aliashanika

First of all, congrats on finishing nursing school, passing the NCLEX, and getting a job! What AZBlueBell said is pretty much exactly how it is! I'm a med-surg/PCU float so I thought I could shed some light on your second question. The academies are basically just knowledge they want you to have for your type of unit. Some of the information won't apply to the facility you work at. For example, I work at Gateway and we don't do PCI, but I'm pretty sure it's in the academy. It's a lot of reading and taking short tests after you've finished the module. The PCU academy is about eight weeks long. You'll have to attend a few classes in person, too. Don't sweat the PCU simulation. It's a group simulation and they really are just trying to put you into situations that happen (I.e. code blue, CHF exacerbation, renal disease, etc.). As far as the difference between med-surg and PCU goes, I think it really depends where you work. In general, the PCU is higher acuity and the patients tend to be sicker than they are on a med-surg floor. You'll get a lot of experience working PCU!

Hi guys! Just found this post and I'm also applying. I'm from Arizona and attend Arizona State University! I'll probably apply to the Phoenix Mayo program too, but would much rather do this one if given the opportunity! My essays are around 1.5 pages each. I have no experience in healthcare besides clinical experiences. I don't think I'm anywhere close to competitive enough for this externship, but it doesn't hurt to give it a shot! Can't get in if you don't at least try is my mindset. Good luck to you all :)

You're welcome! Yeah it sounds like you have more access codes and maybe even books than I did. So incredibly expensive it's ridiculous. Good luck in junior 1! Nursing school is crazy, but it flies by so fast. Remember to enjoy it :)

Oh I completely forgot about NSO (Nursing Skills Online). I pulled up a syllabus from Fall 2016 for NUR336 and NUR352 to see the required codes and how they compare to what I needed in Spring 2016. If I'm reading the description for NCO right in the syllabus, NCO might include NSO and SimChart, which were the required codes for my cohort and we did actually have to have them. But I really don't know since I've never heard of NCO. From what it looks like on the class search, you'll need to buy Shadow Health. I've always waited to buy access codes until school started. The instructors should tell you which ones are required, although I have a feeling they all are. I've been able to purchase my codes online and redeem them immediately. Be prepared to buy all the access codes because it looks like you'll need to. The first semester is very expensive book and code wise, but the rest of them aren't as bad. Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful in regards to what you'll for sure need, but I really don't know. Sounds like they've changed quite a bit. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if ASU requires you to purchase the books/codes from them, but hopefully you can find them cheaper.

I didn't need any access codes until junior 2 and that was for an EBP class that was online. You'll need simchart, though. Keep in mind that there has been a curriculum change and I'm not sure how much they've changed regarding books and using access codes. If you know anyone who's entering junior 2 in the spring, ask them. They'd had a better idea since they have the same curriculum as you! I rented all my books besides Carpenito, Medical-Surgical Nursing (bought old edition), Davis' Drug Guide, and Fundamentals of Nursing.

You're so welcome! Oh man, that thing has like everything. Twin packs (used to pull up meds for injections), catheter kits for both IV and foley, central line dressing trays, cholraprep applicator, dressing change tray, some different types of dressings, extension set, filter straw (used for injections), sterile gloves, PPE equipment, IV start kit, needles, ostomy care equipment, penlight, sodium chloride and sterile water vials, sponges, suction kit, syringes, tape, measuring tape, tourniquet, blood vacutainer, and sterile water. The items we used this semester are: twin packs, needles, syringes, filter straw, sterile water, sodium chloride, tape (all for injections), ostomy care equipment (ostomy pouch, ostomy clamp, and ostomy wafer), dressing change tray and the dressings (tegaderm with frame and with window if you want to google it), sponges (gauze), PPE equipment (gown and mask, gloves are supplied in the lab), and the penlight! The skills bag have everything you need for the entire program :) I'm not entirely sure if we need to buy bandage scissors, but you definitely won't need them in junior 1! Side note on stethoscopes. I've noticed that most of my classmates have Littmann stethoscopes. I personally have a Littmann Classic III and I love it. Stethoscopes are pricey for sure, but keep in mine that you will be using it for awhile. Do your research and figure out what's best for you when it comes to brand and model. And watch for back to school sales!

