SPC and HCC --Questions

[happymommyx4]

Hello Everyone,

I am what you would call a non-traditional student. I will be 33 this year. I have 4 young children and I am the proud wife of a soldier. Life can be hectic at times. My husband is often gone more than he is home, but I am use to it. I attended college in the mid 90s but did not graduate because we started our family and I kept saying "oh, I will finish later!" Later has now been 10 years.

We are currently stationed in Floria so I am looking at schools in the Tampa area. Galen is out of the question due to tuition, although the fast pace is extremely appealing. I would like to earn a 2-year RN degree and return for a BSN at a later time. I was 3 credit hours away from having a bachelors degree when I left school in 1998 (not a bright move, but you know what they say about hindsight).

The academics do not worry me, I did decently my first time through college and I am much more focused with better study skills now. I have completed anatomy, physiology, kenisiology, exercise physiology, and other similar courses in the past and performed well. HCC says that I am not required to take A&P again, SPC says I might or might not be. The math is the exception. I am sure the college will want me to just skip over to the elementary school for my first math course. This will slow me down of course depending on the program. College algebra is a prerequisite for most nursing programs and, quite honestly, I won't be supervised if I need remedial math.

Because I have 4 children that are all very young, I need to be able to do most, if not all, prerequisites online. HCC does not offer their lowest level of remedial math online. My youngest child does not start school until next year and I simply cannot afford childcare at the present time.

This brings me to SPC. I have read other students have nothing positive to say about SPC in other areas of this site. Perhaps some positive feedback?

Perhaps some of you that live in this area might suggest a program that I have missed? I am not interested in Everest, and Tampa U. is entirely too expensive as is Southern University. Right now, I see 2 realistic programs and that is HCC or SPC. Has anyone attended HCC? Have any of you also checked out both? Thoughts?

I have not ruled out the possibility of earning a LPN fisrt and then looking for a bridge program. If I remember correctly, ptech is extremely expensive for the online LPN program. I have a pell grant and would like for that to cover my tuition for the prerequisites.

I would also appreciate your input on repeating coures. THrough years of work experience I am very proficient in my knowledge of anatomy. Unfortunately, I was "young and dumb" and earned a "C" in both anatomy and physiology (taught separately at my university). The advisor at HCC said that I could not repeat the course even if I wanted to. SPC said that because it was completed outside of Florida I could repeat the course. I spoke to a 3rd advisor at the Ed. Center at MacDill and he said that the SPC advisor was wrong and I would not be able to re-take A&P. Thoughts on this? If I cannot take A&P again and earn an A I doubt that I will get into any RN program. Florida has some really wild rules for repeating courses! Back in Texas (our last duty station) you absoluty HAD to repeat the coures for nursing if they were taken more than 5 years prior to your application for admission. So, in Texas I would have had to take A&P again even if I had earned an A in it the first time.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to reply. I appreciate your help so much.

[Cyn2school]

Would you consider finishing your BA first then "dropping back" for an LVN? Do you know how much longer you will be in FL? With a BA. and LVN, you would be in a perfect position to teach CNA's( as a high school district ROP teacher or through the Red Cross) with hours compatible until all your kids are old enough to be in school all day. Down the road you could bridge into an RN.

[happymommyx4]

I think that I have decided to enroll in the HIM program at SPC. I am not at all pleased with the bizarre rules of the Florida colleges and universities. Fortunately, we only have to live here until the Army says it is time to move along. Of course, Florida is extremely generous in allowing us to be residents for the purpose of tuition.

Because I was so close to graduating with degrees in sports medicine and health administration, it will not take me very long at all to finish a degree in HIM. I have already had a lot of the courses. The degree can be completed online and at the completion I can sit for the RHIT exam. I am currently a Medical Transcriptionist which goes extremely well with Army life (very portable) and a busy mom, even though I cannot work with the kids up and around. I will go part time and also complete any prenursing courses that I need to. Two advisors have now told me that I cannot take A&P over again in Florida. I know this will keep me from being selected for any of the RN programs. Oh, to go back and take those classes more seriously! Other states do not have this rule. It is frustrating.

I also question my patience. I am a tough chic. My husband is gone a LOT and I have 4 children. I don't have people do things for me. I mow the yard with the baby in a pack on my back just as an example. I cannot stand whining and complaining because it is not somethng that I do. I have no patience whatsoever with the person who is in pain and refuses to do anything to help themselves, and I know from working in sports medicine that this applies to a LOT of patients. My attitude is "SUCK IT UP AND DRIVE ON!" Perhaps this would not be a good personality trait in a nurse. The overwhelming urge I have to smack people who complain, well I suppose I would be biting my tongue clean in half most days.

I hope that I am heading down the right path. I want to make a difference, ya kow? You guys, boy you make a difference in peoples lives! When I had my babies I always had complicated pregnancies and deliveries. It is the faces of the nurses who were there with me that I remember. Especially the ones who just knew I was scared even though I didn't say a word or complain, those ladies were just angels. I admired how they could go from one room where the mom was screaming at them and come into my room and be so calm.

I wish that life would post some blazing bright flares down the path that I should go down!