MUSC ABSN Spring 2021

Mbl19 · Oct 14, 2020

9 minutes ago, mckenna said:

Would y’all be down to make a groupme? ?

Sounds good. Count me in.

mckenna · Oct 14, 2020

Whoever wants to be in it, here is the link! https://groupme.com/join_group/63384266/C8P9mSxE

let me know if that works!

bitter_betsy, BSN · Oct 15, 2020

So I talked with some birdies today on your behalf.... it sounds like ya'll will be doing mostly virtual - a combination of pre-recorded (Panopto) videos and live streaming (Zoom-type). In order to prepare to study under these circumstances - this is what I would do. Trust me when I say that it is difficult to do nursing school online - and add to it this program and just how quickly it moves.

I am sorry if any of this comes across blunt or harsh. I want you to be prepared in every way possible - especially mentally. When you start in January - you will not get a real break until December. You cannot fall behind because this isn't about memorization. You can memorize all you want, but if you don't understand, you will eventually have problems. Take every lecture seriously. Prepare and pay attention.

1. Get a desk set up. It can be your kitchen table, just not your couch or bed. Let this be your sanctuary for study time. Get everything you need set up in that spot and make sure you have good wireless reception there. If your wireless sucks - BUY A CABLE TO PLUG IN - you can get them in up to 100'. Yes that's a thing - just no one does it anymore.

2. Keep your technology charged and have backup charged battery banks. Yes - the power can and does go out during lectures (that's what hot spots are for). You are expected to attend and will be docked for not doing so - a dead battery just means you were not prepared. Saying your power went out once may work for you, but twice - nope. Also - better have a friend with their power out too and make sure that the power company has a problem as well. Excuses will bite you in the rear because they will follow up on things you never expected them to. Power up that hot spot and reconnect.

3. Skim before the lecture (I actually read the whole assignment but I know that isn't realistic for most people). You want to know what is sort of going on so that you can ask clarification questions during the lecture. When you skim again to follow up, you should actually understand. Do not hesitate to email them with questions if you don't understand. ** I'll come back to this! **

4. Do every question you can get your hands on for each chapter. There were series of questions that came with our books, and for some I purchased additional questions from the book publishers. Yes it takes time, yes people will complain if they are actually assigned - but it helps you understand the whole concept and in the long run it will help you pass your tests and the NCLEX.

5. Start doing NCLEX questions today. You will not be able to answer most of them now - it doesn't matter. What matters is that you read the question and read the rationale - and understand that rationale. Even if you do just 1 question per day, look up the why for the answer the strive to answer that 1 question - you will be so much better prepared for Med Surg, Med Surg 2 and the NCLEX.

6. Oh the NCLEX - you will hear the words "NCLEX questions" so many times from your instructors... You will never feel prepared for the NCLEX, but what they don't tell you is that it is an application test. For example - it doesn't matter if you can regurgitate all the ABG values, instead, you need to be able to interpret those values, realize what is happening to the patient because of those values and then choose the right plan of care from the answers. This is the goal of HOW you need to learn to think. It takes time and you need to work at it. You will get it, but it doesn't happen over night. UNDERSTANDING this is key - application not memorization for all of nursing school (OK - except pharm - that is memorization).

7. ** email ** No one answers their email on the weekends, so make sure all your questions are out there by Thursday pm so they can get answered over the weekend - because lets be realistic - thats when homework really gets done. Worst case - try me. They change the program every semester, but if you don't get an answer from them - I'll do my best for you.

Just because it is online doesn't mean it is easy. You are obviously smart and talented because you were accepted to this program. You can and you WILL make it. It is not easy, but you will make it. You have MANY caring instructors and you will learn who those are but that doesn't mean they will give you any slack. You will need to focus especially since you won't be in class.

I'm here. Don't hesitate to ask. I want to be the help I didn't have.

Jasmine G · Oct 20, 2020

I just got my acceptance email today! So excited for this next step!!

Knneiko · Oct 20, 2020

Awesome! Congrats!

Tabby McMahon · Nov 5, 2020

Hi Guys! So excited to meet you all! Can you add me to the FB Group?

jesse0622 · Jan 9, 2021

On 10/14/2020 at 7:03 PM, bitter_betsy said:

So I talked with some birdies today on your behalf.... it sounds like ya'll will be doing mostly virtual - a combination of pre-recorded (Panopto) videos and live streaming (Zoom-type). In order to prepare to study under these circumstances - this is what I would do. Trust me when I say that it is difficult to do nursing school online - and add to it this program and just how quickly it moves.

I am sorry if any of this comes across blunt or harsh. I want you to be prepared in every way possible - especially mentally. When you start in January - you will not get a real break until December. You cannot fall behind because this isn't about memorization. You can memorize all you want, but if you don't understand, you will eventually have problems. Take every lecture seriously. Prepare and pay attention.

