BioChic

I took college algebra online last fall and got an A. I studied a fair amount, but I never would have gotten through without the Khan Academy YouTube channel! He has videos that break down pretty much every topic covered in College Algebra- SO helpful! Good luck!

I had e-mailed Michael Clark (the professor) to see about getting into his summer course. He said to check the roster May 31st, as students who don't make payment deadlines are automatically dropped. That said, I kept the app logged-in on my phone and checked regularly. I'd recommend doing that as well, so that, if possible, you don't get stuck waiting until June to have a certain plan. I just had my interview at CMH... I don't think it could possibly have gone better than it did, but I haven't heard anything yet. Scheduling a shadow for next week though. Have you heard anything?

For the frugal: our PathoPhys books can be purchased on Amazon for about $5-$10 each with free shipping.

Tlssag, I was struggling with the same decision! I asked a couple of the academic advisors for their recommendation when I went in for my "program plan" and they both felt strongly it's best to get into a summer class for PathoPhys if at all possible. So I enrolled as soon as some one dropped (they've been full for a while, but a spot opens up every other day or so). I know it will be intense (especially working full time), but I'd rather have my brain prepped with PathoPhys before our first semester kicks off.

I'm actually going for FT temp through August, then switching to PT. I'm really hoping to swing a 12 or two a week through school, but we will see!

Got an invitation for an in-person interview at CMH! Hopefully it will go far more smoothly than the video interview - I was painfully awkward in that!

I studied each system by constantly (at stop lights, in bed at night, and every moment in between) saying the name of the bone/organ/etc and touching the place on my body that it's located. I'd go through the skeletal system, starting with my skull, and touch each and every bone/fossa/etc. and name it... over and over. I did the same thing with every other system. Relating the systems with my own body helped *tremendously*! Best of luck!

I've heard the hiring process can take months at CMH, but I'm holding out hope! I have a lot of friends who are nurses there, and the praises they sing are endless.

I just had an interview with children's mercy and I'm waiting to hear back from St. Luke's as well. I figured I would at least *try* to work through school (you know, so that I can eat) :) I also am super undecided regarding nursing career paths! I'm interested in L&D, but also Memory care and several things in between, So who knows! I'm sure clinicals will help us decide.

I have some questions for you all: Are you working anywhere as a CNA (or other healthcare position) currently? Do you plan to work through the program?

Congrats, Tlssag! Has anyone gotten the drug testing yet? I'm trying to figure out if I just need to go leave a specimen, or if I need an appointment.

Congratulations, britwall94! [emoji4]

Congrats, Padams4! And yea, that email situation sounds weird... But at least it was good news! You can submit by hand if you want, but the packet includes a return envelope for your acceptance form. I mailed mine out today and paid my deposit online - easy peasy!

I got in! Woot! Thanks for all of your help, doggy mom!!!

GOT MY ACCEPTANCE LETTER TODAY!!! Woohooo!!!

I agree with Commuter as well. I spent 10 years after high school (which I left without graduating) bouncing around food & beverage jobs. I didn't think I was intelligent enough to pursue a career in anything else, but I was miserable. I had been through some abuse counseling in my younger years, but I was still a mess. So 2 years ago (at 27 years old) I started working with a counselor again. I got my GED, took my ACT, finished up my prerequisites, got my CNA, and applied to a highly competitive nursing program in my area. I made it through the first round of cuts and had an interview, but I'm waiting on my acceptance/rejection letter. I share all of ^that^ with you to make this point: I did ALL OF THAT in just over a year. I had been stalled out for a decade, but with the help of a counselor, I made huge strides. I never would have had the courage without my counselor's encouragement. She helped me plan and set goals, but she also helped me to see that it was ok to be anxious... it just wasn't ok to let that stop me from moving forward anyway. You can do this. Whether it's through professional counseling, or encouragement through AN, asking for help is always the first (and sometimes the hardest) step.

Please check your FB "other" box. :)

I've found that this is true for most (if not all) CC RN programs. I took all of my pre-reqs over the course of a couple semesters (this could take a while if your school requires BIO before A&P, then PhysII & Chemistry, and finally Micro, potentially followed by PathoPhys), before I was eligible to apply for the RN program. You can also get your CNA early and begin working in your field throughout the process. Upon completion of the RN program, you are eligible to take the NCLEX and, upon passing, you can begin working as an RN. You may then want to find a bridge program for your BSN, which your CC should have plenty of information on. If the person you spoke with before didn't have a clue about the nursing program schedule, you may need to contact some one within the nursing department. I had to do that at my CC as well. Best of luck to you!

Hi ladies! I had my interview on the 7th. I spent the entire week before my interview stressed (like... Losing my mind), but I managed to lock it all up and chill out the evening before. I actually felt really good about the interview, but who knows!? The lady who was supposed to interview before me didn't show up for her interview, so that narrows our competition a little! :) I hope we will all see our hard work pay off soon!

THIS is the part that has me very concerned. I doubt that my experience is rare. In my *brief* time in clinicals, I witnessed plenty of disregard by the CNAs. No gloves while giving a bath (which, thankfully, is a skill that I was able to practice multiple times - but I wore gloves!!!), no PPE whatsoever when caring for a patient in isolation (but plenty of contact with the patient), no hand washing following contact with isolated patient, and off to give another gloveless bath without washing hands! To be clear: I was furious after witnessing ^that^. And she was training me? I knew I was only a student using the facility for learning, but I was outraged by the particularly careless CNA described above. I did the only thing I could do- I reported those things to my instructor after the day was finished. She told me to keep my mouth shut, it wasn't my place. She made it clear that keeping my mouth shut was necessary if I wanted to finish the course and be eligible to register for the state examination. So I kept my mouth shut (until now) But man! That CNA was endangering patients! I kind of fell apart after clinicals that day, fearing that my skin just isn't thick enough for this career path. I'm still not sure that it is, but I'm banking on my ability to grow a thicker skin. I assume the CNA I reported to my instructor was a previous student of hers- that's the vibe I got. Either way, the whole experience has me concerned for the elderly who find themselves in those hands.

