JMB0514

I know you're worried about falling out of "school mode", which I understand. I had a while between pre-reqs and nursing school. I'm a second career student too and I graduate soon. My best advice is to take this time to spend time with family and friends, relax, and have fun while you can. Once you're in nursing school it gets harder to do all those things. Trust me, there was no difference between students who were fresh out of pre-reqs/other degrees and those who had some time off. Take time to "recharge your battery" so you can give it your all when you start in January. You wont regret it! Congrats and good luck!! :)

That happened to me. My titer for Hep B was low but my doctor just ordered a booster. It happens :) Get the vaccines and follow standard precautions and you should be fine.

I had 2.8 undergrad GPA and I got into a good ABSN program. It wasn't easy and it took some time, but it is possible. 1. Look for programs that have a "holistic" application review process. This means they don't just look at your GPA. It's true that a lot of schools just look at GPAs. 2. Build that resume! Volunteer, get work experience, and gain skills (like CNA). You might also be able to retake classes at a community college if you took a pre-req class at a university and got a low grade. 3. The last thing I did, that I think really helped overcome my low GPA, was I received my master's in public health. I did really well in that program and I think it's showed the admissions committee that I could handle a strenuous program. 4. My motto is "it doesn't hurt to apply!" It might be time consuming but apply to as many schools that you can! What's the worst that can happen? Also consider applying to community colleges. It might not be ideal, but it could save you time in the long-run. Good luck!! :)

CDC - C. difficile information for clinicans - HAI Here is a link to page from the CDC. You might find the FAQ section helpful. One big thing to remember with C. diff is hand washing. The alcohol hand sanitizer is not enough.

Just survived my first week too! I was so nervous going into the week but it went much better than I expected. I really like my classmates and I got a great clinical instructor! My anxiety about nursing school has definitely gone way down. I know things will start to get tough, but it seems like we have a great group who wants to help each other. congrats to everyone else who just started! I hope everyone has a great semester!!

I just bought The North Face Recon backpack. It holds a lot but I don't know if it will hold all your books. I really like the bag. It's comfortable, water resistant, and has a lot of pockets of organization. I recommend it!

A few years ago I was in the same place as you. I was interested in nursing and had also thought about PA school. I graduated with BS in dietetics and my graduating gpa was about a 2.8. About a year after I graduated I applied to 2 accelerated programs and was rejected by one and waitlisted at the other (I didn’t make it off the waitlist that year). I started looking into associate degree programs in my area but at the time they were just as hard to get into. During this time I started take extra classes, retaking classes, volunteering my a** off at local hospitals and took a CNA course. One of my really good friends got into PA school and that’s when I started looking into PA programs (by the way, she had a low-ish gpa and spent several years working to make herself a strong applicant, but it paid off). I determined though that my GPA was too low and I didn’t have enough patient contact hours. Also during this time my then boyfriend now husband decided that he wanted to go back to school for nursing. His undergrad gpa was about a 3.5 so of course he got into a good accelerated BSN program on the first try. Since I wasn’t having any luck getting into a nursing program but wanted to continue my education, I was able to get into a master’s in public health program and completed my MPH while my husband completed his BSN. All of this took place over about a 5 year period. During this past winter while I was in the final semester of my MPH program, I decided to apply to an accelerated BSN program (at a big ten university) one last time. Well, I get in! Sorry for the long story but here is the point: Most people are going to tell you your GPA is going to hurt your chances of getting into a program…it does hurt your chances but it’s not impossible! Basically I am living proof that if you work your butt off you can overcome your low GPA. I took extra classes, retook classes at a community college, did a bunch of volunteering, and rocked my master’s degree. Another thing to look for in any program (PA or nursing) is a program that looks at everything about an applicant, not just their GPA. The program I got into looks at everything…a “holistic review” as they call it. The fact that you work as a CNA is great whether you are applying to PA school (because you have patient contact hours) or nursing. Looking into the future, job wise, I hear from my husband and other people in hospitals that most hospitals in our area prefer BSN nurses. He had no problem finding a job. My friend who went to PA school graduates next month and has many job opportunities. She has already had several interviews and doesn’t know which job she wants to take…too many choices! Bottom line, it’s not impossible. It takes commitment and time, but you can overcome your GPA. Don’t be frustrated if you don’t get in the first time and if it takes a while. It will all be worth it in the end. Also my motto has always been, “it doesn’t hurt to apply”. Apply to everything! It’s better to turn things down than to have no options. Good luck!!

yeah we should!

I received an e-mail today saying I got in!

oh wow! Fingers crossed that happens to me too. Thanks so much for the info!

I believe it's because the program is a year and a half now and they only do one class at a time. They didn't have a class start in fall 2013 either. Now their program starts every other fall. Were any of the other people on the wait-list contacted this week about their pre-req courses? They e-mailed me on Monday asking for info on a class that wasn't listed on their transfer equivalencies. They just needed a syllabus and a course description. I thought it was funny they didn't want that info before I was on the wait-list. Hopefully that's a good sign.

That is very weird! I would contact the school of nursing because it sounds like you were accepted not wait-listed. Fingers crossed that you did get in!!

Yes it was under the "application status" page. No I signed up for a guest account when I applied. I never received an e-mail from ITCS.

When I logged back on to Wolverine Access and click on decision, it says this: "Thank you for your application to the University of Michigan School of Nursing. After an individualized and comprehensive review of your application and all related materials, a decision has been made. We regret that we are not able to offer you a place in our upcoming class at this time. However, you have been placed on a waitlist. Should an opening become available, you will be notified immediately. If no openings are available and you are a freshman, you will hear from us by the end of June. If you are a sophomore transfer, you will hear from us by the beginning of May; otherwise, you will hear from us no later than the end of August."

Jane1117: I was able to get in. Did you go under "new & prospective student center"?