I am very excited to apply for TCC's Spring 2014 cohort! I have a 3.7 GPA and 90.5 HESI score, totaling 143.5 points. I also completed microbiology and humanities.
I feel good about my score, based on previous posters having 138 points and ultimately getting in. We have put down our $1k deposit on day care and have arranged our lives for a January start date.
Good luck to everyone, we have all worked very hard to get to this point!
Well I got my acceptance email!! I'm so excited. Since I started the program last spring I have my BSL and am going to be asking about re doing the background check and drug screen.
Im confused you said you started last spring? are you transferring back in?
Oops sorry for the confusion. Yes, I started the program last spring however I got a 74.58 in one of my courses which is failing. so I'm restarting/re entering this semester. I don't think I was quite prepared for how intense the program is last time but I am determined to make it thru this time!! (FYI-75 is passing and no they don't round AT ALL)
Hey everybody do not expect for the schedule to stay this way. You wont know until your first day of class what your schedule is. For Fundamentals (and later for Concepts) you will go to school two days a week. Lab once a week. Clinicals twice a week. Your first 8 weeks arent as intense as the last weeks of the semester.
That really depends on you to be honest. After the first 6 weeks most people have quit their jobs. I know a few that only have to work once or twice a month, and even that can get pretty crazy. If you handle pressure well and think you can do it- you can certainly try but dont be surprised if you have to give it up.
I think its hard to keep a job because the schedule can change at any moment and most jobs have a fixed schedule a week or two in advance. I had to call out of work SEVERAL times (I'm still mad haha) because of a last minute email saying that I had to be at school the next day, or for an extended day.
I just bought 3 sets of scrubs from "G willy's" on Mahan/ Tenn. st. prince inludes school logo.
Unisex elastic waist pant w/3pockets and Unisex shirts with pockets can be had for 45ish plus tax a set. you have to ask for it though. otherwise you will get the blanket rate of 50 or more a set. Looks like these except pants have a draw string too. I think it looks a little better.
Oh yea, that reminds me...you're only allowed to wear the thin cotton warm up jacket to clincials. You cannot wear the fleece one unless youre at school. I'm only saying this because they did not let us know and (of course) a lot of people bought the fleece over the thin cotton one and were angry to learn that it was no longer useful for them.
Things you need (that they generally dont tell you):
-Penlight. You can find this in Walmarts automotive department. Its around 3-7 dollars depending on which one you get.
-B/p cuff. This is good for your first few clinicals because a lot of the sites you go on are well...for the lack of a better word not that great. You dont want to be hunting down a dynamap. Once youre in the hospital though you wont need it.
-Black pens. You can only right on your careplans with pencil or black ink
-Fluid & Electrolytes Success book. Trust me on this.
-Clipboard for clincials. Make sure you get the ones that can open up and you can store paper inside
-Vicks vapor rub. Trust me the things you smell...
-Spray Lysol. You're going to be walking in rooms with MRSA, don't bring that home. Spray your shoes with this and take them off & leave them in a grocery bag at your front door.
-Once you get your badge, put a few dollars behind your ID card. Its great for vending machine snacks while you're at clinical
-NCLEX-RN book. Start reading this now, correlating with the chapters you are learning in class. Its a great study guide, a lot of questions on the tests in Fundamentals have been in the book I have.
Other Things to Know:
The only book I have found so far that you need up to date is the Taylors and the Brunners book. The rest you can get the earlier editions for.
Every once in a while (and right now in November actually) The Fresh Market has a BOGO sale on coffee by the lb. Buy like five lbs. If you dont like coffee, buy lots of the caffeinated item you love the most.
Get a tiny notebook that can fit in your pocket and write cheat sheets on them for clincials (normal lab ranges, etc).
Debind your books. Its easy to do yourself or you can go to Kinkos or Target Copy and have it done.
Also start studying from Day 1. You might think the material is easy and you understand it, but nursing tests are like nothing you have ever seen before. Get it done. If you get behind there is no way you can make it up.
so I'm restarting/re entering this semester. I don't think I was quite prepared for how intense the program is last time but I am determined to make it thru this time!! (FYI-75 is passing and no they don't round AT ALL)
From_nanny2nurse
33 Posts
Well I got my acceptance email!! I'm so excited. Since I started the program last spring I have my BSL and am going to be asking about re doing the background check and drug screen.