Texas Tech Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN 2019

sophiemicaela, RN · Sep 26, 2019

6 minutes ago, atxmitch said:
Hi! I got accepted to the 2020 Austin Cohort, and would like to connect with the 2019 class, esp those in Austin. I was hoping for some quick advice on:
1) is working part-time (2 shifts per week) or PRN (1 shift) doable?
2) where to get scrubs? are any of the men, ideally in Austin, planning to sell their's?
3) which books should we buy and which should just be rented? who wants to sell their set?
4) any advice on how to study and stay on top of assignments and prepare for exams?
5) what frequency should we aim for in regard to knocking out the 225 hr clinicals requirement? that's 19 12-hr shifts. there's 16 weeks for the Spring semester. is it possible to load up at the beginning and have less towards the end when i would expect the end of semester to be crazy with deadlines etc.
6) did the cohort organize study groups? once-a-week seems like a good frequency. what worked for your cohort study groups?

TIA!
Mitch

Congrats on your admission! ? I'll try to keep this as short & sweet as possible

1) It is highly unlikely you'll be able to work part-time; mostly because you will on average be in clinical 2xs a week, sometimes 3xs a week when you have specialty rotations. For example, I have my regular clinical shift tomorrow and then my pediatric rotations are on Saturday & Sunday. Additionally, you'll have days where you are on-site all day for Simulations, testing, etc. It can be very unpredictable, therefore I highly recommend only going PRN where you aren't required to work 2xs a week.

2) I bought my scrubs at the Scrub store at the outlet mall! Truthfully, as long as you get true red and not maroon, you can buy from Amazon or any store that you can buy scrubs! I know there's a Beyond Scrubs at Parmer and Mopac that has a wide selection as well. I know I'm planning to sell my scrubs to the next cohort so there may be some guys who want to get rid of theirs! I recommend having 3 sets.

3) The only books I have used for multiple classes so far are: A) The Pharmacology textbook B) Nursing Diagnostics Book C) MedSurg (but you can get an Ebook cause this bad boy is HEAVY). The rest I have used for only 1 semester and that's it.

4) Buy a planner and as soon as you get your course schedules, pencil everything in and ALWAYS double check with several other students. Schedules get moved around pretty frequently so it can be crazy so always be checking your calendar daily. Also, procrastination is always going to kill you in this program. Stay as ahead of the curve as possible and be super intentional with your studying.

5) Definitely front-load on your clinicals. I do 2xs per week for the first month and a half, then I am usually able to go down to once a week. You also get credit for clinical with seminars throughout the semester so it ends up being about 17-18 clinical shifts by the end of the semester.

6) We all have our own little study groups but collectively have each other's backs. We have a massive group text and Facebook group that we all use to keep scheduling straight, laugh together, encourage each other, etc. I personally have a study group with 5 people and we meet up on average of 3xs per week. It's a big commitment but so worth it - you won't make it without each other.

More questions will be addressed at your orientation, I hope to be there to meet you and other students I have been corresponding with! The main thing now is to enjoy your freedom and GET EXCITED. It's a crazy year but so worth it - the best is yet to come!

MrngRainn · Sep 26, 2019

Hi Mitch,

My two cents here!

1) Working is near impossible. I know some people take that as a challenge, but I don't mean it that way. I thought I was going to work 2 shifts a week, and quickly learned that it was not going to work. Some of our cohort struggles to stay in the program (not just struggling to be at the top), directly related to working. I wouldn't advise it.

2) Planner. Use it. Look at everything daily. Stuff gets changed all the time.

3) You can't do all your clinicals and then be done for the semester, you typically will have to do one a week, even if you have all your hours.

4) I can't stress this enough, if you are a VBSN student, TAKE ALL THE CAP tests! All of them! They can't hurt you and can only help. You can prep for them by studying the ATI manual for each particular test. It helped me alot.

5) The other thing you can do to prep, is get your life in order. All current immunizations, doctor visits, dental appt, etc. Taxes done, weird sided things that need to be taken care of, spent time with your people. Its going to be a busy year. Just be ready for the roller coaster.

Hope this helps!

Angela

ryabow · Sep 30, 2019

I have been accepted to the program for Spring 2020 Lubbock Cohort. Any advice or information on financial aid and scholarships?

AMDins, CNA · Oct 4, 2019

Hi, SUPER random question... what kind of shoes are we required to get? Somewhere I read that they had to be all black? I want to invest in some good shoes now, and I have some picked out but I want to be able to wear them for school too... TIA!

