SFSU

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Hey everyone. With so many programs sending acceptance letters I am checking to see if anyone has heard from SFSU?

Nursetobe,

Thank you so much for taking the time to give us the "scoop" on how your experience was! When I graduate, I intend on coming back to this board and contributing as you have done.

One topic I'm particularly concerned about are the Segment III cluster courses- How much of an impact will they have on your nursing studies? How did you set up your schedule for completing these courses? Are there any Seg III courses that you would recommend?

What options and locations were available for clinical rotations?

What materials are required and/or will be beneficial for new students entering the program?

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nursetobe1975: thanks so much for all the information it is truly nice to hear from someone who has been through it all. I live like 8 hours from SFSU and applied for the heck of it and now that I made it in I am lost. How long did it take you to complete the program? What would you say is the hardest class you have taken there? Can you tell me how your typical week was during the program class and clinical wise? For the nclex would you say that most of the stuff was based on the knowledge you have acquired throughout the program or was it just the books that you studied?
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Nursetobe,

Thank you so much for taking the time to give us the "scoop" on how your experience was! When I graduate, I intend on coming back to this board and contributing as you have done.

One topic I'm particularly concerned about are the Segment III cluster courses- How much of an impact will they have on your nursing studies? How did you set up your schedule for completing these courses? Are there any Seg III courses that you would recommend?

What options and locations were available for clinical rotations?

What materials are required and/or will be beneficial for new students entering the program?

The best segment III courses are holistic health (western and eastern perspective ) and Human Nature Global Perspective. I wouldn't worry about that until you get to second semester but don't leave them for the last semester. There is so much to do then that one less worry is really welcomed.

As far as clinical rotations, in the first semester, I had St Lukes, others had UCSF, Laguna Honda (try to stay away from there, my classmates that went there had a very rough experience) Second semester; UCSF, St Francis, CPMC. Third semester, the Children's Oakland experience for peds and LPCH for maternity. Fourth and fifth, you have plenty of time to figure out. What I want to stress is choose your clinicals wisely, not by location or convenience. Ask around and get the best instructor and then put your whole heart in it. Your clinical instructors are the ones that will write your recommendation letters when you are trying to get a job. Also network if you are interested in the unit or hospital. If you like it and you want to work there, before you end, go to the manager, introduce yourself, thank her/him for having you there and express your interest. It will go a long way into getting a job. After the second semester you can get a job as a Nursing Assistant and you don't need the certification. I can't stress enough the importance of having your foot in the door, specially in this economic time.

As far as materials, all those pocket reference books I have found helpful and of course Saunders the Nclex review, which I consider the BIBLE of the nursing student. As a mater of fact I have a few books that I don't use anymore so if you are interested, PM me and I could meet you on campus or we will figure out a way how to get them to you. I'm not trying to sell them but I would love to pass them along to someone that is having a hard time financially and trying to make it on their own. So if you can afford them, get your own. Go to the Bookstore at the Nursing section and you will find lot's of reference books. Also if you have an Itouch or an Iphone, check the apps, they are great reference.

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Nursetobe,

Thank you again. You probably have no idea how relieved I am to finally find the answers to my questions! I have spent hour upon hour searching this board and the net with absolutely no results!

I'd like to take you up on your offer, but apparently I haven't written enough posts on this board to send private messages. If it''s okay with you would you mind exchanging email addresses? Or I can make a few more posts in order to get the pm feature.

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nursetobe1975: thanks so much for all the information it is truly nice to hear from someone who has been through it all. I live like 8 hours from SFSU and applied for the heck of it and now that I made it in I am lost. How long did it take you to complete the program? What would you say is the hardest class you have taken there? Can you tell me how your typical week was during the program class and clinical wise? For the nclex would you say that most of the stuff was based on the knowledge you have acquired throughout the program or was it just the books that you studied?

You have to go at the pace of the program, you can't take your time and take a class here, a class there. The program is 5 semester long. My hardest class I would have to say was community health. We had to write a monster paper and a lot of us had trouble with it. For me, I studied for the NCLEX from the start and I used Saunders review book and had no problem with the boards.

