RN Program Combined ALL Classes into One Class, HELP!

Gangsteroids · Sep 21, 2017

I'm in the nursing prelicensure program at WGU and this is what they do too. Ours is set up with fundamentals as a class in the pre nursing term called intro to nursing, and then in the first clinical term we have classes called CASAL I and II. Everything except skills labs and assessments are online but we have lots of videos and supplements to watch and learn from too. Independent study is possible, it's just an adjustment for people who are used to sitting in lecture all day every day! Im sure you'll still have the same access to your instructors for questions.

Edit: sent before I finished my post, sorry! My advice is to focus on one section at a time. It sounds like your course might follow a progression that will force you to jump around in your patho and pharm texts. Take notes as you usually would when reading your text. It may be helpful to use one method (I prefer outlining while skimming and then filling in with a second read through) for reading your main text and then fill in gaps in patho and pharm as you go. Be sure to connect with your instructor to see what they recommend doing! Keep track of everything with the syllabus- and if there's no real schedule, ask for one. A course progression expectation should be available to you and that can help you plan your study goals!

mindofmidwifery, ADN · Sep 21, 2017

My school is like this except pharmacology is separate. The first semester we had fundamentals/med-surg mixed in with all the patho for each topic. This semester it's the same + OB. Next semester it'll be the same + peds. I thought this was fairly common.

Yuweezy · Sep 21, 2017

My school in Arizona did the same. First semester was fundamentals + medsurg, second was medsurg + psych, third was medsurg + OB and forth was critical care + peds.

The studying style would depend on the person but my school mostly did power point lectures. I took notes during class and focused studying those for exams. if there was something that I didn't understand during lecture, that was the only time I read the books.

Kuriin, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2017

It's essential to have all of these aspects to a lecture. But, having six books for one class shows that they seem to be doing what you are saying they are doing (which is weird).

caliotter3 · Sep 21, 2017

I would seriously seek help from your instructors or look for a different program. In my opinion, what you describe is one of those rare reasons that a person should seek another program. What a poor idea.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Sep 21, 2017

Wow- what a mess! I

d be very interested to know where they got this harebrained idea.

AnnieNP, MSN, NP · Sep 21, 2017

WOW, is that really only 4 hours of class per week for a total of 6 classes? I hope I just didn't understand!!!! If so, I am so sorry.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Sep 21, 2017

Is this an accredited program? I sincerely hope you haven't stumbled across one of those fly-by-night nursing programs whose only goal is to swindle unsuspecting nurse-hopefuls out of their hopes-n-dreams and hard-earned dollars.

RainMom · Sep 22, 2017

Actually, this sounds similar to my program. We did not have separate classes for med-surg, pharmacology, etc. Rather, first semester was Nursing I, second semester Nursing II, etc. By doing this, we only had one area/subject to concentrate on at one time & did not have to worry about multiple tests/assignments/instructors at the same time.

We were given a syllabus at the beginning of each semester which included the schedule for a series of modules for med-surg, OB, cardiac, fluids/electrolytes, etc. The time spent on each module might vary but most were about 2-3 weeks, then a test. As we rotated thru modules, different instructors took over so we would only have one at any given time.

Pharmacology was integrated into each module. So as we learned about cardiac disorders & the associated nursing assessments/interventions, we were learning about ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, antiarrthymics, etc.

Each semester built on the last one with more complexity. So we had med-surg in Nursing I, and again in later semesters, but covering more information.

We had 2 lecture days; Mondays were 3 hrs & Wednesdays were 4 hrs. May not sound like much, but keep in mind, it was all concentrated on one area of study. One clinical day each week & one 2 hr lab each week.

We had 10 textbooks (a few of which I pretty much did not use) & massive amts of assigned reading which I learned to skim. We had powerpoints available to us a few days in advance of starting a new module & I used that as a guide to determine what I focused my reading on.

From the beginning, this program used NCLEX prep questions for reviews & study. We learned early how to approach nursing tests & how to break down the why & what & how. The program has an excellent reputation in my area & consistently has an NCLEX pass rate of 98-100%.

ohiobobcat · Sep 22, 2017

Actually, this sounds similar to my program. We did not have separate classes for med-surg, pharmacology, etc. Rather, first semester was Nursing I, second semester Nursing II, etc. By doing this, we only had one area/subject to concentrate on at one time & did not have to worry about multiple tests/assignments/instructors at the same time.
We were given a syllabus at the beginning of each semester which included the schedule for a series of modules for med-surg, OB, cardiac, fluids/electrolytes, etc. The time spent on each module might vary but most were about 2-3 weeks, then a test. As we rotated thru modules, different instructors took over so we would only have one at any given time.
Pharmacology was integrated into each module. So as we learned about cardiac disorders & the associated nursing assessments/interventions, we were learning about ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, antiarrthymics, etc.
Each semester built on the last one with more complexity. So we had med-surg in Nursing I, and again in later semesters, but covering more information.
We had 2 lecture days; Mondays were 3 hrs & Wednesdays were 4 hrs. May not sound like much, but keep in mind, it was all concentrated on one area of study. One clinical day each week & one 2 hr lab each week.
We had 10 textbooks (a few of which I pretty much did not use) & massive amts of assigned reading which I learned to skim. We had powerpoints available to us a few days in advance of starting a new module & I used that as a guide to determine what I focused my reading on.
From the beginning, this program used NCLEX prep questions for reviews & study. We learned early how to approach nursing tests & how to break down the why & what & how. The program has an excellent reputation in my area & consistently has an NCLEX pass rate of 98-100%.

My program was the same. Lectures were 3 hours (I think? It's been a while!!) 2 days a week, lab was 3 hours one day a week, and we also had clinical one day a week. We also took a seminar class, which was an hour long, that went over nursing math, med terminology at the beginning, and then delved into nursing topics like leadership and delegation, some ethical stuff, etc.

Our clinical were split each semester. We always did 6 weeks on med-surg, and the other 6 weeks matched up to the main focus of the lectures that semester. We did 2 med-surg clinicals semester 1 and then added psych and ob-gyn in semesters 2 and 3. I can't remember what other students did 4th semester, but I was placed in a clinical one on one preceptorship in an ICU (not everyone did this, you had to apply for it).

I remember buying a LOT of textbooks 1st semester, but after that it was a book here and there as needed. I reviewed notes, rewrote notes and made some flashcards to study. We had a pretty high pass rate at our school, too.

Mkakids · Sep 22, 2017

This is how my school does it as well. We have a lab class, and then a "fundamentals" class. everything is combined into those two. Patho, Pharm, med surg, etc... I personally really like it, because it lets me get a better sense of how it all integrates and works together, rather than learning it from a single context and having to try to figure out how it all goes together on my own.