Calling All Fall 2012 Daley College Nursing Students

vrnursestudent · May 23, 2012

Hello newbie RN students! I just finished my first year of Daley's RN program and just happened to be browsing this site so figured I'd chime in on your thread. Someone is correct in saying there is currently no nursing director. That should be resolved by the time you all start, and has little to no relevance to anything else that goes on in the program. A few of the instructors are currently managing the program, and a clinical instructor is handling the health/background requirements and setting up clinicals. If you had any idea what goes into setting up our clinicals, you'd understand she's an absolute SAINT so have patience with her bc she has a LOT on her plate. Background checks are from a company (don't recall name at the moment) and it's like a $30 charge. When I applied, we didn't need it until we were accepted but if you already got one, I'd ask the clinical coordinator if that's what you need. Clinical sites that I know of included St Anthony (thumbs down!), Advocate Trinity (Thumbs up!), Manor Care, Holy Cross Hospital, Mercy and a few others for FUNDAMENTALS (different hospitals for year 2). My nursing 102 instructor was also working on securing Stroger Hospital for fundamentals, as well (she is an advanced practice burn nurse at Stroger...if you take her class, you will hear about it until your ears bleed), so that should be a GREAT opportunity, however, she mentioned that might only be for bilingual students b/c that is what Stroger wants. As for the documents, fear not...you'll get everything eventually. Once you are a few weeks into the program everything will be via school email so it's much more efficient, but for now you'll have to deal with delays and snail mail. Hope that bit of info helps. Good luck with your program!

vrnursestudent · May 23, 2012

Ah! Certified Background. That's the site for the background check. If you guys did that, you're fine, as long as she has your results.

vanny815 · May 23, 2012

Wow thanks so much vrnursestudent all your info was very helpful and appreciated. BTW if you don't mind me asking how would you rate Daley's program. Ive heard many different things about it from it's very unorganized to it's a good program.

vrnursestudent · May 24, 2012

How would I rate the program? Hmmm, I'm not sure how to answer that. It's a pretty decent program. But I think it could be better if I tried harder. Does that make sense? They give us all the tools to excel, it just depends on what you do with them that makes the difference. For example, I do well in class and on tests, but I am not as great as I'd like to be on my clinical skills, yet I only went to the lab a few times this semester, even though Ms. Mac is a GREAT resource. And I was timid and not assertive enough in the hospitals during clinical, even though I was surrounded by nurses, CNAs (hey, they help a LOT with those basic skills, learning the way around the hospital, who is approachable and who to avoid, etc) and a clinical instructor. Sure, there are significant differences in terms of class and clinical instructors style of teaching and which hospitals let you practice which skills, but all in all, I think the quality of the instructors, the curriculum and most of the clinical sites is good. Just utilize the resources you're being handed like Ms. Mac, ATI (it's a testing site that you'll use more and more as you get into the program to help you prepare for NCLEX style questions and content), PrepEDU (another testing site, more directly related to the chapters and content we're covering in class, although, I'm not sure if they're going to keep that for next year), your instructor's office hours, your textbooks. At least skim before class so you have an idea of what is being covered in lecture. My only complaint is that class times are short and I never felt it was enough time to cover what needed to be covered in class so instructors whiz right through it (which is why prepping before class will help you SIGNIFICANTLY), but most of the instructors go above and beyond to be available to students during office hours and via email. A lot of people complain about the program, but then their textbooks still look brand new after the first year, or they DO the reading, but then text or facebook all class, or do the reading but then neglect all the resources to help with the actual testing style.

vrnursestudent · May 24, 2012

Oh, and as for the disorganization let me just say this- I have friends in ADN, BSN and Master entry programs at schools in Chicagoland, Texas, California and Iowa...and this is a common complain among almost all of them. Schools are increasing the size of the programs and unless they are affiliated with a hospital (Like Resurrection University, Rush or UIC), it's rough to get clinical sites because every school is competing for a very limited number of hospital spots/times/floors, etc. So things change very last minute. Daley has been adding and changing clinical sites, I think, so maybe they just don't have the long term relationships other schools have with hospitals. I'm not sure what the deal with that is, but it's not really as bad as people whine about. Other than a few issues like not having a practice midcurricular test (that may have been ATI's fault, though) after they said we would, and not getting to register until close to the semester (which, again, i think is due to the clinical situation, and which I've heard is waaaaay worse at some other schools), I don't think it's ALL that disorganized. Just make sure to check in with your adviser about other graduation requirements (Daley has a few others outside the prepreqs to enter the program, but they'll literally point out which classes will fulfill them and most of them can be taken online).

