Mohawk College RPN 2012

Kat_RPNStudent · Nov 4, 2012

Hi Everyone!

I am starting in January and am so excited! Thanks to everyone who has provided such great info about the program.

relaxingbath · Nov 8, 2012

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone could advise me on the best course of action for getting my immunizations done.

I'm originally from the UK and even though i have had all my immunizations done I don't have a record of them. I spoke with Mohawk yesterday and I won't be able to get my student card till the end of the month (24-28th Nov) and the Health services at IAHS aren't able to help till i have a student card. The complications I see with this is i've already had my TB immunization and the skin test will most likely come back positive this means i'll have to have an x-ray etc... causing a delay and the health services at the IAHS closes for christmas mid Dec. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I've found online the pre-placement health form and working though it, does anyone know if Mohawk sends these out and if others have received it? Am I getting ahead of myself or am I behind where i should be at this stage?

Magal · Nov 9, 2012

So, Im also starting in January 2013 and only now found out about all the requisites for the placements. Why, why, why were we not told about this before? The website only mentions CPR, mask-fitting and immunizations. I'm thinking.... just go to my family doctor and get the shots. Simple. No.NOT SIMPLE! I had no idea the list was so long and that it took so many shots. I don't have any immunization and am only starting the process now. Will I be done in time? If I took two shots of hepatitis will they let me start the placements? The Paramed form says the second hepatitis shot can be taken a month after the first shot, and the third shot has to be six months after the second! The semester will be over by then! Does that mean I won't be able to do any placements during the first semester? Aghhhh!! They should really warn you when you get your acceptance letter that the process can be so lengthy and that you should start it right away. Can anybody give me any information that may be helpful?

starfish33 · Nov 10, 2012

@Magal...don't panic.

I had to get hepatitis shots too, and most people will show immunity on their bloodwork after the first 2 shots. I did. I think I scheduled another blood draw about 2 weeks after my second shot, and they cleared me.

Do the best you can! Lots of people had issues with their clearances... it will work out!

Good luck!

*starfish*

relaxingbath · Nov 15, 2012

Feeling like a pin cushion just now, got my bloods taken and some of my shots, got a flu shot as it was offered. Now just to do a first aid course and mask fitting and i should be good to go. Does anyone know if you hear back about your police check or can i just forget about it?

How is everyones preperations going?

Relaxing bath

Magal · Nov 18, 2012

Your police check will be mailed to you (sometimes you have to pick it up if you didn't mention that you wanted it mailed) and you need to bring it with you to your Paramed appointment along with all the other paper work.

Have you taken the CPR course yet? I don't believe first aid is mandatory (please someone correct me if I'm wrong) but the CPR/care provider is. I also need to get my mask fitting done and found out that Mohawk/McMaster only has sessions now in January 2013. I think you can get done through other places too. Good luck to everyone rushing to get everything done before placements. I still need to write a final biology exam, which I'm terrified and have been postponing it, but know I will feel better once I get it out of my way.

poko, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2012

Hey all! I'm almost done my preparations for placement- I just need to get screened for varicella immunity and I'm almost done.

Re: police check- I told the clerk I wanted to have mine mailed. It took about 10 days.

Re: Mask fit- I had mine done at a place in Oakville called Gem Health Care. It cost around 40 dollars (student rate). If you email Doug ([email protected]) he can let you know the next opening. I did mine on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago.

Re: First aid, you're correct in that the paperwork that I have states that you only need CPR HCP, however from my experience I think many of the courses are offered combined SFA & CPR.

relaxingbath · Nov 19, 2012

Hi Poko, sounds like your pretty much sorted, had my TB skin test done and it came back positive so had my x-rays. Had bloods taken for Varicella, Hep-B and MMR was given a flu shot as well as tetorifice/pertusiss booster. So i'm as far forwards with that at as I can be at this stage.

I went to my local branch of the Waterloo police force for my police check and that was on the 22nd of October and not heard anything back, again think my moving to Canada 2.5 years ago is causing issues.

Looking into mask fitting there is meant to be a place locally that does it in Cambridge but having difficulty getting accurate information about it online so might go with your suggestion of Gem Health Care, how where you able to get student rate as I don't yet have my student card?

I did my CPR-HCP yesterday and it only took half a day, was in the general first aid course for the morning then over the lunch break I had one on one with the instructor doing the specific parts for the CPR-HCP it was really quick and over and tested before i knew it, hoping that i'm not throwing into a situation where i need to do it all by myself right away.

Magal · Nov 19, 2012

Does anyone here have a blog about the adventures of your journrey to become a nurse? Or know someone that has one? Or of nurses already into the program that could give us any insight about what is about the hits us. Please let me know if you do. I find very helpful to flow the blogs of those who have gone ahead of me or the ones who are making the journey with me. Please share with me if you know of any local blogs.Thanks , Dani

Magal · Nov 22, 2012

Found this awesome blog. It made me laugh so much at times but also made me a little worried that I might be in for a rough ride. I though I would share. It's called comfessions of a student nurse. She is from the states but I think a lot can relate. Confessions of a student nurse | Just another WordPress.com site

Blossom<3 · Nov 25, 2012

I am also in the RPN program (1st semester). So far I am enjoying the clinical experience and I can't wait to start second semester. I've met some wonderful people in the program. It's A LOT of work, but if you work hard and try your best, you will do wonders! Good luck for those who are applying next year/semester. Also, I did not purchase the online textbook bundle. I prefer to read textbooks.

cpassion · Nov 26, 2012

Hello all! Thanks for all the wonderful posts - it's been really helpful to know these things to get prepared for the program I'll be starting in just over a month (Jan 2013 RPN intake)! I'm a Second Career nurse hopeful - dually hopeful in that I'm hoping the government will grant me funding for my studies through the Ontario Second Career program (just send out my application on Friday).

I have a specific question I'm wondering if any of the Mohawk RPN student nurses might know the answer to. I am a little out of the loop as I can't register until I am approved and granted funding through the Second Career program, so I hope you'll forgive me if any questions are answered the process that registered students go through.

We are Mohawk students attending McMaster's IAHS and will be using that building's facilities for training/library access. Are we considered Mohawk-McMaster students, and does this give us any privileges to use McMaster University's other facilities, specifically the non-IAHS library and their athletic centre? I would love to get a membership to their gym there (The Pulse), and would love to know if we qualify for the McMaster student fee. Do our student fees give us those privileges, or only Mohawk Fennel campus privileges (which would be much less useful for us considering we are at the IAHS campus for most of our training)? I'm sending some emails out, and once I get an answer, I will post it here. Hope I'm not hijacking the general topic here!

Thanks in advance!