julles

In terms of the OSCE.. if you prepare well, you will do great. Practice every week. The evaluators are looking for specific details, so when you practice, follow the rubrics (these are the exact marking documents they use at the OSCE). Again, calm your nerves. It's really mind over matter. Be confident and go get er done!

Don't worry about the simulations. They are not graded and are certainly learning experiences. Just read the preparation documents and practice skills you feel you could improve before the sim. After the sim, you will write a reflection on your strengths as well as learning goals. Think critically, calm your nerves, and you'll do fine.

It's hard to say exactly, as the average fluctuates both ways slightly from entry to entry. All I can say is I was accepted with a lower average than yours September 2014. Good luck!

That's correct, philvane.. the online module is just a supplementary resource.

I've always said eLearn itself could've been another course. But don't worry, you will get used to it in no time and it'll be second nature. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

philvane, you can't go wrong with the littmann classic se ii :) But no worries, you won't need a stethoscope until the 2nd half of the term anyway. Lots of time to decide and price compare. If you are tight on funds, I can say you really don't need the dosage calculation book. The "math" is covered in one day. Very simple. You need 100% on the test, but are given examples beforehand to study from.

I wouldn't fret too much about Mosby's Nursing Diagnosis book at this point. We didn't use it until maybe the 3rd last week of Semester 1. And barely.

I started in September and have to say that the majority of the program is not well organized. Unfortunately you just have to roll with it.

There's more info here about the health/dental plan: Home You should be able to pick up your bus sticker at the IHAS info desk. Good luck at orientation tomorrow! It's an overload of information but exciting to get started.

Check out local scrubs stores (ex. in2uniforms in Hamilton) for better selection.

Ortho, I also have the Littmann classic ii and love it. Seems to be popular among students. If you don't already have a stethoscope you have lots of time. We didn't start using it until 2 months into the semester. The RPN student scrubs are ceil blue, however, they didn't seem strict (any shade of light/medium blue is okay). Remember you need all white shoes. Some clinical instructors are alot more strict in terms of how much colour is acceptable, so it's better to error on the side of caution and go as white as you can possibly find. I would highly recommend you rent a locker. You will use it daily.

You are basically buying pieces of cardboard with access codes on them. As soon as you enter the codes, you have the information.

Aliciap5, I bought the digital bundle at the McMaster HS bookstore for about 40% less than the hard copies.

That is just the online modules. The book and NSO online is "Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing + Nursing Skills Online 3.0 Package, 5e"

Sounds good. As long as you did CPR HCP you're good to go!

You might want to double check that the CPR you took is acceptable. There are a few differences with the HCP level one. My class was a mixed group of different levels and we often branched off to complete specific requirements. Just a recommendation.

No, you do not need to do First Aid. All you need is CPR (must be at the HCP/health care provider level). I did mine at St. John's in Burlington and it takes just 4 hours. Very simple.

I would contact pre-placement services regarding the incorrect date on your certificate. That's odd. My OSCE went well. It's a clinical examination that you must pass to continue to second semester. It includes assessments (respiratory, musculoskeletal, abdominal), communication, infection control, transfers and positioning, etc. If you have the means to acquire the books before school starts I would recommend doing so. It's not unusual for them to run out of books (although they do eventually restock - the question is when). Plus it's pretty busy at the store once school starts. Everything you need is at the Health Sciences Bookstore (lowest level of McMaster Hospital). Don't forget to pick up your nursing badges (they have them behind the counter). Orientation - long, boring, somewhat overwhelming. You will find out what day your clinical is and will sit with your clinical instructor and students in your group. They basically just go over everything and tell you the program is fast and furious.

Have you guys completed all the clinical requirements? Any questions? I did my OSCE yesterday so now I can breathe again! haha

Nope. You will be expected to be in lab for the first 4 weeks to learn skills you can apply to your first clinical.

The books are downloadable. It's simple and fast. They don't take up much memory at all. They can be put on your desktop, laptop, cell, tablet, etc. If you don't want to download them onto your phone for example, they are also viewable online.

Yes, you can buy the online textbook bundle at the bookstore. It also includes some helpful online modules for anatomy and physiology.

Forgot to mention - the nursing bible aka Fundamentals of Nursing aka Perry & Potter weighs a tonne!

Just my two cents about textbooks. Keep in mind that I initially thought I was a "love the hard copy and would never go digital" kind of a person. However, I really really like the online/digital versions. First of all, they are nearly half the price of the hard copies. Not to mention that many classes have information packages to complete, in which you are literally copying and pasting answers from the text into the workbooks/packages. It's super convenient. You can take them anywhere. Have them on your desktop, or your smart phone, etc. The search feature is super easy to use and very convenient. I'm not trying to sway anyone, but in my opinion there are clear benefits to the digital versions. I bought the paper versions and returned them all first day of classes. Very happy with that decision. Just one of many opinions of course

Sorry guys, with two weeks left to go, we are crazy busy right now. Looks like you figured out that there are time keepers on your schedules. No weekend classes of course. 1st day of the program you will be told when your lab time is (you know the day from looking at your schedule). You will also find out what day your clinical is (right now it's a possibility between two days, as shown on your schedule).