St Louis University

WonderRN · Jan 15, 2009

I gather you're in the 1-year (or is that 15 months?) accelerated BSN program?
Prior to starting, did you do comparisons with the Barnes/Goldfarb 1-year accelerated BSN program? And if so, what were your conclusions? I think I'm going to go with Barnes, particularly b/c it costs less than SLU, but would appreciate your insight. Thank you!

I know this question wasn't posed to me, but I am also in the program at SLU.

It's twelve months, May to May. Barnes didn't start their accelerated program until Fall 2008, so when I was applying, it wasn't even up and running yet.

garthalamew · Feb 2, 2009

I was wanting to know if you could answer a few question for me about the accel BSN program you are in. I'm looking to start next may and wanted some opinions and advice.....admissions, class, attrition.

THanks

WonderRN · Feb 3, 2009

Go ahead and ask whatever question you would like. Just found out today the school's "retention rate" is 94%.

garthalamew · Feb 3, 2009

Thanks for your very helpful information. I'm contemplating taking a visit soon and really want to know as much as I can about the program besides what the admissions contact tells me.

The program sounds strong. I was wandering if the SLU hospital is still hiring graduates and how much debt they offer.

If there is anything else you think I should know, ex.. cost of living, program weakness, strength, positives, negatives - I'd greatly appreciate your insight.

Thanks!!

garthalamew · Feb 3, 2009

wonder tech, thank you so much!!!

all the best on your exam and your future nursing career!!

surviveslu · Apr 3, 2009

Can you share what your typical courses and clinical rotations are like on a weekly basis? For instance, how many hours in clinical, classroom, clinical facilities, schedule...just anything that you think would be useful for an incoming student to be prepared and know about. Perhaps it could be something that you thought or expect would be but it turns out to be more than or less than. Anything you're willing to share about currently being in the program would be really helpful.

WonderRN · Apr 5, 2009

Hello surviveslu,

SLU's program is kinda of top heavy with theory, and for me, the summer was the hardest part.

There are three semesters: Summer, Fall, and Spring. Each of these three semesters have two sessions, so to speak.

In the first part of Summer (first five weeks or so, until around July 4th), you will be in class pretty much 8-4 Monday through Friday, with an hour lunch. Several of those days you will have solid theory ALL DAY. These are very long days, bring a pillow for your butt. You also have a good deal of labs, where you learn different skills, sterile procedures, how take blood pressure etc.

All of this is built into the 8 hours a day.

The classes that you have in the first part of summer are...

Communication (you have a very touchy feely lab associated with this)

Health Assessment

Pharmacology

Intro to Clinical Decision Making

In the second part of Summer, you have....

Maternity

still have Pharmacology.

You finally start your clinicals, in Maternity.

So, if I remember correctly, you have 3 days of theory and two days of clinical, M-F.

After this, you have a month break! very nice, but it was difficult for me to come back to the program after being away. But Fall is easier!

So the first part of fall, this is your schedule:

Monday 8-3pm Class (Lifespan Lecture, covering a specific topic in pediatric, adult and geriatric populations; and a Leadership in Nursing course)

Tuesday 7-3pm Clinical (either Pediatric, Adult, or Geriatric Med-Surge)

Wednesday 7-3pm Clinical (see above)

Thursday 8-10 Class (either Psych or Public Health)

Friday 8-10 Class (Pharmacology)

So in the fall, you will have either Psych or Public Health. Whichever one you have, you will have the corresponding clinical 10:30-5pm on either Thursday OR Friday.

The good news is that you will have either Thursday OR Friday after 10am OFF! Woo-hoo!

So the second half of Fall is basically the same. You will change Lifespan clinical sites. If you have peds first, you will have adult or gero next.

In the fall, you can CHOOSE to add an elective in the evening. I did, you don't have to.

There is a week break in fall and a month long Christmas break.

In Spring, the first half is very similar to Fall.

M: 8-3pm class (Lifespan and Leadership course)

T: 7-3pm Lifespan clinical

W: 7-3pm Lifespan clinical

T: 8-10 am class Psych or Public Health (whichever you didn't have in Fall)

F: 8-10am class more Psych or Public Health (whichever you didn't have in the Fall) (the first half of spring is toploaded with Psych or Public health theory)

And then again, on either Thursday OR Friday you will have corresponding Psych or Public Health clinical 10:30-5pm.