Congrats to all of you who got in! And to those on the wait list, don't lose hope! Quite a few people end up getting in that are placed on the wait list. ASU will give you a skills bag (price for it is including in your tuition) the second week of lab that has almost everything you need in it basically. The only supplies I personally bought are a stethoscope and penlight. The skills bag has a penlight in it, but I don't like it so I bought one. All the supplies you need for junior 1 are in your skills bag or can be checked out from the school besides a stethoscope, which you need to purchase. The SLR will let you borrow blood pressure cuffs, gait belts, and reflex hammers! They will have scrubs at the meeting, but keep in mind that you only have to buy the scrub top, jacket, and polo from Apparel Pro. Scrub pants you can buy from anywhere! They just have to be black. Oh and you need a badge clip and the plastic thing the ID goes in. They should have those at the meeting! I think it was $5 or $6 for both last semester. You are allowed to wear danskos! As long as your shoes are closed toe, closed heel, and black leather, you're fine! Some of my classmates wear danskos and some of us wear leather tennis or work shoes. Whatever works for you! For the long shifts, I recommend getting some compression socks. I personally like Sockwell, which they sell on amazon. They're a little pricey, but seriously they help so much. Clinical locations really depend on what's available since so many schools are competing for spots. This semester, junior 1s were at either Friendship Village, Westminster, Phoenix Mountain Nursing Center, Life Care of North Glendale, VA, or Sagewood for long term care. I think we got our clinical locations either right before school started or the first lab day. The junior 2s (adult health and psych) are at either Mayo, Banner Desert, Banner Thunderbird, Shea, or John C. Lincoln North Mountain for adult health and Oasis, St. Lukes, VA, or Banner Behavioral for psych. Keep in mind that the locations probably change every semester, though. Just thought I'd share the sites we used this semester and the ones we will be using in the Fall! To those of you who are starting in the summer, I'm like 99% sure the sites that I listed for junior 2 are your sites, too! You will be doing pysch for the first half of the semester, and adult health for the second half!

Yes, Junior 1 is definitely doable! I do enjoy the program, and I love the people I've met so far. The instructors are amazing and really want you to succeed. Your classmates will soon become your best friends since they really understand how crazy your life can be. I'm glad I chose ASU's nursing program. I feel like I am not only being prepared for the NCLEX, but the real nursing world. It's definitely worth it! Looking back, it's hard to believe the semester is almost over. Enjoy it while you can! Junior 1 will seriously fly by. Wishing you guys luck! Hopefully those emails come soon.

You're welcome! I know it can be hard to find things out about the program since the internet isn't very helpful for that. At least it wasn't when I tried last semester. Okay so the curriculum change they haven't told us much about. All they've said is that they are moving more towards self-directed learning rather than just lecture. Honestly the workload hasn't been that bad this semester. There were a couple weeks that were awful, but other than that it's pretty manageable. And by awful I mean a test or a project in every class, but as long as you can remember to just take it a day at a time, you'll be fine! I'm a huge flashcard person so I've made flashcards for all the exams. NUR310 (nursing concepts) is basically a fundamentals course. She teaches you how to do your head-to-toe assessment before you go to lab and actually do it. For exams, she gives you a "blueprint" that tells you what objectives you need to know and how many questions there are for each topic. This class is fairly easy as long as you know your stuff. NUR311 (pharm) has flashcards on blackboard that are already made. They pull all the exams from a test bank and these flashcards cover everything you need to know. Seriously, study the flashcards first. If you feel like you need more background on a certain class of drugs, then go look at the powerpoints. One thing that I have found that has helped a ton is picmonic. It's a website that shows these goofy pictures with an audio description, but they're really effective. NUR320 (lab) is where you're actually learning all the skills you need to know. Competencies are how you're tested on them. Basically you get a rubric/checklist the first day of the skill and it tells you what you need to perform and what the normals are. If you want to see what one looks like, they're all on the virtual SLR. If you google "ASU SLR," it's the first one that comes up. On the left side under "Simulation & Learning Resourse," there's a button for the virtual SLR. Click that! It has all the checklists. If you're going to look at one, I'd suggest the vital signs one since it's pretty straight forward. To study for these, I practiced with a family member and handed them my checklist so they could tell me what I missed. For two of the competencies, they actually let us have a 4x6 "courage card" in case we couldn't think of what to do next. The instructor for this class is absolutely amazing. She also teaches NUR312 (psychomotor skills). We didn't have exams in this class. She just did quizzes on med abbreviations and math for meds. There was one multiple choice quiz that we took at home, and there's one at the end of the semester that we haven't taken yet. NUR330 just has projects, discussions, and online quizzes! Just make sure to find a reliable group for the group projects and you'll have no problem getting an A in that class. I'd probably rate the difficulty around a 6. I focused most of my studying on pharm because for me that is the hardest class of Junior 1. As long as you pay attention in 310 and know the objectives on the blueprint, you probably only need to spend a few hours studying. That class is pretty straight forward. Pharm is a whole different story, though. Find a study group and memorize the flashcards. You'll be asked application questions on the exams, but if you know the flashcards, you should know the answers to those questions. The most important thing is to know how you study best. Remember that nursing school isn't just about memorization. You really need to know how to apply what you've learned. I hope I didn't just freak you out with all the class stuff. It really isn't as bad as it may seem! Just take it one day at a time and you'll succeed!

