DrexelNurse2020

Hey! So overall I would say it's very content heavy and stressful, but completely manageable. In the first quarter you take Fundamentals (lecture 2x a week with Med Math exam towards the end of the term (need a 90% or better to pass), and alternate between a 6-hour lab and a clinical as the weeks go on, there's a BP skill checkout mid-term and at the end of the term you have to demonstrate med administration and either straight cath of a female or trach suctioning), Health Assessment (lecture 1x a week and weekly 4-hour lab, with a demonstrated focused assessment checkout at the end of the term), Genetics which was online for us, Pathophysiology lecture 1x a week, and a 2x a week Contemporary Healthcare lecture (complete easy A class). Second quarter we had two full days a week of class (8 AM to 4:20 PM), and three clinical days a week. Gerontological Nursing, Psych, and Med Surg I are the clinical courses. This is also where you start taking pharmacology (Pharm I).It was exhausting because the schedule difference from quarter one was a huge change, and it felt like there was no time to do anything between time spent at class and clinical. Now we are wrapping up quarter three (one more final exam to go)! This term we had Pediatrics, Maternity, and Med Surg II as clinicals, and the weekly schedule is almost exactly the same as quarter two. Pharm II is your fourth class. Each of our grades in the courses were solely determined by four exams in each, with no sort of busy work buffer. More studying this quarter than the previous two, which was quite stressful. There's also a lot of clinical paperwork you complete weekly at the sites, and some clinical instructors are more relaxed with it than others are. It's a luck of the draw as to who you get and where your sites are. I've never been more stressed in my life but I do not regret doing this program at all. Make some good friends early on, be friendly with everyone you meet (you are all in the trenches together, and my cohort is very tight knit because of shared experiences with school), and don't pay any mind to the people who treat grades like a competition. It'll challenge you like crazy, but not having to drag this out over years is such a nice benefit. Sorry if I forgot anything in this little ramble, but please ask any other questions you may have!

Congrats to all who have been accepted! I am currently in my third of four quarters of the program, and am happy to answer any questions you guys have ?

ETA - I initially was in a BSN program, but had to take a significant amount of gap years to be a caretaker for elderly family. Just now starting to get back into the swing of things again, so I'm a little overwhelmed with all the ABSN requirements, having been away from school for so long.

So I'm currently going to be entering my senior year of a non-nursing degree, but I have plans to finish a BSN, through an accelerated second-degree program. Is this something I can apply to during my senior year, or do I have to be completely finished the initial degree before I can start with applications? Any insight on this is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance!