Any FCCJ students?

RNKITTY04 · Jan 13, 2004

Jen,

I know we are considered "the redheaded" step children at FCCJ but "St Johns" really is a good nursing school. I will be graduating with the first class to come out of Orange Park, we have all new excellent instructors, and the class sizes are small. (for now) I guess we will just have to prove ourselves to the FCCJ people. Anyway, think about applying to St Johns before the word gets out!

Good Luck with whatever you choose.

Patty

Class of 2004

jenc73 · Jan 13, 2004

patty, where do you go to attend class? Is St.Johns college in st.johns county? Is it considered a community college? I live in the very very west of Jax, so if its in st. augustine, that is a really long drive for me. I am really intrested in any information you can get me tho, in case I am not accepted into the program at FCCJ. How are you liking the instructors?

Thanks, Jen

RNKITTY04 · Jan 13, 2004

My classes are at Orange Park Medical Center, most of our clinicals are done there, but we did go to a couple different places for OB and Mental Health last semester. I truely love my instructors, they are tough but fair.

I would put my degree and NCLEX pass rate against FCCJ anyday:)

Here is the address to St Johns webpage: http://www.sjrcc.edu

Let me know if you need anymore info!

ggfifirn05 · Jan 14, 2004

Hey Jen! I've just started my 2nd semester @ FCCJ School of Nursing. It took me two tries to get in, even with a 4.0 GPA (I didn't have enough "points" to make the cut-off the first try). I started last Sept in day classes, which are 2 1/2 days a week. My schedule was: Pharmacology Tuesday 0900-1200, Physical Assessment Tuesday 1300-1500; Clinical Techniques Wednesday from 0800-1500 (this is the class where you also have your clinicals...six weeks at a hospital, and one clinical day at a LTC facility), and Nursing Concepts Friday 0900-1200. You also have a self-study Math for Medications (Drug Dosage Calculations) module to do...you have to pass that test before you can do your clinicals, in order to pass meds/give injections, etc.

The bottom line was that it was very stressful...I thought I was well prepared, and mature and disciplined (I am a "non-traditional" student of 47 years old), but guess because this is a totally alien field for me, I found I had to learn to speak a new language, and am still learning the "ropes" of my 2nd career. FCCJ has some issues, which I will be quite happy to PM you about, but the school is well aware of the problems, and is addressing them this summer (that's why they aren't having a session start in May, like they normally do). A new nursing school director started last July, and she really seems to be trying to straighten the problems out (don't know if you heard about the "cheating scandal" that involved last year's 4th semester students, but there was a lot of media coverage...it had a BIG impact on the way we are now tested). But I still think FCCJ is the way to go; it is cheaper than JU or UNF, and you can get out in the workforce as an RN quicker (which is the route I wanted to take) than going for your BSN at one of those other local universities. I also know that JU and UNF take much fewer students per session, and their waiting lists are longer.

I've heard good things about St. Johns River Community College, and if I hadn't been accepted @ FCCJ, that was where I planned on trying next. I don't think that program is accredited yet, but its still new. but I know it takes a few years to get accreditation for a new program.

Good luck in your search. BTW, all the nursing core classes are held at the North Campus of FCCJ, on Dunn Ave, so it is quite a drive! Let me know if you would like more information...

jenc73 · Jan 15, 2004

I do have lots more questions.

Why did you not get in on your first try? Do you get more points if you were turned down before? I want to apply in October, to try to get a January start. I think I am going to go take the NET now, so if its low, I can take it again in the summer. I think I read somewhere in my FCCJ papers it can only be taken once every three months or something like that...am I correct? By the end of summer session I will have completed everything but sociology and a humanities. So when I take my nursing courses, I wont have to take anything else. How many students do they accept each term? If I do just the nursing courses, will it take me the full 2 years? Are there set course you have to take each semester, or can you take as little or as many as you can? I'll probaly have more questions later as they come...LOL...I dont want to overwhelm you. It is so hard to get someone on the phone at the college these days.

