Anyone applied to UF's accelerated BSN?

mcs1505 · Mar 28, 2009

we got a Nursing resource Center schedule for essentials of pro nursing and communication and health assesment, are those required things or just extra help or something?

They're just as required as class, if not more so: they're your labs. For Comm & HA you'll be learning different assessment techniques and every 2-3 weeks you'll go in and perform your assessment on your partner for a faculty member and get checked off. It might sound scary, but they're really easy and the faculty are super nice about it and you have a lot of practice time. In Essentials you learn how to use different equipment: using the patient lifts, dropping an NG tube, monitoring chest tubes, caring for colostomies, giving injections, inserting foleys, changing dressings etc. You only get checked off for those three times (the last three I listed).

Also, do you know anything about orientation? How long is it? what exactly will we be doing?

I don't know about ya'lls orientation but for us it was the Friday before classes started and probably lasted a full school day (8-3ish) but I don't really remember. They provide a really nice lunch though :) They told us about how the program would run, introduced us to our professors for the summer, told us it would end before we knew it, brought in some ABSN students who were in their last semester to prove that we would still be alive a year later, warned us that summer was the hardest, talked a little about HESI and a lot about grad school. Taught us about the wireless access, E-Learning, financial aid the dress code, equipment we need for clinicals etc. Typical orientation.

You should definitely go: I still hang out with the girls I met that day. But don't let them pressure you into buying a ginormous box of books for $600. You don't need 1/2 the stuff that's in there, I could've saved like $400 by not buying that box.

Shaunna · Mar 28, 2009

also, do you know anything about orientation? how long is it? what exactly will we be doing?

the agenda for orientation was included in my e-mail from ken foote. it starts at 9 am with welcome and introductions, then accelerated overview, policies, procedures, & expectations dr. karen miles

10:15am health requirements hope beaty

10:30am financial aid mike menefee

10:45am e-learning & spice overview professor joseph burley

11:15am overview of nur 3129: pathophysiology for nursing & professor david derrico

nur 3069c: communication & health assessment

11:30am overview of nur 3145: pharmacology for nursing dr. stephanie coffey &

professor sarah espin

11:45am overview of nur 3026c: essentials of professional nursing dr. laura sutton

12:00pm lunch

1:00pm uf hipaa and confidentiality uf privacy office

1:30pm osha and bloodborne pathogen training dr. rose nealis

2:30pm clinical agency orientation

naominurse0 · Mar 29, 2009

Thank you Tina!!!!! :bow:

marge444 · Mar 29, 2009

Oh I just realized there was an attachment on that e-mail, DUH!

drummer83 · Mar 29, 2009

MCS,

Thanks for all of the great info! Could you, or someone else, possibly elaborate a little bit more on which books are needed from the get-go and which ones we will not need? I know this is sometimes pretty difficult to figure out in the beginning days of a class as professors don't usually disclose whether you'll need it by saying "You definitely don't need a book for my class!" etc. Haha. And some of us may be tempted to buy the $600 box-o-books just to be on the safe side.

Thanks again!

mcs1505 · Mar 29, 2009

MCS,
Thanks for all of the great info! Could you, or someone else, possibly elaborate a little bit more on which books are needed from the get-go and which ones we will not need?

You do not need the patho book, Derrico even told us that on the first day of class. I started the reading for the frst day, didn't finish it and never opened the book again. I got an A.

The rest is personal preference. Some students read the books, some didn't, and both group's grades ran the gamut.

I would say to get the drug reference (though you can find all that info on Shands website), the NCLEX review book (though you don't necessarily need the one they tell you to get, it is a good one), and the main texts for Essentials and Comm & HA. Those are only ones I used, but you may also like to have the supplemental books for Essentials. And the APA manual if you're not comfortable using APA (though the Alachua public library has copies available that I just went in and used)

However, you don't need to have any of them the first day. I would have been fine had I just waited until after orientation and bought them at Amazon.

And some of us may be tempted to buy the $600 box-o-books just to be on the safe side.

