grads/new ER nurses! It's crazy to think about training all these new nurses. Good luck in your job search! You may need to be open to relocating, if possible.

I second melizerd's comments: totally normal. I've cried at work for the same reasons and a couple times for personal reasons. Excusing yourself and letting the feelings flow was a good thing to do. Cases that are difficult will continue to come your way; you will still feel for people and react emotionally, but it will get easier. Sure makes you appreciate what you have, right?

I take trileptal and love it. Only downside is I feel tired. I've got co workers who take lamictal and it works for them, too.

Yes, I'm proud of myself, my accomplishments, and my profession. Keep in mind there are bad apples in every bushel, and they like nothing more than to sour the rest. Keep your head up and give it your best! You'll be glad you did.

If you have a family, go for the job with benefits. If not, take the Level 1 job and get your own insurance.

I think online nursing programs are great for people who need the flexibility. You will still get the hands-on training and skills during clinical. Honestly, from what I remember during nursing school (ADN), it's totally doable in an online classroom. The only downside is you may be responsible for finding your own clinical sites. As far as your choice of school, I don't remember too many people caring about where I went. You pass NCLEX, get your license, that's it. If it is convenient for your life and you don't mind the extra costs, go for it!

What is ANCC?

I went to an NP a few years ago. Awesome experience. I felt she spent way more time with me than any regular "doctor"has before. In my opinion, go all the way. She had her own practice, for which I paid like $300 for one visit (worth it, to me), and did not have a nurse.

Hi. I wanted to lend some support. I, too, have Bipolar and am very open about about it. You are so right! All bipolar people are not the same! The stereotypical BP person wears blue eye shadow, talks a mile a minute and is basically out of control. Keep your head up; clearly, you are stable, being followed by a Dr., etc. My only advice would be to ask this nurse if your diagnosis is causing the distance you feel, and ask if she told other people at work. If she told others, that is hurtful, but you'll survive.

You may have to consider moving to where the jobs are available. Just like any field, not everyone can get their dream job the first time. I feel for you.

This old lady came in with her daughter once and when I asked what brought her to the ER, she said,"It all started in 1993 when I performed oral sex on this man...." I stopped typing, started smiling like an IDIOT and had to apologize. The lady was almost 70; it was a moment.

there are so many choices for you. my main comment that I hope you hear is go for your BSN now. I earned my ADN 4 years ago and am just now getting back to school to bridge. If you are in a situation that requires you graduate and make money fast, I understand as that was what I needed to do. But, if you can squeeze out a couple more years now and get the BSN, you will be thankful later. nursing school is not a fun time (most often) so the support from your friends and family will be essential. moving to a new place and starting nursing school may pose a challenge. if you feel you will thrive in a new environment and can afford to live modestly on your own, go for it and pick a place with great weather, great tourist sites! I live in Dallas and it's not that spectacular lol. maybe the northeast? big beautiful trees, mountains. idk.

Hi! Here is my advice, for what it's worth... I recently started searching for help on a graduate school letter of interest. Some of the helpful tips I found are: For starters, please do not state those ridiculous lines like "I've always wanted to help people" or "I've wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little girl" etc. -focus on the future, not the past. ("This program will prepare me to contribute to professional nursing and be a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of being an NP, CNM" whatever... -talk about your goals specifically and how you have shown you can overcome diversity... something like, "We had no car and I walked to school at 6:00am every day to meet my tutor..." nothing sappy and nothing terribly long. -Keep it Truthful!!! the stuff you write in this letter might be brought up if you have a face-to-face interview. you don't want to be scrambling in your mind "crap! what did I make up??" -keep it to the point. -don't get ridiculous on vocabulary. This is not the time to prove you know what "plethora" means or that people describe you as "gregarious." The people you are writing to want to know you can communicate effectively, not pompously. -don't use cliché's ("it's my calling" or "I just love people" or "nurses have the kindest hearts") -relate to the mission or vision of the program (you can usually find these statements on the school's website) -have someone proofread it. someone you trust, as this can be kind of embarrassing, and someone who writes as well as, or better, than you. don't have your neighbor proofread it when you've read some of her stuff and know it to be junior-high level. -they only know what you tell them, so don't add negatives. if you have some bumps on your transcripts and you feel the need to address them, do so briefly and focus on how you bounced back or are making up for it. if there is a legitimate reason for a bad semester, say so. "my mom had cancer" "I ended a 7 year relationship" etc. -keep it professional, avoid cute-ness but be polite. they want to read the letter and have a good idea that you will be a committed student, that you are serious about this, that you will probably not drop out, that you know how to organize ideas and communicate them effectively in written form, and that you are mature. -don't over analyze the letter, but remember it is about the only part of the application packet that you have control over. -last of all, KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid you can do this! Good Luck!!