ccusherry

I am from the south central area of Pa, approx 1 hour south of Harrisburg. I am mostly interested in Drexel because the local hospital is one of their clinical sites but am applying to 4 schools. I am encouraged by your post because my stats are similiar to yours.

Snookie, Congratulations!!! Just curious, I see that you are from Pa. Are you attending a school in Pa? I am also from Pa and am going through the application process now.

As far as the GRE vs MAT, look at each schools requirements. Several schools in Pa like Drexel and Villanova accept either one. Good luck!

When I spoke with Lew, he said that I could apply in the late fall but would not be interviewed until I was halfway through my spring semester (my graduating semester). This was last year in spring of 2006 that he told me that information. Maybe Drexel has changed their policy. I tried to contact him a few weeks ago but my e mail was redirected to a different person.

When I was looking into applying to Drexel, Lew Bennet told me that I could apply but could not be interviewed until I was approx 6 weeks into my last semester of my BSN. If I would be offered a position in the class, it would be contingent on my graduating that semester. I met all of the other requirements including critical care experience. I just needed my BSN. I hope that helps!!

I work weekend option Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12 hour nights. I really like it because I have been going for my BSN and working weekends has really allowed me to have flexibility with my classes. Now that I have graduated this spring, I have thought about switching my schedule but I have really grown to like the money that I earn doing weekends. I don't have kids of my own but am helping my s/o raise his kids who are 16 and 12 who live with us and a 5 year old who lives with his mom. There are sacrifices whatever schedule that you choose, you have to decide what it most important for you and your family. Good luck!!

Not sure where you are located but Penn State has an on line program called "world campus". It can be accessed through their website psu.edu. I know that they have an organic chemistry class because I was thinking about taking it. I have taken several courses through the world campus and I really liked how everything was setup and organized. Good luck.

I am looking at my syllabus for my classes this semester and yes, they are that stringent. I do not think that the offical grade point policy for PSU is that stringent but the branch campus that I attend, that is the grade point system for the BSN classes. Brad, I do agree with you that earning a 92% average and receiving the same grade as a person who earned a 88% average is not fair.

I will be graduating from Penn State this spring and their grade point system is the same as the one that you have listed. In my experience, that is pretty much the standard anymore.

This is not quite a code but the patient came very close. A 40ish man came to our ER c/o not feeling right. He looked very pale so the intake nurse sent hom right through to the ER. I normally do not work there but was helping out as they were extremely busy. We got him connected to the monitor and the tracing looked bad, got an EKG which showed an inferior MI. To make a long story short, the ER doc was a very vain man, never a hair out of place, very arrogant and condescending to the patients. He had a thing for shoes, his were always polished and perfect. Well, the patient was deteriorating and the doc was examining him. The patient kept saying that he did not feel well and the doc kept saying you'll be ok. Well, next thing you knew, the patient said I don't feel well and the doc started to say "You'll be OK" when the patient turned his head toward the doc and started to vomit profusely. The look on the doc's face......I felt sorry for him. It had ran over the front of the doc's clothes and even into his shoes. YUCK!!!!!

By the Mason Dixon line in Pa/Md. I have been an RN for 10 years in critical care and work weekend nights. Base salary + WE night diff + WE incentive pay = ~40 to 42/hr depending on if charge of unit.

Thanks, I appreciate the info. I actually know 3 people from my unit who attended the program but they attended before Excela Health assumed the program. Unfortunately they have all taken positions out of the area and I have lost contact with them. I do remember that they said that the 1st semester is fairly easy, you only attend class 2 days a week and you do not go to the OR until the end. The 2nd semester is the exact opposite. Nathan told me that if you can make it through the 2nd semester that you have it made. Let me know what happens. I will sending out my applications this fall. Thanks again!!!!

I have a question for anyone who has or is attending the Excela Health Program in Latrobe, Pa. On the website for Excela Health and the website for the university supporting the program there is no mention of needing the GRE or the MAT. Does anyone know what their policy is? I am going to contact the program if no one knows but I wanted to ask here first and their opinions on the program please. Thanks in advance!!!!!

Just have to give my 2 cents!!! As a nurse who has been on days and nights... Yes, days can be more hectic but I feel that nights is also a good environment to learn in as well. On nights, you must use your critical thinking skills and contrary to popular belief, the pts where I work rarely sleep at night. In the ICU, our pts require care 24h/7 so days versus nights is more of a personal preference in my opinion. I prefer nights but some nurses I know cannot tolerate nights, they physically become ill.

Hi KermitRN, I live in Pa and have done a lot of research into the Pa schools since that is where I will be applying to this fall as well. Excela in Latrobe is a very good program from what I have been told. I personally know 4 people who have recently graduated from the program. The first semester is pretty light, your classes are on 2 days during the week and all of the people were able to work 1-2 days/week that semester. The 2nd semester is the exact opposite of the 1st. All 4 people said that if you make through the second semester, you can make it through the rest of the program. I hope this helps but if you have any specific questions, I can try and get them answered for you.