gnisrunkg

Awesome advice. Thank you! :)

Thanks for the info! Out of curiosity, how fast are the course mentors to respond to emails? As far as the group work, I think they've just changed the flow and requirements of some classes to meet higher standards. When did you graduate? Thanks again!

I'll bite - I graduated with my ADN in May of 2015 and have been working for almost a year and a half. I'm not sure exactly what information you'd like me to provide, as far as my transitional experience goes, however I'll just discuss my orientation and further transition into working on my own. Obviously, moving from SN to RN was a nerve-racking experience and there were a lot of rollercoaster feelings involved; there was a lot of information to digest and responsibility to uphold, right away. As I completed my orientation, I became more comfortable with taking the lead and eventually I just got used to being independent vs. always relying on my teacher, then preceptor, then coworkers. Don't get me wrong, my coworkers are always there for me and I'll always have questions - that's life, right? But you eventually get to the point where you need that extra help less each day. Orientation was a 12 weeks process that included one week of policy and safety seminars, as well as computer training. After that, the remaining 11 weeks were devoted to learning the ropes. My preceptors were awesome (1 preceptor on days for 3 weeks, 1 preceptor on nights for 8 weeks). They really tailored the steps of my progression to my personality and we worked well together. I'd say I was pretty lucky, because that's not always the case. As I moved forward, I took on more and more patients, became comfortable having a room full of family with a laundry list of questions, learned what to say (and what NOT to say) to doctors, how to think critically in sporadic, unexpected situations, when and how to properly delegate, and of course ... standard nursing procedures. A lot of nursing is not what you learn in school. It's thinking on your feet and making it happen, safely and effectively; it's being there for the patients and their families in whatever capacity you can at that very moment. Books and tests are wonderful resources and measurements for your academic success, but I've learned a lot over the past year and a half that I never learned and never could have learned in school. Nursing is ugly and beautiful; some days are easy, some days are rough, some days are emotional. Did school prepare me for that? Nope. But has the transition been worth it? Absolutely. Hope this helps.

Hello, everyone! I am beginning my RN-BSN journey at WGU on April 1st - I'm excited to get the ball rolling! I graduated with my ADN in May 2015 and have been working the floor on a med-surg unit for almost a year and a half. It's time to start earning that coveted BSN. I'm looking to complete it within the 6 month term and based on what I've read, I feel like it's possible; the only pre-req I have to take is biochem - everything else transferred in. I wasn't a hot-shot at chem in high school, so I'm a little nervous, but I'm confident I'll get through it. I work the standard 36 hours per week, midnights, I'm not married, and I don't have any kids. So, it seems like I should be able to swing it. Anyway, I have some questions pertaining to the program and would love insight from anyone who has started post WGU's curriculum changes (or has felt the changes after starting). As far as the Leadership and Communication in Healthcare class goes, I was told by my counselor that I have an 8-class webinar that I must attend. What does this entail? I read the course description in the RN-BSN program guide, but it doesn't go into much detail; it simply states that there is both group work and individual assignments. Would anyone be able to explain this more thoroughly? Like most of you, I'd like to get through this program as quickly as possible and want to knock it out so I can get into the meat and potatoes. The rest of the classes seem fairly self-explanatory, but I'm just looking for any in-depth recommendations on things like: the best order to take classes in, how to study for different subjects, the type of information to put into papers, etc. One of the biggest things that I've been thinking about (and this may seem small to some, but once I start thinking about it, I can't stop ) - - if there is a kind, willing soul out there, would it be possible to list the classes that require either a final proctored exam or a final paper? I like to be prepared mentally and I cannot find this information anywhere, in one spot. I keep finding pieces here and there, but they're either in posts as dated as 2009 or the program has made curriculum changes. An updated list, all in one place, sure would be helpful to me ... and probably anyone looking to get into this program! Okay, I'll stop rambling! Thank you in advance for any insight and help you may be able to provide. You're all awesome!

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I'd steer clear of WCCCD's nursing program. I just graduated a couple weeks ago, so it is possible, but if you didn't have hypertension going in, you will have it going out. Please talk to anyone in the program. It is terribly run. The administration is completely unorganized. They do not care about the student body - if you have an issue, you will not be heard. Don't walk, run to HFCC, Macomb, OCC, or Monroe. Anywhere but WCCCD...