The second half of spring is kind of too confusing to write about. But, you do your Comprehensive clinical during this time, and you get to put in requests where you get to be for this! very exciting! You also can choose to take an evening elective in the Spring.

So sorry if this is too overwhelming. I am the kind of person that likes details, like to know what I am in for. The good new is... Summer is the hardest, Fall and the first part of Spring is easier, then the second half of spring is hectic, but by then, you're almost done!

Let me know if you have any other questions.....

surviveslu · Apr 5, 2009

You're really so much help to me. I appreciate it. Do you mind sharing what your study habits are like in order to succeed? I'd like to know a little bit more about the exams in the first five weeks in the summer. What was it like for you -- how did they test you? Please comment about anything good or bad from your perspective. Thanks.

WonderRN · Apr 5, 2009

Whoops, I made a mistake in the schedule.....

The second half of summer, you have pathophysiology and maternity.

(not PHARMACOLOGY and maternity).

So for each class....

Intro to Clinical Decision Making- you have...

two exams over lecture material

two skill demonstrations you get tested over, one is a sterile procedure and one is a more basic skill, like transferring patients

one exam over principles you learned in lab

2 papers/assignments (they are completed with a partner)

This is the way Health assessment is structured too. You're not graded strictly on lecture stuff, there is other ways you can make your points.

Pharmacology is two tests over lecture material, plus a drug calculation test. Communication has lecture components and lab components.

In the first part of the summer, the theory tests that I mentioned are really heavily based on lecture material, not really book reading. I didn't really read that much in the summer, there is hardly time for that.

I only read to supplement my lectures and clarify what I was unsure about. The stuff I read about was how to perform certain procedures or how you go about listening to the lungs, etc.

The tests are not tricky at all. They are very straightforward. Whatever study habits you use to succeed now in school, those should work.

I studied pretty much daily over what was covered in lecture. Then, I read about whatever skills we were going to be going over in lab the next day. Again, I probably studied more in summer than I did in the following semesters, just because it is so much material presented so quickly. These are also the skills you will use your ENTIRE nursing career, so study up. It's a hard transition from being out of school to such a demanding semester, especially when it's so bright and shiny outside. But, summer is the hardest part! it really does get easier, and you learn how to work the system, so to speak.

For Pharmacology, she will give you a study guide. Study the study guides!!! She will pretty much base her tests on this, and only this! The study guides are lengthy, so split them up among friends.

As you move on in the program, the tests get more based on nursing judgement. They ask you to prioritize your care. There are study guides you can purchase to help you prepare for the tests, and at this point, doing practice questions are the best way to prepare for the tests.

One thing I would recommend highly is to make friends, learn everyone's names, make alliances, exchange cell numbers with people. You guys can colloborate in study guides, practice doing health assessments on one another, share information....etc.

Hope this helps...... Also, I was kind of OCD during the summer semester, and typed up my notes in outline form for pretty much every class! I would be willing to share these, too.

surviveslu · Apr 6, 2009

Thanks for sharing. I would be very glad to look at the way you organize your notes to make it helpful for studying. Can you share about your experience in community clinical? You talked about splitting up the study guide among your alliances/friends, how was this helpful? Did you form study groups and if so, how many times a week do you guys meet to discuss class topics?

WonderRN · Apr 22, 2009

Sorry it took me so long to reply.... busy semester.

What do you mean by community clinical exactly?......

I did one study group early in the year and it was not very helpful for me. There were too many people and we had just begun studying for the exam and hadn't ironed out specific questions. It was a mess. If you do decide to do a study group, make sure it is small: 2-4 people, and make sure you have studied a good amount before you get together, so you have specific questions/weak points that your study partners can flush out for you.

We also found each other on facebook and started threads with various school-related questions on them. VERY helpful. May even be more valuable than a physical study group.

But I would still split up study guides and start an e-mail chain attaching each person's contribution.

Also, another tip, you and a friend should each buy a really good careplan book and share them. They are EXTREMELY useful when you have a careplan due tomorrow on a patient you just met today.

PrincessO, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 18, 2009

Does anyone know what the cutoff gpa was for this program for the previous class?