Thank you so much for your response. I will look into what I need to do to report that facility. I failed to include this in my post, but I did sit for the state exam and passed with 98/100. The information and protocol within the curriculum was mostly facts and concepts I already knew (except maybe the specific bath temperature). It's the hands-on experience that I was eager to attain. While I DO believe that I am most certainly qualified to be a CNA (and a darn good one), I cannot be confident that everyone who gets "passed" through a class at that school has gained the knowledge/skill set necessary to adequately prepare them for the job. It puts me at ease to know that I will receive some training/orientation for the job before being turned loose to sink or swim.

This is going to be lengthy, and I have no idea how far off-base I am with my perspectives here, but that is why I am posting. This past summer, I paid $800 for an accelerated, "6-week" CNA class, but I don't feel like I got my moneys worth, and I'm not really sure what to do (if anything) about it. The initial schedule I received for this course was as follows: M,T,W,R - 8:00am-3:00pm (for 4 weeks) - lecture/sim lab M, W - 7:00am-3:00pm (for 2 weeks) - clinicals The first two scheduled classroom days, my instructor (I'll call her Jane) was a no-show, no-call. Another instructor (I'll call him Jon) covered for her both days, but Jon wasn't informed of Jane's absence until over an hour past start time each day, and he lived an hour away. So our first two "lectures" were 10:30am-1:00pm with Jon basically explaining the role of a CNA on repeat (he didn't have a syllabus or curriculum material with him). On the third day, Jane showed up around 8:45am (did not call ahead to let us know she'd be late). Several people dropped the course that morning before she arrived, and fought the "non-refundable" policy to get their money back (I believe they were given partial reimbursements). When Jane did arrive, she spent three hours printing and handing out the wrong course material, retrieving these materials, and reprinting and handing out partial packets of information. At this point, we were instructed to change the "schedule" on our syllabus to the following: M,T,W: 8:00am-2:00pm (2 or 3 weeks, she wasn't sure) *Clinical schedule stayed the same* The class collectively addressed the issue of the new schedule, as Kansas requires 90 hours of training. Jane basically said, "Well, this is the schedule." The classroom schedule ended up being 3 weeks. Classroom days never lasted until 2:00pm. Many days we were let out at 11 or noon, because Jane had an emergency, or a sick kid, or whatever it happened to be that day. She also canceled 3 full days of class completely. Clinicals ended up being a mess as well. The first clinical day was 7:00am-1:00pm. The second clinical day was 7:00am-2:00pm. The third was only 7:00am-10:30am (Jane's kid was sick again). We (the students) couldn't find our instructor on the 4th and final clinical day. We eventually got ahold of her via text and were told that we would not be having a 4th clinical day due to "a family emergency." The hours alone ended up falling WAY short of legal requirements for CNA training. Add to that the fact that she sat in the lobby throughout our clinicals, she never observed or helped or taught (is this normal??), and I am left feeling like I got ripped off. Jane gave us each our checklists of skills, with her initials by each, before clinicals, without ever witnessing our skills. In summary, I have some questions. Is this common practice for CNA programs? Should this be reported? If so, to whom? I'm now looking to secure a job at a local hospital, but I'm very aware of each "skill" that I was never given an opportunity to practice (cleaning caths/colostomy bags, giving a shower, using a gate belt, etc. etc. etc.) Do I leave this information out of my resume? Do I inform my future employer (or supervisor, once hired) that I will still need some training? I know this was wordy, but I'm not sure a "nutshell" version would be sufficient. Any and all feedback/advice is welcome. Thank you!

Oh man, you are amaaaazing! It's crazy how relieved I am to hear that you're in there, you're doing it, you're surviving, and you have enough free time to fill me in! I was preparing myself for 7a-7p, m-f!!! I'm very much used to 12 hour days on my feet, so that should be fine. I think most of the fear comes from *not knowing* at all what to expect. I spent over a decade out of school before diving in with no direction. I spent at least 40 credit hours on classes that don't apply... Trying to find my way. Now that I've found my direction, I am definitely the energizer bunny chasing the light at the end of the tunnel! Proud of you for going after it and getting it done! Follow-up question: JoCo resident, Act composite 28, SCI 26, GPA 4.0, all prereqs complete, and one of my interviewers told me that I "ROCKED that interview!" (lol) Should I be worried about not getting in? I would just LOVE for some one with any inside knowledge to tell me that my odds are good!

I'm really hoping you've found scrubs that fit, since it's been three years since your original post. So now I'M asking... what have you found?!? I'm 5'2" 112, long legs and a petite frame, but my bust is largish for my build. I purchased XXS scrubs by Cherokee petites and ButterSoft standard from the Uniform Advantage website, and the cut is actually very flattering, but I was still SWIMMING in them (except the petites pants were more like capris). I have ruled out petite sizes on pants, but there has got to be a brand that makes flattering scrubs for miniature people! Any luck out there??

Congrats!!! I've re-read your couple of threads so many times in preparation, I feel a little obsessive. But would you be willing to answer some of my questions about the program? Like... How was 1st semester? What's the schedule like? How have the clinical experiences been? Are you finding time for work, or is school more than enough?