Concordia College - NY -2013

kjoseph591 · May 25, 2013

So I made one, I had to add a friend on it in order to build the group. It's called Concordia College ABSN Fall 2013, it is an open group so feel free to join!

KatyCar · May 25, 2013

Hello members of Cohort 6!

Like RachPapp I am also a student in cohort 5, so welcome toConcordia! I know you have a couple ofd ates in June where you will be on campus for a short orientation so we may meet many of you then. (I also have books I will be selling if anyone is interested, I bought many of mine used from Cohort 4 and it is the way to go for some books, others we may want to hang on to)

I know many of you are dying to know how to prepare for Fall! I would love to give you a list of ways to prepare, but really, the best preparation is to relax and enjoy your summer, get everything in order, and get ready for a roller-coaster ride! I cannot believe that only 1 year ago I was in your position, I have learned SO much, and I don't think there was any way I could have been mentally prepared for what was to come. The first 8 months are tough, I thought once the first semester was through it would get easier, but semester 2 was just as tough, if not more (in my opinion). Just remember, you would not have been accepted if they didn't think you had the potential to succeed. Sometimes you will need to remind yourself of that.

Ok, for those of you who absolutely cannot go without looking at some books over the summer....I will say this... there were things that I wish I had been stronger on and had known to focus on more inA &P.. that would be the CNS (if anticholinergic effects isn't on the tip of your tongue, it would be a good idea to look at that) Things from A&P that will come up again are the systems - esp. kidneys, liver, digestive, heart, brain chemicals, (bones and muscles will not!) But really, do not go crazy studying these over the summer, there will be some review as you go into them more in-depth. I'm sure you remember more than you think from A&P! Also, when you start MedSurg, it is a good idea to get an NCLEX book of questions (yes, already!) I was hesitant to get one this soon since it was overwhelming to see so many questions I could not answer, but ALL of your exams will be NCLEX format so getting familiar with the style of questions is key. A good book is the Saunders Comprehensive Review since it is divided into sections that will match the syllabus for Med Surg.

One thing you could do and have fun with....... download a drug guide, many of us like MicroMedEx for your phone (or buy the Drug Guide for nurses which will be on your booklist) DO NOT start memorizing (you will do enough of this later!) But start to "think like a nurse"(you will hear this from day 1) read labels on meds, look up meds for fun, look at the Teaching section to see what you as a nurse would teach the patient -look up what your family members have in the medicine cabinet, teach them about the side effects! Hey, they better get used to it, soon you'll be taking their BP and doing physical exams! Really not necessary but could be fun to start using the book or app without the stress of having to memorize drugs!

and I can't stress enough - have fun over the summer! Take a trip, visit family, have support in place for Fall (a flexible babysitter, someone who will cook dinner, etc.)because there is the "class schedule" and then there are all those other times that you will need to be on campus for something! Be ready to be flexible!

I hope this is more helpful than scary! :up:

rachwabb · May 28, 2013

Woo hoo! I got a call on Friday that I have been accepted off the waiting list!

Yay!

Also just finished up my prereqs. The journey to get to nursing school has been long and anxiety-ridden, but well worth it! I'm excited to relax throughout the summer and see you all in August.

I will be driving from the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area if anyone is interested in carpooling.

Aaah so excited!

TK2U · May 28, 2013

Congrats Rachwabb,

I'm interested in carpooling. I will PM sometime this week so we can chat. Congrats again I know the waiting was unbearable

AccelCNL, MSN, RN · May 28, 2013

Congrats RachWabb! I know you started this thread and I am glad that you received the news you wanted. The journey had been a long one for me as well. I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel ( a 15month tunnel).

See you all in August and/or orientation on a few weeks.

hopefulapplicant · May 29, 2013

KatyCar - I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering...

1) I noticed that in 2012 only 33 students from Concordia sat for the NCLEX exam. I am assuming there were more students that originally started in the 2011/2012 cohort -- did Concordia provide an explanation for this? I am nervous that the number is an indicator as to how many people dropped out of the program? NYS Nursing:Nursing Programs:RN NCLEX Results: 2008-2012

2) Do you typically have classes/clinicals 5 days a week? I am deciding between NYU and Concordia - NYU students typically have a 4 day week which makes the school-work-life balance more manageable.

3) I would be commuting from lower Manhattan so am wondering about timing of classes/clinicals? Usually an earlier or later start/end?

4) Do you feel that the professors are well trained / up-to-date / helpful?

5) Do you feel that you have been given adequate clinical experiences? How often are clinicals held?

