Humber College Second Entry (2015)

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Figured I would start this thread so we can get some discussions going. I'm starting the Humber Second Entry program this September (2015). Pretty excited, also a bit worried about this 74% cut-off.

Who else is going to join me in the craziness of this program??

I just got accepted too! I'll be seeing you all this Sept! :)

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Hey everyone,

I didn't see this discussion board! I just graduated from the Humber/UNB 2nd Entry Program and I know when I had first got accepted I wanted to know a lot about it. If anyone has questions about the program I'd be more than happy to answer them :)!

And congrats on the start of your journey to becoming nurses!

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hi!!

thanks so much for posting. now i shall pick your brain lol

how would you rate the difficulty of the program?

how were the placements?

would you recommend this program to others?

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I think it's kind of hard to rate the difficulty or the program since I didn't take any other nursing programs besides this. My first degree was a BSc. which helped a lot, and I didn't have to take the first semester stats or psych (thank god). That first semester when you have to get a 74 minimum average was probably the most stressful since it felt like a really high average. I actually did amazingly well that first semester because I studied so much out of fear (like...94% average haha).

However, I know of a few people who failed out after that semester so you really do have to take it seriously and study a lot.

As far as the nursing program classes went, I found them relatively easy for the most part. However, you guys are in the 2.5 year program instead of the 3 year program I did (I was the last year for that extra semester joy). So some things may end up being a little more stressful because of the time crunch. The courses in the summer that are rushed through in like a month were tough (I believe young families and pharm were the two I had like that and you can get behind really easily if you let yourself).

Acute and complex are the two courses that the majority of people struggled with (3 and 4th year classes for the regular stream). I believe over 50 people failed acute when I was in it, and it is my lowest grade in the program. Most of that is due to the testing style they have tried to put into effect (making it more like NCLEX questions) and the fact that it often was on stuff you didn't learn in class and were somehow just expected to have known or read randomly somewhere.

The placements are the best part by far. You learn the most in placements, and you finally make those connections between classroom information and real life situations. I was lucky and liked most of my instructors and peers when I was in clinical. Some people had some really awful experiences. It just depends on who you have and how your personalities and learning styles mesh.

The last 3 placements are the ones that mean the most (the last two med-surg types and then pregrad). Those instructors/preceptors are also the ones that you will use for references when applying for jobs after graduation.

At first I would have said no about recommending the program. It is super disorganized (as you are about to find out haha). However, one of my friends from my first degree was doing her 2nd entry program at Trent and that made me realize how much better our placement opportunities are then there's. She knew people who had to go to Oshawa or places like that for placements because Peterborough is limited in what they can offer. And her program is just as disorganized. So the fact that we have access to Toronto hospitals is really great. The DT schools will get first choice, but I know lots of people who were in those big hospitals. I know a bunch of girls who did placement or pregrad at sick kids.

In the end it doesn't really matter where you've done your degree, it matters how you make the most of it. Doing well in clinical and making connections with your instructors/teachers is really important. In my interviews no one has even really known where Humber/UNB is. They ask if I'm from New Brunswick. It hasn't stopped them from hiring me because I have the degree, I have good references, and I was able to do a really great pregrad (Humber letting you have an input on your pregrad is a big deal, some schools have no say on where they go).

So that was long and probably not organized well haha, but oh well. Humber/UNB will give you the degree and clinical experience you need to get a job. Just as well as the majority of nursing schools out there, and with access to Toronto and Mississauga hospitals.

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Thanks A LOT! That is all really good information for us. I agree with you on a lot of that. I've been to different unis and they all seem the same, disorganized and annoying. It's all about that piece of paper at the end, though hearing that we will have the opportunity for good placements will definitely help. My cousin did the four year program at Humber and she was saying the same thing, pretty disorganized but if you get good placements it'll all make up for it. Also, my brother's friend is doing her last year at Trent in the compressed program and she has barely learned anything, like can't even stick needles yet or learn any basic IV drills. Sad for being her last year!

My brother is in his last year at York for Nursing and he said some of his classmates had to argue their way into even having a placement, and were about to get screwed over by the school. Have you heard anything like that happen at Humber? Just worried that the disorganization will seriously affect someone.

