I'm in!

I actually found out via text I had been harassing my husband everyday when he checks the mail, "Did my letter come?" This last time, I had been told by the dean the letters would be sent out soon, and the mail didn't run on Veteran's Day. So, I thought it might run early and Hunnybunny needed to get out there and check. I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, got this text, "You've been accepted". I just sort of stared at the screen, asking myself, "I'm awake, right?" I made him take a picture of the letter and message me with it. He told me congratulations, but I think I was still in shock.

I'm excited but still wondering how an old girl like me is going to pull off classes and work and do either of them any justice. I will be in classes Monday through Wednesday, and a clinical either Thursday or Friday. So that means the one day a week I'm not in school, I'm working and then I'm working every weekend. Yeah, I know....I must be crazy. But working the weekend doesn't really bother me that much. Missing out on family time, now that bothers me. This isn't my first rodeo, I remember my non-existent social life back in 2011-2012.  But they say it will all be worth it. I hope THEY are right. It helps that I'm not doing this alone. A guy I work with got accepted, too. It's kind of a hike to the school, so he and I are going to carpool.
Anyway, that's the story as I know it so far. My first rotation is psych...at my own hospital! I'm hoping that I'm not recognized by any long time patients who are not going to understand why I could do something for them yesterday (as an LPN) that I can't do today, (as a student)

Admission Limbo

So, I'm just waiting to hear...I went to the pre-admission conference with a guy from work who is determined that we are going to nursing school together. I had already turned in my stuff, but you are required to attend their, "this is what will happen in 3 semesters, and this is what it will cost," speech. It's going to be pricey, that's for sure. My work will pay for 6 hours, but that still leaves like 21 hours. Only 2 classes, but they get you with a required lab and a clinical for each. The clinicals add up to 12 extra hours....
Meanwhile, Medical Microbiology is kicking my butt. I had forgotten how much I hated taking a science class, but it's all coming back to me now. It's not lecture, it's the lab. I messed up my test by not staining the correct side, broke a slide. Just a comedy of errors. And I had gone in feeling good about the whole thing. I barely passed by the skin of my teeth.
Anyway, will keep you posted.....

So, here we go.....

So, I finally heard back from the university. The director of the program basically said my A & P was "too old" (not within 3 years) and I would need to retake those classes along with chemistry. Tack  on the NACE test to that, while you're at it, too. Uh, no thanks....I don't have another year to dedicate to pre-req's. The funny part is that their admissions department kept calling me asking me to "finish" (pay them) my initial application. I hope I manage to get off their mailing list.

 

I have a friend, who I used to study with in A & P, that went to a little community college about 40 miles away to get her RN. I gave them a call. It looked promising, so I got my transcripts, validation of licenses, CPR verification, ACT scores, and NLN scores and drove to the main campus to drop them off. It was pure Providence that the director of the nursing department happened to be there, in July, at a campus she doesn't teach at. I submitted my paperwork, and she informed me it was all there except for the pre-admission conference that they require, the dates haven't been set yet.

 

 Here's the list of differences from what I've experienced in the 'bigger' community colleges:

1. I don't have to retake any of my classes. This in and of itself, is a MAJOR big deal.

 

2. I don't have to take any additional classes for pre-req's other than Medical Microbiology, which I had to have for all of them. So, no chemistry, nutrition, or LPN to RN transition course.

 

3. I don't have to perform check offs. In both programs, I was going to have to show them a cath, med administration, ng tube, ekg, sterile wound dressing, ostomy care. She said I had been working as a nurse for 2 years, I might know what I'm doing.

 

I asked how I would know if I got in. The 'selective admissions' that I've always dealt with has a bunch of hoops you have to jump through just to be considered. She said, "Let me put it to you this way: first semester, which you would be exempt from, has 20 spots. I have 16 students signed up right now. Statistically, some of them will not pass. Unless I have a ton of readmits, I would be able to start you in second semester in January 2016.".

 

So, we shall see if it works out. My employer said they would work with me. I will most likely have to work Friday, Saturday, Sunday. This is going to make for a very LONG year, but I'm ready to go,



Time to get on with it

 I work for a hospital that is affiliated with a university. They are offering to pay for 18 hours a year to finish my RN. I think I have finally reached that point where I'd like to do more with nursing. It's not that I'm bored. In psych nursing, there is no such thing as being bored...everyday is a new adventure. It's just that  I had always planned on bridging over. Truth be told, I was pretty burned out on school. The idea of doing it again kind of nauseated me.

