Current Portland Area Student Nurses

I graduated from CCC this past summer. I say apply to the school when you can. The program is intensive and the instructors are absolutely amazing!!! I did graduate as the last on-OCNE class, so I cannot speak to parts of the curriculum. However, I can say that the actual nursing-based classes will fully prepare you for your clinicals and down the road for NCLEX. The homework load is of course quite heavy, but it is manageable. (I worked a full time job, have 2 small kids at home, and found a way to work it all in).
The director of the program is tough, but has an absolute heart of gold. The instructors primarly teach from their specialties. (i.e.... psych mental health taught by a nurse doing mental health nursing for 20 years.... cardiac by director who has primarily been a cardiac (intensive) care nurse)
Clackamas has a notoriously high passing rate for NCLEX. At least 2-3 years with 100% first time passing. Do not know numbers on my group.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck on your journey

I am a 1st year student at CCC and it is a very good program. Just look at all the "extra" points you can get and fulfill as many requirements as you possibly can. Doing that will push you above the hundreds who apply who don't have those requirements and give you better chances of getting in. The OCNE curriculum is being fine tuned with my current class so as times me and my whole class feel like guinea pigs. With that said, the program IS very intensive and I feel like I am being prepared very well. The second year students have told me the term I am taking now (winter) is the hardest because of taking patho and pharm while starting our hospital clinical experiences. I am a young student with no kids, but there are many like yourself that have a family. They seem to be organized and do well. Lots of classes are being done on blackboard and the program now is set up for people who are incredibly self motivated to learn. My Mom, who is a RN, is hearing my NS experiences and it is nothing like the rigid, memorization classes they used to have. So I would have to say you really do get out of nursing school what you put into it. Anyway, good luck in your admission journey! Hopefully by 2010 if you get in they will have a fine tuned OCNE program for you

I have been going to CCC for my pre-reqs for a while now, and I love the school in general. I have always had great instructors and I have heard great things about the nursing program as well. My sister in law trains the new nurses at one of the legacy hospitals and she says that the students who come out of the community colleges are more prepared than the ones who come out of schoools like linfield and UP. she actually went to linfield and she did not like it. she graduated several years ago, so i am sure that the program has changed, but she did not feel prepared when she left. she also told me that they weren't very good advocates for their nursing students as far as the NCLEX is concerned. I know that CCC is great, and coming from a nurse who mentors the new grads...CCC is definitely the way to go!

Well look at this way...your sis-n-law is a Linfield Grad...is now training new nurses...Bachelors i presume so she may be in management someday...i say Linfield did a fine job and she took care of the rest . I think many of us don't "feel" prepared to be nurses as we approach getting out into the "real world" of nursing. Had i stayed in Portland i would applied to PCC (actually did most of my pre-reqs there), Linfield, and OHSU...but i have also heard many many good things from CCC so most of it must be true! Good Luck to you!

Mex

Hi, I am also a CCC student but in the cohort a class above the first year students. Let me tell you I have done second and now am in third term. Third term is way more difficult!

CCCRN2b, don't cohort students have to sign a contract to work after they graduate as nurses, AND during school while you are studying? I think working would make school way more difficult during ANY term. What is making spring term way more difficult for you than winter term? For my class, during spring term (our 3rd term), we are going to stay at the same hospital (have you transitioned to a different hospital?), as well as taking the same outside/online pathophys and pharm. No additional classes for my class spring term. Please let me know the reason you are saying third term is way more difficult, I am curious.