melissa.22

Thank you for the Swiftriver suggestion!

I am in my final year of BScN in Canada. Our Winter clinical was cancelled with 2-3 clinical days left. We were given the option to complete a 4 page reflection on COVID-19/ pandemic to account for the missed days. I have a friend from another school who was given case studies to respond to. My school is still in deciding how to proceed with our Spring clinical, whether it will be cancelled or not. Simulations and case studies are being considered. I wondered if it would be feasible to do a Telehealth student role? I am also wondering what happened back during SARS, did students miss time then or were they given alternative activities. Was anybody at nursing school during that time?

Hello All, Current RPN and final year BScN student in Canada. In light of the pandemic, Universities are currently deciding how to proceed with nursing clinicals. I am interested to see what happened during SARS? Were online simulation or case studies an option? Thank you!

Hi! Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you, but I do have a question! I am currently looking at bridging into Mohawk's PSW to RPN program. Have you really been finding it that difficult to find a job? Mohawk keeps telling us that more RPNs will be hired and less RNs, but many people on this site seem to be having difficulty finding a position as an RPN. I will likely still do the RPN as I work at a Dermatology office and can likely work there as a nurse. But I did not realize it was so hard to get a job! Where are you applying mostly? Hospital, long term care, etc? Thanks!

I've never heard of pre-nursing, that sounds awesome! Good luck!

Hi, so you did get into bridging or you didn't? Which program did you apply to? I'll be finishing Mohawk's PSW this semester. I like the idea of Mohawk's bridging because it is only two night courses, then you can bridge into semester 2/4 of the RPN course. Plus it is delivered continuously, so it's 3 semesters in a row. So it is a pretty quick and streamlined process. I know other colleges with the PSW bridge still require you to do the full 4 semesters. But if you think you can get in to RN and can do the 4 years of school, then maybe that's an option for you. As a mature student, I really need to get out there working! There is always the Mo-Mac RPN to BSCN bridge which can be done in 3 years full time or up to 6 years part time. I also have honours in PSW, but it is a fairly easy course. But I have my doubts of how that stacks up against the difficulty of a university program. I feel a lot more comfortable in the college route. But everyone is different, maybe that is the right route for you!

I purchased a very helpful book off Amazon called Health Occupations Entrance Exam by Learning Tree. It contains 3 practice exams as well as study tips. I am not writing the HOAE until this summer, so I am just working through the book and upgrading at the same time. The book contains English (spelling & reading comprehension), math, science (biology, chemistry and natural science). I have heard it is difficult and that there is very little time to answer the questions. Many of my PSW classmates are rushing to write the test next month- and if they are ready, that is great for them. I've decided to wait, study, and upgrade. You can only write the HOAE once a year, so I want to make sure I get the highest mark possible!

Thanks for all the helpful ideas! Glad to hear that many of the courses build off and reinforce each other. Reviewing the CPNE is a great idea too. Ill make it my next reading material after getting through the HOAE preparation haha!

Mohawk's RPN program only looks at the average of the 4 prerequisites! They ask for grade 12 English, grade 12 math, 2 senior sciences. I heard that the average to get in was over 90% bc it is so competitive! We were told only 100 out of 1200 applicants were accepted! Mohawk also offers a PSW to RPN bridging course. About 20 PSWs are accepted each cycle to do one semester with two bridging courses, and then enter semester 2 of the RPN program. But the psws still need to have the 4 prerequisites in order to write the HOAE and be accepted in bridging.

Kudos to everyone for making it through; I am especially inspired by all the stories from mature students. About five years ago, I met a Nurse encouraged me to go back to school; she said students 30+ often make excellent nurses because of their maturity level and previous life experience. And I'm not taking anything away from the younger nurses, because you are super impressive too!! But I find it very inspiring to see people who have managed to go back to school with kids, family, and other responsibilities! Good for you guys :)!!!! I am hoping to enter the PSW to RPN Bridge by 27, and be an RPN by 29 :)! I feel like I am starting a new chapter in my life!

Hi everyone! I am a PSW student and hoping to bridge into an RPN program in Ontario, Canada. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions regarding study habits or tips to help retain the information learned in the RPN program. The PSW program at Mohawk is a lot more in depth then a typical PSW program. This is a good thing, because the students hoping to bridge to Nursing get a little background regarding function of the human body and learning the basics about diseases. Although my marks are high in PSW, I find that I sometimes have trouble retaining the information afterwards writing the test and moving on to the next topic. I keep reviewing things, because I'm afraid "if you don't use it, you lose it!". One of my clinical instructors is an RPN, and she said it is important to be able to retain all the information taught- that RPNs are expected to be able to name off and understand the function of body systems at the snap of a finger! I like to read material and have recently started watching online videos in order to reinforce what I am reading. How did many of you retain the information you learned? Do all Nurses have super memories? :)

Thank you both for your interesting feedback! It is nice to be able to talk to people working in health care instead of listening to student speculation! I have noticed that there are many post graduation certificates available for both RPNs and RNs. Do you think taking these additional courses is necessary?

Hello! I am a PSW with hopes of entering the Mohawk College's RPN bridging program. I was hoping to get some insight from Nurses working in the GTA (Ontario) about the current job climate. In school, we keep hearing that the future will bring major cut backs in health care; we have been told that this will result in some hospitals moving towards bringing in PSWs, widening the scope of practice for RPNs, and laying off RNs, in order to save on costs. However, whenever I job search job postings in the GTA, I see many job postings for RNs. What do you see happening in the future? Thank you, Melissa