purple_gal2014 · May 24, 2012

Wow,

Thanks vrnursestudent! It's great to hear from a student that has already been through what the rest of us on this thread are about to experience. Thanks for the insight into the program. Would you mind sharing the book list for your first year and the cost of the entire first year? I would also like to know about the process you guys went through to order the uniform.

vanny815 · May 24, 2012

Omgosh thank you for sharing all that info. Also thanks for taking the time to join and reply to this thread. Looking forward to reading anything else you may post on here.

vrnursestudent · May 30, 2012

Sorry about the neglect...memorial day was busy. The uniforms were ordered thru uniforms to go. There is one on Elston near western and another on 95th, although i'm not sure exactly where. Be warned, they are butt ugly! But they're fairly cheap, so I think I got two uniforms and my lab coat for 90 bucks. You can go to the store and tell them you are a city college student bc it's the same for all schools. or you can wait until orientation and there will be representatives with different sizes for you to try on at school. They take about two Weeks to come in and you can get them delivered to school or pick up at store. I didn't qualify for financial aid so I can't speak to how that process worked for uniforms. And just a word of advice, you only wearyour uniform once a week for 5 to 6 hours so you probably only need one. Save yourself the extra 30 bucks or invest it in a better ssteth. The one you have WILL likely break before first year is over, but it gets the job done if you're on a budget, like most if us are, and uniforms to go will replace it if you have your receipt so save it! As for books, i'm not sure they are staying the same...I know they discussed going with el sevier textbooks next year so don't quote me on this. But we had a fundamentals of nursing text (potter and Perry, a very common text), a nursing interventions text by P&P and elkin), a critical thinking text (don't recall author but we didn't use it much) and a communication in nursing text by Riley (which you will grow to loathe too, i'm guessing). I don't know editions but they always go with most recent. Id recommend an updated potter and Perry text and interventions bc the processes and standards can change but the others prob don't need to be new. You can prob borrow the other texts from the lab if you go early enough but you absolutely need the fundamentals text. Second semester adds a med surg text, which is huge and pricey, a drug guide and a care plan book. you probably dont need the other crud listed. I spent 350 on books first semester and 250 the second but I know people who got used editions online and skimped on the extra materials or shared them with friends who spent less than 100. By comparison, the psych instructor for 2nd year said previous edition was fine with some minor page updates and I got my text on bookbyte for $2! Insaaaane! Ooh yeah, get a math for meds book but that is def ok in an old edition so spend ten bucks on an old version on Amazon or bookbyte. also, cost was like 1500 first semester bc you pay for ati (uuuuse it, please, even if the content is too advanced at first!), 7 credits and a 450 lab fee (I know, grumble, grumble.) And about 1200 second semester for the 7 credits and the lab fee.

acbn · May 30, 2012

I was recently accepted into Daley's program and have not heard anything from Daley reguarding the drug test and health screening...are there forms,a site, or somewhere I should go??? I dont want it to be to late.

acbn · May 31, 2012

Hello jeshelby!

I just got my letter on Tuesday the 29th, and have yet to recieve info as to where we get a cpr card and take the durg test. Deadline is July 1st, could you help me out please?

jeskarwr, ADN, BSN, RN · May 31, 2012

i got my acceptance letter yesterday. i plan on getting my cpr card at 2616 West Peterson Avenue, i think it's $40 and the class is 2 hrs and u get ur card the same day!

jeshelby · May 31, 2012

Sorry for the late reply I think the deadline is June 28th. The place on peterson is good if you don't mind posting your email I can try to forward you the info that I recieved from the school.