UBC BSN September 2018 Applicants

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westlife1

20 Posts

There is quite a bit of work to be done at home. Clinical is a big part of it and is currently two days a week for 8 hours. However in the coming semesters it will be two 12 hours shifts, along with two school days of 6 hours of lecture each days, and a lab day of 2 hours. Clinical days can be either tuesday wednesday or saturday and sunday. The program is condensed and does have lots of random assignments that require group work and time at home. You learn to balance and what is a must read vs a good to read... and ignore other stuff from there! Not sure if that helps a bit but I hope it does!

Thank you so much to-be-nurse! I have a couple of other questions if you don't mind ;)

For clinical, in your first term - how involved do you get to be? Is it primarily watching and observing or do you get your hands dirty (ha!) right away? Is the at home work from this mostly patient care plans or other?

Are there many commuters in your cohort or are most people based in Vancouver?

Are there many students over 30 in the program in your group? I did my BCom many years ago and have run my own business for the past 10 years, and I'm guessing I'd be on the older end of any accepted applicants (if I'm lucky enough to get in).

Have you met many applicants with no work history in actual health service delivery? I've worked for health-related government orgs (i.e. Ministry of Health etc.) but never directly with any patients. Does this put me at a huge disadvantage?

Are any of your classmates parents?

Thank you so much!

to-be-nurse

52 Posts

Thank you so much to-be-nurse! I have a couple of other questions if you don't mind ;)

For clinical, in your first term - how involved do you get to be? Is it primarily watching and observing or do you get your hands dirty (ha!) right away? Is the at home work from this mostly patient care plans or other?

Are there many commuters in your cohort or are most people based in Vancouver?

Are there many students over 30 in the program in your group? I did my BCom many years ago and have run my own business for the past 10 years, and I'm guessing I'd be on the older end of any accepted applicants (if I'm lucky enough to get in).

Have you met many applicants with no work history in actual health service delivery? I've worked for health-related government orgs (i.e. Ministry of Health etc.) but never directly with any patients. Does this put me at a huge disadvantage?

Are any of your classmates parents?

Thank you so much!

I will try and answer it all here :p

Clinical: oh we are down and dirty (stool/diarrhea, vomit, blood, guts)! The first few shifts its shadowing and being a bit of a puppy following nurses around. They start you off slow, just vitals, personal hygiene, safety and mobilizing. Then they dive you right in. Right now we are (most of us) taking care of two patients including medication, injections, vitals, personal hygiene, charting, and reporting to nurses and doctors!

Homework: things range from a care plan, to quizzes, to ethical discussions and even self care assignments. Theres a bit of everything, clinical isnt everything.

Commuters: I am one of them! usually end up spending an hour and a half to two communting a day. there are a couple others, mostly to get to clinical. Placements can be a decent ways away. But as mentioned before, you have some say in where you go (top 10).

Age: it varies. There are people over 30 for sure. I would say average is late 20s. There are a couple people that are 20, some 30, and then in their 40s. We are all in it together in the end so that aspect does not matter!

Past experience: I never EVER worked or volunteered in a hospital or acute care setting. A few others I know have never been near a sick person before. That part is not what they look for. UBC likes diversity and for people to be of different experiences and backgrounds. Do not worry about that at all!

Parents: There may be a few but I can not speak to that unfortunately. I do know some of us (including myself) still manage to work and its a bit tough, but manageable.

Hope that was everything!!

Thank you so much to-be-nurse! I have a couple of other questions if you don't mind ;)

For clinical, in your first term - how involved do you get to be? Is it primarily watching and observing or do you get your hands dirty (ha!) right away? Is the at home work from this mostly patient care plans or other?

Are there many commuters in your cohort or are most people based in Vancouver?

Are there many students over 30 in the program in your group? I did my BCom many years ago and have run my own business for the past 10 years, and I'm guessing I'd be on the older end of any accepted applicants (if I'm lucky enough to get in).

Have you met many applicants with no work history in actual health service delivery? I've worked for health-related government orgs (i.e. Ministry of Health etc.) but never directly with any patients. Does this put me at a huge disadvantage?

Are any of your classmates parents?

Thank you so much!

Hey westlife1! I'll also try to answer the question.

For clinical, I totally agree with to-be-nurse. For the first term, clinical doesn't start until the 3rd week of the term. We learn skills in the lab and then we can perform the skills in the clinical. But we do need clinical instructors to supervise us for medications and injections.

