[sasmith525]

Can anyone who is the program now, or has finished it give me an idea on how the schedule works with classes, i.e; Mon and Wed 8-12 or Tues 9-3, etc. I'm trying to figure out how to change my work schedule around so that it will accommodate class, but I also need to fit in some work time so that I'm not completely broke! Any incite would be very much appreciated as I am a little stressed right now being in unfamiliar territory! Thanks!

[anurse2be09]

It varies a lot! For the 1500s that I started in January I had lecture from 12-4:25 (with a half hour break between assessment and fundamentals), then clinical class on Fridays from 9-3.

For the 1600s I had lecture on Mondays from 9:30 till 2 (with a half hour break between assessment and fundamentals), lab at the school from 9-1 on Wednesdays, and then clinical on Friday offsite from 7-3.

The only thing you have some control/choice of is when your clinical is. You can't choose lecture times, it is dictated to you. They divide the class of thirty into three groups of ten. You can pick what time or day suits your needs. The clinical sites can change even after the schedule is printed, although I think the time/day would probably stay the same.

Pick up a schedule, an old one if you need to, and check out how the nursing classes are set.

[NBMom1225]

There's really no way of telling what the hours will be. I started in August, and my 1500's lecture times were different than the above posters. I suggest that you go onto Macomb's website, click onto webadvisor, and take a look at the current (Winter 08) nursing program. If you just click on NURS classes and don't specify 1500's, etc it'll show the whole program (and pick "all locations" not just center campus or it won't show the clinicals).

Also, my clinical location AND time was changed only one week before the start of my 1630 clinical...so I hope you have a job that will be flexible. The schedule will change every eight weeks, and so far I've never had lectures be at the same times and/or days. Good luck!

[sasmith525]

Thanks both of you. That does help. Hopefully all goes well...we shall see!

[sasmith525]

Hey NBMom1225 I just noticed that you want to be a peds oncology nurse...me too! Good luck!

[szyman27]

I have a question about schedules too, and I this is probably stupid. Do we have classes year round? They only show classes broken into four semesters on the website, so I wasn't sure how that works. If they change every 8 weeks, then there would be a lot more.

[anurse2be09]

Originally Posted by szyman27

I have a question about schedules too, and I this is probably stupid. Do we have classes year round? They only show classes broken into four semesters on the website, so I wasn't sure how that works. If they change every 8 weeks, then there would be a lot more.

You only have classes during regular semesters, there are no summer classes (so that is 32 wks a year). It takes two years to get through the program (4 semesters).

[szyman27]

So say you start in Oct...you would have class until march for the first semester, then class march-~july for the second semster and off until october again? Just seems weird. do you do clinicals during your summer break?

[anurse2be09]

Originally Posted by szyman27

So say you start in Oct...you would have class until march for the first semester, then class march-~july for the second semster and off until october again? Just seems weird. do you do clinicals during your summer break?

There are no summer classes. If you start in October, you would graduate mid-October two years later. I started in January of this year, so I will be done before January of 2010 (Dec 09).

[NBMom1225]

Originally Posted by szyman27

So say you start in Oct...you would have class until march for the first semester, then class march-~july for the second semster and off until october again? Just seems weird. do you do clinicals during your summer break?

Each "level" of classes is 8 wks. The college semesters are 16 wks each, August-December and January-May...so, if you start the nursing program in August you'll have 1500's and 1600's completed buy the end of the first semester in December. If you don't start the nursing program until October, you will only have the 1500's completed by December.

You will have the summers off. They tried doing an accellerated program that had you go through the summer too, but they decided not to offer it as a permanent option (wish they had...I'd be done in Dec 08 instead of May 09!).

Basically, once you're in the nursing program you stop thinking in traditional semesters...you start thinking in 8wk increments instead