SPC Nursing Fall 2018

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Hey Everyone!

Thought I would be the first person to start a SPC Nursing Fall 2018 thread. Even though we still have one semester left before applying, I thought I would start a thread to get the ball rolling and to see where everyone stands. If are applying for the program in Fall of 2018, please let us know the amount of credits you will have at the time of applying and what your cumulative and program GPA's are. As for me, I will have 30 of 30 credits completed and a cumulative GPA of 3.9, with a program GPA of 4.0.

It sounds like you have a really good plan for yourself. I know it totally sucks that you did not get in this semester, but you will be on top of your game for spring. If I did not get in this semester, my fall back plan was to continue taking classes towards the AA because it's going to be hard to do it after nursing school is completed. I wish you the best of luck!

I won't be starting until January, but I did have a recent advising session with Tammy Cappleman and she told me clinicals usually start the third week. Since my alternate number is so high (#51-and she told me the numbers are absolutely a ranking, contrary to what somebody else on here posted a couple weeks ago), IF I did magically get called to accept a seat as an alternate it would likely be at the very last minute. I asked her honestly what it's like to get all the stuff done when you're notified so close to the start date and she said it gets super stressful and requires jumping through a whole lot of hoops while simultaneously trying to start a totally new kind of schooling. She also pointed out that I would have the absolute last pick of clinical choices and if I wait til January, I'll have preference. So IF I get called, I'm going to decline and take these five months to finish up my AA classes and get comfortable with my first ever healthcare job (as a CNA), which I started two days ago. Good luck to everybody here that's starting in August-see you guys in January!
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Specializes in NICU RN.

Feel free to ask questions anytime (even after the semester started). Nursing school is hard - but if we all stick together we'll make it through. I'll share tips and tricks as I remember them or as people ask. I may even repeat myself a few times - nursing brain after all. The couple that I remembered today are:

- learn how to use the search feature in my courses. It will save you time and frustration when your trying to look for things in the course or commons.

- decide early how much you like to do laundry. You have to wear that uniform every day that your at campus/clinical. I started with two - then quickly moved to 4 as I didn't like doing laundry while I had school requirements due. I also purchased long sleeve tees and the lab jacket (as i get cold). Shoes have to be all white, or all black or all blue. Minimal to no logos. Don't wreck your feet - you're gonna need them for a long long while. You don't have to get super expensive ones as long as their comfy and your feet don't completely fall off at the end of a clinical day. Uniforms and shoes can be purchased at scrubs and stuff (st pete and clearwater). They are a specific kind, color and have the logo on it. Other scrubs will come once you graduate and get into your new career. For now we all wear navy blue :)

- when doing your ATI (what works for me) - is physically write out the questions you got wrong into statements. (example: Vancomycin infused too quickly will cause red man syndrome. OR Potter syndrome is the absence of fluid pockets in the uterus. I have a little spiral 5x7 book I use for my ATI questions. I take that with me for an extra study resource as it fits nicely into my purse/backpack.

In addition to the "required" books on the book list, is there any "recommended" books that you feel would be helpful to have? They seem to have the books divided up by "required" and "recommended."

You will need a pen light, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. You don't have to get fancy expensive ones but you do want to be sure you can hear through the steth. I personally have a litmann cardiology III that i ordered from Medical Scrubs, Nursing Uniforms, Shoes & More from allheart. KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS - some of these items are tax deductible (uniforms, steth, some books, etc). If you don't already have headphones get a set of those too (or the little jack that goes from the iPhone to the computer)

For books - The success series is AMAZING to get practice questions. I purchased them all for each class. While the pharm one was not super helpful it was still used. Elvisier and ATI are helpful as well.(You'll get access to those the first week with your codes). The two Davis guides are worth getting. I used both of mine quite a bit. The "Prentice Hall Bundle" is handy too. Again an extra reasource for studying. Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care - was super helpful for care plans both semesters.

When do we usually start going to the clinical sites on Tuesdays and Wednesdays? I had heard that we are not even there until like the 7th or 8th week of class. Are we at HEC from 1-11pm or 6-3pm those days? How does it work?

You will start going to your site later in the semester. You have many checkoffs to compelte before going. I think we ended up going around the end of September or early October. Before that date you'll be at the HEC. We were there from 7 to 3, if i remember correcttly. For our group there was some down time while waiting for checkoffs. Use this time wisely to catch up on the mountian of reading or care plan work or ATI or whatever else there is due. Belive me... there is ALWAYS work to be done in nursing school. Once you get to your sites your clinical instructor will tell you where you're to park, what will happen, who you're assigned to. The first semester you'll be helping to take care of the elderly, which is extreamly rewarding! You will also have some assignments based on your clinical experiences this way it's still learning.

So IF I get called, I'm going to decline and take these five months to finish up my AA classes and get comfortable with my first ever healthcare job (as a CNA), which I started two days ago.

Congrats on your new job. PM me and let me know where you are! You're going to learn SO MUCH at this job. It will be tricky when you get into classes though. What is done at work is not necessarily what the book tells us to do. Your key it to know the difference on tests. Tests want BOOK steps not what we do at work!

