BrendanO MSN, RN

Search for Rush University GEM Cohort 21... that's us! Congrats on getting in!

Read the textbook now, so by the time you're taking the class again, you'll already have seen all of the material at least once.

You only need PPD and two titers? Yes, get them done at the same time! If they draw the tubes before they stick you for PPD, you are correct, they will have no effect on each other. You'll go back to get the PPD read before you even get the titer res...

Chemistry isn't a nursing pre-requisite? Why would you switch to the Education school for a child development degree and not finish your biochem program? You generally have to become an RN before you can be an NP, so it's not really "instead of". You...

The fastest and cheapest non-CCC option to become an RN is the Loyola ABSN program. It's 16 months (four semesters) and $52k. I think it would be very difficult to work while in it (it's 18 credit-hours per term).

No, many schools have non-degree certificate programs for practitioners who are already an APRN in one specialty but are looking to add/switch to another. The ones at my school are 8-12 months long. There are also joint programs that train for two sp...

Do you have evidence (not anecdotes) that RNs from two-year MSN programs have any more or less trouble finding a job than graduates of 15- or 18-month ABSN or two-year BSN programs? All three direct-entry MSN programs in Chicago say that they have 90...

Are you still looking to go to school in Chicago? There is no "best path", really. The programs you were considering back in April are all different in length, cost, and size. Personally, I picked Rush because it's a semester shorter than UIC, cheape...

JABSOM doesn't require a bachelors degree, just a minimum 90 credit-hours in specific areas.

Sorry to read about your unpleasant experience. In the ED you are often seeing patients and families on what is possibly the worst day of their lives. They are scared, confused, and in physical and emotional pain. It's a normal reaction for patients ...

If you're open to relocating, look into the Indian Health Service. There's also the Global Health Service Partnership (the medical branch of the Peace Corps). Or, after you have a few years full-time experience, structure your work in the US in such ...

So you already have a bachelor's degree with organic chem, biochem, statistics/calculus, physics, etc. coursework completed? Have you considered an MSN/RN program and then a DNP? Some DNP schools have didactic courses you can be doing online while yo...

These types of threads (and there are several on here) are fascinating, especially given the diversity of geography, experience, and credentials of the participants. Here's what I think I've learned from reading many of them: - scope of practice mat...

Sounds like you're in a relatively good place to take on more. While working full-time, I took Bio and Chem in the same semester, and then Microbio, A&P1, and Psych the next semester. I think I averaged 3 hours a day of studying (more on weekends...

Which is an illegal policy and should be politely challenged, when possible. Although in a right-to-work state, that's not going to matter much, they'll just find another reason to fire you if you stir the pot too much. Seems to me that the stronges...

As far as I'm aware, Pell (it's not an acronym, it's a dead Senator's name) grants are only given to US citizens or resident aliens attending college in the US, so I don't think you'd qualify for that. According to Columbia's website, your Admission ...

If the prof is a stat-head (and you understand stats well), read up on manipulation of p-values. Lots of studies are easy to pick apart if the strength of their conclusions is based mainly on the p-values of their data distribution. Similarly for any...

What's your starting point? Graduation from high school?

There's a video that I found helpful for avoiding valves. Nothing sucks more than finding a good vein, getting a good flash, and ending up with a catheter tip stuck in a flap of tunica intima. There's also a book I found pretty helpful, called The ...

What? iStat cartridges work with venous or arterial blood for electrolytes, glucose, and BGs.

My program (a direct-entry MSN in Chicago) only has an time limit on A&P (five years).

That's not true. We trade labor for wages. That is completely different than "profit", which is surplus value extracted from labor. Corporate profit is, in fact, a dollar-for-dollar competitor with labor, future R&D, and production costs on a com...

Sounds to me like you should look into health education or community health programs.

Why is nursing not for you? The poop? The work hours? The hard hospital floors? Touching strangers' bodies? Knowing your reasoning might help people make better suggestions for you. Fields/majors/degrees that could use the science classes: PT, RT, PA...

Regarding textbook vs. ppt content, that's likely going to vary from one professor/class to another, and will be reflected in what you are tested on. My Microbio teacher expected us to know all the content in the textbook, whether he covered it in cl...