Anyone attending Walla Walla Community College?

anonynurse · Jul 6, 2008

I'd be happy to share my experiences with you, but I will avoid saying anything that will ID me personally.

The education you'll get there is very good, and I have no complaints about the content at all. All of us would have wished for more clinical hours, but there is a limit to what can be done in 2 years. The clinical experiences are for the most part positive, and the clinical instructors are there to make sure you become the best nurse you can be. That being said, you will have to learn to negotiate the various personalities. One instructor in particular is known by the catch phrase, "we are all adult learners here...." which is true enough, but I STILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT!!

Brenda just moved from being the lab instructor to being a first year instructor, and she is a gem. She is a great teacher and expects a lot but is also willing to give you solid guidance, which is a great combination in my opinion.

As far as class work goes, what ever you do, do not fall behind. Do assignments as soon as they are given to you, and do not miss any of them. You'll need the points, plus, if you let everything build up you won't have time to concentrate on your competencies toward the end of the term. So, get those papers, VCE's etc done NOW. So what if you haven't gone over the material in class yet? Look it up yourself and get going!!

To prepare for class, read the assignments in the book lightly, almost skimming, just to get an idea of what will be discussed. Then go to class, pay attention, take notes, and concentrate on the material from class. There will be questions over information given verbally but not included in the PP packet they give you, so listen up! Ninety percent or more of the questions come from the lecture, the PP, and the reading directly related to the lecture and PP. When you start reading stuff not in the lecture, you can safely stop. Use the study questions, the NCLEX perp book and disk, and the other resources they give you. Ask if you are not sure because they rarely actually give all the needed information to the group for some reason. The instructors are approachable and have an open door policy, so don't be shy.

Start studying your ATI material they give you immediately, as this will prepare you for the NCLEX. Just divide the material up so many pages a day and stay ahead of the curve. I accept your grateful thank-you for that bit of advice in advance. :) The first year we took the test on Fundamentals, Maternal Newborn, Pharmacology, and Nutrition if I remember correctly.

Get involved in the student government and the blood drive some of the now second year students just started if you have the time. It is a valuable experience in learning a thing or two about people and organizations.

Do not say what you think either at school (fellow students under stress can be rats no matter how nice they seem) or in the clinical setting. All is well, everything is fine, and nothing is problem, ever. I have never net such a sensitive, back-biting bunch in my life as here in WW. I am not from here either, and it is a whole new world. Any expression of dissatisfaction is taken seriously, like an affront, as opposed to the simple expression of stress it usually is, and if you think they don't play favorites you're still young! :) Any criticism, even if it aimed at making improvements, alerting the staff of a potential problem, and is not at all personal will be taken personally, and as a reflection on the WW nursing program, and nursing as a whole. Just be quiet and smile a lot. You'll be glad you did. I am not speaking from personal experience but from what I observed. I'm naturally quiet. Thankfully!

One of the hospitals in town (the larger of the two full service hosiptals) has a reputation for having employees who tattle at the drop of the hat. Keep to yourself and don't socialize except to exchange pleasantries. You'll be glad you did. Stay out of the nurses station and hover near the patient room or spend time "reviewing" your charting (ie keeping head down and mouth shut). The other hospital in town is not like that at all, so this situation is really facility dependent.

The classwork is not that difficult, but there is a lot of it. If you are having problems get help immediately. Listen to what the instructors are saying about how to think and how to test well. They actually know what they are doing and have a fine program designed to bring you along effectively, so pay attention and get the most out of it. Many students agree that the prerequisites were more difficult than the lecture material, the trick is to learn what to concentrate on and to learn how to read the questions properly.

The key to clinicals is paying attention in campus lab, thinking before you act and thinking before you ask silly questions, and do what you are told. As obvious as that last statement is, it is surprising just how often people fail to do just that.

If you have any other questions let me know. I'd be glad to pass on my experiences. As long as you are willing to work hard and learn and you are flexible, you'll be fine.