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Hey guys!

I would say its safe to jump on everything. The key is you don't want anything to expire while your in classes (in any of the semesters - even summer if your going through the summer session). It is a tremendous pain in the behind to renew your CPR as your trying to study for an ATI and two exams - ask me how I know :(

Immunization records may be held with the health department as well - at least the ones you had to get while you were in primary and secondary school.

On that physical/health history form that they gave us, it wanted the physician to sign off and give information about all the titers and such. I'm going to try to get down to the Health Department tomorrow to get all my titers done, and I got my Tdap booster today, but do you remember about how long it took to get the results for that if you did them? Is it something that needs to be sent out to a lab? My physical is scheduled for the 23rd of this month but I'm worried the titers and TB test (the blood test because I know for a fact I wont have time for the skin test haha) wont be done with documentation before my appointment. Should I reschedule it for a later date to make sure I have all of that first? I don't want to go twice haha. Thanks for the help!

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Not sure. I plan on doing mine at the same doctor. I think for the titers they just give you a shot and then you go back in 48 hours to get the results.

On that physical/health history form that they gave us, it wanted the physician to sign off and give information about all the titers and such. I'm going to try to get down to the Health Department tomorrow to get all my titers done, and I got my Tdap booster today, but do you remember about how long it took to get the results for that if you did them? Is it something that needs to be sent out to a lab? My physical is scheduled for the 23rd of this month but I'm worried the titers and TB test (the blood test because I know for a fact I wont have time for the skin test haha) wont be done with documentation before my appointment. Should I reschedule it for a later date to make sure I have all of that first? I don't want to go twice haha. Thanks for the help!
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Not sure. I plan on doing mine at the same doctor. I think for the titers they just give you a shot and then you go back in 48 hours to get the results.

I thought the titers might come back fairly quickly but wasn't sure about the TB test. I suppose I'll ask at the health department tomorrow and plan accordingly!

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Not sure. I plan on doing mine at the same doctor. I think for the titers they just give you a shot and then you go back in 48 hours to get the results.

I just went to my physical today. In order to check for titers my dr is sending me to get blood work done and he said he should have the results back within a week. TB takes the longest, which is why he said a week. So I'm heading to Quest Wednesday!

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I just went to my physical today. In order to check for titers my dr is sending me to get blood work done and he said he should have the results back within a week. TB takes the longest, which is why he said a week. So I'm heading to Quest Wednesday!

So are you just going to bring that form back to him when those results are available? Or is he keeping the form and then calling you back to get it when it's done? I'm pretty sure if I go next week and get the top half done I'd still have to make another appointment to get the bottom half done with the immunizations since I'm not going through my doctor for the titers as I have no idea if they're covered by my insurance and some places charge nearly $50 per titer whereas the health department charges $5. It's a $35 co-pay for me because my normal physician is booked out for months and I'm seeing an NP so I'd rather not pay that twice if I don't have to haha.

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Yes, let us know how it turns out!

I thought the titers might come back fairly quickly but wasn't sure about the TB test. I suppose I'll ask at the health department tomorrow and plan accordingly!
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So are you just going to bring that form back to him when those results are available? Or is he keeping the form and then calling you back to get it when it's done? I'm pretty sure if I go next week and get the top half done I'd still have to make another appointment to get the bottom half done with the immunizations since I'm not going through my doctor for the titers as I have no idea if they're covered by my insurance and some places charge nearly $50 per titer whereas the health department charges $5. It's a $35 co-pay for me because my normal physician is booked out for months and I'm seeing an NP so I'd rather not pay that twice if I don't have to

My primary kept my form and is just going to fill it out when he gets the results and call me. I want to say it's covered by my insurance bc it's just blood work. I haven't paid anything thus far. I will let you know when I call/go to quest.

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Specializes in NICU RN.

I think it took about 4 days to a week to get the titers back. I got the Quantiferon TB test done and that takes 7 days. I didn't have time to run back 3 days later for it to be checked for a reaction.

Your best bet is to call the health department. They know exactly what their processing times are and then you can decide if you need to push your appointment out or not.

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I think it took about 4 days to a week to get the titers back. I got the Quantiferon TB test done and that takes 7 days. I didn't have time to run back 3 days later for it to be checked for a reaction.

Your best bet is to call the health department. They know exactly what their processing times are and then you can decide if you need to push your appointment out or not.

Yup, I'll being going down there tomorrow and asking. I need to get the titers now because if I am negative I need to get the vaccines again and those have to be done 4 weeks apart and that's pushing it for our deadline of 8/13. I thought maybe they would push the vaccination deadline until we start clinicals but I'm sure the physical needs to be done before classes start and I would need all the immunizations to fully complete the physical. Boy do I have a lot of things to get done this week. :roflmao: can't wait for orientation though!!

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Hey if anyone is still following this thread who did not get in, I've started a thread for Spring 2019 applicants...

https://allnurses.com/general.../spc-spring-2019-a-1168709.html

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