Anyone here from Harper College in Palatine?

scumberledge · Jul 16, 2009

Not only is it so disorganized but we dont know if we are officially in until after this stupid CNA thing. I am afraid to buy books until then. And the whole getting kicked out because you talk to people I think is stupid too. If they are going to be this strict I think they need to be equally organized.

lilbutterfly1 · Jul 16, 2009

I know... Are you going to open lab next wekk to practice your CNA skills?

scumberledge · Jul 16, 2009

Yea on monday and tuesday. I am trying t practice at work too. I have to remember to ask their name and birthday. I know all of my residents at work so I don't have to ask. I signed up for 12:20 on monday the 27. I figure get it done and over with.

lilbutterfly1 · Jul 16, 2009

Yeah I dont even remember how to make a bed!!! I am screwed. I signed up for tuesday at 10:20 lets see how it goes..

scumberledge · Jul 17, 2009

Good Luck!

lilbutterfly1 · Jul 17, 2009

Same to you!!

girlfriday · Jul 17, 2009

I just read through this entire thread and I thought maybe you guys might like to know what some of my classmates and I found helpful as we waded through the first year. Not to scare anyone, but my class started with around 80+ people and we are down to 43 as we begin the second year. Firstly, if you can swing it, try to work as little as possible. I am sure you have heard that before but it is true. You really need as much time as you can give yourself.

Patho is hard. I think we lost more people from patho than in any other class. My friends and I used the "made easy" series of books. It's really helpful. I don't know why they are not required reading. Also, there is a tutor in the tutoring center who is not affiliated with the nursing program named Kris Jahns who went above and beyond to help us with study sessions and study guides. Get a hold of her and give her your syllabus. She was invaluable for helping to decipher that textbook and pull out essential information.

NCLEX review books- buy them, get them from the library. Nursing tests are not like other tests. Rote memorization of facts does not help you pass a nursing test. You have to learn how to take this very specific kind of exam which requires applying the things you've learned to various scenarios.

Go to lab whenever you can. You will be learning many (22 or so) new skills in the first semester and will be tested on them. My group had to do them all in the second 8 weeks because we had CNA skills the first 8 weeks. You will have more time to learn them and get them down and hopefully be more successful than my group. Take advantage of that. Use the peer tutors when they are available, ask random second years to help you.

When you get to med surg- there is a little known "pocket clinical guide" that accompanies the text that you can purchase. It essentially is cliff's notes of the 1200 page text. Get it, take it with you to clinical, and use it to study from after you have read the text once. It hones in on all the important stuff you need to know for each disease process.

When you disagree with an instructor about a test question or a grade or you are just generally frustrated with the program as happens frequently, make sure you are always polite with everyone. Even if you are arguing a point. Don't give anyone a reason to think you don't deserve to be there.

Ok, well I know that is maybe a lot of negative, scary stuff. But these are things I wish I had known about when I started last year. It is definitely doable, it just takes a supreme amount of effort and time. Like I said a couple pages back, if anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

Good luck to all of you!

itsa307 · Jul 17, 2009

FYI Micro classes are OPEN now!

girlfriday...thanks for the advice!

lilbutterfly1 · Jul 17, 2009

girlfriday thank you so much for your advice... I will definately ask you questions if I have some. Thanks

violetsky · Jul 24, 2009

I just read through this entire thread and I thought maybe you guys might like to know what some of my classmates and I found helpful as we waded through the first year. Not to scare anyone, but my class started with around 80+ people and we are down to 43 as we begin the second year. Firstly, if you can swing it, try to work as little as possible. I am sure you have heard that before but it is true. You really need as much time as you can give yourself.
Patho is hard. I think we lost more people from patho than in any other class. My friends and I used the "made easy" series of books. It's really helpful. I don't know why they are not required reading. Also, there is a tutor in the tutoring center who is not affiliated with the nursing program named Kris Jahns who went above and beyond to help us with study sessions and study guides. Get a hold of her and give her your syllabus. She was invaluable for helping to decipher that textbook and pull out essential information.
NCLEX review books- buy them, get them from the library. Nursing tests are not like other tests. Rote memorization of facts does not help you pass a nursing test. You have to learn how to take this very specific kind of exam which requires applying the things you've learned to various scenarios.
Go to lab whenever you can. You will be learning many (22 or so) new skills in the first semester and will be tested on them. My group had to do them all in the second 8 weeks because we had CNA skills the first 8 weeks. You will have more time to learn them and get them down and hopefully be more successful than my group. Take advantage of that. Use the peer tutors when they are available, ask random second years to help you.
When you get to med surg- there is a little known "pocket clinical guide" that accompanies the text that you can purchase. It essentially is cliff's notes of the 1200 page text. Get it, take it with you to clinical, and use it to study from after you have read the text once. It hones in on all the important stuff you need to know for each disease process.
When you disagree with an instructor about a test question or a grade or you are just generally frustrated with the program as happens frequently, make sure you are always polite with everyone. Even if you are arguing a point. Don't give anyone a reason to think you don't deserve to be there.
Ok, well I know that is maybe a lot of negative, scary stuff. But these are things I wish I had known about when I started last year. It is definitely doable, it just takes a supreme amount of effort and time. Like I said a couple pages back, if anyone has any questions feel free to ask.
Good luck to all of you!

Hi girlfriday,

I'm about to start the Fall 2009 nursing program and I have heard so many negative things about the Pathophysiology class.. Is it really that extremely difficult?

girlfriday · Jul 24, 2009

Hi violetsky,

Yes. It is extremely difficult. Mostly because of the volume of material, not the difficulty of the subject. That class is known as a weeder. I think we lost the most people from that class and the cohort behind me, spring 09, had an even harder time with it. It is essentially self taught, which is why i would take advantage of that tutor in the tutoring center. The lectures do not even begin to touch most of the material in the book and overall the class was really disorganized. Its very frustrating but you can't really do anything about it. All you can do is maneuver around whatever comes your way and try to pass the class. I hope, since your class will be the third group to try out this new curriculum, that things may have changed for the better.

Things to help you study-

tutor- K. Jahns in the tutoring center. she is not affiliated with the nursing department at all so, in addition to helping you study, you can vent a little to her.

care maps- you may not know what those are yet, but after you learn, make one for every disease you learn about. it really helps. almost everyone was doing this by mid-semester.

and then...try not to vomit every time you hear the words "we need to be adult learners". you will hear that a lot. From everyone. From what I can tell, "adult learner" is harperspeak for "you are on your own."

you can pass this class, though. For all the people that failed it, more of them passed. So the odds are in your favor.

SnowRain7489 · Jul 31, 2009

So do they require the HESI exit exam for the Practical Certifical Nursing program?