CaliRN

Hey Museic, Thanks for the info on clinical sites. Do you know where Grossmont students rotate to? Are any of these hospitals quaternary or tiertiery? Trauma Centers? I know Tri City is well known for wound care.

I'm planning to apply to following ADN programs: Grossmont, Palomar, SD City, Southwestern and Mira Costa. Can anyone tell me where any of these programs send their students for clinical rotations? Which hospitals in San Diego will we practice at?

Hi Nurses, I am a senior BSN student and just received my preceptorship placement for my final semester of nursing school. I will be at Children's Hospital Oakland in their Surgical Center, Walnut Creek California. Anyone out there have experience here? I have a lot of questions and can't find much information on line. 1) What surgeries/specialities are offered at Walnut Creek Campus? 2) Any advice for preceptorship? 3) Any advice for working with kiddos - preoperative? Thanks! Beth Anne

Hi Friends, My friend and I are 3rd year Nursing Students at Sonoma State University in California. It is very apparent we must learn Spanish to serve the community here in California. I have 3 years of Spanish classroom courses, but little conversational experience. I know I will pick it up if I can just live with it for a month and be forced to speak it. We are looking for a program next summer where we can be immersed in the Spanish language and volunteer at a medical clinic. Has anyone done this? Any suggestions? We found Floating Doctors online, but I would really like to hear from people who have done this. Any tips, suggestions? Beth

Runbabyrun you are an amazing resource, coach, peer, etc. thank you! Will check the links and get busy! I would really appreciate being able to message you personally with an additional questions since I am new to SSU. But my membership here doesn't allow me this option yet what is a focused assessment?

Summer before I begin Somoma State RN program, fall 2014. Any suggestions on how I can prepare? Brush up on medical terminology? Spanish? Any great podcasts out there that would help?

Wow, your posts are HUGE HELP with this crossroads decision. I wish I could talk to some bridge program students from COM to SSU- as that is super appealing to me. How many do they accept each year. I didn't realize it was mostly online. Wow. I took a course at COM, mandatory for applicants to nursing program, NA90 (I think). One lecture was set up with students from program that were graduating or graduates. They painted a pretty bleak picture of job opportunities at graduation. I think only about 20 were employed and they were finding it hard to get jobs. So I am concerned about not having job opportunities after all this work and feeling like SSU BSN might give me more choices. Yes I want to specialize in something- not sure what. Yes, pretty sure I want to go on and get my MSN, or possibly PA. But the cost is a big factor too, and proximity to family and support. Hard to believe that a BSN RN would be paid the same as a ADN RN, but if that's the truth maybe I should save my pennies and attend COM? I agree debt sucks and I want to try and fund my schooling with my savings, and of course not work, which will mean a lot of tuna sandwiches and rice and beans for dinner in the next two years. If my life were strictly for the work, the goal, I would choose SSU. But I am almost 50 and I have family and friends that are vital to my emotional well being. Love that both he cohorts are small and if I do attend SSU I sure hope I find good peeps in our band of 22. And I promise I will be offering up either spot that I do not take very soon. I want those on the wait lists to be as happy as I am for the opportunity. We have all worked very hard to get here. Thanks wishing&praying & meib92.

Fall 2014 RN Programs- Results are in and I am blessed. I was accepted in to my 2 top choices: College of Marin ADN program and Sonoma State's BSN. Now comes the moment of truth- I have to choose one and decline the other. Worked so hard to get here, that I gave myself until the end of May to choose. Of course I want to let the program I decline know ASAP in order to open up my spot for the next candidate wait listed. So, help me out friends. I have a history with COM, many classes taken there. I have no history with SSU. Which would you choose and why? I live in Novato with family in Marin, commute is about the same to each, but I don't know anyone in Sonoma. And of course there is the difference in degrees (hopefully translating into job opportunities) of BSN v ADN. Any advice would be most appreciated.

mswtruth- wooohoooo! So happy for you. Your commute is fabulous. Congrats.

What does it take to become a nurse midwife? Your NP? If so, where will you continue to study?

Thanks RunbabyRun. Not sure where I want to work yet. Probably private practice eventually, but maybe hospital. Labor and Delivery looks great now, but might feel different once I get there. That's actually a great topic for boards, what "work in healthcare do you love and why?" I don't know what the residency program is, but sure I will find out. Its going to be a long drive to clinicals from Novato, might be moving North.

Go Cats! Love Chico. Congrats on your acceptance. That is a great program. If something changes let us know.

