Prestige or practicality?

[Canuckgirl]

Hey ladies,

I'm graduating high school this year and want to be a nurse, but my other aspiration has always been to be a graduate of UBC. However, I've been reading around the forum and the nursing program at UBC hasn't gotten very good reviews. It's also a lot more difficult to get in compared to BCIT, Langara, or VCC.

If I chose the UBC route, I would have to spend two years studying another field before applying, and if I get rejected, I would have wasted those two years . My other interest is Economics which is what I'll be mainly studying in the meantime, but I want to be a nurse.

So I'd love some advice: Should I go forth anyways and try to get into the UBC nursing program, or should I take the less riskier route of a college or technical school?

Also if you're wondering why I want to be a UBC graduate so badly, it's actually a self-esteem issue =[ I'm kind of (very) an insecure person and UBC students/grads get more respect than those of SFU or the like, so that's why I'm so keen on it. However that won't matter if I can't find a job after, right?

Much thanks for any advice :redbeathe

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

I have a friend who is an RN and graduated from BCIT. She LOVED it. She said they were doing clinicals by month 2 of the first year. Mon, Tues--class, Wed--lab, Thurs and Friday--clinical.

I've heard (and this is hearsay) that UBC nursing does all theory for year 1 and year 2 with no clinicals until year 3. So all the basic, basic stuff you learned in year 1 (ADL's, lifts, positioning etc) and the more advanced stuff in year 2 (foleys, injections, etc) you don't even start to practice until 1-2 years later.

If I'm wrong, can someone correct me?

And (just from what I've read on this forum), UBC grads come out very book smart, but lack severely skill wise....

I am going to correct you on a few things.

First, UBC's program is an accelerated two years program, so there aren't any 3rd or 4th years. When you enter the program, you start in year 3. Most people in the program already have done an undergrad degree in another field; a few have Masters or PhD's.

Second, UBC Nursing doesn't do all theory for one year. Theory is interspersed with clinical times. We start clinicals one month and a half into the program. In terms of clinical hours, UBC is on par with BCIT. You learn all the basic skills in term 1, and as you enter your rotations, you build onto those basic skills. I learned the more advanced stuff that you listed in my second term, as I had my Med-Surg rotation then. You end the program with a clinical avenue and a practicum--consolidating and furthering your knowledge in one of the specialty areas.

Third, I think people have this misconception that UBC is ALL about theory and not hands on...well, that's not the case. A typical week is 8 hours of clinical time Mon-Wed, and classes on Thursday and sometimes on Friday. We do not lack skills of any sort--by the time a student from UBC graduate, he/she would have the skills required of a newly graduated nurse as set out by the CRNBC. Granted, some students come out very book smart and not very skilled, but I think that can be applied to ANY student from ANY nursing school. I have worked with both UBC and BCIT grads, and I have not noticed a difference in skills.

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

Thanks so much for the informative post!! It was really helpful and it's definitely nice to get the opinion of someone actually doing the program

Haha I'm not sure what the employers think, but among my cohort, UBC is treated like the land of the holy grail :yeah:But the program gets bashed a lot, not only on this site, which made me question how effective it is :/

If you don't mind me asking, was it incredibly difficult to get in for you?

Um, I'm not sure where you are getting the idea of UBC being treated like the land of the holy grail, because it's not. Employers do not care where you graduate from as much as they care about you passing your CRNE and being able to perform on the job.

Yes the program gets bashed a lot...but I think it's mostly due to misconceptions about the program. Apparently, a lot of people think that UBC teaches ALL theory, and no hands on skills. But that's not the case. I've had to explain to quite a few people regarding that.

It wasn't incredibly difficult to get in, but it was quite competitive.

[Canuckgirl]

Um, I'm not sure where you are getting the idea of UBC being treated like the land of the holy grail, because it's not. Employers do not care where you graduate from as much as they care about you passing your CRNE and being able to perform on the job.

Yes the program gets bashed a lot...but I think it's mostly due to misconceptions about the program. Apparently, a lot of people think that UBC teaches ALL theory, and no hands on skills. But that's not the case. I've had to explain to quite a few people regarding that.

It wasn't incredibly difficult to get in, but it was quite competitive.

Not among employers but other people... I know employers wouldn't give a rat's behind as long as you're qualified and experienced . And yeah I realize UBC is overrated (like many top universities) but the admission rat race appeals to the competitive side of me.

[Canuckgirl]

The OP is just graduating high school this year. (Have a quick look at their posting history) I think there might be a lot of parental influence going on in school selection. Kind of like of in Calgary, it has to be the UofC not Mt. Royal, etc.

Having said that, the competition for UBC is huge and from reading posts in the UBC thread, it's also very selective and this September's batch has already been selected.

It still worries me that the OP is appears to be concentrating on the $$$ and not the nittygritty of can they deal with the poop of the job. Economics (their true desire) is a very different course of study and a different type of personality than nursing.

There isn't a personality requirement for nursing (or economics) as far as I know :). I'm also a pretty detached person so handling poop, blood, and all that nasty stuff isn't a big deal for me.

Looks like practicality is winning, anyways.

