RNin05

I'm pretty surprised that you have to practice half naked as well....it wouldn't go over very well in my school. We practiced on dummies in our skill lab and got signed off there before doing it in the hospital. We were also able to practice on each other with OOB to the chair, wound care, bowel sounds, etc. but we never did anything more than roll up a sleeve or show a little belly, and it was a voluntary thing. Don't you have clinicals in a hospital setting? Aren't you supposed to assess a real patient with a real diagnosis? How will you ever know what a real S3 sounds like ro real crackles or wheezing? The tapes just aren't the same as real life...and I'm sure you won't hear it on your healthy classmates either. I, personally, wouldn't be able to disrobe in front of most of the people who were in my first, and even second semester, clinicals...a lot of people failed or dropped out between then and now. I would have felt violated. I understand that the patient may feel that way as well, but they are a patient in a hospital...it is expected and we go to extremes to try to make the patient feel comfortable and that their privacy is respected. I understand the empathy standpoint, but most of us have been patients in a doctor's office or a hospital and have experienced the embarrassment of taking our clothes off for a physical...I don't need to be taught that in an early clinical course. Maybe I'm being naive and I must admit, I'm a bit uninformed because it's not the norm where I live, but on first reading of this thread, I was kind of shocked that it is practiced so often at other schools. My mom went to Nursing school over 30 yrs ago and they used to practice injections on each other...I'm glad that the times have changed.... But, Roland, maybe if you ask the instructor if it can be a more private experience, maybe break you all up into groups of 3 or 4 and allow hospital gowns to be worn...I bet more people will like your idea and side with you, maybe you'll get to change the way things are done....GOOD LUCK!

I took most of my pre-req's at College of Staten Island (CSI). I only took child psych, soc 101, chem 105 and bio 108 (micro) at UCC...but they didn't have these new guidelines in place when I entered the nursing program. Most schools have different instructors for lab and lecture, CSI did as well as another university I attended. Usually the professor lectures and an adjunct does lab, this is very common. I wouldn't worry. I didn't take A&P at UCC so I can't comment on the instructor's or the text, but I hear it is a very demanding class. I also heard the instructor's ego precedes his reputation and he could use an attitude adjustment? But this is just gossip, as I haven't taken his class. I've learned to NOT believe everything you hear...find out for yourself. You should go to the school and try to speak with a nursing school person regarding how many credits they would like you to take at UCC. The regular counselors know NOTHING and in my opinion are a complete waste of the school's money, unfortunately you must meet with one of them upon making a schedule...such a waste of time. Good Luck and let me know if you have any other ?'s...

I haven't heard anything in regards to an entrance exam...but I know other area schools are beginning/already use them, i.e. muhlenberg, essex county... I think they will basically be looking for students who have already completed all pre-reqs and have a GPA of 2.5 or above. It also mentioned on the postcard I received that they will be taking into account the amount of credits taken AT UCC. Have you done most of your pre-req's there already?

Hello healinghand, I am a student at Trinitas, and new to this forum. I received this notice in the mail. I have to say it's about time that they made entrance stricter...I think it's terrible that students have to sleep out overnight to get a spot in a fundamentals class. What a way to discourage many students who might excel in Trinitas' program! I just wonder how this will affect students already on the waiting list who don't fit the new criteria. Good luck to you all! I'm entering 231 this fall and am so relieved that I made it through the first half of the program. It was tough, but so worth it! Take care...