Is this typical of an ADN program?

In my ASN program, advanced med/surg included clinicals in dialysis, oncology, tele, ICU and ER.

In my program, the adavanced med-surg IS the ICU and critical care stuff. Although I heard we won't be doing a rotation in the ER at all...

I should have clarified. This is the curriculum listed on the website

Semester 1: A&P I, Health Asssessment, Lifespan Psych, Med/Surg I clinical

Semester 2: A&P II, Microbiology, Community/Home Nursing, Med/Surg II clinical

Semester 3: Peds/OB/Psych clinicals

Semester 4: Health Management, Advanced Med/Surg clinical

I e-mailed the lady in charge of the ADN program and asked what specifically was included in the med/surg rotations and informed her of my intents for graduation. This is exactly what she said in response.

"We are a pre-licensure program and as such only have specialty rotations in Peds, OB,& PSYCH nursing. 3 Semesters are devoted to medical surgical nursing, each semester builds upon the previous semesters with increasing responsibilities added. The final semester is the advanced med/surg course. There are no specific courses where students have a clinical experience in the ED or ICU."

I attended a hospital based diploma program. Each of my semesters were broken in half into 8 week blocks. I spent 3 separate 8 week blocks in med-surg (cardiac, onc, and ortho), 8 week block in psych, 8 week block in a combined ob/peds class, and 8 weeks in critical care (I was in a MICU/CCU). While at the time I had no interest in ICU, I am greatful for that experience. I know think I would love to work in a PICU.

"We are a pre-licensure program and as such only have specialty rotations in Peds, OB,& PSYCH nursing. 3 Semesters are devoted to medical surgical nursing, each semester builds upon the previous semesters with increasing responsibilities added. The final semester is the advanced med/surg course. There are no specific courses where students have a clinical experience in the ED or ICU."

Ahh, that may be the difference. In my program, the first year was the LPN year, and the second was the RN year. Every person in the third and fourth semesters was already licensed as an LPN. Perhaps that allows for more in depth clinicals? It *was* a requirement to have the LPN before moving on into the next year. If you didn't pass boards, you weren't allowed to continue.

Interesting.

The school has an LPN program, but in this program, it is 4 semester, leads to an ADN, and you are then eligible to take the NCLEX and become an RN upon passing. We aren't licensed until then.

Where I am it along the lines of this if I remember correctly

Sem 1: Intro to Nursing, A&P I

Sem 2: Fundamentals, Micro, A&P II

Sem 3: Med/Surg I, Patho, Pharm, Lifespan

Sem 4: OB/Peds, Psych

Sem 5: Med/Surg II, Leadership, Internship/Advanced Practium

That is just the nursing specific classes. There are also 5 english classes, a math class, and psychology class.

Yea our preqs are into to biological chemistry, english comp I, general psychology, and math. However, I've already taken all those classes in undergrad as well as the few gen ed classes they throw into the nursing curriculum so I will only be part time.

1st semester...fundamentals/starting clinicals on medsurg floor.

2nd semester...half OB and half psych.

3rd and 4th semester is medsurg.

We have to opt in for critical care during our elective period in our third (and final year). All our other placements are med/surg and/or med/surg specialties (e.g. cardiovascular ward, colorectal surgical ward) or speciality to match the subject (e.g. psych, children's etc).

Our placements look like this:

Year 1:

1st Semester - Med/surg ---> general hospital placements (1 week)

2nd Semester - Med/surg ---> general hospital placements (2 weeks)

Year 2:

1st Semester - Med/surg ---> general hospital placements (2 weeks)

Children's ---> in a daycare center or special school for disabled children (1 week)

2nd Semester - Med/surg ---> general hospital placements (1 week)

Psych ---> community or inpatient psychiatry (2 weeks)

Year 3:

1st Semester - Advanced med/surg ---> general hospital placement (3 weeks)

Elective ---> choose from critical care (here you can get placed in ICU, HDU or ED), aged care, paeds (you might land in PICU or NICU here, rarely), palliative care, community, women's health, peri-op, child & family health, australian indigenous health or mental health (2 weeks)

2nd Semester - Sub/major ---> choose from med/surg, aged care, paeds or mental health (2 weeks & then 3 weeks, possibly at a different location. Sometimes you're lucky enough to land a critical care ward. This year - looking at the third year placements for med/surg and paeds - there are a handful of NICU, PICU, ED & HDU placements. I can't see any ICU placements, though.)

That's funny. In my program, Advanced Med- Surg concepts is Critical Care, and we have our rotation in ICU and ER. Considering the fact that Critical Care concepts is tested on the NCLEX, I hope they will give some experience!

I hope we at least discuss it fully in class if we don't have a critical care rotation, which the program director said we don't. I guess I'll have to get a nurse extern position to get into the ED/ICU as a new grad!

The program I am attending has been around for a long time and has a great reputation in the area. They have full accreditation and a 98% pass rate on the NCLEX. I was just a little surprised that you don't get any time in an ICU/ED type setting.