So, I'm taking medical microbiology this fall. If one of the community colleges accept me, that's the only prerequisite I will need. If I go to the state university (I'm applying to both) then I will need chemistry. Have they met me? I'm not much of scienc-y kind of girl. But, if I have to, I have to. Also, the community college requires the NLN, which I have taken before and gotten a composite score of 115. I have to get a verbal Score in the 65 percentile. Comprehensive Score has to be 111. If I go to the university, since I have been out of school longer than three years, I must take the Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exam (ACE) I and receive Decision Score of 70 or better. Nothing but hoops to jump through....
I have begun the tedious process of getting all my transcripts together. A college I attended in the 80's is closing their doors, so I had to hustle to get my transcripts before they merged with another college.
That's probably more than you wanted to know, but I'm trying to keep it all straight in my head. If I don't get in either place, it'll be okay. I'm happy to be an LPN. And they can't take that away from me

Orientation of Sorts

I was ill prepared for the "orientation" segment of my nursing journey. Since I was an alternate, I had missed the first round of orientation. There were only 4 of us at this meeting. The administrator passed out the material, and we began to go over over everything. 
  I knew the shot record requirement was going to be a problem. In Florida, there is no centralized office of immunizations, and mine were done in the docs office over 40 years ago. It doesn't help the the doctor is dead as well.  So, I went to the health clinic and had them draw MMR titers. Also got the Hep B that was recommended. My arm had a huge knot from that shot.  Cool. Got that done.
Getting there early afforded me the "privilege" of going first to get my classes. I will be in class on Mondays from 8:00-4:30PM, with  the "How to be a nurse", essentially. (Lecture and lab are back to back). Tuesday is a clinical day which starts at 1:30 through 7:30. (Hey, I was an alternate: beggars can't be choosers.)  Wednesday is Pharmacy I , and the second lecture for the "How to be a nurse". Thursday is the Pharm lab. And Fridays...I collapse;)  Not really, but initially, I probably will.

I'm in !!!!!!!

Despite the whole world going to hell in a hand basket around me with war, weather woes, and political mayhem, I received a call from my school. They offered me a shot at this fall's LPN class!!! So, I went today to fill out my intent form. The Pickle had to go with me as Hunnybunny was on a job. Could have rolled over and died when I was talking to the administrator, a very no-nonsense chick, and my 7 year old is removing the lid to the evaluation bin! She got on to him, and I wanted to die. Of all days, why did it have to be today that he acted like a 7 year old??
Anyway, I am stoked, scared, and very, very tired of studying for finals this week. I wrote a paper on JFK the movie for my humanities class and I have back to back finals on Sunday in anatomy and physiology plus a lab final. Joy, joy......
but still- I'm "walking on sunshine"!

Contained Joy

Well, I thought I would update you all on the school situation. They told us to check our information network at school by April 1st to see if we've been accepted, letter to follow. I did, and I was not considered for the RN program at all but I am an alternate (3) for the LPN program this fall! Personally, I am very excited, but you'd think I'd lost the showcase on The Price is Right the way the info has been assimilated. One person told me to consider other options. And some have been very ... "Aw, that's too bad. But I give you kudos for even trying." Huh? Did I miss something? I'm an alternate, for crying out loud, for a nursing program! I am in my late 40's and being considered to study with others to become a nurse. What more do these people want? No, I'm not a brain, most of the people I know that didn't get in sported a 3.8. I'm nowhere in that vicinity. But, hey, I MIGHT get to be an LPN! That would be so cool! Why is that not good enough for these people?
Done ranting. Thanks for listening.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

 

 So, this is day one of the Waiting Game. Honestly, it reeks. Here's what ended up happening with my "Rolling Admission" :
I did far too much assuming. And I don't have to tell you what assuming does.....
What did I assume? It boils down to a misunderstanding of the word "cumulative". When I attended [insert name of unaccredited christian college here] way back in the beginning of the '80's, I did not apply myself. Oh, I applied my self to my work-study job as a nurse's aide; as a floundering student disc jockey on the college station (was a broadcast major); and applied myself in the dating scene, but I didn't apply myself to studying. I was a 2.0. I almost got a 4 year degree with a 2.0...how sad is that?
Years pass, I go BACK to school in the 90's. This time as a Paralegal Major. My basics transfer, and in my 30's, I find that I CAN do well in school. I received my AAS with a 3.2.
Now, going back to try for my ADN, I've done even better than that, making the Dean's list this past Spring (for the first time in my life!) with a 3.56, and that's in my 40's. However......(you knew that was coming, didn't you?) when figuring my scores for the rolling admission, they figured them ALL. All 192 hours that I've taken in my life.  As I looked at what was my cumulative score, I ASSUMED that since they had all my classes, the score I saw was the score that was going into the selective admission process. How wrong I was! After they averaged EVERY class attempted, I came from a 3.56 to a 2.51. That is bare minimum for the rolling admission. It is all based on the GPAs from 2.5 to 4.0; the NLN minimum score is 70, I made a 75. And the prerequisites of A & P I, the dreaded Algebra, English I and II, Psychology and Developmental Psych, and the nurse's aide requirement. So......I did all that, and even started working on the other requirements for the ADN to knock them out of the way. Now, I don't know if I'm going to be able to get in the RN program.
I decided since I could apply to two selective admission programs, I would go ahead and apply to the LPN program. The LPN program is based on ranking points of grades received from prerequisites.
So, apparently their decision making timeline is the same as the RN program. April 1st, I will find out which, if either, program, will have me. I'll keep you posted.