Rhode Island College School of Nursing-- BSN Program

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 3, 2010

Hello, I will be transferring into RIC with an Associates Degree in the spring of 2011 and will be carrying along with me 75 transferable credits (out of 100.5 lol - yes I went to a school way up in the Rockie Mountains so the longer I went to school the more I could ski *:giggle:*) and approx. a 3.2 GPA. I do have A&P completed but feel that my grades are not as high as I would like them (part 2 was taken in the winter... in winter time I used to not be the greatest student, lol - but that has changed for sure) so I might retake - plus it has been about 6 years since finishing those course studies.
Anyways, I have 3 small children and was planning on taking the 230 (Human Development) and 105 (Chemistry) in the spring. BUT now I am understanding that I will have to wait until AFTER orientation to register for courses, this will be Jan! I just looked at the courses and 230 is closed and 105 has one seat left in the hour I NEED. To make it work with my children and balancing Kindergarten and childcare I really REALLY need these exact courses at these exact times.... This educational/career choice and starting it in the spring is essential to my children and myself.
Is this common for the first semester to not be able to get any courses you need to take? I can not be taking fluff... (I have done enough of that) I need to get this done. Are there waitlists? What are the chances of getting into a course if put on a wait list? Are you able to talk to the professor in allowing you to register for the course though full or is the class size set in stone and once full its full?
Hope I made some sense. It is late and I am tired. lol. But I had to write and ask people who have been there and done that before I go to bed in hopes of waking up tomorrow with some answers I seek. :)
Thank you in advance for your time!
~Ashley

Hi,

My name is Chris, I'm a senior level student at RIC and let me start by saying 'Welcome to RIC' and next by saying that it will all work out for you (one way or another). It is very common in the pre-req. classes for them to be full when you apply but just show up the first day with a notebook and sit through the first class. Speak to the professor and ask if you can be added to the class, someone always ends up dropping the class and usually they can make room for you. Once your in then your golden, take it from me though. Take your time doing the classes! I know it seems like you're in a rush to get them done so you can get into the program but you really want to take your time and do a good job and that way you can have a higher GPA and be more likely to get into the program when you apply for the first time. Establish good study habits now and make sure to keep all of the pre-req. notes handy just in case you need them later (you'd be surprised when you might need to review your A&P or Chemistry). Good luck and let us know if you need anything.

!Chris :specs:

ash0607 · Nov 3, 2010

Hi,
My name is Chris, I'm a senior level student at RIC and let me start by saying 'Welcome to RIC' and next by saying that it will all work out for you (one way or another). It is very common in the pre-req. classes for them to be full when you apply but just show up the first day with a notebook and sit through the first class. Speak to the professor and ask if you can be added to the class, someone always ends up dropping the class and usually they can make room for you. Once your in then your golden, take it from me though. Take your time doing the classes! I know it seems like you're in a rush to get them done so you can get into the program but you really want to take your time and do a good job and that way you can have a higher GPA and be more likely to get into the program when you apply for the first time. Establish good study habits now and make sure to keep all of the pre-req. notes handy just in case you need them later (you'd be surprised when you might need to review your A&P or Chemistry). Good luck and let us know if you need anything.
!Chris

Hello Chris and Thank you for your positive words. *:hug:* I definitely understand about taking my time, I am close to being 30 (in a few years) and well play time is over. (At least in a sense where education is concerned). This is so VERY important to my children and myself and success is crucial. You know you speak of study habits and boy oh boy did I learn the hard way on that one. I had one of the most AMAZING A&P professors (she was was a RN and had a masters in Nursing education, is that right name? lol You know what I am trying to say I hope) anyways she taught the class in a way she said was equal to Pre-Med/Med school course work. Lets just say she worked our brains out goods. *:giggle:* Anyways, my point is she gave us TONS and I mean tons of useful material to use as references as we went through school and well I moved and tossed it all!!! Stupid. I am still kicking myself. So I completely agree on protecting those references and notes as you go through your school and even after. I guess some things we have to learn the hard way, huh? lol.

All and all I am just so excited to be starting this new chapter and just feel that the overgrown trail have been on for a while now is about to converge with a more discernible path in the near future.

Again Thank you Chris for your support. It is nice to find others who are going or have went though the same processes. :)

eta: my notebook is already out and ready. lol.

