RN-BSN program

U.S.A. Oklahoma

Published

I'm a 2nd year nursing student, and will graduate in May 2004 (and will hopefully have my RN soon after). I'm interested in getting started on my BSN right away, and am looking for any recommendations for the Tulsa area. I've already contacted OU-Tulsa for their requirements, has anyone gone through this program?

I'm in OKC and I plan on going to the RN-BSN program at OU (currently trying to get into nursing school). You can look at OU's website to see the requirements http://www.ouhsc.edu

I am currently a senior at OU Nursing in OKC, as far as the program goes the one in Tulsa is the same as OKC, but the campus is different. Is there a pre-nursing club at your current school, a lot of my questions about Nursing school were answered in the meetings that we had, but I was at OU in Norman for 1 year before I came to the College of Nursing. The one good thing about OU that it has that most other schools can't offer is the size of program. I know our total enrollment for this year that includes all undergraduate and graduate students from all campuses (OKC, Tulsa, Lawton) was something like 650. Everywhere I have done clinical I have met mostly OU grads, and most of the managers and administrators went to OU as well. I am not saying OU is a better nursing school than anyone else, but if you go to OU you have not only the name and reputation of the school, but the fact that most of the nurses and nurse managers you meet will be grads from your school. Some of my classmates that work at OU Medical Center say that an OU graduate is highly desired in this area, I guess I would have to agree because I just went there today and got a job lickety split. If you have any specific questions about the application process, or what school is like once you get in feel free to ask on this board I look at it almost daily.

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

Could you tell me more about OUs Nursing program?

What hours are you in class and clinicals for? How much studying do you do? I have heard that OU Nursing is SUPER hard!!

I dont know how hard it is to get accepted into OU Nursing...what was your GPA and all that if you dont mind? Did you have any health care experience and did most of your classmates have experience? I have none...

Any info would be great! I have all my pre reqs done except for 1 (Microbiology) so I would not be applying till next years class anyways.

Marilyn

Could you tell me more about OUs Nursing program?

We just got our new dean of the college at OU finally, and I hope she is able to make some much needed changes at the OUCON. I have come to learn that just because it's OU doesn't mean it's the best, (despite what my parents and many others told me). Have you ever been in an environment where the methods of practice pertaining to education were not necessarily bad, just outdated and in need of a polishing. That is how I feel about the OUCON, it's a good program, but imagine if you went to nursing school 25 years ago, graduated, passed boards, and then started to practice, only you didn't learn anything new, or grow as a nurse, you just stayed the same for all that time. You wouldn't be a bad nurse, if you started out good, you still would be, but by new and evolving standards you would be a dinosaur so to speak. But we have a new dean and I have heard she is willing to re-vamp many of the things that students have been taking issue with for years.

Interesting fact about OUCON, we are the only college at OU to have an adjusted grading scale, 75 - 83 = C, 84 - 92 = B, and 93-100 = A. Anything below a 75 is not passing, and this goes for course grades, as well as tests, papers, quizzes, anything. Hopefully that will change, but if you are worried about GPA, here is not the place to raise it, (although I have a little), but not as much as I could have without that janky scale.

What hours are you in class and clinicals for?

The program is sixty hours long, unless they change it, you can take one class in the summer before your first fall, (it's a two hour class on philosophy and logic of nursing, then a thirteen hour semester, and spring is 15 hours I believe, and the spring semester of your junior, (or first year in the program), is known as the hardest one. Most people in my class, including me, had real problems with the maternal/child nursing class in that semester, so if you have any previous experience/knowledge in that area it would help, if not, like me, I suggest you spend christmas break in your first year getting ready for that one.

Anyway, when you first start you would have class starting at 8 or 9 in the morning, it lasts until about 2 or 3 usually, and that covers all lecture on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday for the first 10 weeks is lab, to prepare you for clinical you have two lab days for each week, then on week eleven you only have lab on wednesday, (you can sign up for a morning or an afternoon lab, they are both about 3-4 hours long), then on Thursdays or sometimes Friday depending on the clinical group you sign up for, you go to clinical. Usually it is always 7-3 shift, but there is usually one group that will meet at 3-11, and if you are in the 7-3 clinical groups, plan to get up about 5 to be there at 6:30 or so. Friday is off normally. Clinical rotation in first semester is general med/surg, and there are a lot of careplans which suck.