One more thing. flexibility. Egads. What a disorganized mess! Schedule changes, people scheduling clinical experiences without checking with the facilities first (telling student to arrive at the wrong hours or days), and generally just mucking it up. They tried to blame all the confusion this last year on the fact that the lead instructor just took over that position and that they moved to a new building, but let's be honest. The nursing program has a reputation for being disorganized and has had it for years. It is just the way it is, so if you embrace the confusion you'll be much less stressed, and if you can kind of detach yourself from it all, it can be a rather amusing little play put on for our amusement. Or, you can get upset and complain, and get a bad reputation, and get bounced because you have an unteachable attitude. It's your choice.

Rent is not cheap, gas is some of the most expensive in the state, but it is a nice, quiet and relatively safe place to live. There is very little crime here, and people are very friendly, so you should enjoy the rest of the town - on those rare occasions you're not studying....

dukesgal · Jul 7, 2008

Thank you so much for sharing your insight with me!

I have heard that in general, nursing students should just pay attention, keep their opinions to themselves and generally stay off the radar. I think this is good advice in general, and fortunately I am also a pretty quiet person that doesn't like to make waves.

Are the ATI tests done at the end of every quarter? I have been anticipating the content of material we will learn, and I know the key is to learn to think more critically and stay on top of assignments - but it is refreshing to hear that from someone w/ first hand knowledge.

Also, would you have find it helpful to brush up on any A&P - or anything specifically I could study during the summer that would benefit me to study before school begins?

We are supposed to be getting our letters sometime this month regarding textbooks, uniforms and supplies we will need to purchase, so at this point all I can do is wait.

Thanks again!

anonynurse · Jul 7, 2008

The ATI tests are done at random times, not just the end of each term.

As far as A&P goes, just familiarizing yourself with the injection sites and the landmarks for those may be enough. Go over information related to fluid and electrolyte balances (diffusion, osmosis etc) and make certain you really understand that. That section gave some folks fits! Also, go back and take a look at your nutrition class material in terms of what vitamins do what and so forth. There are a fair number of questions throughout the year over choosing the right diet for the given condition, so a review of that material would serve you well. I wouldn't go overboard, though. Relax and enjoy your summer. A hour a day should serve you well, and perhaps less depending on your comfort level.

If you take advantage of the resources and you apply yourself, you should be very well prepared for your boards. They do seem to do a very good job of making certain you are as prepared as possible to pass the exam. Your books will come with disks and with online resources. Go through those and get familiar with them so you can use them as needed. Questions on the lecture tests often come directly from either the Saudnders book, the nclex review questions in the book or the disk, or straight off of the in class activities and quizzes. Do not loose those. If they mark an answer correct on one and then wrong on the test (yes, it happens) you have proof and may be able to get your point back. Trust me, you'll want those points. Plus, they are a good study tool.

The first term is not like the next two,so do not be fooled. It was chock full of touchy-feely PC sort of junk, and I kept thinking that if this is what nursing is I quit! However, winter and spring term get into more of what I had expected, which was good. The second year covers the same body systems as the first year (more or less) but in much more depth.

One more thing. Some students study in a group, others alone. I found that group study did not suit me well because I often ended up the resource for everyone else, spent my time teaching them, but didn't really accomplish much for myself. Therefore, my time was better spent studying alone. Just something to consider so you make the most of your time.

Rotifer · Feb 6, 2009

I know this is old but I had to revive it. Excellent description of WWCC! Heh!

dukesgal · Feb 7, 2009

Well, what is ironic is that this year is the year the NLN is coming to do the accreditation.

I have been told there are many students torn between praising the program and voicing their concerns..

Barbie Hanna · Sep 8, 2011

hi iam hanna hope someone could get at my quistion soon lol, i dk what college i want to end up applying for walla walla community college rn program or CBC wich one is the easyist one to get into? i dont want to get the wrong pre regs for the college that i will have to waite on cuse i know math is my weekness and walla wall gos up to intermediate math and cbs is college algebra. walla walla washington seems more realistic for me to compleate

Barbie Hanna · Sep 8, 2011

sorry for my spelling guys lol:)