Just looking to connect with other moms in the same situation . . . . Anyone out there?
I'm almost finished with prereqs for my ADN, and applying for an RN program beginning in Fall 2011. If I don't get in this fall (unlikely I will, as I have yet to take Anatomy), I plan on completing the prereqs/gen ed requirements for my BSN and then attempting to start in a bachelor's program Fall 2012 or Spring 2012.
I'd love to hear from you ladies! Maybe we can even start a tribe . . . .
I was getting ready to start a similar thread for student nurse mamas, glad there are others out there looking for the same! :D
I'm in a BSN-RN program, 5th semester of a 6 semester program. While I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is still a hard long road ahead of me! Love every minute of this voluntary, self induced torture though.
Aphel, congrats on your decision to apply for nursing school and sending lots of positive vibes that you get into the program you want. What has been your favorite part of pre-req's so far?
~Lisa
Fiery - 5 out of 6 semesters! Woot! You are so very, very close.
I'm really enjoying Microbiology right now, we're finishing up with cellular metabolism and disinfection and such and about to get into actual pathogenic microbes and their diseases, so I'm super excited about that. But I'd have to say that my favorite class so far was probably my introductory, entry level Bio course. The professor was amazing. He worked as a radiation oncologist for years, and in addition has a phd in molecular biology. The man knew everything. Really. (lots of italics in that paragraph, huh? 
)
So 6 semesters, that must be an accelerated program, yes? May I ask what the requirements were for application? Did you have a prior bachelor's in another field? I'm curious, I just started thinking about going straight into a BSN program (initially planning on bridging to BSN after getting RN), because I don't think I'm going to get into the ADN program until 2012 and it is high time to get this show on the road! I'm not too familiar with what is out there, but from what I can tell I've got another year's worth of gen ed stuff (intro to computers, how exciting . . . .) before I can even apply to most of the BSN programs around here.
Glad we found each other!
Oooh, Micro was my favorite class of all time, followed closely by Organic Chemistry. The professors really do make the difference, their passion can be contagious!
I'm in a traditional BSN program at a state university. It is an impacted program with admission based on a points system. Pre-reqs include Anatomy, Physiology, Organic Chem, Micro, and I think English, math, critical thinking and communication courses. There are additional gen ed req's that have to be completed by certain semesters of the program (like Child Dev before Peds rotation) along with state university requirements. They rec' giving yourself 5 years from start to finish. I already have an AA in Early Childhood Ed so I took the sciences at a comm college then transferred to the University when I was accepted into the program.
I had my sights on 2 ADN programs and 2 BSN programs close to me, and lucked out getting into the first one I applied to. I encourage people to strive for the BSN programs if they have even a slight opportunity of getting in because you never really know until you try and the program I'm in is only 1 year more than the ADN program.
This semester has been tough, trying to get used to 4-5 short days rather than the 2-3 long days of previous semesters. So glad for the weekend! :D
Lucky you have the option of completing gen eds while in the nursing program! The two BSN programs I'm looking at require everything to be completed prior to admission. There is one BSN that allows you to begin nursing classes without finishing all gen eds/prereqs first, but it's a private university and is one of the most expensive undergrad programs in the city. Eventually, I'd like to get my masters, so accruing a substantial amount of loans right now is not in my best interest. Though it is tempting. I want to be doing clinicals already! The girl who sits next to me in Micro is already in an ADN program (one in which you do not need all prereqs done, but I probably won't get in this cycle), and she just gave her first injection the other day, and got to observe a laparoscopic surgery and got to hold a prostate! So jealous . . . . . aaaaaaaggghhhh!
It's encouraging to hear you really enjoyed organic chemistry - I'm pretty freaked out about it! My dad wanted to go to med school when he was in college, but couldn't manage better than a C in the class, despite trying three times.
hope you are enjoying your weeekend!
I was very wary about organic chem as well since I didn't do too hot in Chem which I took when my kids were much younger so it was tougher to devote time. However the instructor's teaching was right in line with my learning style and the "real-world" labs made all the difference. Some of the labs included isolating caffeine from tea leaves and fermenting wine, perfect way to keep a college student's attention, lol!
