Hi guys！How do you think the BN of UNB？

Yoanna1105 · Aug 25, 2009

Also,I am still confused about the difference between BCIT 3-yr programme and other 4-yr programmes?Are the latter ones better with an extra yr?

Yoanna1105 · Aug 25, 2009

anyone?...I need help...

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 25, 2009

Perhaps no one knows where New Brucewick is? Did you mean New Brunswick? There are only a handful of members of allnurses.com in New Brunswick, so that may also be why you haven't had any replies. I lived there a long time ago and have many very fond memories.

The University of New Brunswick is the oldest English-language university in Canada and one of the oldest public post-secondary institutions in North America. It was in the top five comprehensive universities in Canada in the Mclean's magazine university survey for 2008. UNBF's nursing professor Nicole Letourneau was among the Top 40 Under 40 in 2007. 32% of the Faculty of Nursing's 731 students made the Dean's List (GPA > 3.7 /A-) this year. That suggests either that the school sets that bar rather low, or that its students truly do excel.

Yoanna1105 · Aug 25, 2009

Thanks a lot for the reply!

And sorry about the mistake!It's New Brunswick of course(don't know what I was thinking....)

Another question is :I am now living in New Zealand,so I have to apply as an International student,but after graduation I can only take RN exam after I got PR,but can I get a nursing job after gradution without a RN title??

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 25, 2009

There's a category of nurse called the Graduate Nurse that fills in the gap between graduating from nursing school and receiving that first registration. The pay is lower than for an RN, and there are restrictions on practice (giving drugs IV push, giving neuromuscular blockers, taking specimens from external ventricular drains, taking verbal orders from doctors and things like that). Once you've written and passed the CRNE and have paid for your initial registration most places will then retroactively pay you as an RN back to your start date once you've shown them your registration.

Valhalla_Pure · Aug 26, 2009

Hi Yoanna1105,

I currently reside in BC and attend BCIT, but I grew up in New Brunswick and know several students (past and current) who attended nursing school at UNBF. I have heard no complaints about the program from them whatsoever. Of course the workload is very heavy, but the same is true for almost any nursing program. Every graduate stayed to nurse in New Brunswick, either in Fredericton or Saint John.

Fredericton is a good city and you would probably enjoy living there. The city has another university in addition to UNBF, so there are lots of students around. The summers are hot, but the winters are cold and messy. Here is a link to Fredericton's web page, so it might give you an idea of what it is like to live there.

http://www.fredericton.ca/en/index.asp

As for 3 year versus 4 year programs in BC, this has been discussed in a few other threads, so check those out first and if you still have questions, post them here.

One important factor to note is if you are applying to the BCIT program from New Zealand, it will be extremely tough to get in. BCIT has very limited, if any, room for international students in its program because the number of local applicants is so high. I was admitted as an out-of-province student (you are required to live in a province for 12 consecutive months, not counting months you lived there for school, in order to be considered an in province student - I lived in BC for 11 months) and that was tough enough. You can review the school's applicant priority policy here:

http://www.bcit.ca/admission/priority.shtml

Not sure what the story is for UBC.

Good luck!

Yoanna1105 · Aug 26, 2009

Thank u guys above again!I think I have got my answer^^

jaylily · Sep 5, 2009

I'm currently a 4th year student at UNB and would not recommend it. There are a few stellar faculty members who are both brilliant nurses and instructors, but the faculty as a whole is very unorganized.

As with many nursing schools they have difficulty finding clinical instructors. Because of this I have had a rotation on the same unit twice.

We do not have rotations in the ER, OR, CCU or ICU, instead we have "observation days", and even that is only the luck of the draw. Students are chosen at random to have one obersvation day in various specialty units, you cannot request a unit that you may be interested in. The only exception is OR, every student receives at least one full observation day in the OR.

Also, due to the lack of instructors and smal size of the hospital, you are also not guaranteed a pediatric rotation either, again this comes down to luck.

The school is very focused on community health nursing, which might be good if that's what you're interested in.

As for the high grades of the students, I would say this is due to the low bar that is set by UNB. An A+ is 90-100, A is 85-89. It is not overly difficult to get an A or A+ in any of the nursing courses. On the plus side, due to the grading system I have received multiple scholarships.

They teach the information and skills you need to know, but they really fall short on the availability of clinical experience. I've been told that the St.John campus of UNB has better clinical experiences due to the larger size of the hospital.

UNB is not a nursing school that I would recommend to anyone.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Sep 5, 2009

Thank you for your post, jaylily. I was really hoping someone with first-hand knowledge would drop by and comment.

We do not have rotations in the ER, OR, CCU or ICU, instead we have "observation days", and even that is only the luck of the draw. Students are chosen at random to have one obersvation day in various specialty units, you cannot request a unit that you may be interested in. The only exception is OR, every student receives at least one full observation day in the OR.
Also, due to the lack of instructors and smal size of the hospital, you are also not guaranteed a pediatric rotation either, again this comes down to luck.

This isn't at all uncommon, even in large cities with several acute care hospitals. Edmonton for example has five acute care hospitals, including two huge teaching facilities. U of A students have fewer clinical experiences than Grant McEwan College students, and at Grant McEwan, there is only a very small number of students who do any peds clinical. They do not have rotations in ER, OR CCU or ICU, only observation days as you describe. I trained in a hospital program in Manitoba and never set foot into ER, CCU or ICU, not once. I did observe in the OR a couple of times, a spinal fusion and a uterine myomectomy and during my OB rotation I observes one C-section. That doesn't mean my education was inferior, though.

The school is very focused on community health nursing, which might be good if that's what you're interested in.

Again not unique to UNB... it's the mantra of the Canadian university nursing education program. I mean come on, isn't community health care the biggest source of excellence in health care in the country? Isn't that where the governments of this country spend the most health care money? (She asks as she pulls her tongue out of her cheek...) It's an elitist attitude that has been adopted universally across the country, that university nursing education should concentrate on community health care because that's where the majority of university educated nurses will spend their careers, doing mostly administrative stuff such as case management. If that's what floats your boat, have at it. If you can find a job, that is.

Yoanna1105 · Sep 7, 2009

thank u guys for your time and reply！！I guess I got my answer here，and u guys r really awesome，a million thanks again！:loveya:

epg_pei · Sep 15, 2009

There are a few stellar faculty members who are both brilliant nurses and instructors...
As with many nursing schools they have difficulty finding clinical instructors....The school is very focused on community health nursing, which might be good if that's what you're interested in....As for the high grades of the students, I would say this is due to the low bar that is set by UNB. An A+ is 90-100, A is 85-89. It is not overly difficult to get an A or A+ in any of the nursing courses....UNB is not a nursing school that I would recommend to anyone.

I am a UNB grad, and found the above accurate, except for the last comment. UNB has a strong community focus which is a benefit if that is an area you wish to pursue. They do lack opportunities in many hospital units but overall the experience is sufficient to prepare a new nurse. The difference in success or failure often lies in how you challenge yourself in clinicals. Looking back at myself and my classmates, those who pushed their envelopes and ventured beyond their comfort zones, and "made the most" of their clinical experiences did well post-graduation. I found my niche in nursing and am happy with the choice. My experience at UNB was beneficial in helping me choose this field and be comfortable with the choice. I met my wife there, that may also account for the glowing review. :heartbeat

PS: Fredericton is built on a hill, a very steep hill. You can always tell the freshmen from the seniors by looking at their calves. :chuckle