Nursing School Update

Sorry, Ian, I have to take a break from meme's. But, to anyone who wants to partake in Ian's awesome Monday Minute, go to his blog and join in on this week's very special addition. Here's a hint: it has to do with this adorable face who needs all the prayers she can get right now (she was just diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of cancer):




So I had my anatomy II finals on Thursday and have been waiting on pins and needles since then to find out my final grade: I was borderline A or B. My grade was finally posted today and I got a 90 (a 92 is the lowest A). That's good, right? I should be proud of myself. Especially for how hard it was this semester and that I willingly admit I did not put in 100% effort (it's been a rough few months, OK? ;)). I should be jumping up and down, because that should be a perfectly fine grade to keep my chances of getting into nursing school high. Ah, but the key word being should.

Let's back things up a bit, shall we? My degree is in journalism. Now, you don't have to be a genius to realize that major probably doesn't require a whole lot of science courses. I have done quite a bit of research into various school's and programs for nursing in Indiana and a few other states (which have been eliminated due to finances). The fastest and cheapest program with a solid reputation that I would qualify for first is at community college statewide called Ivy Tech. Truth be told, I hate the school. The people in the nursing department are rude and only interested in answering questions for people admitted to one of their programs (although I've heard they still aren't fans of doing much of that), and the rest of the staff seems utterly incompetent. BUT I give them the benefit of the doubt because the school campus enrollments across the state have grown at a rapid rate since the recession and I have a feeling they're having a hard time keeping up. So I've kept my mouth shut and done what I'm told (shocking, I know. Pick your jaw off the ground, sometimes I can be submissive.)

The nursing program at Ivy Tech is incredibly competitive. Supposedly, some 400 people apply for 60 spots (at the campus I have applied to). One would think that they would have an extensive list of requirements to qualify for the program, no? Uh. They don't. The way the school decides who is accepted and who is not is broken down as follows:

1. All applicants must have all four prerequisite courses completed (Anatomy & Physiology 1 &2 (plus labs), Psychology 101, English 101).
2. Points are then awarded to each class as follows:
~Each "A" will earn you 30 points
~Each "B" will earn you 20 points
~Each "C" will earn you 10 points
3. All applicants must take the TEAS entrance exam and pass all four sections. Whatever your total grade is, is the amount of points you get for this requirement.
4. If the applicant lives in the region for which he/she is applying, he/she gets 3 points.

Total Points Possible: 223

They then line up all the applications in order from highest points to lowest points and take the top 60, send letters of acceptance to them, and letters of "thanks, but not thanks" to the rest.

They don't care what your overall GPA is or letters of recommendation. They don't care if you're 18 and fresh out of high school or 22 with a bachelor's degree. They don't care if you've never stepped foot in a hospital or if you volunteer weekly at the hospital. It's all about the numbers.

I received a 90 on my TEAS, I live in the region, and have three A's and now a stupid B (which, by the way, I took anatomy II at another campus than the one I applied to and their grade scale is different. A 90 is an A at the campus I'm hoping to get into. But does that matter? Nope. Since it will say B on my transcript, I only get 20 points.). Total points for me: 203.

Supposedly the least amount of points someone had that was accepted to the program last fall? 208. This is from the mouth of other student's, so whether or not it's true, I don't know. But still...

Does that mean for sure I won't get in? No. Not for sure. But it's in His hands now. I find out by the end of the month whether or not I'll be starting nursing school in the fall.

If I don't get in, I am taking microbiology this summer and then will take life span development and a statistics course in the fall and apply to an accelerated BSN (bachelor's in nursing) program at another school in the area whose way of selection isn't solely based on numbers.. Truthfully, it isn't worst case scenario. In fact, I'd rather that program any way. But I'm also ready to get things going and would hate to put it of yet another 4 months. And, the program I applied to in hopes of starting in the fall is an ASN. If I ever want to go to nurse practitioners school (which I could see myself doing), I'd have to do the ASN to BSN program first and then NP school (in other words, an extra step that I could eliminate now). I'll explain more about the BSN program later if it ends up becoming my reality, but the biggest downfall to it is that it costs 13,000 dollars more and I can't start in August.

Have I ever mentioned I stress out easily? Because I do. And I hate rejection. I think that's the worst part about all of this: the thought of being rejected. But even if I do get in, I may have to think and pray about it before I formally accept, to make sure it is the program I want to commit to. At least getting rejected would be an easy decision.

I sound crazy don't I? "I want in, but if I get in, I might not do it. But if I don't get it, I'll feel like a failure. But I hate the school anyway. But it's cheap, and gets the ball rollin' and has a decent reputation,. But..."

Sheesh, bipolar much?

Coming up *hopefully* this week: online dating & junior year of college.

Hope y'all have a wonderful week :)