Bellevue College 2015-2017 Nursing Hopefuls

brian.lansing · Mar 19, 2015

Hi guys. I'm a first quarter nursing student at BC. My TEAS score was 85.3. From what I've heard, that was probably the lowest without being wait listed. We did pick up a lot of students of the wait list though, right up until a few weeks before class started. I took my NAC training at BC and it really helped me a lot with this quarter. If you have questions I can help with (unofficially of course) I'll peak in from time to time. Good luck!

Hi Jaycam,

I was wondering if you think working would be doable during the first quarter of nursing school. Also how rigorous is the curriculum so far?

jaycam, RN · Mar 19, 2015

I work part time. I wouldn't recommend working full time. If you can get Healthcare experience working as an NAR or NAC, it helps. Personally, I'd go crazy if I didn't work, it is intense and stressful and work is kind of a break. First quarter will feel like you're constantly in class, labs, or testing, but there is just a lot of information that you need to do well at clinical.

brian.lansing · Mar 19, 2015

I work part time. I wouldn't recommend working full time. If you can get Healthcare experience working as an NAR or NAC, it helps. Personally, I'd go crazy if I didn't work, it is intense and stressful and work is kind of a break. First quarter will feel like you're constantly in class, labs, or testing, but there is just a lot of information that you need to do well at clinical.

Thank you for your response!

Does the first quarter have a lot of information learned in NAC class then? So your don't start clinicals unail second quarter?

jaycam, RN · Mar 20, 2015

We have clinicals, 5 weeks, it's more in later quarters. You're expected to know the NAC part before you get in but you will be tested on it. I think that's the same in most schools in this area though.

EMSLady · Mar 24, 2015

Jaycam-

Do you normally work on the weekends or does it vary? I'm curious if you're usually busy Monday-Friday with labs and clinical or if it really varies from week to week. Just trying to feel out what I want to do with work if I get accepted.

Jackarella · Mar 24, 2015

I was wondering what the schedule was like. How many days a week? What time frame?

jaycam, RN · Mar 25, 2015

It varies a bit from week to week. My job is pretty flexible and we got our schedule over a month in advance so I was able to work with my job on it. At the beginning you are on campus doing lectures, labs, and testing and it takes time. Later it shifts towards clinicals. It can vary from cohort to cohort as well, so what I got may not be the same fit what next year's students get. They are very good at giving you warning of what it will be though.

Jackarella · Mar 25, 2015

Can you give us an example schedule? How many hours a day? How many days per week? I just want to get a feel of what to expect.

jaycam, RN · Mar 25, 2015

The first few weeks I was in pretty much daily. 9 am start with us usually getting out by 1. Some days a bit earlier, some later. Monday-Friday. As we progressed into clinicals though, I had two days at my clinical site and one day of class most weeks. Just remember, they recommend for most classes to do 1.5 hours of studying for every hour in class. I would go as far as to say two for one, plus add time just for studying critical thinking style questions.

brian.lansing · Mar 29, 2015

The first few weeks I was in pretty much daily. 9 am start with us usually getting out by 1. Some days a bit earlier, some later. Monday-Friday. As we progressed into clinicals though, I had two days at my clinical site and one day of class most weeks. Just remember, they recommend for most classes to do 1.5 hours of studying for every hour in class. I would go as far as to say two for one, plus add time just for studying critical thinking style questions.

So what you're saying is class and clinicals are always on weekdays? So working Saturday and Sunday every week is possible?

jaycam, RN · Mar 30, 2015

No. My class got lucky and our clinicals were weekdays. It can be on weekends, but if you get in, you will know ahead of time what it is. Classes are usually during the week though.

jaycam, RN · Mar 30, 2015

What I have noticed as far as working is that most of us work jobs that are extremely flexible. For me, for example, my main job allows me to work as little as two shifts a month and I can work those on call if needed. I usually do two shifts a week and it's been pretty stable.