silphium

I wish I could just edit the other comment to add this, but I can't figure out how to do that... I spoke with an advisor at the community college who advised that retaking those classes would give me a better chance at acceptance. I kind of don't want to contact the other schools to ask them such a goofy question because I'm worried about looking like a giant pain in the butt before I've even applied (for one thing, each application will be accompanied by seven transcripts -- I did a lot of one-off classes at community college before transferring and completing my degree). I mean... doesn't it look like I'm padding my GPA? Because that's basically what I'm doing!

Thanks for your response! The community college ranks applicants based on a numerical score based on GPA, HESI, and prereq grades which are weighted more heavily toward your overall score. Unfortunately all my prereqs were taking in my first year of college when I was not a great student, and my grades are C, C, and B (in calculus, the only math class I took in college other than statistics). My GPA is lackluster (3.4 or 3.6) and isn't really budging since I already have a lot of college credits (180+). I'll be casting a wide net given my unimpressive GPA and nontraditional status, so I don't want to do something that will look bad on the other applications, but the community college is my most inexpensive option. Hope that makes sense. :)

I'm looking at starting prerequisites to eventually apply to a nursing program as a transfer student. My local community college bases admission on a strict points system. The higher you score on the required prerequisite classes, the better, and they do allow you to retake classes for a higher grade. I got a C in intro to psychology the first time around. The thing is... that was 1998. I've since earned my bachelor's in psychology. And the community college is not the only school I plan to apply to, and the other schools will of course be judging their applicants differently. How bad will it look if I have intro to psychology on my transcript 18 years after earning a B.S. in the subject with honors (so it would be very clear I am only taking this class for the grade)?

Fortunately I don't get meds confused in my head. (I'm familiar with common outpatient drugs, or at least their names and what they're used for, from having transcribed office notes.) Just concerned the wrong one will come out of my mouth -- So it sounds like I'll just have to figure out a way of double-checking and make it second nature. That sounds doable. It's reassuring to hear about the "systems" other people have developed. Thanks again!

queserasera, sounds like you've come up with quite a repertoire of coping skills! I love hearing about your experience -- very inspiring. I will check out the book you mentioned. Thanks! ShelbyaStar, that's fantastic. It's nice to think maybe I too could become extra aware of my memory shortcomings and turn them into a strength. LoveAura, that's so interesting about your mother-in-law. Mine was also a nurse for many years, and a lot of times I find her "real-life" judgment pretty questionable, but I have no doubts about her clinical judgment skills. (Another one of my worries -- making a stupid decision that hurts someone.) Hopefully training would iron out some of those gaps? I guess I won't know for sure until I take the plunge. I'm interested in psych nursing (says the gal with zero experience in any kind of nursing. Nurses, feel free to smile knowingly!). But I'd prefer to be competent in any situation I might come across.

Thank you for your quick reply, TheCommuter! I have worked as a medical transcriptionist, so I know that sometimes physicians will make dictation errors. (Or at least, I knew my docs and strongly suspected an error. Of course it's part of a transcriptionist's job to flag any inconsistencies.) However, I assume they dictate charts in their down time, and so they are not really "on" if that makes sense -- which is quite different from saying the wrong thing in an emergency situation, or to the patient. I have never had a fast-paced, high-anxiety job, and I don't know if the extra adrenaline would make my brain work better -- maybe the neuronal connections just get lazy when I'm communicating casually. (How's that for some pseudo-anatomical nonsense?!) I suppose if I went around calling all drugs by both their generic and brand names for verification, my coworkers might want to punch me!

Been lurking for a little bit and first off want to thank you all for the insight I've gained here. What a nice resource for newbies like me! I don't work currently and am thinking of applying to nursing school in a few years when my kids are older, but I am concerned that my absentmindedness might prevent me from being a good nurse. I often forget what I was going to say, or why I just walked into a certain room. I live by my to-do lists, and I always set a timer when cooking. My husband points out that as a nurse, there would be times when I would not be able to chart immediately. I'm very concerned that I might forget to chart or check something important! School does not worry me, except for the clinicals part. I love school and retain information well. Also, I will sometimes just say the wrong word, like "garage" instead of "driveway" or "towel" instead of "tile." Just like once every day or two, and usually I hear what I said and correct it, but sometimes I don't and have to figure it out by the other person's confused silence. I don't mix up numbers. My question is whether these issues can be overcome through tricks and training, or whether they may represent a significant barrier to a career in nursing. Please be brutally honest! It'll be a couple years before I'm ready to plunge into a nursing program, but I'd like to start working on prerequisites soon, and I don't want to waste time and money on something that I am not suited for. (Better to jump right into accounting classes or something, I guess. Yuck.) I know I am not a succinct writer. Many thanks for reading!