Hi guys! I'm a current Junior 1 at ASU, and I would love to answer some questions/concerns. However, keep in mind that there is going to be a curriculum change that starts either with the summer or fall cohort. I'm pretty sure they said it's starting in the fall, but I can't remember. Textbooks. Honestly, I haven't done any of the required readings. I personally don't learn well from reading textbooks and all the information I needed was in the powerpoints. I do have almost all the books, but there are few that I have actually opened. I rented all of the books besides the Carpenito and Davis' Drug Guide. Health Promotion Throughout the Lifespan, Carpenito, Davis' Drug Guide, and Jarvis are absolute musts. Definitely buy Carpenito and the drug guide since we will be using them throughout the entire program. I've been told Health Promotion Throughout the Lifespan is needed in a future semester by a professor, but I'm not sure if we actually need it. You do need to buy SimChart, but I suggest waiting until school starts to buy it. I think most people buy a 1-year subscription at the beginning of Junior 1 and then another subscription at the beginning of Senior 1. Also, the access code is required! You'll need to have purchased that by either the first or second week of school. Schedule. Lab is scheduled from 7am-4pm, but I haven't ever actually stayed that long for lab. We usually start at 8am and are done by 3pm at the latest. The reason they were able to shorten the lab time is because we complete Nursing Skills Online (NSO) modules, which is what the access code is for. The modules prepare you for the clinical skills you will be learning that day. I am not entirely sure if they will be keeping the same schedule that they have this semester, but currently we have NUR310 7:30-9:15 on MF, NUR312 10:30-12:20 on M, NUR311 7:30-10:15 on W, NUR330 10:30-1:15 on W, and then NUR320 on TTh with the time varying depending on the schedule. NUR330 was actually a hybrid course this semester. We only met for eight class periods, but do NOT miss any of them. If the same professor is teaching the course, you don't want to get on her bad side by missing class. You will feel her wrath. The gap between 310 and 312 sucks, but use that time wisely. Complete your NSOs or make the pharmacology flashcards (there are pre-made flashcards/study questions and they are amazing). Just find something productive to do or it really will be a complete waste of time. Transportation. Personally, I drive to campus. I actually carpool from Gilbert with a friend. It only takes us around 30 minutes to get to campus most days. If you're driving, I suggest parking in East Garage. It's located on 5th St and Washington which is fairly close to Mercado, but it is around a 10-15 minute walk to NHI. It's SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to park here, though. Several of my classmates take the lightrail to class and they have no problem with it! As for the campus shuttle, just be aware that it may break down. IF it does break down, ALWAYS notify the professor! They really do understand that things happen. I suggest finding a carpool buddy in your LC (learning community, basically your lab/clinical group of 10) so that you can ride to clinicals together and have a major jam session in the car to relieve some stress. Good luck to you all! I hope you receive good news about your advancement this week! The wait definitely sucks, but it'll be worth it in the end. If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask!

Definitely a good idea! I added my Facebook URL on my profile on here. Hopefully it worked! My name is way to generic to be able to just search it haha

I'm in!

Someone on the post-bacc post said by Wednesday! Really was hoping for today, though. Dang.

I didn't ask, but I'm hoping for tomorrow! This is a hard email to wait for!

Thank you SO much for this list! I'm sure you're very busy with school and everything and I really do appreciate you taking the time to type this up with so much detail. And thank you for offering to help as well! I'm not 100% sure if the book list is the same yet since it hasn't been released, but I will definitely be looking at this when it does so I can get a pretty good idea on which books I should buy and which ones to rent. Thank you again!