We didn't start clinicals until our second semester and it was a tough wait! They are definitely one of the things that keeps you going every week: the chance to interact with real patients and practice your skills. The first half of this semester is spent in community mental health facilities and the second half will be several 12-hr shifts in the hospital...definitely keeps me busy!
Just wanted to join this forum . . I'm 3 weeks away from graduating in the full time fast track program!! Yipee! Do you all have the preceptorship at the end? I'm really loving it, although I'm only to (barely) handle 2 patients right now.
Just looking to connect with other moms in the same situation . . . . Anyone out there?
I'm almost finished with prereqs for my ADN, and applying for an RN program beginning in Fall 2011. If I don't get in this fall (unlikely I will, as I have yet to take Anatomy), I plan on completing the prereqs/gen ed requirements for my BSN and then attempting to start in a bachelor's program Fall 2012 or Spring 2012.
I'd love to hear from you ladies! Maybe we can even start a tribe . . . .
Good luck with your BSN! I'm thinking about doing the bridge program at some point . right now just focusing on the AA in nursing. I have heard that many hospitals will pay for the BSN once you have the AA and are working for them for a year or so.
Another route you might consider is to get your CNA license and work until you get into school. There is a LOT of valuable experience you can get as a CNA. We have a few in our class and they are by far the most experienced about many aspects of nursing care. They have a big head start.
Im on the nursing program waitlist at my local community college, and taking all my pre-reqs, any non-nursing classes i can take ;). its a 2yr ladder program. i also work part time as a CNA, i agree with pp that its great experience! hoping it will help once im in the program.
Same boat here, taking non-nursing courses at a CC. But finally, in Micro, we are starting to actually talk about diseases!!!!! Woohoo for something that finally, feels really relevant to my career. Everything up until this point has felt like foundation knowledge for what's to come.
I've decided to apply for the local ADN program, but I'm not going to get my hopes up, at all. Instead, I'm going to just keep powering through BSN requirements. So it looks like more non-nursing courses for me . . . . Next up are exciting courses like 'Intro to Computers'. Bah.
Just finishing up my pre-reqs, here. Took the entrance exam last week and scored VERY well. I'll find out around the beginning of June if I got in the program to start clinicals in the fall. I'm going for my ASN - I have a BS in Secondary Ed, but obviously no one is hiring teachers right now! Fingers crossed that I get in!
Just wanted to join in here. I'm in the middle of my 3rd semester of a 5 semester program for my BSN..so that is after I transferred in with my Associates. Since I have about 5 1/2 years leading up to this point under my belt, I am definitely feeling like the end is finally within range! I just finished my Peds class, and am about to start OB next week. We are on 7 week class blocks now, so we only take once class at a time from here on out. I really like this fast and furious way of things. It's hard as hell while it lasts, but at least it ends quickly!
Anyone know where they want to end up working? I am thinking either ICU (even though it will probably take a couple of years post graduation to get there) but maybe even home health, which is where I am now as a CNA. I LOVED Peds, however our Primary Children's Hospital has been on a hiring freeze for the past year, so I don't have hopes of getting into there. Even if they were hiring, I'm pretty sure the students that are already working there as techs or CNA's will have first pick for those jobs...
I went through the first half of an ADN program before being forced to leave nursing school due to personal circumstances. I've worked as an LPN for almost 4 years now, I just renewed my license. Last year I tried to go back to school for RN in the same program I had started before, but failed. The school required an 80% to pass, and I earned a 79.46%. I became so discouraged I'm still not sure I want to go back.
I've looked into various nursing schools in my area as well as talked to nurses I work with. I'm finally thinking about applying to a different school, this time going directly from LPN to BSN rather than continuing the route I was on. It would take 3 years though rather than just one year to finish an ADN program. With my past experiences in nursing school I find the thought daunting. I think if I really want to go for RN, I need to rethink my approach since I was struggling in several ways in the school I had attended before. It's just so frustrating, because it is hard for me to know how much of my problems were related to an academic environment that was not a good fit for me, and how much may be that nursing itself is not a good fit for me.