I am also one of the commuters as well! I live a bit far from Vancouver so my commute is about 3-4hours per day to UBC. If your clinical site is quite far away, you can try to carpool with peers who have the same clinical assignment as you are.

Parents: I do know a classmate from our cohort! I think there are few parents in our cohort but not sure how many.

Hopefully my answer kinda helped as well :)

jacqat

22 Posts

Hi all!

I've applied to the 2018 intake as well. My first time applying to UBC, so I'm a little nervous. That said, I work at a post-secondary institution and seeing students at the start and end stages (applicants to graduates) has calmed my nerves a little as it's really cool seeing people emerge from nursing programs feeling confident and job-ready.

Although I don't have an employment background in health care, I've volunteered through a few hospitals and clinics over the years and provided in-home end-of-life care for a family member, so I feel pretty confident even with the heavy/intense stuff. I'm also a single mom so I have experience with infants and kids.

I've applied to a few other local schools (and holy cow, VCC's 5-year wait list put things in perspective). I've done my supplemental and feel good about it and my CASPer is scheduled for January. Good luck to us all ^_^

jacqat

22 Posts

Are there many students over 30 in the program in your group? I did my BCom many years ago and have run my own business for the past 10 years, and I'm guessing I'd be on the older end of any accepted applicants (if I'm lucky enough to get in).

Have you met many applicants with no work history in actual health service delivery? I've worked for health-related government orgs (i.e. Ministry of Health etc.) but never directly with any patients. Does this put me at a huge disadvantage?

Are any of your classmates parents?

Thank you so much!

I've been working on nursing prerequisites for numerous institutions for a little while now though and from what I've seen, there's actually a good number of students over 30 (like us) or those who are married and starting families. Some of the students applying to the institution I work for even plan to have their first children during the 'waitlist' period before program entry (a terrifying idea to me, knowing from experience how intense those first years of motherhood are!) But, people manage it somehow!

gnnairda

5 Posts

How is everyone writing the membership in organization section? Are they looking for what jobs held in the format typical of a work resume?

westlife1

20 Posts

I will try and answer it all here :p

Clinical: oh we are down and dirty (stool/diarrhea, vomit, blood, guts)! The first few shifts its shadowing and being a bit of a puppy following nurses around. They start you off slow, just vitals, personal hygiene, safety and mobilizing. Then they dive you right in. Right now we are (most of us) taking care of two patients including medication, injections, vitals, personal hygiene, charting, and reporting to nurses and doctors!

Homework: things range from a care plan, to quizzes, to ethical discussions and even self care assignments. Theres a bit of everything, clinical isnt everything.

Commuters: I am one of them! usually end up spending an hour and a half to two communting a day. there are a couple others, mostly to get to clinical. Placements can be a decent ways away. But as mentioned before, you have some say in where you go (top 10).

Age: it varies. There are people over 30 for sure. I would say average is late 20s. There are a couple people that are 20, some 30, and then in their 40s. We are all in it together in the end so that aspect does not matter!

Past experience: I never EVER worked or volunteered in a hospital or acute care setting. A few others I know have never been near a sick person before. That part is not what they look for. UBC likes diversity and for people to be of different experiences and backgrounds. Do not worry about that at all!

Parents: There may be a few but I can not speak to that unfortunately. I do know some of us (including myself) still manage to work and its a bit tough, but manageable.

Hope that was everything!!

Thank you so much for all the information! I really appreciate it!

I was wondering if you get a choice if you do a Wed/Thurs or a Sat/Sun clinical? Do you decide or the instructors? So to clarify - you have class Mon/Tues, the either clinical or off Wed/Thurs, a lab on Fri, and either clinical or off Sat/Sun? I'm trying to figure it all out as I would need before and after school care for my kids and I already have to get on waiting lists for these programs next year to make sure it is available if I get in!

Do you have any tips for the supplemental app or the Casper? I know you can't give details about Casper, but did you find it difficult/any weird scenarios you didn't know what to say?

Seems like they choose a diverse group of students - I guess last year the oldest student was 45? It will be weird to go back to university after so many years if I get in! I always said after my BCom that I would never go back to university, and yet here we are!

If some can handle a job and studies, then that is great to hear as well!

Thank you again!