MiniDachshund<3er · Nov 7, 2010

from YisuberValerio

Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2010

Posts: 3

Oct 20, 2010, 04:51 PM

Hello i was a originaly an education major when i realized that the education program at RIC sucked! now i am a nursing major and i think all the sciences are interesting. Yes its odd! lol... well i am wondering i got all my GED out of the way. next semester i will take anatomy, chem 106, and physiology. I am only taking those three but i will be full time plus i think thats enough on my plate. I took micro, psyc 230 . I only need the nursing classes left. My issue is that my GPA will be around 2.9 or 3.0.. so i am afraid i might not get accepted, what would i do then? take a semester off? will they allow me to take basic nursing courses, or drug calculations atleast? my last resort is to transfer to ccri, but i really want my BSN?

Hi YisuberValerio,

Anatomy and chem 106 alone will be enough on your plate. Make sure you keep those grades up as high as possible. But you cannot take physiology until you have completed anatomy. You cant take them together. Anatomy is the pre-req. to physiology. The committee focuses on anatomy, psych. 230, and chem 106 grades. They do not by any means disregard all other grades, but because these are the minimum entrance requirements, they take these 3 courses into high consideration. You say your gpa is a 2.9-3.0, you need to get it higher. I was accepted Spring 2010, and it took me two applications to get in and I applied my first time with a 3.7, and didnt get in, I got in the second time with a 3.7 again. Then again, I was also a transfer student. The lowest GPA I have heard from a fellow nursing student was a 3.3, and that was after 3 applications to the program, they were not a transfer student. If you do not get accepted your first time, you can take a semester off if you want, but that wouldn't help things. I would take more courses to get my GPA higher. Every semester is a new batch of applications, they do not take into consideration if you have applied before, meaning there is no advantage to having prior applications. (It says that on the actual application.) You are not allowed to take the basic nursing courses (nurs-220, 222, 223, 224) until you are accepted to the program. I am pretty sure you can take dosage calculations if you want, its only 1 credit, and its not required to graduate. I have not taken it and I start psych. and maternity clinical in Spring 2011. You take a medication calc. exam in 223 that you must score a 90 or higher to pass and move onto clinical. I hope this helps! Good luck with your courses and getting to the program! Keep that chem 106 and anatomy grades up! :)

MiniDachshund<3er · Nov 15, 2010

mcb5603...I got your message but I cannot reply via "private messaging" because I have to have 15 posts (or something like that) to have the privilege of private messaging. I can however email (according to Allnurses.com FAQ's). So if you would like to send me an email I can answer your questions. :)

MiniDachshund<3er · Nov 15, 2010

Also...I was looking at RIC's nursing website and it looks like admission requirements have changed a little bit. (Rumor had it last year they were changing the requirements a bit). The minimum overall GPA is now 3.0, and combined GPA for the 3 pre pre-req's (anatomy, chem 106, and psych 230) is a minimum 2.67 (B-). When I applied, which was for the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010, minimum GPA overall was 2.7, and the minimum grades for the 3 pre-req's were C's. I think they are trying to cut down a bit on the applications because of, the already very high, competitiveness. Good luck to everyone applying. :)

School of Nursing - Admission Requirements

tmariee · Nov 20, 2010

Hello, I'm so thankful for this thread! I have tons of questions. I am a freshmen at RIC, just about finishing up my first semester. I feel as though I'm falling a little bit behind and it just keeps getting worse. This semester I'm taking Psych110, Bio108, Writing100, and Sociology: The family. I decided not to take chem because i wanted to do really good in the classes and i felt as though taking chem and bio at the same time would hurt my scores... well i was wrong, my grades are still suffering. I am averaging an B- in sociology, B- in psych, C- in bio, and A in writing100. I'm trying my hardest to pull my sociology and psych grade up but with bio.. i almost feel as if I'm giving up. It is not like me to give up at all but i am finding it tremendously hard to study for the exams for lecture. (i'm doing good in lab but my professor told me that lab does hardly anything to change your grade, of course) I'm taking gonsalves right now... I'm not accustomed to his teaching style at all. I have two more exams for his class coming up soon. I feel as though i can get my grade up to at least a c+ and that will be enough to go on to the next biology but i'm not sure how it works after that. Obviously my GPA will be suffering, so my hopes are sort of shot down for getting in the nursing program on the first shot. But how do I get my GPA up after that? Am i suppose to take Bio108 again?