[Canuckgirl]

Fraser Health might not care where you went to school, but Vancouver Coastal Health seems like they would take a closer look. Many of the nursing instructors at UBC are affiliated with VCH. BCIT is heavily affiliated with Fraser Health. I'm sure UBC nursing is harder to get into, with good reason.

I've also heard that UBC's program has lots of clinical placements at Children's Hospital for pediatrics, which is something that is not in BCIT's program. So if you want to do pediatrics locally, you may have a better shot from UBC if Children's Hospital is your goal.

BCIT has a condensed 3 year program now, but generally speaking, they do not tend to accept students who come fresh out of high school (there are rare exceptions, but very rare). They prefer students with some post-secondary or mature students.

I'm sure both programs are equally good by now. The thing that you should worry about is which program will help you more with making connections in the work place, at the places you want to work for. This whole "BCIT" thing being better - well, maybe 10 yrs ago. Not anymore.

Good luck with your decision!

Thanks :) I was more worried that UBC's program is too short and wouldn't teach me all the skills I needed to know, but simply graduating for the "brand".

[ajaxgirl]

The OP is just graduating high school this year. (Have a quick look at their posting history) I think there might be a lot of parental influence going on in school selection. Kind of like of in Calgary, it has to be the UofC not Mt. Royal, etc.

Having said that, the competition for UBC is huge and from reading posts in the UBC thread, it's also very selective and this September's batch has already been selected.

It still worries me that the OP is appears to be concentrating on the $$$ and not the nittygritty of can they deal with the poop of the job. Economics (their true desire) is a very different course of study and a different type of personality than nursing.

Where do you see her concenr=trating on the money.

I went into nursing at 17.

I have my degree and I love doing hands OFF nursing.

She is discussing university. She won't have to deal with poop for too many yrs unless she chooses to. She will have options.

She is gong to get a BScN.

[Fiona59]

I first "met" this poster in another thread where she stated $$$ was the big motivator for her and her cohort. If you look at the posting history, it's quite clear that Economics is her first love and what she really wants to study.

17yo today and 17yo's of previous generations are very different beings.

If I remember correctly, you got your degree fairly recently and spent a while dealing with hands on nursing. To expect new grads, in today's economy to land a "hands off" job immediately after graduation is unrealistic. Even working in the community there is always the chance of poop happening. Even NPs that I know have dealt with poop in their patient populations.

[Canuckgirl]

I first "met" this poster in another thread where she stated $$$ was the big motivator for her and her cohort. If you look at the posting history, it's quite clear that Economics is her first love and what she really wants to study.

17yo today and 17yo's of previous generations are very different beings.

If I remember correctly, you got your degree fairly recently and spent a while dealing with hands on nursing. To expect new grads, in today's economy to land a "hands off" job immediately after graduation is unrealistic. Even working in the community there is always the chance of poop happening. Even NPs that I know have dealt with poop in their patient populations.

Why are you so concerned with poop?

It's not a big deal, I've stated this. I've worked in care homes and though I haven't dealt with poop (it was the other one), I know what the job entails. I've babysat babies and children. I'm not a squeamish person and I don't find the work below me in any way.

Fiona59, the original purpose of the thread is whether the prestige of going to a top university is worth the potential risk. The vibe I'm getting from you is that you think I'm making a potential mistake in my life stepping into this field, or that I'm not fit for the job. And yeah, I have other interests besides nursing, but so does every single other nursing student. It does not have to be my number one life ambition for me to pursue it.

Anyhow if a mod is reading this, could you possibly close/lock the thread (I don't know if you do that on this site)? I think I got my answer and the thread doesn't look like it's headed anywhere pleasant.

Thanks for replies everyone.

[ajaxgirl]

I first "met" this poster in another thread where she stated $$$ was the big motivator for her and her cohort. If you look at the posting history, it's quite clear that Economics is her first love and what she really wants to study.

17yo today and 17yo's of previous generations are very different beings.

If I remember correctly, you got your degree fairly recently and spent a while dealing with hands on nursing. To expect new grads, in today's economy to land a "hands off" job immediately after graduation is unrealistic. Even working in the community there is always the chance of poop happening. Even NPs that I know have dealt with poop in their patient populations.

I got my degree 5 yrs ago. I was in my 20's when I got it.

Working in the OR, I never dealt with poop.

In LTC, I rarely dealt with it, the personal support worker did. Plus, up until now, I worked part time or casual. For the first time in my life I am working fulltime- and I wouldn't be doing that if I was at the bedside.

My coworker was hired, actually several of them, straight out of university.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

"Poop" does not always refer to fecal matter. There are a lot of other unpleasant things that happen over the course of the workday for nurses that have nothing to do with lieteral excrement. But as has already been stated that is off-topic.

The reality for the majority of nurses is that they will work at the bedside for the bulk of their career. Those like ajaxgirl who slide into a clinic/research/management position within a short time after graduation are not the norm. If a person goes into nursing school thinking from the beginning that they will never have to provide hands-on care to patients, perhaps it's not the best fit for their career goals.

The OP has requested that the thread be closed as she has gotten the information she sought. I'm complying with her request.