PLU ELMSN 2017

CJ222 · Mar 25, 2017

Wait.@interpreternurse,

did you get into Plu off the "select waitlist" when did you find out? What did they say???

interpreternurse · Mar 25, 2017

Yes, I did. I emailed them.

CJ222 · Mar 26, 2017

Wait you emailed them? What do you mean? Did you receive an email or letter? And what did it say??? I haven't heard anything and when I emailed two days ago was told that there was no info yet and to keep waiting to hear

CJ222 · Mar 26, 2017

Sry about the franticness! Haha I'm just getting worried especially if we wer both on the list and I didn't hear back yet :cry:

interpreternurse · Mar 26, 2017

I emailed them because I had a deadline for another school. They replied and told me that I had been accepted and that packets were being sent out the next day. That is all the information I know.

Good luck!

curiousrei, MSN, RN · Mar 29, 2017

Hello interpreternurse,

Send me a PM if you wanna chat about PLU's program :)

interpreternurse · Apr 4, 2017

It won't allow me to private message because I don't have 15 posts.

entryleveleverything · Apr 4, 2017

Hi curiousrei (and the other current ELMSN students)! I just created my account, so I'm hoping someone will be able to answer some questions I have here:

I'm an upcoming ELMSN student starting this June and was hoping you could elaborate a little more on how clinicals are scheduled and structured during Summer and Fall in the first year. I'm excited for the program to start, but will be commuting from Seattle to PLU and am trying to get a better idea of how clinical placements are decided (i.e., do they start at the exact times listed on Bannerweb, or is there some slight variation?; are we able to request certain geographic locations or do we simply need to wait until after they have been assigned before trading; etc.).

When it comes to lab sessions, how is priority determined for who gets what? I've been checking out the Fall 2017 course schedule and see that NURS 320's lab has sessions on both Tuesday and Wednesdays, but there are no didactic classes on Tuesdays. Obviously I'd prefer to avoid commuting to Tacoma for a single 1.5 hour lab course on Tuesdays, hence my questions!

Lastly, how do all feel you've been able to balance the program's scheduled work with studying outside of it? Do you find you've been studying late into the night, or are you able to pack most of it during the day while maintaining your personal life?

Thanks so much for answering all of the questions thus far! It seems like there is no 2017 cohort Facebook group, so Allnurses is my only connection to the program so far besides spamming the school itself with questions.

curiousrei, MSN, RN · Apr 4, 2017

Hello entryleveleverything,

I wouldn't trust the dates on Banner for clinical start dates. In the summer, you'll be taking a nursing fundamentals class where you'll do a long term care clinical right in the middle of the term. Half the term you'll spend in the class/lab, and the other half will be spent at a clinical site. All of the long term care clinical sites in the summer will be in Tacoma or Puyallup. All clinical sites are arranged for you (no requesting certain areas), but you can switch with another classmate. We received all our clinical sites for the first year in the middle of summer term.

Your fall semester, you'll have clinicals in med/surg 1 and mental health (locations include, Olympia, Tacoma, Puyallup for med/surg... Most of the mental health sites are in Lakewood or Tacoma, but some people in mental health unfortunately received "various locations" which means you may be in Tacoma one day and Auburn or Puyallup on another day). For J-term (January), you'll likely be doing pediatrics either in Lakewood or Tacoma or "various sites" like we did which includes also Auburn and Puyallup). In spring semester, you'll be taking med/surg 2 and OB and community health. The sites here will either be in Lakewood or Puyallup or Tacoma depending on where you're assigned. One of the community health clinical sites is near Seattle though!

For labs, it depends on how quickly you sign up. I believe the ELMSNs get to sign up before the junior BSNs, but some ELMSNs that delayed in registering got into undesirable lab times. You'll have a lot of extra time in fall term compared to summer, so you may need to commute down just for a class or a lab.

The studying depends on how you study. I'm a slacker and I've been maintaining good, but not great grades. Others that do study hard are likely maintaining great grades. There's A LOT of information in nursing school, but you're not gonna be able to memorize all of it. Just do what feels best for you to get most of the material down. All the ELMSNs have a college degree already, so you're used to studying. Also, remember that though we're going through the pre-licensure program quickly, the classes are geared towards undergrads. Expect the usual busy work that comes with being an undergrad in fall term.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

curiousrei, MSN, RN · Apr 4, 2017

Also, Congratulations on getting accepted!

Kocono · Apr 4, 2017

@entryleveleverything

That's a good idea. We should start a Facebook cohort for our group!

Congrats on getting in and good luck with the commute! I did it for two years going to UW. At the very least, you'll be traveling in the opposite direction of the majority of traffic.

MSNhopeful · Apr 4, 2017

Keep in mind also you will be signing a contract saying that you agree not to work at all during the first year of the program (pre-licensure). After you are licensed you are allowed to work 0.5-0.6 FTE for the final year of the program (MSN portion). I've heard some previous ELMs have worked full time after licensure but their grades suffered apparently. For those deciding on attending this program or another, I cannot say since I haven't been in the other programs, but I can say this: In it's current state, some professors are highly disorganized and unhelpful and others are super organized and helpful. Administration is also currently making a bunch of changes such as renovation of lab space, onboarding per contract with Kaplan for NCLEX review/study, and possibly some minor changes with courses and clinicals pertaining to logistics. Clinicals currently is 84 hours per rotation with about 3 days of clinical a week for summer, J-term, and spring, and 2 days of clinical a week for Fall, 8 hour shifts each day (with couple 12 hour shifts in the spring but it's not a lot).

As for preceptorship, we've heard that you can choose priority either with geographic location or specialization, and also whether you prefer day or night shifts. You're required 252 hours within a 6-8 week period (depends on how soon they place you) so that is about anywhere from 31.5 to 42 hours a week on average (2-4 days of preceptor a week). Then there is also lecture 2 days a week pretty much all day.

These are things we've been told or have experienced thus far. It may or may not change for the incoming cohort but I would expect it to be similar if not the same for the next cohort.