Second semester is basically the same, lecuture same times roughly on M-T-W. Clinical on Thursday, Friday off. In second semester when you pick your clinical group, you get to decide if you want to do med/surg first of OB first, but you will do both, seven weeks at each specialty.

Following summer, if you want you can take another two hour class in the summer, (it's nice to lighten the load a little in the fall), and it is on the internet over nursing research, the first summer class I mentioned is also on the internet. For internet classes, you have to come to class only on assigned days, all the assignments you send to faculty through the WebCT system that they use for classes on the internet.

That fall is pretty standard, lecture on M-T-W at the usual time, 9-3, or 9-12noon. Thursday is clinical day, and Friday is off. This is also a split clinical assignment, half of the rotation will be psych, and the other is critical care environments, (CCU, ER, ICU).

Last semester, (the one I am in now), is nice, I like it pretty much, but as a class we are very confused because they are making us jump through so many hoops. On the one hand it is nice since we don't have class on Mondays or Fridays, and from the first day, (usually Jan 15 or around there), until spring break (second week of march), we only have clinical on thursday, lectures on tuesdays and wednesdays. The bad side is we were told all 3 of the classes excluding clinical were internet, but we still come to class, and we are subdivided into all of these groups, and every group has specific faculty to grade assignments, and it's just a big mess, it suprised us all to hell on the first day, and many people still don't know whats going on ,( what's due when, in what group do I do it, who grades it, who in the group turns it in?, questions like that,) I figured it out in my own little way, but some of my classmates just feel so lost they don't know where to start. Another hard thing about the last semester is the fact that all quizzes, papers, tests, assigments, are due before spring break, then after spring break all we do is go to clinical, MTW, 7-3, and there are no tests, papers, careplans, quizzes, anything for the last month and a half of school, we just practice being real nurses, and do NCLEX review.

How much studying do you do?

I study a lot, and I think one would have to to make good grades. I have a pretty minimal social life, don't go out a lot, because I don't have the time, I have no time to have a significant other or start any kind of relationship, I have a job, but I hardly ever work because right now I am too damn busy. Despite what I was told about working and going to school, many of my classmates do and they have no problem with it, but I'm glad I don't have to too much. Plan to be sleep deprived the first year definitely, I think the second year was much better about having more time to relax, not quite so many things to do. And you are getting used to the routine of school. If you already have a good social life, a boyfriend or a girlfriend, husband/wife, kids, whatever, that's fine, just know that you might not be able to see them as much as you used to, because you will be busy with homework and studying a lot of the time, and a lot of the other times you will just be so damn mentally exhausted you won't feel like doing much at all. I only mention that because I think it's good to have some free/fun time, and do something that is not related to school at all, but it's hard to do because you will feel pretty mentally spent after many weeks and all the reading you have to do. Of course you don't have to do all the reading, but I do cuz I want to do really well grade wise, but some of my classmates do very little work, sometimes there grades really suffer, but sometimes there are people that don't need to read everything I guess.

I have heard that OU Nursing is SUPER hard!!

I guess it's hard, the grading scale is stressful, to know you have to make a 84 to get a B really pisses me off.

I dont know how hard it is to get accepted into OU Nursing...what was your GPA and all that if you dont mind? Did you have any health care experience and did most of your classmates have experience? I have none...

I worked as a CNA for about a year and a half, that's all I had, but it helped, in knowing terminology and basic things. I felt I was ahead, but there are plenty of people who came in with no healthcare experience, I would suggest getting a CNA job now, to make you feel more confidant. I don't know how hard it is to get in either, I only applied to OUCON, and I only applied once, and I got in. I think my GPA was about 2.9. It's a 3.02 now I think, and I have got pretty good grades throughout, we only have one person in our class out of about 100, (class size starting out was about 125), who will graduate with honors. I think that is kinda sad, and that is why I hope they change some stuff. As a class I would say we dislike most of our faculty and that is not a good thing, because I get the feeling that we don't put forth the effort we should because we don't like our teachers. I know that doesn't make any sense, but no one really wants to bust their A$$ for someone that they dislike, and when we feel like they don't respect us, it makes it even worse. Many of my classmates have the attitude of, "Just give me my damn C you Biotch, and I can graduate and take the NCLEX." It's like there is this grudge between class and faculty that stands between us and performing better. But like I said, we have a new dean, so I hope it gets better.

Any info would be great! I have all my pre reqs done except for 1 (Microbiology) so I would not be applying till next years class anyways.

