FSW FALL 2018

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Hello Everybody. My name is Keesh. I'm starting this thread a little early to get a head start on things. I was looking into starting nursing school in the Spring of 2018, but things come up. Now I'm going to start in the FALL. I'm currently looking into the FSW ANEW program which works better with my work schedule. I was told by a student the ANEW program is just like being in the FULL TIME program except it's online. It consist of hard work, time consuming and dedication. I plan to apply for LEE campus as well.

*CHOW

Okay so how was pharmacology on a scale 1-10? I've taken all my pre-reqs as far as nutrition, a&p, human growth so that sounds easy? Have you'll learned how to do IVs yet? Also, how long did it take from the time you applied till your acceptance? What was your stats? Honestly the program sounds fun?

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Pharm on that scale would be about an 8, just because what you need to know for the drug categories is a little bit different and there are a lot sound alike drugs.

IVs and medication administration is all second semester, so I'm not doing that until Fall of this year. I think I'll learn how to do IVs in the first month or so in that semester.

Between the time that I applied and when I got accepted, it was 4 weeks. They gave us about 2 weeks out of those 4 to get the background check / drug testing done and the results to return.

GPA: 3.25

8 out of 9 pre-reqs.

TEAS: 86.7%

Total points: 73

The program is a lot of fun and a lot of work, but the professors are awesome and so are the clinical instructors. You'll learn pretty quickly that there several ways to get certain tasks done, so as long as your facility doesn't have a protocol saying you can't do it that way, you have options. At this point in the semester, we've applied everything from lecture and lab to the clinical setting. I do head to toe assessments on at least one person, lots of interviewing people to get their background information, and basic nursing skills including vitals, since I can't do medication administration. The clinicals for us are now 10 hours on the floor with the nurse or a tech, or both if both are assigned to the same rooms, and the paperwork (clinical report) is about 6 or so pages long, and it kind of looks like the medical record for the person.

So, if you truly believe you want to be a nurse and you know what that involves, then you're going to have a lot of fun throughout the program, because if you're not in the actual clinical setting then you're practicing a skill in an environment that very much resembles that setting. :)

Quick breakdown of the 4 semesters just for reference:

Level I: fundamentals / healthy people (basic nursing care: baths, oral care, transferring a patient, code of ethics, nursing laws, healthcare laws, who makes up the care team, review from A&P, nutrition, psych / development when it comes to normal, healthy people, head to toe assessment)

Level II: acute illnesses/ medication administration (start administering certain meds by mid semester)

Level III: medical-surgical / maternity and pediatrics (medication administration except for IV bolus and cardiac drugs (students can't give these in any program due to side effects).

Level IV: complex problems / preceptorship (continuation of medical-surgical but now you're managing people that have several diseases / comorbidities and different drug combinations and a larger care team). At this point, you're going to be handling several patients and keeping track of them. Last month of the program you're going to be assigned to a nurse, who will assign you at least one patient that you're going to be the nurse for and they're going to be there just to advise you, but not necessarily monitor you at all times. The purpose of that preceptorship is to verify that you can be a safe and effective nurse once you get licensed.

Okay so how was pharmacology on a scale 1-10? I've taken all my pre-reqs as far as nutrition, a&p, human growth so that sounds easy? Have you'll learned how to do IVs yet? Also, how long did it take from the time you applied till your acceptance? What was your stats? Honestly the program sounds fun?
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@ilk0710 Girl I'm So Excited OMG. I hope I get classmates just like you. You are very helpful and level 1 maybe a breeze for me except for pharm I'll just have to focus but I'm use to the care of elderly bc of my job and the different jobs I've had similar in the pass. I think my points were 74. I'm just ready. I already have my titers , and I'll get a background check first of June. I was told there are a way around the books. So you don't have to pay that much. Is the stethoscope and other things that come with the kit optional or do you have to get the kit?

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Wait to do the background check, because they run a specific one and CastleBranch will give you that information once you make it through Phase 1 of the application process.

There is a way to get around the $1500 or so that the books cost. People have gotten used copies or just bought the MyNursingLab codes, which have the ebook version of all the texts you're going to use throughout the program. Personally, I use the MNL codes and have the physical pharm book as well (just because it came bundled with the code when I bought it), and that saved me about $500. If you guys need the ISBNs for those codes let me know, I still have the actual cards for them.

There's no way around the ATI code cost, that's around $600, because the school requests a specific set of programs from ATI. You'll use a small portion of the ATI programs during Level I.

