Anyone applying for Bellevue College nursing 2013-2014 program?!

U.S.A. Washington

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Hello!

I am applying this February for the Bellevue College RN program for 2013-2014, I just wanted to see if there is anyone else out there that is applying for that time period as well?!

Where else is everyone applying?! Anyone taken the TEAS yet?

Hi all! Congrats on getting in! Your life will be busy the next two years but make sure to exercise, sleep, and get a good study spot or two. I'm currently in the program starting Med Surg 2 in the Fall and wanted to give you all some info. Please contact me if you need any info or a sanity check at any point.

-If you are pressed for funds hold off on buying all the books. We used Wilkinson Fundamentals w/ CDs, Davis Drug guide, Jarvis Physical Examination & Health Assessments and Nursing Today (early readings assigned but the exact same content was also assigned in Wilkinson). There was exactly one reading in the Med Surg book first quarter, so...

-Buy Fundamentals Success, do problems before exams and read rationales for all answer choices. Discuss with friends to cement why the correct choice is most correct.

-Start looking for patient care exposure; volunteer at a hospital, work as a per diem PCT or CNA, work in child care if you think Peds might be your thing, etc. This will look great on your résumé and provide great networking opportunities for highly competitive new grad positions in our local hospitals. It doesn't have to be extensive hours weekly but the main goal is to interact with specific populations and clients/families outside of clinicals.

-if you can get two sets of scrubs do it. People will puke, defecate or whatever on you. There likely won't be time to do laundry while working on your care plan overnight.

-Get a digital crockpot; Pinterest has many easy recipes

-Nap if it feels right; studying in huge blocks is a killer and often a waste of time. Napping secures the info for the future. If you run out of study time for a test, choose sleep.

Overall, remember that you are where you were meant to be. Have fun! You are amazing!

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Thanks HazelGrace! I do have a question since you are in the nursing program. I am planning to work as much as possible while in school, how doable do you feel doable working is while in the program? I am a CNA at Evergreen, and work full time day shift, and will move to evening shift when school starts and I am just curious as to how much I'll be able to work. I retain information pretty well, and did pretty good in all my prerequisite classes.

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Leahlynne: The first three weeks are loaded with classes, lab time, and appointments at clinical sites for computer training and badging. If you are used to working and going to school I think you could do it. The only problem I could see is times not lining up to make it work on time. The class is split to give everyone ample time in lab; no switching because it's based on clinical groups. For example, I had mornings twice a week 9-12 but others had 1-4. My classmate also works at Evergreen and she does 3 days a week evenings. Her days were fixed, as I assume yours are, and she was able to arrange switches once the quarter calendar was available. She made it through first quarter fine but second quarter was a struggle because the reading is actually important, she had to switch to an occasional night shift because her clinical days switched during second quarter (we were Th, F; she got moved to Tu, Wed). All but 5 students worked in some capacity first quarter and many kept their full time jobs. Basically, it depends on the class and clinical schedule given but flexibility at your employment is key. Oh, the quarter schedule changes often; we had 7 editions before the second week of class.

In sum: yes, you can work. There are many days that you won't have much to do besides go to an appointment for skills testing (there was a day I was on campus for all of 15 minutes). When clinicals start it is not uncommon to have an entire day off because you won't be going to lab much. I had Wednesdays and Mondays off for 7 weeks around clinical times due to all the holidays in Winter. Weekends would be the way to go since they don't interfere with classes then add a weekday in here and there.

Congrats again on getting in!

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Thanks! Very helpful! I was worried I would have to cut back a ton! Thanks for all the information!

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I have a question for you also, if you don't mind. We are a vehicle-less family since we live in Belltown. In your description about what your days were like, it sounds like you have to travel quite a bit between campus, clinical sites and home. My clinicals are in West Seattle for the first quarter and I'm already worried I'm going to be on busses for hours at a time. Should I brace myself for that? Did you find yourself feeling like you were perpetually on the road to somewhere? Going all the way to campus by bus for a 15min quiz would...suck. Going to West Seattle by bus before the crack of dawn is going to...suck. I'm beginning to feel like we should get a car....