When you didnt get into the program the first time around, what did you do? Did you take some more classes or just wait?

Also, I checked out the website for st.johns, and i think I am going to apply there as well, but they do require a nutrion class.

ggfifirn05 · Jan 15, 2004

Jen,

Don't worry...I've already been overwhelmed with nursing school...it is very challenging, but if that is what YOU really want, then you can and will do it.

I didn't get in the 1st try because I only had about 150 pts (based on your grades & credit hours, i.e.: an A in Microbiology, a 4 credit hr class, is worth 16 points, a B in College Algebra, a 3 hr class, is 9 points, etc.) and the "cut-off" for accepting students that semester was around 170 points. They take 120 day students each semester (10 "sections" of 12 students); and I hear they get about 300-400 applicants for each session. So it is very competitve.

When I applied the 1st time, I was currently enrolled in Microbiology and Sociology, so I couldn't use those classes toward my points...you have to have a final grade posted on your transcript to use for points. However, the application paperwork they give you (have you requested that yet? If not, keep trying to contact them, and have it mailed to you...that will help answer alot of your questions) says you can apply once you've completed English Comp, A & P I and II, Chemistry (I used my high school chem class toward my points, and it was only a C...so lower point value) and I think College Algebra...anyway, like I said, I was competing for a spot against students that had already completed more of their prereqs, with perhaps higher grades, so they had more points than me. I was disappointed when I didn't get in, but that just made me work that much harder to get in the next time, and in the long run, it worked out better that I started in Sept. '03. I finished up all my prereqs (I just had Humanities left to take) and even took a Nutrition class toward SJRCC's prereqs just in case I wasn't accepted the 2nd time (you'll need it anyway if you plan on going on for your BSN, which I plan to do once I've started working)...I had about 200 points when I applied the 2nd time.

The actual nursing core classes take 16 months to complete (4 semesters). You have to take them in a certain order. If you are accepted but still have some prereqs to complete (like Humanities or Human Growth/Development) you have to take those while taking your core classes in the 1st two semesters. And as I've mentioned, the 1st semester is very intense with 12 credit hours, so it would be better to take any last prereqs in the 2nd semester. And remember, the nursing core classes are all up at the North Campus on Dunn Avenue.

I urge you to request their application paperwork, because it spells all this out in detail. You also have to have CPR/BLS certification, and all your immunizations need to be up-to-date (MMR, Hep B, TB test, etc.)by the time school starts. Mine weren't, so I had to run around the few weeks between being accepted and school starting and get that all taken care of...I was still working full-time, so it was kind of stressful!

Hope that answers your questions. I know its a lot of information, but that's the way nursing school is...info overload! They start to prepare you before you've even gone to orientation! Let me know if you have any more questions...

jenc73 · Jan 15, 2004

Thanks for the information. You said it takes 16 months, four semesters...Is this including the summer session? I am just wondering if I get in and start in January, when will I graduate?

My hubby is retiring from the military soon which is why I am so concerned.

Also, the times you listed for the classes. Is there a choice what time you take a class, like a list of the classes and times, and you pick when you want to take it, or is it set forth, for say everyone in the nursing program.

I know, I am a pain in the butt!!

I got what looks to be an application packet the other day from my student sucess office, It did help me understand the points.

How did you do on the NAT? Was it hard?

O.k, I will leave you alone now.

ggfifirn05 · Jan 18, 2004

You're not being a pain...you just have questions that you would like answered! And believe me, the nursing office won't answer these questions even if you were able to get thru to them on the phone...they aren't very forthcoming with information.

Anyway, it is 16 months (4 semesters) straight thru. I started in September, so I will graduate in the next year's December. So for you, if you start in January, you will graduate at the end of April a year later (not sure when the actual "graduation" will be, but the semester will end at the end of April).

