GCC Weekend Program

fromtheseaRN, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2010

no worries! for your future reference, when people say "west side/valley" it is the area that is west of downtown phoenix, the whole area. "east side/valley" is anywhere east of downtown phoenix. the main road in downtown phoenix is central avenue. the "avenues" start west of central and get higher the further west you go. the "streets" start east of central and get higher the further east you go. the clinical sites are all in the higher avenues. gcc's campus is on 59th ave and the clinical sites tend to be around that area and further west. a site i had last block was on 114th avenue.

SNIXRN · Aug 19, 2010

Hey Crystal. I'm in Block 4 in Glendale's Weekend Program and I live in Scottsdale. It's about a 30-40 minute drive depending on traffic. My class has people all over the valley... Gilbert, Goodyear, Avondale, Scottsdale... Some people from the east side carpool. As for me, I don't like the drive, but it isn't horrible. You can make the most of it. I used to record lecture then listen to it on the way to and from school.

As for clinicals, I was one of the students who drove to Mesa for Peds. Before the semester our teacher informed us that we would be adding another clinical group that would go to Cardons, Mayo, and Banner Thunderbird - so I requested to be in that group, but that wasn't until block 3. However, in the previous blocks we had to drive to places in Phoenix, Glendale, Sun City and Peoria. The good thing about the weekend program is you would only have to drive to clinicals 1x/week (until block 3, then it's twice).

As for the study group. If you end up not having anyone who lives on the east side, you could always just form a study group after class on Fri or Sat like some people do...

Hope this helps :)

annek · Sep 30, 2010

Hi--The Glendale weekend program sounds pretty good, but how many semesters or how long did you all have to wait to get into it? It's the only program like it being offered, so I'm thinking it's pretty popular.

mbifo · Oct 9, 2010

What a wonderful helpful series of posts. I am a Massachusetts resident looking to move to the Phoenix area to apply to the Glendale weekend program. I'll be coming out in November for another visit and would like to do some apt hunting. Could you share what areas are safest to live in for a single woman / what areas I should avoid, yet still within a reasonable distance from all school obligations? Thanks so much!

Layciem · Oct 13, 2010

Depending on what your willing to pay in rent, the Arrowhead area, which is around 59th-83rd Ave and Bell has some really nice apartments, but are also a llittle pricier. There are always quite a few places along the 101 which have decent rent and is a good/safe neighborhood.

Hope this helps.

Deeval · Oct 21, 2010

Hi, I'm just wondering if anyone can give me information on what blocks 3 &4 in the wknd program entail. I think i read somewhere on the blog that block 3 does not have lecture, only lab. Also, how long is each block? a semester?

Deeval · May 2, 2011

Hi :),

Its been a while since anyone has posted on this thread but Im hopeful that some of you will still read my post. I finished Blocks 1-2 (LPN) about 5years ago and Im in my last week of Microbiology, which is my last prerequisite to apply into Block 3. I attended MCCCD/Estrella for my LPN. Im just a bit confused about what I do now. I am enrolled in Pharm 187 to begin at the end of this month and is one month long. I also need to take the HESI-A2 and HESI-PN. Do I have to wait until I (hopefully) pass these tests to apply? I feel so lost. I am really REALLY hoping there would be a way that I could start this fall. I think the best program for me would probably be the GCC wknd program. Does anyone know the start dates of Block 3 placements? Like is it every Jan. and Aug? Any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.

i'mdown4that · May 3, 2011

Hi there,

There are two start dates per year; Jan and July. Your best bet would be to contact April Orr at GCC. She handles admissions for the nursing program. I am starting Block 1 in the GCC weekend program in July.

Good luck to you!! :)

fromtheseaRN, BSN, RN · May 3, 2011

i agree your best bet is to contact the school. on gcc's website they have a nursing page with all of the contact info.

also, in regards to your post before this one, all blocks have lecture. i'm in block 3 now and we have lecture friday mornings 7-1030, and clinicals all day saturday, 630am-530pm. block 3 is broken into obstetrics, med-surg, then pediatrics.

mom2a1c2 · May 3, 2011

Thank you for all the info. I am trying to work out my childcare. So is lecture always on Friday and clinicals always on Saturday's? Is there ever clinicals on Friday?

Also, how involved is the process to pick the patient on Thursday for the clinical?

Thanks again!

i agree your best bet is to contact the school. on gcc's website they have a nursing page with all of the contact info.
also, in regards to your post before this one, all blocks have lecture. i'm in block 3 now and we have lecture friday mornings 7-1030, and clinicals all day saturday, 630am-530pm. block 3 is broken into obstetrics, med-surg, then pediatrics.

fromtheseaRN, BSN, RN · May 3, 2011

it switches around each block. block 1 i had lecture fri, clinical sat. block 2 was clinical fri, lecture sat. block 3 and block 4 are lecture fri, clinical sat. it's always subject to change, there are so many nursing schools vying for clinical placements in hospitals, so the schools have to schedule the clinicals on whichever day they can get into the hospital.

going to the hospital the day before to pick your patient can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on what your clinical instructor wants you to do in terms of how much info you need to collect, etc. also, most of the time your careplan needs to be done that day and turned in when you get to the hospital for clinical (in block 1 not so much, but in the next 3 block, yes). when you start doing careplans they can take 8-12 hours, but now in block 3 i can crank one out in 3-4 hours.

figuring out childcare is a tough road to navigate with nursing school. i'm still trying to figure out who will watch my kids next block when i'm in my preceptorship, so i wish you luck!

mom2a1c2 · May 3, 2011

Thank you again. I think the best for me would be to find a place close to my house, and plan on 1/2 day Thursday, and all day Fri and Sat.

Thanks again!

it switches around each block. block 1 i had lecture fri, clinical sat. block 2 was clinical fri, lecture sat. block 3 and block 4 are lecture fri, clinical sat. it's always subject to change, there are so many nursing schools vying for clinical placements in hospitals, so the schools have to schedule the clinicals on whichever day they can get into the hospital.
going to the hospital the day before to pick your patient can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on what your clinical instructor wants you to do in terms of how much info you need to collect, etc. also, most of the time your careplan needs to be done that day and turned in when you get to the hospital for clinical (in block 1 not so much, but in the next 3 block, yes). when you start doing careplans they can take 8-12 hours, but now in block 3 i can crank one out in 3-4 hours.
figuring out childcare is a tough road to navigate with nursing school. i'm still trying to figure out who will watch my kids next block when i'm in my preceptorship, so i wish you luck!