MrngRainn · Oct 4, 2019

Something also says that they have to be leather, but at least her in San Antonio, that was not a requirement. As for all black, since mine have all been all black I'm not sure. I would email your local faculty as they are the ones that will be seeing you in uniform.

AMDins, CNA · Oct 4, 2019

Yes that’s what I was thinking too @MrngRainn. That’s helpful, anyone in the Odessa cohort able to answer for me? I found the most comfortable black and white new balance tennies but they’re expensive so don’t want to I fest if I can’t wear them for work!

hekela · Dec 28, 2019

On 9/26/2019 at 10:02 AM, MrngRainn said:
Hi Mitch,
My two cents here!
1) Working is near impossible. I know some people take that as a challenge, but I don't mean it that way. I thought I was going to work 2 shifts a week, and quickly learned that it was not going to work. Some of our cohort struggles to stay in the program (not just struggling to be at the top), directly related to working. I wouldn't advise it.
2) Planner. Use it. Look at everything daily. Stuff gets changed all the time.
3) You can't do all your clinicals and then be done for the semester, you typically will have to do one a week, even if you have all your hours.
4) I can't stress this enough, if you are a VBSN student, TAKE ALL THE CAP tests! All of them! They can't hurt you and can only help. You can prep for them by studying the ATI manual for each particular test. It helped me alot.
5) The other thing you can do to prep, is get your life in order. All current immunizations, doctor visits, dental appt, etc. Taxes done, weird sided things that need to be taken care of, spent time with your people. Its going to be a busy year. Just be ready for the roller coaster.
Hope this helps!
Angela

Can I ask a random question about time commitments for this program? I applied last year for the Austin cohort but did not get accepted...I am going to apply next year and want to know what I'm getting myself into. On average, what is the weekly time commitment? Including clinicals, labs, study time, everything. 50 hours a week? 70 hours a week? Thanks!!

MrngRainn · Dec 28, 2019

Thats a tough question, but I will try. Of the three semesters they are 19 hours, 19 hours and 23 hours for a total of 61 hours. With 19 hours, you should typically calculate 19 hours in class and 38-57 hours of study time on top of the 19 in class hours. So, that is roughly 57-76 hours a week. But it gets messier, when some of the classes are only 4 weeks long and some are 5 weeks; so this makes those weeks more demanding. Also, you primary clinical course requires 225 hours of clinical in your usual unit, each semester, so this is 1-2 twelve hour shifts a week Then, when you have OB.Peds, Mental Health, Community and Leadership, you will have additional required clinicals. What I am trying to tell you is that it is so busy. You may have to choose what to study even though you need to study more than one thing. Its a challenge and a roller coster. And it takes alot of time and effort. Good luck! Angela

ICUtoCRNA2, BSN · May 25, 2020

I’m applying to the 2021 cohort in Austin and am trying to get a loose idea of what a typical week looks like to start planning for childcare.

1. Does anyone still have a schedule for the required in-person classes/sims/labs/exams?

2. Do you schedule your own clinical hours?

3. How much of it can be scheduled on your own time as opposed to having a set time already assigned to it?

Thanks to anyone who can pass along advice or help regarding schedules!

atxmitch · May 25, 2020

Here are the schedules for Austin's Spring and Summer 2020:

https://drive.Google.com/folderview?id=13cIhRufUsC_fLuGOaSwBT0Oxlj-ae0Sq

Clinicals are dependent on your coach's schedule. Some coaches have very regular schedules; other's irregular. You'll need to average 1.5 clinical shifts per week to satisfy the 225 hours needed. It's best to front load as much as you can as you never know when your school schedule aligns with your coaches.

We have a handful of moms in the Austin cohort. I'll ask them to chime in with their thoughts.

Mitch, Austin 2020 Cohort

ICUtoCRNA2, BSN · May 25, 2020

@atxmitch Thank you so much! That is *incredibly* helpful!

I have little ones (my oldest will be in pre-k in Spring 2021 and kinder in the fall, middle in pre-k both Spring and fall, and youngest won’t start pre-K until fall) so I’m planning on having to hire a nanny at least part time (I’m currently a stay at home mom). I’d love to hear from some of the moms if they don’t mind chiming in!

kkrause · May 25, 2020

@allipalmer - I'm in the same boat too ?