6) During clinicals do you feel that the other nurses respect Concordia as a nursing school since it is relatively 'new'?

7) Is the program actually 15 months -- starting in mid-August 2013 and ending in mid-October 2014?

I would really appreciate your thoughts!! Thank you very much!!

lahhere · May 31, 2013

congrats rachelwabb!! we were all rooting for you since you started the forum!

ill be attending in august...not sure if anyone is checking this forum anymore, but i have a honda accord and live local! can help you guys out :)

KatyCar · Jun 7, 2013

May 29 by hopefulapplicant
KatyCar - I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering...

Wow, a lot of great questions! Let me do my best to answer them

1) I noticed that in 2012 only 33 students from Concordia sat for the NCLEX exam....

I have to say I don’t have the definitive answer to your question, but I will tell you what I can. Given that the class graduates in December, it is likely that the data reported for 2012 is actually the 2010-2011 class or Cohort 3, since I don’t believe anyone takes the NCLEX in December. (I think the record for the earliest was someone who took it this January right after the review class ended.) It is possible thatCohort 3 was only about 35-40 students to start, each class has grown slightly, I am in Cohort 5 and we started with about 60 students. I do not think they plan on going much higher though since they pride themselves on the small classes (we rarely have a class with all of us combined, everything is split into A+B groups). I would not stress too much about how many start and how many finish, it is a very small percent that choose to decelerate, and an even smaller percentage that drop out completely. Sorry I do not have actual numbers! Have you had your interview already? If not you could definitely ask for clarification then, or call the school.

2) Do you typically have classes/clinicals 5 days a week?

This is hard to answer as well. 4 days a week is not a guarantee. Right now we have Fridays with no class/clinical scheduled! For the Fall and Spring, group A had a day free while group B did not.

3) .......... timing of classes/clinicals?Usually an earlier or later start/end?

Classes typically do not start before 8:30am (sometimes 8 if they need to make up for time lost). In the Fall we had a class that ran until 7:30pm.

Clinicals will start at 7am and could be as far north as Westchester Medical Ctr. (where you will be 7a-7p) Right now I have a clinical rotation that runs 4:30p-9:30p in White Plains.

4) Do you feel that the professors are well trained / up-to-date / helpful?

Yes I do. This is a fact that I did not know until orientation – 50% of the faculty have their doctorate, and by the time we graduate, the other 50% will have completed theirs! Of course, everyone will have a professor that doesn’t quite match their learning style in class, and there will be times you are not happy with them for whatever reason, if you are a mature person you will soon get over it and move on. But in general I feel they are very good. Our clinical instructors, some of whom do not teach on campus are excellent as well, I have 2 this semester who have worked in their field for years and they are excellent.

5) ..........adequate clinical experiences? How often are clinicals held?

As others have said, clinical is what you make of it (anywhere, regardless of the school). For the Fall and Spring, clinical is 1x/week,for Summer and Fall II clinical is 2x/week. Yes, there are times when it may be slow, or you have an exam the next day and would much rather study the notecards in your pocket, but if you don’t seek out new experiences you won’t be getting 100% out of your clinical. Some clinical sites are better than others, and of course everyone will have a different opinion of which was their favorite.

6) During clinicals do you feel that the other nurses respect Concordia as a nursing school since it is relatively 'new'?

I have never gotten the sense that the nurses on the floor care what school we are from. Yes, Concordia is not a big name, and I find myself explaining to everyone (nurses or not) that it is a small school. But no, I have never felt nurses had any disrespect that it was a “new” program, usually once they hear it is an ABSN they are impressed.

7) Is the program actually 15 months -- starting in mid-August 2013 and ending in mid-October 2014?

The program will start the end of August and graduation I believe is the first week in December. I believe classes are done at the end of October and all of November we are doing preceptor hours, but I’m not 100% sure yet. Then in December most grads do 2 NCLEX review courses – 1 I believe is included, and the other, Kaplan is extra $.

I hope that is helpful! The next few weeks are going to be a bit crazy for us, but I will try to check back in July!

kjoseph591 · Jun 10, 2013

Will anyone else be attending orientation this Thursday?

AccelCNL, MSN, RN · Jun 11, 2013

@kjoseph591

I am attending ( barring any disasters). See you then.

TK2U · Jun 11, 2013

@kjospeh591

is the Facebook page up and running?

kjoseph591 · Jun 12, 2013

I think I figured it out....hopefully lol. I believe the best thing to do is post the link.

Look for Concordia College ABSN Fall 2013