glendale community college nursing program

Anyone in the weekend program, can you tell me how long your wait was?

I waited about a year and a half.

In response to the post about being required to go to the hospital on Thursdays to get care plan ready for the Weekend-Day program: I will be working 8-6 Monday through Thursday in order to make this work; and there will be zero chance of getting off any earlier than 6pm, many times its closer to 7pm. Is it going to be possible for me to do what is necessary that late on Thursday evening?

What seemed fairly simple when I first looked into the program is becoming more tedious as I find out more information! Even though its stated "Friday/Saturday" it now appears you have to make a Thursday commitment as well as "sometimes on Sundays" I guess for testing? This should be a fun-filled 2 years! I hope it's even possible with my work schedule. Not to mention I'll be driving from far east Mesa. But as they have now eliminated Rio Salado as a choice, (I would certainly like to know why??) this is my one and only shot at this, so I guess I will have to make it work. No way I'm giving up after waiting two years. It sounds like many of us are going to be in for some stress, whether it be over work or childcare. Good luck to you all!

The students I know that had to work late on Thursday stayed up quite late to get their care plans done. I know there were a few all-nighters. Keep in mind though that clinicals aren't held during the entire semester. I'm in third block right now and we have class on Fri and Sat for the whole class time until mid-April, then we'll start clinicals and go all day Friday and Saturday. It also helps to develop your database of meds and patho's so you can save yourself some time.

If you really want to do this, then don't let the logistics get in the way. I love my sleep but so far I've made it work.

Nurse2brose-

Thank you so much for the information. Sounds like its definitely doable. Having been through 8 years of college already (even though it was many years ago and I'm WAY older now!) I still remember vividly the all-nighters, living on coffee and ginko biloba lol. I even had a small child back then, so I guess this should be a piece of cake compared to that! I'm just afraid my poor body doesn't have it in me anymore to live on no sleep. Well, guess I'm about to find out, because you're absolutely right, none of the minute inconveniences are going to prevent me from doing this. I'm ready for a career I love for a change.

I am in block 1 right now, it is much more difficult then when I earned my bachelor's degree. Some weeks we have 8 chapters to read and currently have 16 text books. My first care plan took me around 10 hours and was 12 pages long. We were told that we may have to go in the night before clinical to get our NANDA's and the med's so we could prepare a med sheet to pass the medications. It is really an intense program and even though they say it is an associate's degree or you are only enrolled in 8 credits, it will take 40-50 hours of your time each week. It will be worth it, but I am completely burnt out and unfortunately work full time. The one negative is if you get

checker1981;

Wow, that sounds rough. Are you working 40 hours? Was your bachelors degree in a science that gave you any advantage as far as getting credit for the co-requesite courses, or having prior knowledge that you're finding to be useful in these classes? Stay positive and keep your eye on your goal, hopefully it will fly by! Best of luck to you.

My B.S. was in human biology, so they accepted all my prior credit towards the pre and co-requesites, but I honestly don't know how much of an edge it's going to give me with the nursing courses, if any. I've worked in a medical-related field with direct patient care for many years, but never as a nurse. I would appreciate input from anyone with previous science degrees, or in any other medical-related field previously as to how much of your prior knowledge was useful in the nursing program. I'm beginning to rethink how many hours I can realistically keep working if its really going to take 40-50 hours a week of my time just for the 8 or 10 credits I'm enrolled. There's only so many hours in the day:)

thank you!

I'm 43 yrs old, and I'm a single mom. If I can do this, anyone can! Don't get bogged down with all the reading, go off of the powerpoints and then make sure you can answer the NCLEX questions that are applicable. The hardest thing for me was getting rid of my "gotta get an A" mindset. I've passed all my tests so far and I do get 8 hrs of sleep most of the time, I LOVE my sleep. I just don't do a lot other than school and my part time job. I'll never say its been easy, but its doable.

see below, i took out the links

My BS is in biochemistry, I have an associates degree in respiratory therapy. I have been working full time with mandatory OT since school started so averaging 45-50 hours a week. Honestly I feel like the science background is causing me to look at things like a chemist not like a nurse. The test are tough and the questions asked have multiple correct answers and you have to give the best answer. So you have to think about the whole person.