Caligirl, my son is a freshman at Chico State. A good friend of mine who is now a Ped ICU nurse at UCSF went there too. And my brother got his masters as Chico and still lives there. Love that town and that school. Congrats to Meib92, caligirl7 and Tall4 for SSU RN Fall 2014 program. I will be there with you. We should have lunch together before school starts! I have a good friend who also got in as a transfer student. How bit will our cohort be? Where do we do clinicals. I didn't get to orientation and I have so many questions. Tall4 I am a bit terrified too, are we really stepping forward in to this? Also super excited. Caligirl I loved my hospice rotations for HHA. Petaluma hospice. Would love to hear more about your experience as a volunteer. I want to do that someday soon, time permitting. State exam for CNA tomorrow and then I am free for summer to start preparing. Anyone have any tips or plans for getting ready for Fall coursework....?

@mswtruth Pretty sure I will be at SSU. Trying to gather information now about the differences between programs, besides obvious BSN vs ADN. I know COM has a great new building and all the labs are new. Can anyone shine some light? And thanks to Runbabyrun for her comment! Would love to know more about COM and SSU RN programs. Where were your clinicals for each school? SSU has a mentorship program which looks great. How big are cohorts?

Hey Boleo, I was accepted at SSU for Fall 2014, transfer student with BA from SDSU about 25 years ago. I just finished CNA program at SRJC. Do you know anything about Skills Lab at SSU? Any information about the program? I haven't taken any classes there and I heard from SRJC that SSU students were using SRJC Skills Lab in Race Building. Hope the lab at SSU is nice and has great teaching tools for us.

Hey all, I was accepted at SSU two weeks ago in their transfer program for Bachelors Students, and looks like I will get in to COM as well. At COM I am 24 out of 143 in the lottery and they will announce winners soon after they receive all the TEAS results. QUESTION: Can anyone tell me about the Skills LAB facilities at SSU? I just finished CNA program at SRJC and they tell me that SSU students were using their Skills LAB in Race Building, which leads me to wonder what SSU facility is like. I know that COM has a brand new building for teaching skills and lectures, and SRJC Race Building is very nice, state of the art. Look forward to networking with you all here, and meeting students who may be in my cohort this fall. Happy to answer any questions that I can. I have taken courses at COM, SRJC, and Grossmont College in San Diego.

Hi Tall4, Im crossing my fingers for you. Hey Meib92, in at SRJC right now in CNA program, graduating May 15th! Also taking a class at COM. Im going to SSU orientation May 2nd. Will you be there?

Thanks Runbabyrun, will do! Still learning......

@meib92 & @caligirl7 & @Tall4 - Congrats on your acceptance / alternate (which sounds like you have a great shot) status! I just received my acceptance email last week for pre-licensure BSN program and I am here searching for info on SSU. I'm a transfer student with my bachelor's degree. So will we all be in the same cohort? If so, let's get in touch. One of my good friends from College of Marin also got in too! Im currently living in Novato, so considering a move closer to SSU, especially if most of our clinicals will be in Santa Rosa. So excited to learn all I can about the program. Let me know if we will be together. Good luck everyone!

@adamsli88- I ran a search from Sonoma State RN info and this thread came up. Your info on clinicals was helpful, even if it is a few years back. I just got accepted to the BSN transfer program at SSU for students who have their bachelors degrees. I will start fall 2014. I want to learn as much as I can. Any advice appreciated. Would love to know more about everything SSU.

Thanks DinaLin, Can you give me an idea of what you do first semester? And have they told you where your clinicals will be? Any highlights? Or things I should be prepared for? So excited to connect here with you and all.

Hi Dina! Meeeee. I will be seeing you at the July Orientation. I haven't been to the campus yet. I was a student at Grossmont College and Bay Area community colleges for past 3 years finishing pre-reqs. I hope to visit Miracosta soon. Let's stay in touch.

I applied to SRJC and COM as well for Fall 2014. Waiting to hear....nothing yet. I am attending both schools right now, and completing SRJC's CNA/HHA program. Its a good intro to basic skills of patient care. Good luck to all and I hope we all get accepted. Keep posting!

Hi Luckymomof5 and all Future Miracosta students. I was just accepted to Miracosta for Fall 2014. I applied to 7 RN Programs up and down the state of California and I am currently in class to get my CNA/HHA in Bay Area at Santa Rosa JC. Miracosta was the first one to accept me. I haven't stepped foot on the campus yet and I am dying to know more about their program. I spent a couple semesters at Grossmont College. Was planning to apply there, too, however they tell me they won't take my application without all three of my Hep B shots complete (I only have 2 done to date, 3rd will be done in July). I was bummed. I am impressed with Grossmont's facility, new classrooms, etc- so hoping Miracosta is just as good if not better. LOVE Miracosta's small class size and 100% pass rate on NCLEX last year. Anyone have any more information? Thanks! Heading back to So Cal....