Current students at EMCC??

Congrats Stacy!!! First off, I just want to tell you to RELAX!!! I know its hard to do, but honestly there isn't much you can do before school starts. If anything, I would suggest brushing up on your A&P and Biology.

What is your schedule like with courses and clinicals? - Currently we have clinicals 2 days and class 2 days (mon-thurs). The teachers you have will be pretty nice, but they both have different techniques for teaching and you may find your self favoring one over the other, but they are both adequate.

Any tips for things I should buy (pda, nclex study guide, etc.)? Your bundle will come with a NCLEX Study guide, but you can buy another if you don't like the style of the one they give you. I would suggest buying a rolling backpack/cart or whatever because the books are heavy and you also have a lab tote you have to have with you on clinical days. I was told by one of the instructors to not buy a PDA because you start to depend on it and don't learn the materials that you need, but its all a matter of preference.

Where are most of your clinicals at? We have three sites for clinicals, Banner Estrella, Good Sam, and Health South. We haven't started clinicals yet, so I can't tell you much about it.

Anything that I should know before I start that you wish you knew going into block 1? If you get your books early, I would read up on the Nursing Process, it is what you will be learning in the beginning.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

I am in the BNFP at Estrella. I started last October. For Block 1, class was 8hrs Mon. and Tues. with 8hr labs Wed. and Thurs. Once lab was done, clinicals were 8hrs for Wed. and Thurs. Block 2 was better, class was 8hrs Mon. and 2hrs. Tuesday. Clinicals were down to one 12hr shift on either Wed. or Thurs., depending on your site. Now, in Block 3, class is only 2 hrs both Mon and Tues, and clinicals are still one 12hr shift. Don't count on your schedule being set, things always change.

Buy a good stethoscope, it makes a huge difference. It doesn't need to be a littman cardiology, but I have the classic ($80) and it works great. I keep reading that you need a rollie cart or wheeled backpack, but I don't take all my books and I do just fine. You'll find that instructors say "bring all your books" and then you never use them, carrying them for nothing. Some in our class have PDA's and love them. What I would do first is buy an NCLEX book. I have 2 and am working on a third.

Since I'm in the Banner program, all clinicals are at Banner sites: Thunderbird, Estrella, and Good Sam.

Before nursing school starts, brush up on your A&P and micro. You'll need it. Good luck.

Sorry the post is long, but I'm at work and kind of bored :)

You started school this week correct? How is it going?

Yes school has started! It is going well; very exciting but very overwhelming at first! :) It seems that the first cohort that started last year (Oct. 07') had to deal with a little bit of more disorganization and things like that. They seem to have everything ironed out and things are flowing fairly smoothly. Anyway, so for so good!

Stacy

How is school going for you Ambergerz?

I'm glad it is going well. I started in August and all the kinks were still not ironed out, but I guess we were the guinea pigs as this was both our teachers first time teaching Block I and they were kind of thrown into the position. It has already been a long road and has been testing our patience, but we all stick together and help eachother out. We start clinicals next week and our final in two weeks!!! EEKS!!! I can't believe block I is just about finished for us!

Amburgerz-

It has been a while since I posted but I was curious how your class did in block in block 1 and 2? How did block 2 go for you? What did you think of the program as a whole? Are you excited to have the summer off to enjoy? Things are going well for us in block2, although I am excited to get new professors for block 3! About 4 weeks into the program I started to see the disorganization and newness of the program. Hope you have a fantastic summer!

lol, disorganization is putting it politely. i did pretty well for block 2 and did fairly well on the hesi considering the educatoin we received. they are doing a remediation this summer for everyone in our class because a lot of students didn't do so well on it and i'm sure emcc is afraid of losing their program. i'm quite fed up with the school for not listening to us from the get go and for hiring two new teachers to teach the program. i'm sure they were short on time and all, but they should have had their marbles together long before they even offered the program! i'm sorry i'm going on a rant here. i actually dont have the summer off, i'm taking the lpn bridge program which i'm hoping will help me get a head start on block 3 in case the teaching doesn't improve. i think having two and a half months off only hinders the students and is going to make it that much harder come block 3 because if you don't use it, you lose it!

i am very pleased with the lpn bridge program that i am taking and it is my hopes that this will give me the leverage i need to finish the rn program and pass the rn exam.

by the way, something that was offered to us in this lpn class that i think would be beneficial to every rn student is this:

https://www.ncsbn.org/1287.htm

under "nclex examinations" in the left hand column you'll see "test plans", if you click on test plans and then click on "2007 nclex-rn detailed test plan - candidate" it will give you a detailed list of things you should be proficient in, in order to pass the nclex. i wish they would have told us this at emcc. there is also a portion on this website that tells you exactly how the nclex is weighted and how it is scored. it helped me understand things a lot better than i did before and i'm feeling more and more confident every time i go to class.

good luck!! keep in touch, because i believe you guys get ahead of us this summer. you'll have to let me know how block 3 is going.

Amburgerz-

I couldn't agree more! Part of me is extremely excited for Block 3 thinking that we will be getting a better education from experienced teachers and the other part of me is scared that we are going to get into Block 3 and not know a thing! Our class overall didn't do great on the HESI but didn't do bad either. It would be nice if they would offer a remidial class for us too. If I was paying for the tuition to EMCC and not Banner, I would want my money back! LOL! One of the teachers has already been let go but I feel like your class and mine took the fall for the school not hiring better teachers. It stinks that we are the guinea pigs. Honestly, if I had to do it over I would have defered placement to attend Mesa-Boswell or GCC. Anyway, enough ranting/whining from me!

I am sure that the LPN bridge program will keep you ahead of the game! That is fantastic that you are able to do that this summer! Good luck! Let me know how the LPN bridge program goes and the remediation class! We start Block 3 in July so I will let you know if things are different!

Have a great summer!

Oh, and thanks for that link! It's fantastic! I am forwarding it to the rest of our class!

I am starting NS at EMCC this fall and was wondering what supplies i need to start. For instance, how many binders do you need? Anything you couldn't live without just wondering? Thanks. Also does the structured review class help at all?