I had to take no prereqs and have no coreqs. It will take you 40 hours a week at least for 8 credits.

This is what I had over the last week and half. I am not trying to make it sound undo able but you need to really think that it is going to be 1/2 the credits but twice the work.

KMNL:Chapter 10 (pg. 162 Critical thinking and the nursing process)

KMNL: Chp 31 (pg. 668 asepsis)

KMNL: Chp 17 (pg 294 Health wellness, illness)

K: pgs352-353

KMNL: Chp 26 (pg. 459 communicating)

KMNL: Chp 50 (pg. 1356 Oxygenation)

KMNL: Chp 47 (pg. 1231 Nutrition)

KMNL: Chp 45 (pg. 1163 Sleep)

KMNL: Chp 38 (pg. 980 sensory perception)

KMNL: Chp.15

Lewis Chp 6

Lewis: pgs. 243-249 &

L: Chp 26

L: Chp 27 & 28

V: Chps 10 & 11

Read Article: "Nutrition and Older Adults," complete associated CE questions and turn in answers

(#Complete: Mini Nutr. Assessment and other Geriatric Forms in LTC)

KMNL: Chp 25

View Webcast: Sensory Impairment in Older Adults: Vision Loss (30 minutes)

View Webcast: Sensory Impairment in Older Adults Part 1: Hearing Loss

Nutrition in the Older Adult

Online - EDGT tutorials: Chart Master: Effective Patient Documentation

Case Scenario: Evolve Apply: Fundamentals: Sensory Function

Case Scenario: Evolve Apply: Fundamentals: Sleep

View Webcast: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index -- May 2008

KMNL: Chp 23

3 voicethreads which is around 3 hours

16 hours of clinical and 16 hours of class

That seems like alot of work! You did 16 hours of class, all that homework and reading and 16 hours of clinicals?

Can someone answer some questions about the GCC Weekend program for me?

Are you able to choose your clinical times? I really want to do the weekend Nursing program because I can not afford to quit my job for 2 years. I can adjust my work schedule to work 4- 10 hour days; Monday through Thursday. Is this realistically possible for me to pursue with a 40 hour a week job?

How many hours of clinical time are you required to do? Do they schedule clinical times during Monday thru Thursday daytime? If I have to take vacation days to accomodate the clinical schedule, I might run out of vacation time and risk getting fired.

I really really am excited to pursue this career path, I just need my income while I am doing it.

That seems like alot of work! You did 16 hours of class, all that homework and reading and 16 hours of clinicals?

Can someone answer some questions about the GCC Weekend program for me?

Are you able to choose your clinical times? I really want to do the weekend Nursing program because I can not afford to quit my job for 2 years. I can adjust my work schedule to work 4- 10 hour days; Monday through Thursday. Is this realistically possible for me to pursue with a 40 hour a week job?

How many hours of clinical time are you required to do? Do they schedule clinical times during Monday thru Thursday daytime? If I have to take vacation days to accomodate the clinical schedule, I might run out of vacation time and risk getting fired.

I really really am excited to pursue this career path, I just need my income while I am doing it.

hi! i'm in the weekend program, block 1.

your clinical times are assigned. for the first 7 weeks we were on campus on fridays 7-4, and saturdays 7-1. now we're on campus fridays (the same time), and at clinical sites on saturday from 6:30-2:15. a lot of students are working 4 10s or 3 12s. testing is always scheduled on friday afternoons and we get out of class early for it. it's the weekend program, so they are not going to schedule clinicals for weekdays, so you don't need to worry about that. they do however encourage you to go into open lab and practice during the week. i think in the second block it becomes mandatory that you practice in open lab for so many hours per block (don't worry, it's not a lot).

right now for the second block, clinicals are on fridays and lectures/skill lab on saturdays. not sure if that will change next semester or not.