NVCC Nursing 2015-17

coachremson · Jun 24, 2015

I just graduated from NVCC so if you have any questions, let me know! I also have three size small scrub tops only worn September-May if anyone is interested in them they're not really worn out much at all, since I was only in the last year of the program.

A little small for me but thanks! Did you sit for the NCLEX yet? Are you working? Any good tips for first semester?

PediatricRN73 · Jun 28, 2015

Yes I did sit for NCLEX last week and passed! Used the Pearson review book "Nclex exam cram" for 20$ :) the tests in the program really prepare you anyways. Also, I am working as are many other graduates- some of whom haven't yet taken NCLEX have already been hired.

Best advice for the entire program is don't give up its a lot of work but totally worth it! It goes by quickly and just remember when it gets tough the outcome is what will keep you pushing through. Semester 3 is the tough one because it's a lot of more difficult content and clinical expectations increase, but depending on your background the first year especially may be a little easier if you have some prior medical experience.

Regardless of your experience, when you graduate the program is a good one and highly recognized locally for employment. If you can work part time in the hospital that's usually a foot in the door. Best of luck!

jan286 · Jun 30, 2015

I also just graduate. I already took the NCLEX and passed with minimal prep on my own. I think the program prepared me well for the NCLEX. Semester 3 is the hardest. If you get "difficult" clinical instructors the first year, just enjoy being pushed harder when things are easy in lecture because it won't be as much of a shock when you hit semester 3. I had laid back instructors with minimal expectations and the final semester I was with a notoriously difficult instructor. I made it through, but with a lot of anxiety. Most of the people who have gotten jobs in a hospital (myself included) did so either by working there prior to finishing school or by their clinical instructors. Most of the adjuncts (and a few of the full time ones) still work in the hospitals and typically have a lot of pull when it comes time to hire new grads. Get in good with your clinical instructors (especially the final year) and you are all set.

As far as school, the first semester content-particularly at the beginning-seems really simple. It will be really easy to brush it off, especially if you have experience. I highly recommend taking this time to establish really good test taking skills. Attend all of the extra things that they offer (they will have a couple test taking strategy seminars), go to the journal club meetings, reach out to your advisor if you are struggling because they have more resources available. Don't freak out about the skills validations. Don't get discouraged if you get a lab referral. In fact, there are some clinical instructors who love lab referrals. Going to the lab on your own or because an instructor is making you, will only make your skills better (at least for validations). Take it one day at a time, don't get caught up in the gossip mill, always be professional especially at clinical, don't complain-the instructors have been doing this for a long time. Some of what they make you do may seem ridiculous, but in the end you will realize why they made you do it. CLEWs are awful, but once the final semester came around, I could do them with my eyes closed. I also knew so much about about diseases and disorders from doing pathophys that when we finally learned about that disease or disorder in class, I already had a foundation and I think it made things easier. I learned lab ranges from writing them every week in my CLEW and you can also learn a lot of med's that way. Some instructors say to save the CLEW in a word doc on your computer and enter in your hospitals lab ranges and common meds you see, then print that and fill in the blanks. The people who did that did not learn lab ranges. Just remember, you will get out of it what you put into it.