And that's exactly why so many of us bought it. But it also had books that were basically useless, the profs never referred to (including the massive and expensive patho book), and digital copies of all the books (which I don't think anyone used at all). It was a huge waste of money I could have spent on a better stethoscope or scrubs.

Oh, and on the scrubs front: There's a scrub shop on University Ave just west of 34th St which gives a discount to UF students who bring their badges, AND during nurses week (May 6-12) they have an even bigger discount (I think it was 30% off?). It was a great time to get scrubs and shoes. Just FYI. You will need white scrubs for clinicals the first two semesters and other scrubs to wear to class on days that you have lab.

fluffybadger · Mar 30, 2009

I just wanted to add something about "the box" - another reason several of us bought it was that there are these online quizzes you have to take (open book/open note - they're actually kind of helpful)... and inside "the box" there are access codes for the quizzes. I want to say it was like $60 to get the code if you didn't buy the box, but that's a guess. I *think* the only class that required the quizzes for your grade was Essentials, but I seem to remember there being codes for a few different classes. We were all really confused about what codes we did/did not need & how exactly it all worked.

So if you hear stuff about the codes, just look at the grading break down & see if the Evolve quizzes are part of your grade for that class, and then buy the code separately online.

Keep in mind a lot of the books are in the HSC library (or at least an older version) so you could definitely check out that option, too.

marge444 · Mar 30, 2009

Hi again, I was wondering if we also where white scrubs to lab or just any scrubs? Also, on days that we do not have lab or scrubs do we wear whatever we want?

marge444 · Mar 30, 2009

OH! and do you have any reccommendations for a good stethoscope and/or shoes?

Shaunna · Mar 30, 2009

OH! and do you have any recommendations for a good stethoscope and/or shoes?

I really want to know this too! I am thinking about getting a Littmann Cardiology III stethoscope from Amazon. I figure my mom will probably buy it for me as a graduation gift and I'll need a cardiology stethoscope anyway if I continue past the BSN. This looks like a good one from Amazon reviews. Any opinions?

mcs1505 · Mar 30, 2009

I just wanted to add something about "the box" - another reason several of us bought it was that there are these online quizzes you have to take (open book/open note - they're actually kind of helpful)... and inside "the box" there are access codes for the quizzes. I want to say it was like $60 to get the code if you didn't buy the box, but that's a guess.

True, I forgot about the codes. However, if you buy the books new on Amazon they should come with the codes.

If you buy them used just ask if the codes are intact.

Sometimes it's even worth it to just pay the $60 if you get a good enough deal on a book.

It was the Essentials book that had the codes.

Hi again, I was wondering if we also where white scrubs to lab or just any scrubs? Also, on days that we do not have lab or scrubs do we wear whatever we want?

Any scrubs can be worn on labs days. When you don't have lab you can wear whatever you want.

OH! and do you have any reccommendations for a good stethoscope and/or shoes?

I love my Littman Master Classic. A lot of people got the Classic SE IIs, and a few have the lightweights. You definitely can't go wrong with the Cardiology III. My suggestion is to go to a scrub store and ask to try them out. If you don't know what you're listening for you can always buy a cheaper one now and wait until later for a better one.

If you do a search on the threads you'll find TONS of threads on which stethoscope is the best.

You have to weigh how well you can hear with it against how much it costs and how heavy it will be around your neck (unless you carry it in a holster or pocket like I do).

gatorgrad · Mar 31, 2009

Hello Everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since we've talked. I was planning to make arrangements to have lunch, but I broke out in Shingles!!! :banghead: They've settled down now, and I was thinking about doing lunch this Thursday 4/2 at 1230 at Cafe Gardens (it's behind--north of--the Swamp restaurant.) Anyone want to join? I'll wear my blue gator hat so you'll know who to look for! I'll try to sit outside. Of course, if it's raining I'll be inside. Email me and let me know if you plan to come so I can request a table for us. Thanks and I look forward to meeting you!!

Tina