I am a medical assistant and have been for 9 years. I currently work in a prestige hospital in the PLastic and Reconstrucive Surgery Dept. and I inject sterile saline into breast or abdomanal expanders in 60cc syringes (large) into these patients weekly, draw up steroid injections, botox, remove JP drains when needed, remove staple and sutures from face lifts to any body area that needs them, and removed -change and place VAC's.Pack small and big wounds. Heres my thing, I get paid $20.00 an hour right, I didnt get accepted into nursing school but passed everthing I need to. Other people got in because they were first priority according to higher scores on the TEAS. It kills me that I passed the TEAS but maybe not as high at this school and I wasnt chosen. Im complaining because this school doesnt ask you what experience you have and I DO SOOOOOO MUCH! Im soo sad, If only they picked me to be in be in the nursing program for hands on as well or at least do interviews prior to getting into the nursing program....

Holy cow.........waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.   Quit whinin about what somebody doesnt let you do and be grateful you have a frickin job. Geez....my first RN job paid $16.00/hr., thats phenomenal.   Why not talk to one of the head honchos of the nursing school, put your thoughts into whats going on.   Hell.................SPELL CHECK, dammit.   If any nursing instructor sees your post they will be scratching their head and say "holy cow".  Im sure you would do great with your clinicals and all but nursing schools is full of so much poo.............I mean no desrespect.   Nursing is the highlight of my life and a  person can make a good living and support their family in this field.  How were your grades in Anatomy and Physiology, and micro?   Grades do mean a great deal.  I didnt have a 4.0 gpa................but I can be proud of my crappy 3.8.  My lowest grade in school was English 101, lol.  A fricking C.   In the state of Georgia..............."C"  = RN.  So my thing would be:  You will probably need to request a time for a scheduled appointment for that person to meet with you. 

Be prepared when you go: 

1.  Get organized

2.  Write everything down you do on the job to impressed the head nerds of nursing school.  Include the rationale behind each safety maneuver with the jp drains, include all other drains as well you have experience with as well. 

3.  Get real with your grades................whatever you did to drop your gpa down, you might have to buckle down and retake it.  Man, Id love to retake any of the A&P and Micro classes.  Just for fun even............I mean.  Im considered 'retired'...........with ms, I felt it was better for my self esteem in many ways.  <1.  I look way too young to be retired><I dont look disabled>.  I clean, drive, shop, all that crap.  But I am disabled.  I keep my nursing license renewed because I have always had a fear of tests.  Picture retaking nclex with screwed up grey matter! I left work prior to an incedent that could have been the result of MS.  I have MS, MS does not have me.  I chose to leave because there are people I worship with at church, who have been under my care.  My concience wouldnt let me continue.

4.  No one can do anything without goals.  You need your goals on paper to see daily if you choose to work on your goal.  Seeing your goal in front of you helped me envisioned it daily as a single parent with 2 brats.

Those "skills" are not ones that will get you ahead in the nursing world.  I know you feel that you do "so much", but seriously, you don't.  Thanks for clarifying that the 60cc syringes are the "large" ones for us.

Maroma,

  Definitely work on your spelling and grammar. Anywhere you may work, your skill with the English language is important. Unfortunately, in this country, it seems to be going by the wayside.

  I am an LPN.  I've "done it all" as well. A lot anyway (I am wondering about the scope of practice in your clinic/hospital for MAs?)  Ten years ago I started back to school to get OUT of nursing, but everyone around me poo-pooed my desire to be a teacher and said, "Get your RN. $$$$" That is all anyone thinks about.

  Anyway, to make a long story short, it didn't happen. Too much going on in my life at the time; and, my heart wasn't in it, and I had to take a lot of prerequisites over due to the format of my schooling (US ARMY). I didn't have the energy to compete with those who had time and energy to shoot for 4.0.  As others here have said, try another school if possible.  But please,

have someone help you write your request. I wish you luck.

Carol out West

you know after rereading Marona entry, I notice that she has a few typos, but all I can get out of it is the desire to  go to nursing school...So I pray that she will be able to fulfill her dream..I've taught student's with much worse grammer and typing skills... Hugs,Teresa

AngieNrse10, Thank you for your encouraging post..Teresa