Dreamhawk

I have all the books on the list so far. Jrvca: are you late start hybrid?

I need to jump on that refresher course myself. Don't feel bad, it's been 5 years since anat/phys for me. I went and got a BA in history and circled back around to nursing! I'm way out of the loop.

I was accepted October 2014, and I applied September 2013 with an October time stamp. I got my second choice at MCC Southern and Dobson. The wait list must be shortening because it only took me a year to get in.

This is a great post and calmed my nerves a lot. I will try this approach from the get-go and hopefully it will work for me. I study just like this, about 2 hours a day and in advance. Thank you! I start Feb 2015 myself.

Rapunzel: if you are in the hybrid in Feb it looks like our schedule will be Mondays and Tuesdays 10-630 split between lab and class with an hour break in between. Finances are a big burden for me as well as I'm paying for all of this out of pocket. My vaccinations were way out of date and I just got done at the doctors office with them 637!!! And I still need step 2 of my TB test. Ouch. Glad I have credit cards. twash10, A few questions for you: What is block one like? Is it pretty intense or just a recap of CNA skills like basic disease information, bed making, vitals etc? How hard did you find it to be? Also, how much did the book box run you? I'm trying to get an exact number for my finances and I'm seeing older posts saying it costs anywhere from 6-900$. And another question, I see in our clinicals for block one there are no sites at hospitals, it's just senior living or disabled veteran homes. Do we get to do rotations in hospitals later in the program?? Best of luck to you, and may you find a job right after your RN cert!!

Awesome. : ] Are you nervous? I am!

Hey all, I just got accepted into MCC late-start Spring 2015 hybrid!!! WOOO!!! Who else if anyone is on this boat with me? Sign in here, let's get to know each other!

I am currently on the wait list for the RN program in Maricopa, but I'm still looking at a 1.5-2 year wait. Woud it be a bad idea to go ahead and apply for the fast-track LPN program at Gateway? I'd like to start making progress in this down time, and I certainly wouldn't mind covering the material in blocks 1 and 2 again if I had to, and maybe just maybe it would get me into block 3 quicker? Or would I have to start all over again on a different wait list for block 3 losing my spot on the current list? My time stamp is 10/11/13, so needless to say I have awhile before im pulled. Any advice is appreciated, if someone has a better grasp of how this would play out.

Thanks qaqueen, I feel so old sometimes. I think it's the barely out of my 20's jitters though. A few years back probably 8, I worked as a staffing coordinator for a small nursing home and saw many of the things I'm certain I'll be doing as a nurse and a CNA, so hopefully it won't be much different being on the care giving side. I feel a calling to make a difference, and I think this is my avenue for success. My CNA hours will be drastically reduced during nursing school, hopefully wherever I'm working is understanding!

I would agree with Tiffanies. I studied out of the HESI 2012 manual, and covered the vocabulary etensively as I was told by the nursing advisor hee in Arizona that it was the hardest part of the test. Even though I knew all of those vocab words backwards and forwards there were others on the test I hadn't seen in the HESI guide, quizlet did close that gap a bit though. My best advice is to know the study book, grind the practice on quizlet, and you should be able to obtain a passing score no problem. PJ - The math portion was weighted towads ratio problems HEAVILY. Most of what I saw was converting fractions to deimals and vice-versa, adding subtracting and multiplying fractions, very few word problems (which were quite easy), and percentile type algebra stuff like X is what percent of some number etc. I suck at Math BAD and I studied out of the HESI official book and passed with a 95% after studying lightly for two days maybe an hour each day. It's no problem, both of you can do this now go kill it!!

Well, just as an update: I jumped the last hurdle for the wait list today and got my HESI out of the way. I studied for about 2 hours last night and managed a 91.5% cumulative score, scoring nearly 100% in all English areas. 85% in math brought me down quite a bit, but I suck at math so that was to be expected. I also joined the CNA class at AMTI (formerly RSAA) for September 14th, and I'll be doing that concurrently with ASU this semester. Wish me luck! Things are rolling right along for now.

Wow, thanks for the info Malibu. I guess I'll be thinking about EVIT myself now! My CNA starts Sep 14th. Hopefully I can jump in the Aug. lpn program. Hope you enjoy the rest of your program. :)

Pre-nursing student here. I lift 5 days a week heavily for the last 5 years. I'm hoping my size might give me an added edge when applying for my CNA position this fall, and maybe in nursing as well being able to lift heavy patients and all.

AzIrish: That's definitely an idea. I plan to get my CNA this fall, and afterwards I will be taking anat 201/202 again since its been 4+years since I've had either. I will certainly try my best to raise those grades to an A in hopes that I might be competitive enough to get in at CAC. MacMaster: I don't have my BA yet, I'm close, but thinking of postponing it to save financial assitance for my BSN which is probably a better move. Thanks so much for expanding on the CNA/PCT thing for me, I might have wasted 1800 extra dollars on a pointless endeavor! Here's to hoping we both have a smooth transition into healthcare on both the CNA and RN side. Best of luck to you as well!

