Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

An undisclosed high level source whom I promised I would not identify. And I won't.

Try emailing ***** ******** at the college of nursing.

Bo

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

I'm in Level 3 right now, which I must admit is 100% easier than level 1!

Level 1 is INCREDIBLY time consuming. You have class 2 days per week (4 hours each day), lab on another day for about 4 hours, then 2 days of clinical (~8 hours/day if I remember correctly). Plus you have to pick up patient info the day before clinical and look up medications and any other prep work your clinical instructor wants you to do. After clinicals, you have paperwork and careplans due.

What makes it difficult is everything feels like it is in a different language. NANDA terminology and NCLEX questions were so foreign in the beginning. I also felt like we were being weeded out, only the strong survive. Once girl in my clinical group walked out on the second day and never came back.

The best advice I can give is to stay on top of everything and don't procrastinate...I procrastinate like crazy, I don't think I'll ever break that habit!! Buy a good NCLEX review book, I use Saunders, and go over the text and questions that your exam will be on. I've seen some questions on my exams come straight out of that book.

All in all, I think it is a great program. I have heard that level 4 is horribly hard...I'll cross that bridge when I get there!

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

I didn't intentionally plan it this way but all my "basket weaving" classes (English, Psyc, Theater, Speech) will be completed before I even start Level I.

That way, I should have more time for nursing classes and learning.

How do I find out about NANDA terminology before I start nursing level 1?

Thanks,

Bo

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

That's great!!! And I do not know about the NANDA term.

I went to HPB and got the anatomy coloring book yeah (oh and an old journey album... hehe )

I believe I have definitely decided to go LVN then bridge route first... plan on still taking ADN pre-req's this summer and fall, but then applying to VN program end of fall semester... (VN pre-reqs are Intro to A&P, Pharm, and Medical Terminology, but if you take just regular anatomy you have to also take physiology, must have both!)

Also today at info session learned it is a first come first serve basis on acceptance... if one person applies Jan. 1 with a 2.3 (min. required) GPA and then another applies Jan 2. with a 4.0 GPA that first person will be accepted first. I could possibly start next Jan but most likely next fall!

Also thinking of maybe trying Temple College VN program for the Taylor Campus..... I could apply at the end of this year and possibly start next summer.

I am starting to feel excited about my future again...

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

So did ya'll see that ACC has extended the application deadline for the Spring 2010 RN class to August 13th?? This has totally changed my plan of action! So now I am planning on taking my last pre-req, Physiology, this summer and apply for the January 2010 class instead of the August 2010 class. Can anyone recommend a great Physiology professor?? I have heard so many conflicting views on so many professors. My heart broke when **** ****** told me this semester would probably be her last semester teaching it. I am in her Intro to Micro class right now and she is soooo great! I have a friend who just started her first semester in the program and she told me that their class had 20 people who got accepted turn down entry. So they accepted the next 20 in line.

And for anyone asking about Pharmacology, I am taking ***** ***** and she is great. Her lecture note packet that you have to purchase is all the info you need. She tells you exactly what you need to know for the tests, the rest is up to you. The dosage exams are pretty tough. I passed my first was but it took me over 3 hours. I am taking my second one tomorrow in the testing center, so wish me luck.

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

WOW that is awesome!!! I wonder why they have decided to extend the deadline... either way though that is great! Maybe they will extend the fall deadline too. Also that is interesting that 20 people declined!

Thanks for the rec's for professors!

I have not taken physiology yet but I have browsed ACC's teacher websites and found that **** **** has a lot of info on his site. You could browse that and see if it helps? http://www.austincc.edu/rfofi/

Good luck this summer, I am starting anatomy then

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

I am completing my pre reqs this semester at ACC and I took the 5.5 week Anatomy last Summer. I loved it, I have three kids. So, the first step was setting up care for them, they stayed with grand parents for 3 weeks and then I hired a sitter for the other 2 weeks. The reason I am saying this, is that you need to be prepared to focus 100% of your time to studying. Personally, I feel like I have retained more from that class than any of my typical 16 week courses. I took Dr. ****** and she was great, I am currently taking ****** for Physiology and he is tough. I have a 4.0 so far, but I will probably make a B in Physiology- but honestly I am a little burned out, so I have not put much time into it. Too much stress on my plate with husband getting huge pay cut and worry about losing his job. A warning on Physiology in Fall and Spring, unless you have 60 hours at ACC, you will not get first choice, they do not offer enough Phy classes and they fill up very quickly. Maybe you will have better luck in the Summer since most people shy away from Summer courses. BUT, if you watch the class numbers and are willing to change classes after the first week, I noticed a lot of classes had openings. So, if you cant get who you want, just sign up for a class that works and watch for drops. Also, rateyourprof.com is great for professor reviews.

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

Im taking *** ******, ****...HE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!
def. a great class, he makes Physiology class a great learning experience.

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

You sound like me. I am in the same exact point in school you are. I need physiology, pharm, micro. Im in anatomy now and it's pretty hard. Im hoping to apply in the fall for spring admission, but I was under the impression that I could apply during my last semester of pre-req's. I hope we can corrospond sometime.

Re: Austin Community College (ACC)

I don't really have anything wise or helpful to add, but I did want to say that it is very refreshing to see all of this excitement and enthusiasm in the posts going back and forth about completing all of the pre-reqs for nursing. I remember when I was trying to get all of my pre-reqs done, waiting some more to see if I had been accepted and then sweating my way through nursing school. Every day of class & clinicals you're convinced you won't make it one more day, and you do. I feel as though I got an excellent nursing education @ ACC.

I wish all of you well.

oldladyRN