For Level II, you'll need three more codes (2 are virtual simulation and 1 is an electronic medical record; these codes together will probably run about another $500) and a book on how to write care plans (this book is about $20). So plan for that as well.

The kit is not optional, it comes from your lab fees for the first semester and has all the equipment to do a full head to toe assessment: stethoscope, BP cuff, tuning fork, reflex hammer, and pen light. That being said, a lot of us ended up getting either a Littmann or MDF stethoscope, because the school ones don't work for everyone. So, just keep that in mind. If you do use a different stethoscope, make sure you know everything about it, because the instructors may not be able to tell you if you have a tunable diaphragm or not (which controls whether you need to use the bell side or not or if you can adjust pressure on it to hear different sounds).

Nurses stick together, that's something you guys will pick up as you progress through clinicals and the program. Someone always knows something that may be useful to you, and it's just best to help each other in the long run.

One more month for you guys, that a long wait just to have the application looked at, but don't stress about it. Give them a couple of weeks once the application closes and then you can annoy them. Definitely stay excited and I hope you guys get in!

@ilk0710 Girl I'm So Excited OMG. I hope I get classmates just like you. You are very helpful and level 1 maybe a breeze for me except for pharm I'll just have to focus but I'm use to the care of elderly bc of my job and the different jobs I've had similar in the pass. I think my points were 74. I'm just ready. I already have my titers , and I'll get a background check first of June. I was told there are a way around the books. So you don't have to pay that much. Is the stethoscope and other things that come with the kit optional or do you have to get the kit?
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Oh well I have 2 stethoscopes already from the type of work I do. So the kit will make 3. & oh yes the MNL sounds better because you're not toting those books around. Well 3 more weeks till the semester over and then the waiting game. Quick question do you think if a person is taking AP2 and it's in progress on the application should they put in progress or that they already have it? I was Thinking it could go either way. I think if they put in progress they could get denied when the cksss only 6 weeks. By the time they accept people the class will be over. So I'm curious about that one.

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I'd suggest getting the MNL codes and using the books from there, because it's easier to search and find things online, and you'll do a lot of activities during lectures that have you looking up things. I just carry my laptop to lectures, which is much lighter than carrying even one of the nursing books.

See if the application let's you submit it as "in progress." If it doesn't, then go ahead and put in that you've completed it. Grades are going to be released for this semester hopefully before the application closes, but they'll still verify that you've taken each course and that's done using your transcript. Your grades will post to the transcript as soon as they are released by the instructor. So, you should be fine either way. They won't deny admission just because you were finishing a required pre-req the semester before you actually start the program. :)

Oh well I have 2 stethoscopes already from the type of work I do. So the kit will make 3. & oh yes the MNL sounds better because you're not toting those books around. Well 3 more weeks till the semester over and then the waiting game. Quick question do you think if a person is taking AP2 and it's in progress on the application should they put in progress or that they already have it? I was Thinking it could go either way. I think if they put in progress they could get denied when the cksss only 6 weeks. By the time they accept people the class will be over. So I'm curious about that one.
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Definitely realized/remembered a couple days ago, I HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD. oh and HUM2235 stopped counting towardsbpoimtsva couple years ago. Still moving forward....

In 1994 I packed a VHS tape I rented and moved from st pete to Naples. Didn't unpack it until I had to GO TO COURT. Got in trouble for failure to return leased or rented property. 2nd degree misdemeanor. Chapter 812 violation. Sigh. Big big sigh. I doubt with a letter of explanation it will keep me from school or a job. Going to pull a level 2 myself next week and see if it even shows up. Still moving forward...

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Great I will tell her & I thought if you were an LPN you had a different tally sheet than the regular ASN?

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Thank you for the advice and the encouragement you guys! quick question do you know if they take into account + or - for grades?

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Keep us posted girlfriend, hoping for the best for you and this situation. Something's should just be thrown out.

Definitely realized/remembered a couple days ago, I HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD. oh and HUM2235 stopped counting towardsbpoimtsva couple years ago. Still moving forward....

In 1994 I packed a VHS tape I rented and moved from st pete to Naples. Didn't unpack it until I had to GO TO COURT. Got in trouble for failure to return leased or rented property. 2nd degree misdemeanor. Chapter 812 violation. Sigh. Big big sigh. I doubt with a letter of explanation it will keep me from school or a job. Going to pull a level 2 myself next week and see if it even shows up. Still moving forward...

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OK I have another question similar to what I asked previously. After accepted when do you have to submit transcripts? Before the program starts or while you are completing thing for phase II or phase III?

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Alright.! TWo weeks left what are everybody stats?

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