Also, how many people apply to the program and how many of them actually get in? I'm planning to apply Fall of 2011.

I also feel like I'm the only one suffering with the classes, but I'm sure that that's not true. I can't help but think that I completely screwed myself over with this one... :/

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 20, 2010

Hello, I'm so thankful for this thread! I have tons of questions. I am a freshmen at RIC, just about finishing up my first semester. I feel as though I'm falling a little bit behind and it just keeps getting worse. This semester I'm taking Psych110, Bio108, Writing100, and Sociology: The family. I decided not to take chem because i wanted to do really good in the classes and i felt as though taking chem and bio at the same time would hurt my scores... well i was wrong, my grades are still suffering. I am averaging an B- in sociology, B- in psych, C- in bio, and A in writing100. I'm trying my hardest to pull my sociology and psych grade up but with bio.. i almost feel as if I'm giving up. It is not like me to give up at all but i am finding it tremendously hard to study for the exams for lecture. (i'm doing good in lab but my professor told me that lab does hardly anything to change your grade, of course) I'm taking gonsalves right now... I'm not accustomed to his teaching style at all. I have two more exams for his class coming up soon. I feel as though i can get my grade up to at least a c+ and that will be enough to go on to the next biology but i'm not sure how it works after that. Obviously my GPA will be suffering, so my hopes are sort of shot down for getting in the nursing program on the first shot. But how do I get my GPA up after that? Am i suppose to take Bio108 again?
Also, how many people apply to the program and how many of them actually get in? I'm planning to apply Fall of 2011.
I also feel like I'm the only one suffering with the classes, but I'm sure that that's not true. I can't help but think that I completely screwed myself over with this one... :/

Its nice to meet you. I'm glad you came here to post. I'm Chris by the way, I'm a senior as you might have read and I know how you feel when it comes to struggling with classes. I took the same professor for Bio 108 (although you can't mention a professor by name on this website) and he is difficult but you can pass this class! I would suggest if your having a difficult time perhaps you should go to OASIS for some studying help and try to meet with a Biology tutor to get some extra help (that's what the college pays them for!) You still have two exams and you can pull your grade back up.

!Chris :specs:

fetta818 · Jan 3, 2011

Hi! I have 223 this spring which means I have to get my scrubs, stethoscope, etc. I was wondering, how much should I expect to spend on everything? And do I need to get it all now or should I wait until classes start? Thanks

MiniDachshund<3er · Jan 3, 2011

You can get everything right at Alexander's uniform in Warwick. The scrubs do take a few weeks to come in (they need to be embroidered with RIC nursing info.) I would order them soon just to be safe. They do tend to get backed up just a little bit as the semester nears and everyone is rushing to get them. You don't need the scrubs for fundamentals until clinical, which is 8? weeks in? You need the scrubs for your first (and all 3) performance tests in health assessment though, which I think is about 3 weeks into the semester. You will need your stethoscope and blood pressure cuff definitely for the second week of health assess. Reflex hammer and pen light is a a few weeks into the semester. You will also need your nurse pack from the book store for the second week (and rest of semester in the nursing lab) for fundamentals. Materials cost (from the best of my memory):

scrubs: $22 for top and $24 for bottoms, not including embroidering, lab coat/lab coat nursing patch, and name pin

stethoscope: Littman II classic, $130.00

BP cuff: $18

reflex hammer: $6

pen light: $5

You also get a 20% discount at Alexanders for being a RIC nursing student, they might ask for your student ID for verification...

Hope this helps! :) Good luck! I just finished 223 and 224. Its not bad at all.

fetta818 · Jan 3, 2011

Thanks for that info! Definitely helpful.... one more question lol.. what about shoes? Is there a specific kind or color you have to get?

MiniDachshund<3er · Jan 4, 2011

Shoes for fundamentals have to be white. (My professor said that later in the program, some professors may allow black) But for fundamentals, white shoes are a must. They can be all white sneakers (leather, no cloth b/c of risk of bodily fluid splashing and inability to easily clean contaminated cloth), or white nursing shoes. I was trying to save a little money, and I bought all white sneakers ($50). Lets just say this semester, I splurged and bought a nice pair of Dansko nursing shoes at Alexanders ($85 after discount). My feet were killing me in the sneakers after an 8 hour day on my feet!

fetta818 · Jan 4, 2011

Ok, cool. I will go with some white danskos then.