Merritt College ADN 2011

heartdrop · May 10, 2012

as a student who stuck with it, I'm doing good... better than okay. I am enjoying it. However, It is and can be frustrating and ridiculous at times, but I am striving and getting there. my classmates make a huge difference in this respect, I wouldn't have made it this far without all of our collective strength and collaboration. I am not endorsing the program but it takes all (ALL) of what you have (and more) to make it through. I can't talk for other nursing programs, but from a general and average consensus, RN school is tough and i appreciate this program because it toughens you up. It is very DIY, our equipment is not ideal, and the instructors can be abrasive and sometimes rude but it comes from a place that makes us grow into critical thinkers and the nurses who won't get eaten alive at our first post-grad job. Apply or not, you need to be made of strength and determination and be willing to feel small every now and again.

I can't say THAT many things terrible about the program, because I am in it. I am making good grades and passing clinicals. I am not having the negative experiences that other students have had though our class is small and shrinking; we are at 29 now and I would expect that trend won't deviate from its pattern. but for the percentage of the people who have made it this far, we are getting out with RNs and that is what matters.

TaterTot9 · May 11, 2012

Hi PM

I am sorry to hear that. Thank you for posting. The follow-up for your experience is instructive for others. What are your plans now? Will you still persue an RN?

TaterTot9 · May 11, 2012

Good Luck, Heartdrop, and congrats on staying in there. All the best.

ProudMom511 · May 12, 2012

I will never give up on it. did you apply to merritt?

GetThere · May 17, 2012

I'm still here and while I can't say it's been easy, it has been do-able. I have always been a diy kinda person and you need that to make it here, but you also are going to need the support of your classmates. I most likely would have folded by now without them.

ThatGuy. · May 19, 2012

@ GetThere & heartdrop and anybody thats still in the program.

I just got accepted into the ADN program and can really use a couple of tips on how to stay on top of things and do well. What study methods did you guys use? I am really considering passing up the chance to go here due to all the bad things I've been hearing. How can 2/3 of the class drop out? I read of a student who read the text book 3 times and still didn't make the 75% deadline in a test.

I can really use as much advise as possible to get me prepared for what is to come

craizy_man · May 19, 2012

I just graduated their program. I'm an advocate for them, you wanna know why? because they churned out the best nurses any nursing program in this country could have, The standards are high, it's not for everyone, it's all DIY just like nursing is. Although nursing is a team sport, at the end of the day they are your patients, and your responsibility. If you get accepted intoa BSN, go there since the tide is turning away from adn. I will be speaking at the orientation too. It's not about memorizing the material, it's using the material and applying it to scenarios, priorities, assessments, teaching, etc.... The best thing to do is not rereading the material, but practicing the types of questions, critically thinking about it, you've never had exams like this before, trust me. Get a saunder's nclex book, or med/surg study aide, and do questions, many of them, at this point I think we've done about 3500 or 4000 questions in total. You'll see how it's not only worded but the rationale behind the correct answers. If you can't dedicated 95% of your time within the program for 2 years, look elsewhere.

DisneyDreamer · May 19, 2012

I was just accepted for Fall 2012. I have chosen not to listen to the negative comments and give it my all. Any tips for survival please?

ThatGuy. · May 20, 2012

craizy_man,

Congratulations on being one of the few to make it all the way! I will definitely buy the saunder's nclex book as well as the fundamentals book in order to start going over them during the summer.

I really Appreciate the advise and if you have any other tips, I'm all ears

heartdrop · May 21, 2012

Hey ThatGuy,

There are a lot of things you can do: refine your individual study habits, get organized, find a study group, do practice Nclex questions wherever you can find them, pay attention to what the instructors say is "important" (most likely you'll see it on the test), Don't just understand the material - know how to apply it to critical thinking questions... That is major, because we had some smart people in our class that didn't make it because the testing is unlike mental recall and more about application to scenarios.

Not all of who is gone dropped out. some left on their own accord (getting into another program or other personal reasons). there were few that left because they thought they couldn't bring their grade up before clinical started... a lot of people brought up their grade to make that 75%, i think that those who left prematurely would have made the grade too!

I thought the same as you - passing up Merritt and waiting for other programs to accept me - but I wasn't going to let it deter me and I still haven't. Nursing School is Nursing school, wherever you go.

ThatGuy. · May 21, 2012

heartdrop,

Thanks for the advise. I've come to the same conclusion that Nursing school is going to be just as tough no matter where I end up going. I'm sure it will be as difficult as everybody says it is, but I'm ready to push forward and get it done.

DisneyDreamer · May 22, 2012

Me too.