How Long is/was Your First Semester Hours?

SFnursetobe12 · Nov 30, 2016

I start in January too. My schedule is Monday 7:55-1:35, Tuesday 8:00-10:45 and clinical on Friday 7:00-1:00pm

verene, MSN · Nov 30, 2016

My first term we had theory/lecture for 6 hours twice a week (with a lunch break) and clinical skills (lab/classroom) on the other 3 days; 4 hours a day. We didn't start in a clinical setting until the second term.

NICUismylife, ADN, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2016

Each week, We had, if I remember correctly, around 8 hours classroom time for theory, and two 8-hour clinic days every thurs & fri starting week 4. Prior to that, the clinic days were in the skills lab or looooong lecture days for those 8-hour days. I don't miss that!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 30, 2016

If I recall correctly I first semester clinical hours were something like 324. They broke it down something like this: for the first six weeks you are basically in boot camp to become a CNA. Our typical schedule was four hours Tuesday, four hours Wednesday, six hours Thursday, six hours Friday. Once we get past the initial six weeks, then our normal schedule from then on takes over. It becomes something like this: four hours Tuesday, two hours didactic and two hours to do clinical prep Wednesday, six hours Thursday and Friday in clinical. After that first semester, every single week we do clinical in every semester. That means week number one of second semester we are in clinicals although it's typically for orientation to our clinical site.

I would have to say that first semester is probably the toughest psychologically simply because you don't know what to expect from the get-go. Academically, at my school, second semester was known as the weeder course because that was the toughest semester and if you got past that particular semester you would probably be able to cruise all the way through to the end.

Something you do have to check is the amount of hours listed in your student catalog for each semester because it should break that down for you in terms of total hours both clinically and academically. Your instructors will have a fairly rigid lesson plan that you will need to follow because they have to get through certain topics at certain times so that at the end of the course you have been presented with a certain amount and depth of information.

WanderingWilder, ASN · Nov 30, 2016

Our first semester clinical hours are 6 hours long

Ilargia99, LVN, RN · Nov 30, 2016

I'm about to finish my first semester and our schedule has been pretty doable for the most part. The first 6 weeks were "boot camp" to learn the basics, which meant lots of tests and skills checkoffs to prepare us for clinical. The hours were Mon: 8-12, Tues: 8-4, Weds-Thurs-Fri: 8-3.

Starting week 7 it was Mon 8-12, Tues 8-4, Wednesdays off, and clinicals Thurs & Fri from 6:30-2:30.

Clinical sites have included a skilled nursing/post acute rehab facility, acute care in a hospital, and a facility for severely disabled adults.

We're in the home stretch now with only 2.5 weeks left. Good luck in your studies! :)

JJL618, RN · Nov 30, 2016

I'm curious as to what all ya'll are studying in the first semester? The State of Alabama changed the curriculum for community colleges this fall. The only class is Fundamental Concepts of Nursing (NUR 112) for 7 course hours. Not sure what all that entails.

JJL618, RN · Nov 30, 2016

Also, did ya'll find it harder or easier than you imagined? I am starting back college in January, but all my pre-reqs from 10-12 years ago still count so I don't have to take all them over again, but I'm worried about diving right into nursing school after not having studying hard since 2009 when I got my bachelor degree in business management. I will be applying for August 2017 semester.

emmjayy, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2016

My first semester involved 120 hours of clinical time spent in the hospital on various units, 30 hours of lab, and 90 hours of lecture. It broke down into 6 hours of lecture on Monday, an hour of lecture on Tuesday plus an hour and a half of lab, 4 hours of clinical on Wednesday, and 4 hours of clinical on Thursday with Fridays off. It was really manageable. My second semester will have a similar schedule except clinical hours will be two 8 hour shifts per week.

I found it to be a ton easier than I thought it would be. I'm getting all A's and I barely study, I just do practice questions, skim the readings, and pay attention in lecture.

AliNajaCat · Nov 30, 2016

We had no clinical first year, then three days of 0700-1400 a week in clinical areas for the next three years, two per semester: peds/ob and psych/rehab; public health/medical and med/surg/; med/surg and surg/elective (I did critical care). Over those four years we also jammed in 4-6 hours of nursing core lecture per week, lab sciences (chemistry (3 semesters, two in the first year), microbiology, physiology, biology) and lecture (anatomy, pathophysiology), and the usual distribution requirements -- sociology, psychology, anthropology, history/government/or/economics, English comp, and the dread freshman gym class. I must be missing something, because I know I took a semester of child growth and development and a semester of nutrition, too. One year I had class from 0800 to 2200 every Monday, with half an hour off in the middle for lunch and library and pick up a hot dog from the street cart for dinner to eat while I walked to my last class.

Sweet sufferin' jaysus, i couldn't do that now for love or money. But I was a lot younger and had no other real responsibilities besides a boyfriend and two cats. Well, OK, I worked three 8-hr shifts a week (1530-0000) but two were on weekends.

Ilargia99, LVN, RN · Dec 1, 2016

I'm curious as to what all ya'll are studying in the first semester? The State of Alabama changed the curriculum for community colleges this fall. The only class is Fundamental Concepts of Nursing (NUR 112) for 7 course hours. Not sure what all that entails.

It's been pure fundamentals (the basics) with an emphasis on geriatrics for us. So each we get the taught the basics and concepts of whatever the topic may be, such as physical assessment, cognitive problems, musculoskeletal, neurological, GI disorders, urinary tract, sensory issues, diabetes, medical asepsis, wound care, and the various meds that go with.

It's a wide variety of material and there is a lot of it, especially in the beginning, but so far it isn't anything like the horror stories I've been told. Just make sure you listen during lecture, understand the concepts, learn the vocab, and you should be fine.