BJC Accelerated Jan '09 Questions

U.S.A. Missouri

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Hi All,

Just found this site - awesome forum!

I'm starting at BJC in Jan '09 with their accelerated program.

Is anyone else out there starting in Jan?

Are there any grads of the accelerated program, or those going through it now that can give insight?

Do we get any requests for our clinicals? (i.e. I'd like to experience the ER and OB)

Very excited to become a part of this amazing community of nurses. :up:

Congrats.....I'm also starting Jan '09. Don't have much advise to give since but good luck and hope to see you there!

I'm not going until next fall, but I have a friend who is doing the accelerated starting in January. I am looking forward to her telling me all about it.

Hope your first 2 weeks of class are going well! I am currently a 3rd semester Accelerated student at Barnes, so I'd be happy to answer any questions I can. As for clinicals, your first semester only includes like 4 days on a random (usually Med/Surg) floor. Second semester you are assigned another random floor for your Adult heath class and then also do 7 weeks in Psych and 7 weeks in OB. Third semester is when you do 7 weeks of Peds and senior synthesis for 7 weeks 192 hours. You do get to give your top 3 desired floors, but from what I've been told this usually doesn't mean much. We have around 75 students in my class and Barnes College on average get about 3 ICU, 3 Peds, 3 ED spots and then everyone else is just placed where ever (usually Med/Surg). From what the prof said, they base the placement in the ICU, ED, and Peds on grades.

Hope this helps! Good luck, hopefully you won't need it! :coollook:

Since it's been a while since this post began, can anyone now share experience(s) regarding the BJC Accelerated BSN program? I am set to begin Sept '10 after completing prereqs at St Louis Comm College.

Age group of classmates...

How classes are structured...

Anything is welcome!

(I don't think I've posted enough to be able to privately email anyone...)

Hi, I just graduated the Accelerated program in May 09. Our classmate ages ranged probably from 21-50ish. I'd say the average was 27 maybe. There were about 1/2 of the people that had just graduated with their Bachelors and the other 1/2 were coming back to school for a change in jobs. As for class structure ours were 2 classes a day, like 4 hours a class. However I'm almost positive they changed that, but not sure what to. Please feel free to ask any questions! Biggest suggestion is to learn to prioritize and organize ASAP!!! Hope you are doing well so far~!!!

Thanks so much! Hope this isn't too much.

You mentioned changing the class schedule. Is the school in transition? (I imagine it's growing, etc.)

Do you feel prepared to take licensing exam? Do you feel prepared -- in a clinical manner -- to start working?

Did you have good advisors to help with classes and/or prep you to begin your career?

I have a toddler -- is there any time for a life outside class at all? :) !!!

How do the clinicals work with classes? Can you tell me what areas you worked in -- and what control you had (say, choosing an area you may be specializing in?)

Are the professors good?

Thanks, again!

Thanks so much! Hope this isn't too much.

You mentioned changing the class schedule. Is the school in transition? (I imagine it's growing, etc.)

Do you feel prepared to take licensing exam? Do you feel prepared -- in a clinical manner -- to start working?

Did you have good advisors to help with classes and/or prep you to begin your career?

I have a toddler -- is there any time for a life outside class at all? :) !!!

How do the clinicals work with classes? Can you tell me what areas you worked in -- and what control you had (say, choosing an area you may be specializing in?)

Are the professors good?

I'm currently in my second semester of the Accelerated BSN program.

Regarding advisors, the school is very lacking in this regard. We have one advisor assigned to 170 students, who is very hands-off with all of us. I had many questions prior to beginning, and he sent me a one-line email stating 'I don't know'. (NOT helpful) There is also NO career counselor at the college. Any career questions we have, we are pretty much left hanging.

Clinical areas are general med/surg, OB, Psych, Peds. These are the only specialty areas in the first two semesters. For your final capstone preceptorship you have very little control over where you will be assigned. A lot is grades ranked against your classmates, and openings of slots for students. MOST students end up in a med/surg area.

I've got two school-aged children and I'm happy I waited until they were both in school full time to begin this program. It is so intense, and I feel so guilty for not being able to be as involved with them as I wish I could. It's very hard to maintain my grades/keep up with classwork and be a wife and mother. It's all about time management. (and trying to remember that this will be done in just one year!)

Each semester there seems to be one good professor. The other three/four are fine. Some of the clinical instructors just should not be teaching.

Hope that helps. Good luck to you!

Hi,

Is there enough free time (about 2 hours) every day to get out and do something active (ie jog, cycle) while completing the accelerated program or is it a requirement to give that up for a year?

Thanks

It's not that you won't be able to find the time...it's more that once you get a few hours to finally not being doing anything school related I know MOST of us just wanted to surl into a ball and sleep or veg-out and just do nothing for a change! So I guess it depends on your motivation. I will also say that I felt the semesters got easier as the year went on. I also saw the improvement in my GPA. Not that the classes were easier, more that you knew what to expect, you were more comfortable, properly organized, and had gotten use to the RIDICULOUS nursing school way of test questions! Hope this helps

lovescoffee,

Thanks for the response. It sounds like it's doable but will require a lot of motivation (like you said) to get out the door. Congratulations on graduating from the program. Have you been able to find a job? I've read that a lot of new grads are experiencing difficulties finding work.

Thanks! I was able to get a job, but networking was the key. I had been a tech and my manager took a management position at another hospital right before I graduated and recruited me...so I got lucky. There are a lot of people having trouble though. The biggest isue is just getting into a dept they want to be in. If you aren't picky then it shouldn't be a big issue. Also, start looking and applying at least a few months before graduation!

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