Prelicensure BSN program

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HELLO EVERYONE! I need advice on whether I should attend WGU online prelicensure BSN program! I live in Florida and am currently working full time at the hospital. If I do the program at WGU it would work with my work schedule and the hospital will pay for some of my tuition but has anyone completed the program? Or is in the process of completing it? Or knows anyone that is doing either of the two. I am nervous about the program being online and I know the school will set up mentors for each course but I am used to being in a classroom setting or having an actual teacher running the online class that I can email and ask questions. If anyone has taken this program or is in the process of taking it please tell me everything you think about the program. Pros and Cons! Thanks in advance! Shalonda

Hi tsm007,

Congrats on your accomplishments and I know that you will find a job soon. I just have a couple of questions. When did you start clinically? Did you start them in the beginning of the program? Also, I work Mon-Fri, how often will there be a need to take time off from work? And then one more question, approximately how long does it take you to complete each class? I know it's a lot but any help is much appreciated.

There has been a couple program changes since I started (and they do seem to change the program rather frequently so always double check things). Anyway, the first 6 months do not have clinicals. Then about every 8-12 weeks you have clinicals which are done over 2 weeks. You also have 2 weekend labs before the clinicals and a 3rd weekend for testing. You have two clinical courses every 6 month term, but the spacing doesn't always work out to be perfectly every 3 months. The clinical rotations can be day shift, night shift, weekdays, or weekends. You don't get a lot of choice in this. You can make requests, but they don't always honor them. That is probably the only gripe I have is the scheduling process could greatly be improved.

The clinical classes are not exactly self-paced. They soft of are, but you still have deadlines. The non-clinical courses you have some more flexibility on.

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Thank you tsm007. I was wondering if what I was told was accurate. Glad you clarified it more.

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Thanks for that info, tsm007. I am super nervous about the clinical portion as I already work mon-Friday from 830-530. How hard was it for you to get in the clinical portion? What kind of grades did you get in the first 6 months? I hope you don't mind me asking but I just can't help it. I've been waiting for someone like you to post. Lol.

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I have learned that WGU doesn't do traditional grading. They are pass or fail. So I don't think any would be have letter grades to tell. They passes or didn't pass each course. tsm007. Is that correct?

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Thanks for that info, tsm007. I am super nervous about the clinical portion as I already work mon-Friday from 830-530. How hard was it for you to get in the clinical portion? What kind of grades did you get in the first 6 months? I hope you don't mind me asking but I just can't help it. I've been waiting for someone like you to post. Lol.

It's all pass or fail. To be honest I haven't seen anyone not make it into the clinical portion in any of the cohorts in my location. I have no idea what you would have to do to not make it in. Hope that helps.

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I am currently in my last term for WGU Prelicensure program in Texas and I work 40-50 hours a week in a hospital clinic. I think the program is challenging as when my cohort started we had 10 students and now we only have 5 due to people not passing the didactic portion of the classes. I have one classmate that I talk to everyday and we work together to get tasks completed so that helps. If you make it your priority it will work for you. Also they give you a 30 month calendar with potential lab and clinical dates, I just gave my director a copy of the schedule and we work with it when I have to be off for clinicals.

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I am currently in my last term for WGU Prelicensure program in Texas and I work 40-50 hours a week in a hospital clinic. I think the program is challenging as when my cohort started we had 10 students and now we only have 5 due to people not passing the didactic portion of the classes. I have one classmate that I talk to everyday and we work together to get tasks completed so that helps. If you make it your priority it will work for you. Also they give you a 30 month calendar with potential lab and clinical dates, I just gave my director a copy of the schedule and we work with it when I have to be off for clinicals.

:wideyed: 5 people didn't pass?! What does the dictatic portion consist of?

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:wideyed: 5 people didn't pass?! What does the dictatic portion consist of?

The didactic is the theory part, not the clinical work. (In other words the class with written tests.) I'd say about 50% of the original class is about right. Please keep in mind that you can retake the tests, but if you don't pass them by a certain date you get setback to a different cohort. Many people still graduate they just have a modified progression and graduate with a cohort behind them. In my cohort only 3 are from the original cohort and the rest are on a modified progression.

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There has been a couple program changes since I started (and they do seem to change the program rather frequently so always double check things)...

The clinical rotations can be day shift, night shift, weekdays, or weekends. You don't get a lot of choice in this. You can make requests, but they don't always honor them. That is probably the only gripe I have is the scheduling process could greatly be improved.

The clinical classes are not exactly self-paced. They soft of are, but you still have deadlines. The non-clinical courses you have some more flexibility on.

There have been program changes as WGU has had some changes this last year. I know the WGU scheduler is different now. She is new & less efficient than the previous one. She assigned the students to the clinical coaches without checking with us! Not good practice as several of the clinical coaches are precepting new grads so are not available! One clinical coach is out of town when his student got assigned to him. He also got double booked with 2 students on the same days! Luckily our education department is fixing the problem. WGU is different in that the school requires the clinical coaches to apply as if it's a job, and take their special course & sign a contract; however, they don't pay us extra! Because of the process, only specific nurses can be with the WGU students so that's why you don't always get your requests each time...because there are only a few coaches in each unit. Also, the coaches in my unit do their schedule 2-3 months in advance. We only find out about incoming WGU students a month or so prior. That's why you don't have much choice. You cannot get reassigned to a non-WGU nurse! For reference, other nursing schools don't have ANY special requirements. They come a specific day of the week for a certain number of hours and work with any nurse our charge nurse assigns them or sometimes they just ask a nurse who is okay with having a student because not all nurses want to teach!

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Sometimes students don't pass the didactic. Others don't pass the skills lab testing. They sometimes give you a second chance at testing. Once you do pass, you get to continue with the next cohort group if your cohort has already moved on. It's pass/fail for clinicals. It is possible to fail clinicals. It is your clinical coach's decision.

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Wow. Gotta stay on your studies and focus then. I still like the fact that you do your clinical One on One not as a group where your just walking the floor and listening.

One question. Does WGU have a real life simulation center like some schools have. Where the mannequin mimic human without being the actual human?

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One question. Does WGU have a real life simulation center like some schools have. Where the mannequin mimic human without being the actual human?

Yes, the simulations are very challenging! They definitely require you to use critical thinking.

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