Florida Keys Community College Anyone?

I'm not a grad nor ever a student there. But I have a friend who went there for one semester- and she failed one class.

She said it was challenging, and tiring because of the long commute from her home.

I also wanted to add, that I went to an information session for FKCC and, I ended up not applying because I though that I would not be able to get in with the classes I had at the time, and the pre-reqs didn't fit what they were looking for.

I also did not like that the school was actually part of a high school---- thats right, the main campus was in the middle of the keys somewhere, so I would of gone to the one that is closer to florida city which would of taken me about an hour. And also, they did not have any "live" teachers, The lectures they told me would be given by one teacher via the huge movie theater type screen--and there were microphones on the tables that we would have to press to ask a question!! I don't know how I would of made it out of that program!

Now that I have been a year in to my RN career--- I feel happy that I have a good career, and that I can work basically anywhere. But I feel that floor nursing, and patient care is quite difficult for many reasons.

First, the patients are very sick-- and anything happens to them, my license is on the line because according to policy, I have to check on the patients every hour-- and tell me who likes hearing the door screech every hour?

SO I check on them every two hours to be safe, I check the IV site, and check the pulse on their feet--sometimes I wake the patient's up and sometimes I don't but regardless I have to check on them because I am so scared that they might have an embolism (rare on kids but could happen), or that they might die on me if I didn't check them. So things like that really scare me.

Sometimes I make mistakes at night because I am so tired-- I have a little 2 year old so sometimes I don't sleep at all the day before I go into my night shift.

The schedule-- it's hard, because you think hey I only work three nights a week with 4 nights off---- which in reality is not really like that, for example, this week I worked mon-tue-wed and for next week I am sun-mon-thu. is that fair??to me, I don't think so, I like to work three nights in a row-- get it over with-- then have 4 nights off. but it hardly happens that way--- even if I have the right to "choose" my own schedule.

My further career plans are- my baby is still a baby, she is not potty trained yet- so as soon as she is, I want to put her in a day care, and I want to possibly get a job working a 9-5 or 10hr x4 days a week in a place where I do not have to do bedside care. So I am gonna stay probably another year to finish my BSN degree that I am currently doing online-- so my baby will probably be 3 or 4 when I finish my degree.

Mind you, some nurses Love patient care and never see themselves doing anything else-- there are a few on my unit that have been working there for a million years and I don't see myself doing that.

If I could go back 10 years and be 18 and fresh out of HS would I have chosen this path as a career?? no, I would of chosen something else--

I honestly think that all nursing schools are what you make them out to be.

I have my good friend who I started nova southeaster university with in the generic rn program there, and she went through it so easily while I totally struggled through it.

Also, when I went to bcc, we started out with 50 students and by the second course of the program, only 25 students were left-- and by graduation time, only 11 students out of the original class graduated without repeating a class.

So if you go to FKCC with a positive attitude, do what you have to do, you will do well.

I have seen two FKCC students doing their peds rotation at my hospital! they said the school was good.

when I was looking for nursing schools, I never thought if I would make it or not in the school--but I thought if I can get it I can do it.

I worked very hard in nursing school, and gave up a lot of fun things, had a baby and I still did it.

So if I can do it, anyone can. Honest.

Of course you can do it!!!

And in addition after you get your ASN if that is what you go for first, definitely I recommend getting a BSN degree.

I was looking for office type jobs 9-5's and they always say BSN required or preffered.

I can't wait until I am done so I can have the option of doing other things besides bedside patient care.

Hi,

I went to Florida Keys Community College. It is on Stock Island at a Communtiy College, not a high school. I got my RN there in 89. I was an LPN for years prior to that. They offer a BSN program through a Miami University. Several of the RNs got their BSNs. Stock Island is just across a short bridge (Vaca Bridge) from Key West. The community college is across the street from Florida Keys Community Hospital. We called it FLAKEYS. They do not have a midwife program. Parts of the program were very challenging especially the A&P classes and the mirobiology taught by a doctor from Columbia, NYC. They have some very good instructors who just want to kick back in the keys.

BumblebeeRN,

Does your hospital offer a shadow nursing program of some sort or do you know of a hospital that does? You know, where I can follow a nurse and see what she does. I know that it's offered in some hospitals but for high school students, which of course, I am not!!

No no shadow nursing program. I've never heard of a shadow nursing. I know the girls in the last semester of nursing school do their practicum hours there, which means that they do shadow a nurse for hours for the last semester.

Hi,

I went to Florida Keys Community College. It is on Stock Island at a Communtiy College, not a high school. I got my RN there in 89. I was an LPN for years prior to that. They offer a BSN program through a Miami University. Several of the RNs got their BSNs. Stock Island is just across a short bridge (Vaca Bridge) from Key West. The community college is across the street from Florida Keys Community Hospital. We called it FLAKEYS. They do not have a midwife program. Parts of the program were very challenging especially the A&P classes and the mirobiology taught by a doctor from Columbia, NYC. They have some very good instructors who just want to kick back in the keys.

They have added a campus in the upper keys at the high school. It's not a building like the main campus that you went to.

It is a classroom at a high school, They have a big screen, and microphones on the tables. Where one teacher teaches everything via the screen, and you do not actually see the teacher in person.... just on the screen.

It is a new concept so that is why you have not heard of it. It is still being used. On the FKCC website, they have 3 campuses listed for the RN program, and the main program being listed on Stock Island where you went in *89