Thanks very much for your input! I am glad to see that my current educational background won't go to waste. I felt it might help at least somewhat given that it makes one appear diverse I guess. I am leaning towards postponing the bachelor of arts in favor of stacking cash working full time as a CNA, but if its possible becoming an LPN or PCT would be better. From what I understand PCT here in Az is one step above a CNA with more responsibilities and it's an add on type thing, Phoenix college offers it or hospitals train for free should I be lucky enough to get hired at one after CNA training this fall.

Aren't you afraid of the job outlook after LPN school? I'm kicking this around myself, and I'm looking for some kind of hope that there's a position for new grad LPNs in LTC at least, anywhere! What are your plans? Any insight is much appreciated!

Hello all! I've been habitually reading this site for the last month, and I've now decided to sign up and begin my story here on Allnurses, in hopes that one day I will be posting advice to prospective nurses. A little about me: I am a 30 year old guy from Phoenix, Arizona; still in college due to my lack of the ability to make up my mind what I want to do. In '07 I began my pre-reqs for nursing, which I finished, along with my co-reqs, before deciding to try elementary education. I received my associates degree in the arts along with an AGEC (General education curriculum) certificate about a year ago, and thought I was on the path to where I wanted to be, but there was always something missing. I found the missing link when bringing my fiance to the ER one night for stomach issues. I realized every time I step into a hospital, or doctors office I am immediately overcome with feelings of anxiety due to my choices of career, almost as if something was telling me I needed to pursue the medical field. My change of heart came when our RN was administering care to my fiance, and the way in which he consoled both of us, and carried out his duties with a sense of urgency, and empathy, regardless of what else may be going on in his busy day. The caring that man showed us brought a new paradigm with it, and completely changed my mind. THIS is what I was meant to do, to heal people both emotionally and physically. Since that time, I have gone full-steam ahead, finishing my chemistry credit this summer, and now preparing for the HESI. The only thing that stands in my way is that BRUTAL wait list, which I'd like to find things to do inbetween. My questions are more or less involving time management: 1. I am planning to continue pursuing my Bachelor of Arts for Fall 2013, and Spring 2014. During this fall, on top of having a full 12+ credit hour course load at ASU I plan to complete the CNA program at either EVIT or AMTI (Formerly RSAA). What is the career outlook like for someone in full time school trying to find a part time CNA gig fresh out of class?? 2. After this year, I would love to turn my attention fully towards nursing, and maybe enroll in the EVIT LPN program, or maybe gateway if there isn't a wait list. From what my nursing advisor tells me at Mesa Community College, LPN classes are practically worthless and a waste of money and time because "I'll never find a job as an LPN, the ones working are grandfathered in even in LTC." These are her words verbatim....How true is this? I would LOVE to continue to improve my nursing credentials while on the wait list and this is an attractive option, but why bother if there's no chance of using an LPN cert? Is this really how it is? Is it a waste of time? EVIT is 8k for LPN give or take, and that is a chunk of change for an undergrad with no career backing. 3. Another option would be PCT, which seems to be around 1800$ through Phoenix college. Is this a supposed dead end just like LPN is? What I would like to do is finish CNA, my last semester of ASU for arts, and then either pursue LPN or PCT. I do understand the job market, and I am willing to put myself out there, fully expect 100 resume denials, and am ready to keep trying. What I am looking for is maybe some success stories or a pat on the back saying it is possible for the motivated person. 4. After this Spring 2014, I will have an AA, and also a BA in history. Do potential employers value a diverse academic background? Will my two other degrees make me more desireable to a potential employer in the medical field??? 5. Final question, again I do apologize for the length of this post: I am nearing the end of my student aid funds, and I'm CERTAIN nursing is what I'm meant to do, so with this considered should I abandon history and save those funds for RN-BSN program? How difficult would it be for a new grad with CNA experience to find ANY RN position somewhere with an ADN and hopefully pay for the BSN program? My fears are that I will discontinue my educational background, obtain my RN with no aid left, and be jobless with no way to continue my education! So my plan boils down to this: 1. At least one more semester at ASU for Education/history, while doing a weekend CNA class. 2. Begin work as a CNA part time, and continue through spring 14 at ASU. 3. Apply to EVIT or Gateway LPN program, hopefully begin Fall 15. Or begin PCT training, which is my best bet? 4. Work as an LPN/PCT until around Fall 2016 when I should be pulled into RN school. 5. Finish ADN program, get RN job, begin working towards BSN. 6. Obtain BSN, work for at least two years, and begin towards MSN in hopes that my old brain can carry me over one last obstacle to become a nurse practitioner, although I'd be satisfied with myself for simply being a career RN. Any thoughts about my plans, suggestions, insight into the world of LPN or PCT and how to go about it are much welcome. Or, simply just say hello!