Normal Schedule?

readytoroll · Jul 30, 2008

I think the number of hours you will be learning are pretty normal, but the schedule is a little strange. Our classes will be all days ( 7 -1 for classes, 630 -2 for clincals) We did all of our nutrition, A&P etc over the summer.

Your schedule is going to be tough, but you can do it!

KIMMY03 · Jul 30, 2008

I think the schedule itself is strange. Just the fact that some days school is in the morning and others days it's in the evening is really weird to me.

Aside from that, the amount of hours you will spend in NS sounds about right. A regular school day should be around 8 or so hrs.....as a matter of fact, you actually have SIGNIFICANTLY LESS school time than most!! School for me is from 7:30am-2:30pm, mon-fri! Thats like a normal school day if you were in say...grades 1-12 so why not NS? It is school after all!!On clinical days it will be either 6:30am-1:30pm OR 6:30am-3:30pm and THAT is a long time in school! Especially considering I have to spend the entire night prior preparing care plans! Thats the reason everyone says that if you have a choice, try not to work in NS...So you can sleep!!! How long is your program? Mine requires nearly 40 hrs a week and yours is like 25 or less!! Then again my program is 11 months!

Good Luck!

missjennmb · Jul 30, 2008

mine is 1 year as well (3 semesters in a community college) I should mention that I was supposed to have a 4th class, but begged off of it and asked them to rearrange it, as I have 2 of the 6 "general ed" classes completed already. So atleast 1 of my remaining 2 semesters, I will have another class in addition to these. Since so many people leave during the 1st semester, I wanted to make it as easy as possible. I was really expecting it to be a "light" schedule, which just compounds my unease.

Thank you for the feedback. I'm glad the hours are comprable. It doesnt really feel like "too much" just that its all over the place. I'm just worried about those nights when I am not home until 10:30 and have to eat/sleep/shower and be out again by 5:45am.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2008

consider getting a motel room close to the school for those days or staying over at the home of another student if you don't think you have enough time to sleep.

i went to a nursing school that was a one-hour drive from my home in the boondocks back in 1973 when the gas crisis hit and gas was rationed. i had to rent an apartment near the school and could barely afford it. i ended up having to work night shifts in a nursing home. i had my classmates poke me awake if i fell asleep in class. i almost fell asleep watching the delivery of a baby in ob! i used 3 alarm clocks placed more than an arm's length away to make sure i got up on time for work or school. i ate potato chips to stay awake while driving or pulled over to the side of the road, got out of the car and walked around for a bit to get more alert when i got tired while driving at night. sometimes i repeated the instructor's lectures while i was driving. you learn to adapt if you want this bad enough.

missjennmb · Jul 30, 2008

Most of our class lives that far because our school is in the boonies, but its fine. I just expected a daytime program to have daytime classes and was surprised to see a mandatory night class when we have 6:45am clinicals that are up to an hour away from the school (I did say it was in the boonies), in the face of their mentioning that we will need to spend our evenings prepping for clinicals, thats all.

As far as priorities... its not my first priority if I have to be honest, when put up against my family's needs (needs, not wants), but it is VERY important to me, and my entire life has gone upside down to accomodate it, because its that important. Financially there is no way that I could afford secondary housing in that area and there are no motels in the entire town as far as I know, but I can't say I haven't thought of spending a couple hours between classes napping in my car, if the need arises.

KIMMY03 · Jul 30, 2008

Scorpiostudent (I'm a scorpio too!), you were lucky in that you got accepted into a program...I know alot of people who would LOVE to be in your shoes! Just try and make the best with what you have. Whenever things get tough, keep in mind that it is not forever...It's only for a year!! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Good Luck again!

porkey2 · Jul 31, 2008

This board is to help uplift us, where people with the same goals can come together and share valuable information, as well as experiences. I once had one of my coworkers tell me how she handled working, children, school, etc back in the 70s and if she did it, why can't we.

The above schedule does seem a bit harsh, but you can do it. Keep your chin up and eye on the prize. Say your prayers. Time management skills are very crucial. I'm so happy for you being able to study at work, wish I could. Best of luck to you!

Fiona59 · Jul 31, 2008

Not to go all "I walked 10 miles to school in a blizzard, barefoot" on you but some sacrifices do have to be made while a student. If the schedule is that horrid, you may need to consider boarding with someone in your class for clinicals.

The big thing to remember about school is that it is preparing you for the working world. Your future employer doesn't care about the distance you choose to travel to get to work, they don't care about your childcare arrangements, they want to know that you are committed to your job and their schedule.

Personally, I would neve have attended a programme that was in the evenings. Is there an option for you to transfer into a daytime block of classes?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

I assure you that as long as positive solutions to problems are not sought, advancement is delayed, and to put it in terms you will understand, failure most certainly lies around the corner.

missjennmb · Jul 31, 2008

Personally, I would neve have attended a programme that was in the evenings. Is there an option for you to transfer into a daytime block of classes?

I guess that was the real point of my original post. This program IS a "daytime nursing program". Apparently though when they defined them as such it was only in regards to the 2 nursing specific classes that we have to take, not the gen ed type stuff.

I'm not wallowing in pity or going to quit or in any other way let this keep me from getting through the program. I didn't mean to come across that way. I just wanted some comparisons to see if this was normal, because its a new program (their 2nd graduating class is graduating this August) and to be blunt, I am not convinced of the quality of the school in general (although I did hear great things about the nursing program from a current student so my hope is just that the nsg program is way better than the rest of the school).

Beyond questioning the school, I am also kind of trying to figure out exactly what the "hard part" of school is, so that I can be prepared. I'm really good at being a student, and didn't think I was going to have a problem with school, but functioning on no sleep is honestly an area that could do me in like no difficult instructor/hard class/stressful clinical. As a result I kind of panicked when I saw the schedule. I've fallen asleep driving before, and to be blunt, any semblance of a reasonable level headed person leaves me when I start to get very tired. If I find that my kids and husband are really getting on my nerves its usually that I'm tired and not that they are any different than normal.

Luptyloo · Jul 31, 2008

Hello. I am new to this board and find this discussion very interesting. I will be attending a Tech school, and one of the main reasons is because the schedule is more 'structured' than I have heard my community college is. I have friends who said the schedule is 'crazy' in the varying hours of the nursing classes/clinicals.

But......The idea of wanting to complete the program enough to work a persons rear off is one I think some students are not prepared for, otherwise, why do all nsg programs have such high attrition rates??

Hope that helps to clear the air. :redbeathe