Marilyn

Specializes in O.R., Endo, Med-Surge, Mgtmt., Psyche.

i am going to okwu right now. i finish in august 2005. it is adult friendly, meaning that it makes it easier to juggle family and a full-time job. i have learned many things that are beneficial to my career. they have branch locations throughout oklahoma. i have a friend that went through ou's program. it is not adult friendly.

i'm a 2nd year nursing student, and will graduate in may 2004 (and will hopefully have my rn soon after). i'm interested in getting started on my bsn right away, and am looking for any recommendations for the tulsa area. i've already contacted ou-tulsa for their requirements, has anyone gone through this program?
Specializes in O.R., Endo, Med-Surge, Mgtmt., Psyche.

i am going to okwu right now. i finish in august 2005. it is adult friendly, meaning that it makes it easier to juggle family and a full-time job. i have learned many things that are beneficial to my career. they have branch locations throughout oklahoma. i have a friend that went through ou's program. it is not adult friendly.

i'm a 2nd year nursing student, and will graduate in may 2004 (and will hopefully have my rn soon after). i'm interested in getting started on my bsn right away, and am looking for any recommendations for the tulsa area. i've already contacted ou-tulsa for their requirements, has anyone gone through this program?

Thanks for your honesty-it's great to hear from someone in the program and get a real picture of how things are.

I'm freaked out about OU now though-I'm 36, pretty much considered an adult by most standards :rotfl:

I plan to apply for the BS-to-BSN program for 2006. MY OU counselor suggested I also apply to the regular program since the work load is extreme in the accelerated path. I would hope the accelerated program is more adult friendly!! Although I'm not sure if I could do it with hubby and 2 kiddos who will be 7&9 by the time I start NS.

I was disappointed to hear that the curriculum at OU felt antiquated. Things change out there so fast- the school has to be able to keep up. I would expect different especially with the CON being part of the HSC and university hospital. Also, that people don't like the instructors. You spend alot of time with those people and depend on them. I can't imagine not liking them!

I'm taking A&P at OKCCC in the spring. I was considering their ADN/RN program too. I'll finish all the classes by 06 and only have to go part time for the nursing courses. It'll be two years, but I could work and have more time for family too. They have a high NCLEX pass rate as well. It's just a different level of education and approach. Ultimately, I want to be an RN. I don't want to close any options to get there. This does not mean that I'm applying to all schools and covering my booty--just that maybe I should sincerely consider various paths to the goal.

I'm going to the application seminar at OU tomorrow--maybe I'll get a feel of things.

Congrats on your job!! Good luck in your last semester!

Thanks for your honesty-it's great to hear from someone in the program and get a real picture of how things are.

I'm freaked out about OU now though-I'm 36, pretty much considered an adult by most standards :rotfl:

I plan to apply for the BS-to-BSN program for 2006. MY OU counselor suggested I also apply to the regular program since the work load is extreme in the accelerated path. I would hope the accelerated program is more adult friendly!! Although I'm not sure if I could do it with hubby and 2 kiddos who will be 7&9 by the time I start NS.

I was disappointed to hear that the curriculum at OU felt antiquated. Things change out there so fast- the school has to be able to keep up. I would expect different especially with the CON being part of the HSC and university hospital. Also, that people don't like the instructors. You spend alot of time with those people and depend on them. I can't imagine not liking them!

I'm taking A&P at OKCCC in the spring. I was considering their ADN/RN program too. I'll finish all the classes by 06 and only have to go part time for the nursing courses. It'll be two years, but I could work and have more time for family too. They have a high NCLEX pass rate as well. It's just a different level of education and approach. Ultimately, I want to be an RN. I don't want to close any options to get there. This does not mean that I'm applying to all schools and covering my booty--just that maybe I should sincerely consider various paths to the goal.

I'm going to the application seminar at OU tomorrow--maybe I'll get a feel of things.

Congrats on your job!! Good luck in your last semester!

Hi, I am currently going to school and my major is nursing, although I am not actually IN nursing school as of yet. Im still finishing up my pre-reqs and I was looking into getting my CNA license and I was wondering if anyone had any good reccomendations of who to get it through in the Tulsa, OK area? I am needing something adult friendly as I work full time and am a single mom of a 2 year old. I looked into tulsa tech and they do offer saturday classes, but they last for 16 saturdays and that just seems like an awful lot of saturdays to me, since I dont get to spend a whole lot of time with my son after work, I like to spend my weekends with him. Anyone have any advice?

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