Gateway CC Fast Track LPN (Phoenix)- Update

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I promised updates and here is the first one.

My schedule: I'm in the evening program. The schedule is M, W from 5 to 9, Fridays 6:15-6:45 and Saturdays 8-4:30. M is a theory day. W and Saturdays are lab days. Friday is a clinical day which I will discuss below. We can miss theory days but not lab or clinical days nor can we be late. That schedule might look tame but given the sheer volume of work we have to do, it's anything but. Lab ends Oct. 5th and the schedule will change again.

Clinicals: My group was the first to go to clinicals. We started 09/07 and will have clinicals until Oct. 25th. Our choices for clinicals were Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They tried to accommodate our individual preferences but last minute changes meant most of us didn't get the days we wanted. Right now in clinicals, I'm very limited in what I can do because it depends on what you've completed in lab. The groups that go later will be less limited because they will have completed lab and they will be able to do full patient care. There are only two facilities this term, one in Phoenix and one in Mesa plus lower Buckeye jail for correctional health. We only do two days at the jail and its spread out over two Thursdays in October.

Workload: The work is not difficult. But there is a lot of it. You might have 10 chapters of reading to do across three textbooks, a lab practical to prepare for and if you're taking another class, like I am currently, assignments to complete for that class. If you can get by without taking any additional classes while in this program, do it. Because the more courses you take, the more difficult your life will become. A lot of the students in my class seem to be in a rush to get to the RN program so they're taking on a lot. I'm taking a more sensible approach.

Grades: All of our grades are based off exams only. 76 is a C. We get two exams to get to that 76. If after two exams, you're not at a 76, they have an early alert program you get sent to. In lab, you have a packet to complete and two practicums that are graded pass/fail. None of this counts toward our grade but we still have to do or we can't take the lab final exam. In theory, it's all lecture and exams. So I didn't buy any of the expensive material the school wanted us to buy. I bought my textbooks on Amazon and used the scratch off codes to get access to the supplemental materials . I bought my tote for lab used and my scrubs for cheap at the bookstore. Been getting along just fine.

Overall impressions: If I had it to do all over again, I probably would've delayed placement and started next semester. I just would've been better prepared. But the good thing about this program is it allows you to advance to block 3 of the RN program. Our instructors teach as though we're all going to continue on to be RN's so that helps. If you go through this program and RN is your end goal, its worth it to complete whatever requirements you have left and try for block 3 or the CEP program.

The only other thing I would add is that its difficult to work, especially full time, while in this program. Only a few brave souls in my class stayed working fulltime. So I would just make sure that you can afford to make whatever sacrifices will be necessary before you start. If you work, can you afford to work less? Or not work at all? If you've got children, do you have childcare or relatives who can watch them or are your kids in school? Who's going to be walking the dog? Buying groceries every week? And so on. It seems trivial but when you're in school having all this in place will make a big difference. Two hours wandering around Fry's is two less hours that I have to study and that adds up. I think I'm going to start having my groceries delivered every week.

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Whoa. 4days total? I thought for evening class its 4-9 M-W and Clinicals Saturdays or clinical might varies, but they didn't mention on the Placement letter that there's Friday? Hope I can survive.

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Hi Anacel,

Class was M,W from 5 to 9. Saturdays were a lab day, 8 to 4:30. Clinical days were either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. No guarantee you'll get the day that you want. They all start different times. So for me I was in the very first group. Hence 4 days. If you're in a different group, clinicals might start after lab ends. Then you'll only have school 3 days.

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How many hours is your clinicals? If people have theirs after lab at 430pm?

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Clinicals are 12 hours. When I said after labs, I meant date wise. So our lab ended the 1rst Saturday of October. The following week some people went to Saturday clinicals.

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Do you mind telling me the title of your book and author?

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how long after submitting your preference for clinicals did it take for you to find out which day you got?

I am planning on working full time still and want to get an idea of how long I would have to warn my employer that I may possibly have to lose a day

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Hi Anacel,

The books you need for 1rst semester are Fundamental Nursing Skills and Concepts by Barbara K Timby, Introductory Medical Surgical Nursing by Timby and Abrams Clinical Drug Therapy by Frasden. I highly recommend a physical copy of that drug guide. It has a medication administration booklet that comes with it that will be very helpful. Don't worry about books for the 2nd semester and don't worry about coursepoint. The physical textbooks all have scratch off codes inside. Get a good drug guide and you'll be set.

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Thanks. What edition is the Abrams’ Clinical Drig Therapy book?

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11th edition. You'll want the most recent edition of all the texts.

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Hi ChasityD,

We were supposed to find out at orientation but they lost a time slot. So we found out the 1rst day of class instead.

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Thank you for this update, has been very helpful!

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