1. Get a desk set up. It can be your kitchen table, just not your couch or bed. Let this be your sanctuary for study time. Get everything you need set up in that spot and make sure you have good wireless reception there. If your wireless sucks - BUY A CABLE TO PLUG IN - you can get them in up to 100'. Yes that's a thing - just no one does it anymore.

2. Keep your technology charged and have backup charged battery banks. Yes - the power can and does go out during lectures (that's what hot spots are for). You are expected to attend and will be docked for not doing so - a dead battery just means you were not prepared. Saying your power went out once may work for you, but twice - nope. Also - better have a friend with their power out too and make sure that the power company has a problem as well. Excuses will bite you in the rear because they will follow up on things you never expected them to. Power up that hot spot and reconnect.

3. Skim before the lecture (I actually read the whole assignment but I know that isn't realistic for most people). You want to know what is sort of going on so that you can ask clarification questions during the lecture. When you skim again to follow up, you should actually understand. Do not hesitate to email them with questions if you don't understand. ** I'll come back to this! **

4. Do every question you can get your hands on for each chapter. There were series of questions that came with our books, and for some I purchased additional questions from the book publishers. Yes it takes time, yes people will complain if they are actually assigned - but it helps you understand the whole concept and in the long run it will help you pass your tests and the NCLEX.

5. Start doing NCLEX questions today. You will not be able to answer most of them now - it doesn't matter. What matters is that you read the question and read the rationale - and understand that rationale. Even if you do just 1 question per day, look up the why for the answer the strive to answer that 1 question - you will be so much better prepared for Med Surg, Med Surg 2 and the NCLEX.

6. Oh the NCLEX - you will hear the words "NCLEX questions" so many times from your instructors... You will never feel prepared for the NCLEX, but what they don't tell you is that it is an application test. For example - it doesn't matter if you can regurgitate all the ABG values, instead, you need to be able to interpret those values, realize what is happening to the patient because of those values and then choose the right plan of care from the answers. This is the goal of HOW you need to learn to think. It takes time and you need to work at it. You will get it, but it doesn't happen over night. UNDERSTANDING this is key - application not memorization for all of nursing school (OK - except pharm - that is memorization).

7. ** email ** No one answers their email on the weekends, so make sure all your questions are out there by Thursday pm so they can get answered over the weekend - because lets be realistic - thats when homework really gets done. Worst case - try me. They change the program every semester, but if you don't get an answer from them - I'll do my best for you.

Just because it is online doesn't mean it is easy. You are obviously smart and talented because you were accepted to this program. You can and you WILL make it. It is not easy, but you will make it. You have MANY caring instructors and you will learn who those are but that doesn't mean they will give you any slack. You will need to focus especially since you won't be in class.

I'm here. Don't hesitate to ask. I want to be the help I didn't have.

Hi! I have been reading all your posts on this thread and they are so helpful. Thank you for all your time and effort you have put into them! I was accepted into MUSC's ABSN program starting in Spring but I deferred my start date so now I won't be starting until fall. Can you tell me a little bit about the structure of the program? Do we get any breaks? I'm also not super familiar with semesters because I am coming from a quarter based school in Seattle.

bitter_betsy, BSN · Jan 10, 2021

@jesse0622. You are most welcome for the help! As I said, I want to be the help that I didn't have.

The difference between a quarter and a semester is time. Typically there are 4 quarters in a year and 2 semesters and a "mini-master" or something else for Summer. At MUSC the Spring and Fall semesters are 16 weeks long each and Summer is 14 I think. You don't get a break in the Summer - they just distribute the content differently - so same stuff with a shorter time line. Luckily for you since you deferred, it will be Community and Research that you have during that semester and not Med Surg 2. You take roughly 16 credit hours per semester (you don't get to pick anything - it just gets assigned and everyone gets the same classes in the same order). It is either 3 or 4 classes per semester. The schedule can get confusing because you have "class", sim lab, clinical, and "bootcamps" which are all different and on different days and you may have a different schedule than your buddy (although everyone has "class" at the same time). You can look for the schedule online (I've probably posted a link at one point in time) and see how much time there generally is between semesters.... oh yea - ZERO. In the Spring semester you get a break usually around St. Pattys Day. Sadly it isn't a break because you are trying to figure out what is going on if this is your first semester. You will have the benefit of it being your second semester, but you will be in Med Surg 2 and will probably spend your break studying anyway. There is a Winter break for a couple weeks in December. Normally however, you semester will end on Tuesday, you will take finals on Wed, Thur and/or Friday and start the next semester on Monday.

When they tell you not to leave before they say you can leave - don't. I have seen plenty of people get angry because they bought plane tickets to go home and couldn't. If they say don't do it - make it easy on yourself and listen - just don't do it.

I'm here and once you post enough on allnurses, you can send private messages. Good Luck! It was rough, but I love my job every day and it was totally worth it.