Unfortunately, you get to pick very little! They have a very structured program set up (which does seem to work well) of 10 groups of 12 students each, known as "blocks" or "sections", based on class days/instructors/clinical sites. On your orientation day, you have a lottery drawing to draw a number, and are given a list of which blocks/sections meet on which days, with which teachers and clinical sites. You pick the block that is best for you...whether class days, or what hospital you'd like to work at, or which teacher(s) you want, and then they register you based on which block you choose. Of course, since its a lottery, they go in number order, say the 1st ten students, then the next 10, etc. So the more popular classes - those with the popular clinical sites or teachers - fill up fast. In my case, my friends that had made it into the program too drew lower lottery numbers than mine which was high ( I think I had 78, and they had in the 20s somewhere), so they choose the block that did clinicals @ St. Vincent's (that is where we all wanted to go). Plus, the days that block met for classes worked out for those who still are working, too. By the time they got to my group of lottery numbers, all the St. Vincent's blocks were filled, as was my 2nd choice. So I ended up being registered for the Shand's Hospital block. And it was all for nothing, since my clinical teacher quit about a month into school, and was replaced with a teacher that also works as a CCU nurse @ Memorial, so we ended up doing our clinicals there. Does this make sense to you? I know its very confusing, even as I read it back to myself! :confused:

You do the same for each semester to get "registered" for the class days/clinical sites/teachers you want...at our registration for 2nd semester, they strongly encouraged us to trade lottery numbers with other students to get in the number block we wanted to be with our friends. I lucked out this time and got number 65 1st, but found someone who wanted that number who happened to have number 9, which was close to what my friends had, so we switched, and I got the classes and teachers I wanted.

I did ok on the NAT the first time, except for the math section ( I am math challenged at times). So when I wasn't accepted the first time, I did retake it, and did much better (it was the same, exact test, and I remembered alot of the questions. Plus, I had taken A & P 2 and Micro by that time, and that boosted my scores even more, helping out with those points again!).

Well, I think that answers all you questions for now. BTW, my husband is retired navy also, but he retired back in '92...seems like forever ago! Every now and then I wish I could find a boat to stick him on for a few months...if you know what I mean! Please let me know if you need further insight to this insane process...I swear they make it complicated just to get you warmed up for the challenge of nursing school!

jenc73 · Jan 18, 2004

Thanks so much!! I have alot better understanding now. Basically, I have four children ages 1-11 and I am starting early trying to figure out what times I am going to need child care.

Isnt it funny to you how many people move to Jacksonville for the military and end up staying after they retire? My dad was stationed here for 80-84, and when he got out in 1990, this is where my parents decided to come back to. My husband and I have decided to stay after retirement also. Out of 18 years, we have manged to stay in the Jax are for 10 years now. Its been great!

chellelynn97 · Jan 20, 2004

I'm currently finishing up Microbiology and Psychology at FCCJ and I will be taking the NAT tomorrow. Thanks for all of the 411 about the program You are so right that no one will give you any answers. I do want to clarify that I did speak to the nursing office and they will be having a summer term start this year. Also in the fall there might be additional preqs for the program.

ggfifirn05 · Jan 20, 2004

Chellelynn,

Its good to hear that they will be having a summer session after all...there are so many applicants waiting to get into the program. They must have straightened out the "problems" quicker than they anticipated. I know they hired some very good teachers just as the September session started, with alot of nursing education experience, and I think that helped to turn things around quickly.

Good luck with your NAT...it really wasn't that bad. One other thing, once you are accepted, you have to take the NET, to just get a feel for where you "are" on your math/reading/social skills. Its not a pass/fail thing but just lets the school know if you need remedial help on anything. Then at the end of the first semester you take the CAP test, which tests what you've learned in Pharmacology and Concepts...the day I took mine, I had just failed my IV insertion/drug calculation/piggyback, so I was really shaken, and did not do very well. Again, not a pass/fail thing, just tells them where you stand...I think its more to see how well the teachers are "teaching" us. (I did retake the simulation a week later and passed with flying colors! But the simulations are very stressful...all I can say is practice, practice practice!)