A typical week in the first semester: Health assessment 3 hours and Nursing theory 3 hours. Then Skills Lab twice a week 3 hours each and a clinical day 8hrs, that starts about half way through the first semester. You will also, before you start clinicals, need to pass a drug calculation exam with 90 or better. Don't worry about it though because you will have plenty of time to study after the orientation. My advice is to start looking at the drug calc book after the orientation.

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SFSU Megs: Thanks for the congratulations. I start this Fall. I am so excited.

Nursetobe: What great advice and input you have! Thank you so much, and congrats on getting through the program with flying colors, that is my goal.

I cannot wait to start! I just had surgery yesterday on my left leg for exertional compartment syndrome and think I will be buying books these next 4 days online since I can't do much of anything! LOL

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Hi Reebles,

I was wondering how you found the right books to purchase for the nursing courses? I checked SFSU's bookstore and I didn't find any listing for Fall 2010. Thanks.

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Hi Reebles,

I was wondering how you found the right books to purchase for the nursing courses? I checked SFSU's bookstore and I didn't find any listing for Fall 2010. Thanks.

Hey MJ415,

I should have clarified, I was going to be buying supplemental things that have been mentioned on this web site including RNotes. There is a thread with a list of good things to have for nursing school and was going to order a few of those including NCLEX review books. I love Amazon. :p

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Just a little tip. The school will make you buy NCLEX review books that you will use throughout the course. They are quite expensive. On top of that the only book I would consider buying is Saunders NCLEX review. It has been voted the best review book. Don't buy a whole bunch of books until you know what you need. There will be a bundle (two big boxes) of books that will be available to you guys when you go for your orientation. If you are planing to get that, DON'T BUY ANYTHING else in advance, you will have EVERYTHING you could possibly need. If you don't plan to buy that, then wait to see what books are in those boxes so that you will buy the right things. I was an eager as you guys and I have spent many hundreds maybe thousands of dollars on things I never needed or ended up having duplicates. Don't try to get busy about NS yet. Just enjoy that you got in, and spend some time with your friends and families, because you will not see them for 2.5 years. One thing it's worth buying in advance is get a couple pair of white scrubs online. The ones the school sells are ridiculous overpriced. Don't buy more than two because you only wear them 1st and second semester.

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Just a little tip. The school will make you buy NCLEX review books that you will use throughout the course. They are quite expensive. On top of that the only book I would consider buying is Saunders NCLEX review. It has been voted the best review book. Don't buy a whole bunch of books until you know what you need. There will be a bundle (two big boxes) of books that will be available to you guys when you go for your orientation. If you are planing to get that, DON'T BUY ANYTHING else in advance, you will have EVERYTHING you could possibly need. If you don't plan to buy that, then wait to see what books are in those boxes so that you will buy the right things. I was an eager as you guys and I have spent many hundreds maybe thousands of dollars on things I never needed or ended up having duplicates. Don't try to get busy about NS yet. Just enjoy that you got in, and spend some time with your friends and families, because you will not see them for 2.5 years. One thing it's worth buying in advance is get a couple pair of white scrubs online. The ones the school sells are ridiculous overpriced. Don't buy more than two because you only wear them 1st and second semester.

Alrighty, I won't buy any of the books yet. Thank you for your advice, I will make sure to wait. Other than that I will order some white scrubs.

Oh, and can I get my Littman now? :lol2:

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Alrighty, I won't buy any of the books yet. Thank you for your advice, I will make sure to wait. Other than that I will order some white scrubs.

Oh, and can I get my Littman now? :lol2:

Ha ha, I remember the feeling! You are ok to get a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, pen light, scissors and forceps. You will need that .

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hey guys.. I am so stressed and frustrated about all this. I have one more prereq to take, physiology and planning to apply for next fall... is it true that SFSU requires the TEAS test? also, how was it? would you think itd be difficult since i havent taken physio yet? any suggestions?

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