Basically, I'm burned out and don't know which direction to go.
Nitenites, have you considered a fast-track to BSN program through a local university? You already have a bachelor's degree in another area, some universities offer 18 month nursing programs for people who already have a BS degree.
Nitenites, have you considered a fast-track to BSN program through a local university? You already have a bachelor's degree in another area, some universities offer 18 month nursing programs for people who already have a BS degree.
Yes, there are a couple of those in my city, but the pre-reqs would take me another year to finish. My BS is completely not science or math related, so I'd be nearly starting from scratch. There is another program in my city that bridges from unrelated BS/BA to an MSN. I would have LOVED that program, but at 18 credit hours per semester, and $25k+/year, it wasn't doable. The ASN will get me into the nursing field, and if I want to, I can pursue a higher degree later. (And maybe even have my employer pay for it!)
Good idea for a thread!
I'm doing pre-reqs for my ADN - this is my second semester. I'm hoping to get the rest of the pre-reqs done by next Spring, and start the nursing program in Fall 2012. It's going to be a crazy schedule, especially with a new baby, but I'm excited for it!
I'm hoping to get a job in L&D, or perhaps as a homebirth nurse. There are 2 new hospitals competing to open near me, so I'm hoping that I'll be done with school by the time they're built and I can get a job there and maybe hopefully avoid having to work in med-surg. I'm still throwing around the idea of going for a CNM after I get a few years of working under my belt.
Glad to see everyone here! It's nice to be able to communicate with some other mom's who are following this path, it can be daunting to get all of this done with a little one. I really believe I have found my "calling" in life, but I must say, I wish I had found it before I had this baby. But I can't beat myself up too much, we had some extenuating circumstances, and some fertility issues, and this is just the way the cookie crumbled, I guess.
Well, after some hemming and hawing, I just dropped off my application for the local ADN program, despite being almost certain won't get in. I swear the registrar darn near rolled his eyes at me when he saw my transcripts. It's a super competitive program, and despite the fact that I have a 4.0, I haven't taken either of my anatomy courses yet, so I most likely won't have enough points to put me in the running. . . . Ah, well. Was worth a shot, right?
In the mean time, I'm going to continue to attend my local CC and hopefully finish my gen eds for a BSN, which I will *hopefully* be able to start in Fall or Spring 2012.
Lacie, I'm also seriously leaning towards (like, so far I am nearly toppling over) becoming a nurse-midwife. If not, I know that I will want to become an APN of some sort. Lots of school ahead of me, and hopefully more babies too, it should be an interesting time!
Sending out good vibes and hopes that everyone gets in to their program of choice soon!
Hi nursing student mamas!
I see that some of you are going back to school with a young baby at home. Great to see that! I have been wondering if I am crazy to consider it. I am finishing pre-reqs and planning to start a DPT program (doctoral physical therapy degree -- 3 years full-time) in Summer 2012 with a 14-month old...but then I've been thinking that maybe we should try for another baby before I start school (and delay starting until 2013). I've heard DPT school is grueling even without kids (it includes winter and summer semesters; students are discouraged from working)...also I'm already 31, so waiting till school is done is iffy too (I'd be 36 or 37 years old for my 2nd).
Any thoughts, mamas?
:)
Adrienne (due in 5 weeks and taking this Spring semester off)
Well, I can't speak to your particular program, but we made the decision to TTC based on the fact that I'd have the baby BEFORE clinicals. If I get in the program, I'll start clinicals this August, and the baby will be 5-6 months old. From my sig, you can tell we have a full house. What makes it work? I have a VERY SUPPORTIVE spouse. He knows that when I'm done, this is OUR degree. We've all (the entire family) made sacrifices to get me through school. He's taken on a lot so that I can study and maintain my GPA. He's the primary homeschooler now, he does the bulk of the housework, he makes sure the kids have activities to do. He maneuvers his work schedule around my schedule - my schooling comes first in this house. There is NO WAY I could get this done without his support.
Nitenites, you are very lucky to have such a supportive family!
My DH is wonderful, too...he should definitely have major input on this! ;)
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