Regis University CHOICE BSN program

Melina · Jun 29, 2007

Sorry I didn't post sooner. I start CHOICE in the fall, but I still don't have that much info. Our classes next semester are Tues. and Thurs. nights, no clinical hours. Have you gone to the CHOICE info session? You should be able to get all your questions answered there.

~Mel'

committedtonursing · Jun 29, 2007

Melina,

Thank you for your response. I have not attended an information session yet; I probably will within the next few months. I'm still trying to decide between University of Phoenix and Regis; please keep me posted on how school goes. As far as I know, clinicals are always on a weekend (as opposed to Phoenix, which varies). Well, good luck in your studies and thanks again for your reply!

darlanow · Jul 5, 2007

Hi potential Regis CHOICE students -

I'm currently finishing my first year in the program and would be glad to answer questions, give tips, etc. but would rather do so by phone (too much to type!).

email me privately and I'll give you my phone number. If there are several of us, maybe we could even meet for coffee (between classes, tests, labs, clinicals...)

For the basics:

First of all, Regis officially goes by semesters, but not really... What I mean is that each 16 week semester is divided into 8w1 and 8w2 (meaning "8 week 1" or first 8 weeks of the semester and "8 week 2" or second 8 weeks of the semester). You will generally have one class during each 8 week session, but may have 2 classes if there's no clinical component.

Classes two nights per week. They tell you Tue./Thur. but then it gets switched up some:o For e.g. in the first 8 weeks this summer, we had class every Tue. (5-9 pm), labs for first 5 Weds. (1.5 hours vs. 3) of the session and then finished off the semester with a couple of Thur. night classes. Clinicals are generally 12 hours on Saturdays starting in the 3rd semester and going through the 5th semester (but sometimes there is one weekday lab group if it works out). From what I understand, during the first 8 weeks of the last semester (8w1), CHOICE students have weekday placements because most community health agencies aren't open on the weekends. Then in the final 8 weeks of the program, you have whatever schedule your preceptor nurse works.

I'm just about to start 8w2 to end my first full year. Class tonight (on a Thur. because we got Tue. July 3 off for the holiday), then classes every Tue., labs for 5 Wednesday nights, Thur. night classes for the final 2 weeks of class and clinicals every Sat. for the 8 weeks (officially 7am-7pm, but usually we must get there at least 15 minutes early to get ready). Oh - and on Friday afternoons/evenings, we will be required to go to the hospital to get out patient assignments so we can have med cards and care plans ready for the next morning... We didn't have to do this during OB rotation, because it's likely the patient you see Fri. won't be there on Sat. To make up for that, we had a lot of "front end" work in the class with detailed clinical and medication guides to be completed in weeks 1 and 2 of class.

Is this helping at all or am I scaring you to death??!!

I write the online student journal/blog for the CHOICE program and you may want to take a look at that. Sorry I'm not so up-to-date: it's been a rough 2007 for my family.

Overall, I like the program. There are definitely some things I don't like - which I definitely discuss with the profs, our chairperson, etc. and which I include on my (signed!) evaluations. The classes ahead of you are trying to make it better not only for ourselves, but also for those that come after.

Must go and finish reading the respiratory chapters before tonight's med-surg class...

Darla

Melina · Jul 5, 2007

OMG I can't wait! 53 days (not that I'm counting). I must admit I was a little disappointed that there were no clinicals until 3rd semester. I want to get Med/Surg and Foundations so I can take an internship position. i am glad we start right off with Pharmacology, though.

We appreciate the effort you are putting into fine-tuning the program for the next class. I get the impression that the administration is really open to discussion, which is great.

~Mel'