need info about clinicals in CUNY

Witchbaby · Apr 17, 2010

Hi! I go to a CUNY community college and there are no nursing classes and therefore clinicals in summer or winter. Also to get in a program you first need to finish all pre-reqs. Based on the grades u get, they decide whether they take u or not. Hope that helped =)

DoGoodThenGo · Apr 17, 2010

Hello all!
I have an associates degree in another field but I want to go back to school for nursing. I have already wasted alot of time and wish to start taking courses asap. I was thinking of taking courses over the Summer and Fall but Ive heard that you must apply a semester before in order to start clinicals the following Fall. -Do all clinicals only begin in the Fall? is there any CUNY or nursing schools/programs that allow you to begin your clinicals in the Spring?How does clinicals exactly work? How many clinical courses are taken in a semester?
i know I am asking alot of questions but CUNY staff isn't too helpful. Hopefully some one can clear this up for me.
Thanks

Clinicals are tied to the nursing class one is taking at that time (Med/Surg I, Med/Surg II, OB/GYN, etc), and thus are only scheduled when nursing classes are in session. To the best of my knowledge no CUNY nursing program offers nursing classes during summer sessions.

You cannot take *any* clinical classes before being formally admitted to a nursing program. Some CUNY schools admit new nursing classes in both Fall and Spring semesters, others only in the Fall, though think it is the former. In either event, again if you are admitted into a program in say the Spring of 2011, you will have your clinical classes with Med-Surg I, that same semester.

You cannot take more than on clinical class per semester, as they work in step with whatever nursing class one is taking at that time (see above). In may day at the College of Staten Island, clinical class sections were printed in the upcoming semester catalog of class offerings, so one could chose where one wanted to go, that is which hospital or clinical setting and perhaps (my memory fades), what time (think there were both morning and afternoon sections). Again each clinical class would be marked that one could only take it if enrolled in the proper nursing class. So the answer to your question is no, you cannot take OB/Gyn clinicals unless that is the class you are enrolled in and so forth.

There is usually only one clincial class per semester, but obviously you will be going to whatever hospital or site several times. It could be once, twice or even more per week, or it could be daily for a period of a few weeks or month.

Long story short, you will have to contact each school you are interested in and asking them directly if they have Fall and Spring admissions to their nursing programs. One would assume the cut off date for Fall 2010 has passed or getting close, so you are probably looking at Spring 2011.

astudent_ · Apr 17, 2010

Yes I will be finishing up my pre reqs this Fall 2010 for an ADN at my local CC. My concern was having to wait until Fall 2011 (another year) to start clinicals which is why I wanted to know if there were any CUNY schools that have clinicals begining in the Spring semester so that I am not just sitting around waiting.

DoGoodThenGo · Apr 17, 2010

Again, either contact the school directly, or go to their website and see when new nursing classes are admitted. Could be wrong but almost am certain all CUNY undergraduate nursing programs take new classes of students in both Fall and Spring semesters.

Clinicals, interships, and so forth are attached to nursing classes. If you are admitted for Spring 2011, yes, you will have rotations then, but it is of no use thinking about that now until you are formally admitted to the nursing program. Until later happens you cannot take *any* nursing classes, which would include clinical rotations.

Finally if you are attending a non-CUNY school and would be a "transfer" student, check each school's policy towards such students as nursing majors. Some CUNY nursing undergraduate programs mandate you must have been formally accepted to the college for a certain length of time, and or completed a certain amount of credits at the college before applying to the nursing program. This is done to prevent transfer students leap frogging ahead of those who have been at the college from the start taking pre-nursing classes.

astudent_ · Apr 21, 2010

Thanks for all the info! I called the nursing dept at my local community college (Bronx CC) and they said if I finish my remaining 2 pre-reqs over the summer and pass the exam in the Fall I could start my nursing classes in the Spring. Now I just have to find the funds for summer classes since financial aid does not pay for summer courses:uhoh3: I cant wait until im officially in!!

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Apr 21, 2010

Thanks for all the info! I called the nursing dept at my local community college (Bronx CC) and they said if I finish my remaining 2 pre-reqs over the summer and pass the exam in the Fall I could start my nursing classes in the Spring. Now I just have to find the funds for summer classes since financial aid does not pay for summer courses:uhoh3: I cant wait until im officially in!!

You also need to get into the program!! Just having all your pre-reqs done does not guarantee admittance. The CUNY schools are extremely competitive; depending on who else is applying at your time, you may need a 4.0 to get in. It's a frustrating process; getting all your pre-req's done, then waiting to get into a program. If I were you, I'd shop around for a program that does not require you to have all your classes completed already (they do exist).

And to clarify (as dogood stated): yes, there are programs that have clinicals beginning in the spring semesters. Many of them do.

astudent_ · Apr 21, 2010

"If I were you, I'd shop around for a program that does not require you to have all your classes completed already (they do exist)."

Any programs you recommend in NYC?