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Hey yall, pre nursing student here, still weighing my options as far as which school Id like to go to for my ADN. Went to my first choice today, and had done a bit of research on it by looking at the schools website and speaking to an advisor and am kind of at a loss for words. Went to their Nursing program info session tonight and this program is two evening a week for a couple hours with a 2 hour clinical once a week? And an occasional Saturday clinical. I never knew they offered that. Anyway, I guess what I'm wondering is can that much info be crammed into two days a week? I thought it would be a legit 2 year program. I'm still learning about al of this so any suggestions or feedback would help. Going to look into my next options this weekend!

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The way my school works is you have 1 clinical day, 1 lab day, 2 lecture days. From what I have been told you have clinicals only 5 days a semester for 12 hours. Alot of that down time is for you to be in the lab, making sure you know your checkoffs and studying. It's not unheard of to have a Test Monday, a Check off Tuesday, a lab wednesday and a clinical thursday. Nursing school is like cram school on crack.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

That doesn't seem like nearly enough clinical time. My program has 12 hours per week clinical plus 4 hours theory lecture per week. Plus 2 hours pharmacology per week.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

And no. The instructors can't possibly teach you what you need to know in 4 hours a week lecture. You have to the reading.

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I understand that. This program is only two evening a week, with a 2 hour clinical a week and an occasional Saturday clinical. I went in believing the advisor who told me it was a 'full-time' program such as Monday through Thursday with a Friday clinical, for the first semester and so on. I'm not looking to 'cram' everything into two days, I just feel like it wouldn't be enough time! I know I am going to study at home as well, this post is strictly about the actual class time.

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Also, when I asked the advisor if I could go to the health science building to speak to an actual nursing program advisor he told me to wait til the info session, which was yesterday. I'm so discouraged with this school!

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

That's nowhere near enough time. Maybe it would work for pre-requisites, but not for actual nursing courses.

Talk to a nursing advisor!

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That's nowhere near enough time. Maybe it would work for pre-requisites, but not for actual nursing courses.

Talk to a nursing advisor!

I was thinking the same thing! Thank you!

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I'm just making sure I'm not crazy and this isn't how 'things work' nowadays. I went to school for social work but realized it's not what I want to do in the end. So I've been out of school for a few years.

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That is not enough. I graduated from a 2 year ADN program in 2014. I had lecture Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Lab was Thursday and Friday. When we switched to clinicals, we had an 8 hr clinical one day (usually Thursday but it depended on the site) and a specialty at some point that same week. Specialty was a clinical dedicated to a specific subtype of nursing - ED, OR, IR, ICU, SCCU, etc. Usually 4-6 hrs.

I'd keep looking, OP.

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That is not enough. I graduated from a 2 year ADN program in 2014. I had lecture Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Lab was Thursday and Friday. When we switched to clinicals, we had an 8 hr clinical one day (usually Thursday but it depended on the site) and a specialty at some point that same week. Specialty was a clinical dedicated to a specific subtype of nursing - ED, OR, IR, ICU, SCCU, etc. Usually 4-6 hrs.

I'd keep looking, OP.

Thanks!! I am going to keep looking :)

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

One more thing...the state you live in specifies a number of hours that need to be completed in clinical experiences in order for you to qualify to take the NCLEX (nursing exam to get your license). Your school has to verify that those hours were completed. The state board of nursing checks every few years, to make sure the school is maintaining adequate requirements and experience for its students. Otherwise the school won't keep it's ability to continue, at least not as a recognized "accredited" school.

As you get into your specialty area clinicals, you could be spending a whole day in clinicals for one course...or even more than 8 hours.

Make sure your school is accredited by your state's board of nursing. That's minimum. Also see if it's accredited by one of the nursing accreditation boards, such as ACEN (Accrediation Commission for Education in Nursing). This can be very important if you want to go on to get higher degrees. It also can mean the difference between whether you are hired after graduation or not.

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