CCAC Boyce anyone?

rbs105, ADN, MSN, RN · Jul 14, 2008

You should be fine...did you take their entrance exam?

My only regret w/CCAC Boyce is that I felt unprepared as a nurse (clinically). I was well prepared to pass boards, but I had a very rough first few months and actually switched jobs in the first couple of months because of this. Our clinical sites were pathetic when compared to major city hospitals, which is where I started working. I understand they are working w/Shadyside and Magee now though, so maybe that will help.

I also felt they did not have much interest in helping me get thru the program until the last semester. It was like, well, if you don't get it, you shouldn't be a nurse. The program was very self-directed. Fine, except I felt if you had questions, you should be able to get some help. I was actually told by one lab instructor to get together with my friends and figure it out amongst ourselves. NO!! If I have a question about nursing, I should be able to get answers from the nursing instructor. The last semester, suddenly it was like, oh it looks like you really will pass-maybe we should try to help, and that was the best semester. I also have talked to other people from other programs and I know it doesn't have to be like that.

I am grateful for the education and I passed boards first time out, as did the majority of my classmates, but I consider it only to be a means to getting me to boards and the actual RN title-my education itself has been mainly at work. I love my job now, so it was totally worth it, but I swear it sucked 2 years off of my life!!!:chuckle

Good luck!!

rbs105

crok9014 · Jul 15, 2008

Thanks for the heads up! I know a few people that have gone through the program at Boyce too and they all had pretty much the same response! I was a Dental Hygienist in the Air Force for 7 years. I got off of active duty when I had my first daughter 15 months ago and am in the Guard now. I don't want to put my girls (I am expecting #2 this November) to have to be put in daycare for me to work and/or go to school which is why I chose to go into nursing and making Boyce my best option.

I am in A&P 1 this semester and taking 2 in the fall. I also took everything else besides the actual nursing courses and Micro so I am hoping the actual workload won't be overly demanding with two babies! I am just praying to get in this time because I go to school on my GI Bill and if I keep burning up my time applying, I will run out of benefit before I ever get through. Well, those snotty instructors sound like a real treat, but I've come across my fair share of those in the military so I'll manage, thanks again! Any other tips would be great!

Heather

mochabean · Jul 18, 2008

I'm going to CCAC Boyce, but I haven't applied yet. I will though next month or on Sept, even though I didn't complete CIT-615 yet. I was told that Boyce was the better campus to go to for nursing, but once I started going there I started hearing the same things you guys are saying about the nursing department. I even heard it was the same way with the regular advising department.

crok9014 · Jul 20, 2008

I think that you have to have the CIT elective completed prior to applying but I am not completely sure. I am applying at the very end of August when I get back from some military duty and seriously need to get in this time! I am in A&P 1 right now and definately do not recommend taking it in the shortened summer semester like this because it is brutal! I was just hoping to squeeze it in and pull off a decent grade to imporve my chances of getting accepted so we will see if it pays off! My husband is deployed and I have a 15 month-old and am expecting again in November so I definately have my hands full and this class is by far the most time-consuming I have ever taken.

As far as the advisors go, it seems to me that there is a lady in the office that is strictly the Nursing Program advisor, so once you are accepted I think you only deal with her.

I wish you luck on your application and hope to see you in class this Spring! Keep me posted on how things are going and good luck with the CIT class!

mochabean · Jul 24, 2008

I think that you have to have the CIT elective completed prior to applying but I am not completely sure. I am applying at the very end of August when I get back from some military duty and seriously need to get in this time! I am in A&P 1 right now and definately do not recommend taking it in the shortened summer semester like this because it is brutal! I was just hoping to squeeze it in and pull off a decent grade to imporve my chances of getting accepted so we will see if it pays off! My husband is deployed and I have a 15 month-old and am expecting again in November so I definately have my hands full and this class is by far the most time-consuming I have ever taken.
As far as the advisors go, it seems to me that there is a lady in the office that is strictly the Nursing Program advisor, so once you are accepted I think you only deal with her.
I wish you luck on your application and hope to see you in class this Spring! Keep me posted on how things are going and good luck with the CIT class!

I took Biology this summer and my instructor (who teaches A&P) warned the class NEVER to take A&P in the summer. She told us a lot of students drop out of the class or recieve a very low grade. It's too much material to cover in 6 weeks.

Good luck!:)

Hopefulrn2009 · Dec 24, 2008

Do anyone have any NRN 101 books they would like to sell? :yawn:

crok9014 · Dec 26, 2008

I tried finding used books as well, but when I sold back my A&P books this semester, the buy-back guy said that he was only allowed to buy back 2 of the NRN101 books meaning everything else will be new this coming semester. I'm not positive on that but just wanted to let you know before we run out and pay for used books that we can't use. At registration they explained that it is really hard to keep up with the wrong editions. ANyway, good luck and let me know if you learn otherwise because I have a 20 month-old, a 7 week-old, and after the holidays any $$$ I can save on books would be great! :)

chill65 · Jan 2, 2009

hello every one, I am currently in NRN204-205 at boyce starting in spring. My experience was okay. I felt like the teachers helped a lot, I had great clinical sites but everyone wasn't as lucky. I am in the fast track class and I heard that the day was very different than night/weekend. They wanted us to purchase the books from them in NRN101 as a package.... it was expensive. I wish you luck and congrats on the baby.. Hopefully in May 2009 I will be grauduating!!! Oh I think you will be fine getting in the higher your GPA the better chance you have getting in..

MrsPratt06 · Jan 13, 2009

I am currently in my 2nd semester @ Boyce. I like the program. The 1st semester is rough they spell alot of stuff out for you, but you do have a lot of self learning, like from the beginning, if you were never a nurses aide you might have some trouble just because no one teaches you how to change a diaper or give personal care to a patient. I am a NA & I helped some classmates with personal care because it was just kind of assumed you know how to do it. Changing a baby diaper is a lot different than changing an adult's brief. I think there were just some things you just got thrown into and had to fend for yourself. But for the most part all of the faculty are very helpful which I really like. It's nice the class sizes are small you really get to know all of your classmates & the teachers actually remember your name the next semester which is nice.

As far as the books for 101, you don't have to buy them from the bookstore. I bought all mine from Amazon & ebay and paid @ least 60 percent less than what you pay in the bookstore. They are around 900+ dollars at the bookstore, I paid about 400. The only thing I bought in the bookstore was the Health Tote, which is 90 but I had no choice because it is not sold anywhere else. I recommend buying online if you are paying for books yourself especially. I get no loans or grants so my tuition & book money came out of my own pocket with no help from anyone. It was brutal working 3 + paychecks of 100+ hours but it was worth it! I hope this helps. :redbeathe

MrsPratt06 · Jan 13, 2009

P.s. You should be fine with a 3.3 I had only about a 2.6 unless than counted in my a&p1 plus my micro & I was accepted to my first choice.

mochabean · Jan 14, 2009

I turned in my application on Jan. 5. I feel pretty confident about being accepted.