The thing I remember stressing out about the most was whether or not I would pass my tests or if I would pass the class. I remember hoping I would get at least a 75% and not a 74.5%. Imagine failing a class by 0.5%! What do you remember about nursing school?
I’m glad it’s over, but for those of you who aren’t or if you are considering nursing school check out this interview with Melchor Magpantay. He is currently a Junior at Mount St. Mary’s College.
As a current nursing student, how did you get into nursing school knowing that the field is saturated?
I decided to apply to a private school, MSMC, because I knew that the chances of me getting into a nursing program at a community college are much slimmer in comparison to a private college. However, even at a private school, getting into the program is also hard. There are a lot of smart people competing for a limited number of spots in the nursing program so I had to make sure that my GPA is high enough to compete with these people. Also, in my school there is a TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) exam that you have to pass because it counts for your admission to the program. Actually, not only pass the exam but score high as well because the higher score you get, the more competitive your application will be. Lucky enough, I got into the program after one year of completing my pre-requisites.
What is the most difficult thing about nursing school?
I can honestly say that EVERYTHING about nursing school is difficult. If I have to choose the hardest thing about it, it’s balancing your everyday life with school life. When I have school, I tend to give up a lot of things I like to do like watching TV, SLEEPING, spending time with family, EATING, dancing and etc. to study. With all the readings, exams, quizzes, case studies that I have to do; I kinda have to give up a lot of stuff to focus in school which sucks. One thing I hate most about nursing school is that it is so easy to fail but it is so hard to pass.
With all of your outside activities how do you balance nursing school?
It’s all about time management, which is no secret. I tend to involve myself in a lot of activities because it helps a lot to have connections with other nursing students and it’s a good stress reliever. You need to spend your time well and not procrastinate (which is hard to do) because you need activities as an outlet for all the stress you get from school.
Do you like MSMC?
I do like MSMC a lot. I mean, besides its reputation for being a good nursing program (according to a lot of nursing preceptors I’ve had), the program has been established for a long time so the faculty really knows what to do. MSMC has great instructors for lecture and clinical which is a must in a nursing program. You really get a lot of clinical experience at awesome hospitals like UCLA RR/SMH, CHLA, St. Johns–Sta. Monica, Veterans Hospital, Kaiser, and etc. Plus, the people you meet (classmates) are the most genuine and sincere people you will ever meet.
Why did you go into nursing?
I would be lying if I said that my mom had nothing to do with my decision to go into nursing school. However, I do thank her now for convincing me to go into nursing. I mean, it’s true that there are a lot of new grads out there with no jobs still but nursing is still one of the fields out there that is constantly needed. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t go into nursing school for job security but also because I cannot see myself doing something else anyways besides nursing. I am glad I went into nursing because I never knew how much I liked caring and helping people. Sounds cliché I know but it’s true. I’ve always thought that people who say “you need passion for nursing” is ridiculous but they are right. I wouldn’t have survived the program if I didn’t like it and if I didn’t have passion for it.
What department do you see yourself in?
I’ve had a good amount of experience with different units but the one I liked the most is Pediatrics. I want to start out in MedSurg or ER. I know a lot of people want to go into Peds so if that doesn’t work out, I want to do Adult ER.
How are you trying to stand out in order to get a job after graduation?
It all starts out during nursing school. I try to build good relationships with my clinical instructors whom I will need to write my recommendation letters. Good relationships with clinical instructors really do help a lot. For example, my Pediatrics clinical instructor who works at the hospital I want to work at introduced me personally to the charge nurse of the floor I wanted to work for in the future, which was really nice of her. I was really grateful for that. At the same time, I also try to build good relationships with the nursing preceptors I’ve had at the different hospital sites I go to for clinicals. I remember that some of the nurses I’ve worked with said that they will remember me and recommend me to the charge nurse if I ever needed a job, which was really nice of them. I always try to remember that every clinical site I go to is a potential work place for me so I try not to be lazy and do a good job with everything I do. I try to volunteer also at different events like health screening for the homeless people at Sta. Monica and interning at different programs like UCLA Care Extender Program. Most importantly though, get good grades. A lot of hospitals now require certain GPA for them to even look at your application which is kinda scary.
We wish you the best of luck Mel!