Thank you so much for all the information! I really appreciate it!

I was wondering if you get a choice if you do a Wed/Thurs or a Sat/Sun clinical? Do you decide or the instructors? So to clarify - you have class Mon/Tues, the either clinical or off Wed/Thurs, a lab on Fri, and either clinical or off Sat/Sun? I'm trying to figure it all out as I would need before and after school care for my kids and I already have to get on waiting lists for these programs next year to make sure it is available if I get in!

Do you have any tips for the supplemental app or the Casper? I know you can't give details about Casper, but did you find it difficult/any weird scenarios you didn't know what to say?

Seems like they choose a diverse group of students - I guess last year the oldest student was 45? It will be weird to go back to university after so many years if I get in! I always said after my BCom that I would never go back to university, and yet here we are!

If some can handle a job and studies, then that is great to hear as well!

Thank you again!

Hey westilife1! I think I can answer some more about clinicals.

As for clinicals, it's either Tues/Wed or Sat/Sun for the first term of our cohort but next year may be different days. We know that we will have different days for our next term clinicals already so it's not a set days when the clinicals will be. I heard it really depends on when the hospital units are available for students. For the choice, everyone gets to rank their preference but that doesn't mean you will get your first ranked choice. I heard the algorithm tries to get people's first choice but I know a lot of people who did not get their first choice.

Hope that helped a bit :)

Hi Everyone,

I am really interested in this program. I am looking to move from the UK to BC with my husband and daughter.

I have started some of my pre- req nursing training here in the UK.

Working in the NHS as Health Care assistant Part time. And doing a care certificate and access to nursing course.

We long for the life that canada offers. And sadly nurses in the UK aren't valued or paid well for the work they do and they shortage and excessive pressures on services is only getting worse. I originally was going to train in the UK but realised i'd have to do more training to work abroad. so now looking at starting it all in canada if i have a successful entry.

Are there any other people on here that are looking to study as a international student. Is it best to aim straight for BSN or look at LPN route? We only have HCA or RN here in uk. and most HCAS can do vital signs monitoring, run ECGs, (can cannulate/blood draw with additional training). and general pt care. So i'm just trying to get my head around the comparisons and what level of entry would be best for me and affordable.

Scratch that! Ive just found the tuition fees for international students for 2017/2018 entry.

'The 2017/18 tuition fees for Nursing excluding all other costs (e.g. books, housing) based on 48 credits (1st year) is $8,303.52 (CAD) for Canadian residents and $55,860.48 (CAD) for International students. Note: Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. ' (from UBC school of nursing webpage).

looks like i might have to study here in england first after all and then do a conversion course if i want to work as a nurse in Canada.

ghdrks

9 Posts

Hey everyone I thought I would join the forum too :)

I have applied to UBC nursing and currently working on my supplemental. My CASPer test is booked for the 22nd of Feb !

I am from BC and was accepted into UBC Science straight out of high school and worked to apply for UBC Nursing for 3 years within the faculty of science.

Long story short because I was taking courses unrelated to my major, UBC requested me to withdraw from the faculty since I've exceeded my credit thresholds without a year promotion. I know, it was shocking and unexpected because it was such a fine line within the faculty policies.

I took control of the unexpected situation though and ventured off to Korea where I got to teach english for 6 months.

The time I took off from school was surprisingly fulfilling and rich.

When I came back to Canada, I took 30 transferable credits at Douglas College which are the credits I will be submitting for my application this year.

I ended up with a 86% average on my most recent 30 credits.

As far as experience and volunteering goes, I work as a Pharmacy Assistant currently and am learning lots about drugs !

I also volunteer at Eagle Ridge Hospital and previously have volunteered at a Medical Clinic, and the City of Coquitlam.

Since I have finished upgrading my courses, I am taking a semester off of school (this time intentionally) and will be working hard on my supplemental. And since I got so much free time on me, I am studying for the MCAT as well. Hopefully I'll be able to save up to travel too :)

I am both anxious and excited for the year to come and how my nursing career may turn out with UBC !

Good luck to every other applicants and I hope to know you guys better through this forum !

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

Bunbunface

28 Posts

Just finalizing my supplemental and wanted to check in with those who have completed it. For the employment record section is says "type of employment, max 300 chars.", does this count characters AND spaces, or just characters? Not sure if I have to pare it down a little more.... Thanks!

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