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I take the bus 90% of the time from Northgate area. My commute was almost 1.75 hours each way because of connections from my poorly located part of town. I have the option to take an earlier commuter bus that gets me directly there but it's not relevant each day as the schedule is random and the bus is only available for three runs in the morning and evening. The other 10% that I actually drove, I had other appointments on the Eastside or wanted to go hiking in Issaquah after class.

If you live in Belltown you have great access to buses. Take Sound Transit 554 and get off at Eastgate P&R--a 25 min ride, it's a

Clinicals are a whole other story. You have to be on time. If you know who will be in your clinical group you can carpool to West Seattle (Mt. St. Vincent's, I presume) especially if they live by you or are willing to come pick you up. I did a carpool in exchange for lunches. Metro says that it's only 25 mins at 5:30am to get to Mt. St. Vincent's on the C-Line or the 21 from near the Belltown Inn. You would be there by 6-6:10am. Not sure what time your clinicals will officially start but from what I remember the instructor will designate a time that the group HAS to be there by. Prior to the start of clinical go out and do a dry run of getting there on the bus in the early morning to see if it will work for you.

Overall, you will be fine without a car given your current location. I would get a clinical buddy that you can carpool with just to be safe. The Sound Transit trips can be expensive so look into getting a discounted pass from the school.

I have a question for you also, if you don't mind. We are a vehicle-less family since we live in Belltown. In your description about what your days were like, it sounds like you have to travel quite a bit between campus, clinical sites and home. My clinicals are in West Seattle for the first quarter and I'm already worried I'm going to be on busses for hours at a time. Should I brace myself for that? Did you find yourself feeling like you were perpetually on the road to somewhere? Going all the way to campus by bus for a 15min quiz would...suck. Going to West Seattle by bus before the crack of dawn is going to...suck. I'm beginning to feel like we should get a car....
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Thank you for all the info this is very helpful and very much appreciated!

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Forgot "Cox's Clinical Applications of Nursing Diagnosis" in the earlier list of books needed for 1st Quarter.

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HazelGrace, you are amazing. Done. The end. OMG. Thank you!!!

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Thanks for the tips! I think I'm going to go into the actual store to order as they also have the shoes I intend to get (the nursemate shoes are amazing!)

I am so glad we have so much time to prep! I started the VA online registration stuff and it seems once you sign in, you have 5 days to do some sort of training. If I read correctly, it can take 4 hours! Wow!

Also, I intend to get in touch with Lisa or Chie as many of our required books have more recent editions than those listed. Has anybody asked about that yet? $500+ in my Amazon shopping cart right now with the older editions! I'm curious if we'll have such humongous book lists each quarter or if this list covers most of the basics.

Also, Danielle! If I'm not mistaken, we met yesterday in the parking area...twice!

I actually asked Lisa about the newer additions of the books and she said we should just get the ones on the list because those are the additions she will be teaching from as she does not have time to update all of her materials.

On another note, Barnes & Noble is having a sale on textbooks online and shipping is free. They were WAY cheaper than on the Elsevier site. Amazon has the Med-Surg book for the lowest price that could find ($100.03 new).

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Wow! Well, this is disappointing! I ordered all of my books super early and got the newest editions after receiving this exact email response from Lisa: "Yes get the newer editions." That was back at the end of June. Too late to return my books. This is not a thrilling revelation for me!

Thanks for the information anyway.

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Wow! Well, this is disappointing! I ordered all of my books super early and got the newest editions after receiving this exact email response from Lisa: "Yes get the newer editions." That was back at the end of June. Too late to return my books. This is not a thrilling revelation for me!

Thanks for the information anyway.

She said to get the newer additions? That is really annoying because I asked her in June too and she said get the editions on book list.

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