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thanks so much!

that's actually very helpful. my first degree is a bahsc and I don't have to take patho or psych this semester but I'm really worried about stats since I've taken it before and it was probably one of my lowest grades overall.

it's good to hear that we get decent placements, that's one of the reasons why I chose to apply to humber.

you mentioned that they ask if you're from NB in interviews, does that mean you're already working? you've taken the NCLEX?

thanks again!

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Honestly thank you so much relizabeth for this information!! I graduated in a BSc. as well and all I have to take in the prep semester is pathophysiology and statistics. How was the pathophysiology course? Was it difficult? Also its great to hear Humber gives you a say in the last clinical placement...whew...thank god. At york's 2nd entry...you have no say.

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My brother is in his last year at York for Nursing and he said some of his classmates had to argue their way into even having a placement, and were about to get screwed over by the school. Have you heard anything like that happen at Humber? Just worried that the disorganization will seriously affect someone.

I have heard about people at Durham and at Trent having a really hard time with placements (but those are the only other two schools I know people who attended). I never had a problem with placements and always got my first choice for the most part. However I never really picked DT hospitals since I was living on campus and that commute is brutal first thing in the morning. They only let a certain number of 2nd entry students into each clinical spot once you've joined up with the 3rd year students (there were generally 2 in my groups). Humber is a lot better than other schools because you do get a choice with clinicals, even if you really only find out 3 days before you have to pick haha. No one I know ever ended up in a situation where they didn't have a clinical, and you were always able to swap with other people if it came down to it.

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Honestly thank you so much relizabeth for this information!! I graduated in a BSc. as well and all I have to take in the prep semester is pathophysiology and statistics. How was the pathophysiology course? Was it difficult? Also its great to hear Humber gives you a say in the last clinical placement...whew...thank god. At york's 2nd entry...you have no say.

The teacher for patho is AMAZING! Hands down my favourite professor I've ever had in either of my degrees. Go to that class and study his notes and you will do fine. It is a lot of content and memorization but he is a great teacher and writes some really funny exam questions. I got an A+ (>90) in both of the patho classes (you take another one later on in the program).

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thanks so much!

that's actually very helpful. my first degree is a bahsc and I don't have to take patho or psych this semester but I'm really worried about stats since I've taken it before and it was probably one of my lowest grades overall.

it's good to hear that we get decent placements, that's one of the reasons why I chose to apply to humber.

you mentioned that they ask if you're from NB in interviews, does that mean you're already working? you've taken the NCLEX?

thanks again!

Due to the fear I had of not getting a job (since I didn't get one from my pregrad, my hospital wasn't hiring at all, only laying off) and my 2 degree debt looming over me I started applying for jobs back in March. I think I applied for over 70 jobs, 37 of which were new grad jobs. The problem with new grad jobs is they have to post them, but they typically offer them to the students who were on their units for pregrad.

Anyway, I got 3 interviews, and studied my butt off for them, and was offered 3 different jobs. I start working in July, but no I haven't written the NCLEX yet. I am weak and afraid and keep delaying it haha. A few of my friends who were on the dean's list with me have written it and passed in 75 questions so I hope I do the same :p!

I did manage to get a new graduate job in critical care so I'm very happy about my hard work paying off. Being in an ICU for my pregrad and taking an arrhythmias course and my ACLS gave me an edge over some of my peers. Not many of my classmates have jobs.

The market is tough right now. Anyone on AN will tell you that. So when you're applying for jobs after school, make sure you have good references (your past instructors, teachers, preceptor, etc.) and apply for everything, not just the specific hospital and unit you want. That was some of the really great advice I got from long time members of AN and that I'm giving to everyone else as well.

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thanks again!

that's great that you're already working in a hospital setting so soon after graduation. a lot of my nurse friends had to work in geriatrics before they got jobs at hospitals. good for you :)

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Thank you for the information!!

1. Which hospital did you do your pregrad where they were laying people off?

2. What are your best tips for the prep semester? I have to take 4/5 (no psych) courses and it's a little intimidating from what I've heard.

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