University of Washington Accelerated BSN program Summer 2014

TulsatoSeattle · Dec 5, 2013

I also applied. Maybe we are the only two applicants. LOL.. The wait is nerve-racking. Have you gotten any info on how many spots they have? Do you have a backup plan?

mlauren1 · Dec 28, 2013

I was accepted and will definitely be going!

macrina · Jan 9, 2014

Hi, there. So glad you started this topic and I was able to find it. I am a current ABSN student at UW and am almost halfway through. I will check in from time to time and am glad to answer any questions for you that I can. It was very frustrating for me last year around this time to have access to so little information about how the program runs. CONGRATULATIONS to those of you accepted or waitlisted!!!! If you go, you will be entering an incredible program!

Macrina

mlauren1 · Jan 9, 2014

It's wonderful to hear from someone in the program and such a nice offer to answer questions! I'm really excited to start and I feel like it's just a waiting game now. Is there anything useful that I can do to help prepare myself in the meantime?

I was also wondering where most people live in Seattle? I currently live in Minnesota and will be looking to move out there with my boyfriend and our dog at the beginning of June (or maybe sooner). I assume it's beneficial to live close to the school. I've never been to Seattle so I have no information on the area! Thanks for your help!

macrina · Jan 10, 2014

mlauren, most people prefer to live within good bus service routes to the UW. Here is what I would avoid if you can: living across the bridge (5-20) on the other side of Lake Washington (Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, etc.) or south of Capitol Hill. I also would avoid living on Queen Anne, unless it's the north side around Seattle Pacific University (SPU). To the north, you could go into Shoreline, but I would avoid living further than that. It works nicely to live around Northgate Mall because there is easy and frequent bus service to the U, only taking about 20-30 min. Popular neighborhoods from which you can bike or walk to school would be U-district and University Village areas, Wallingford, and Eastlake (east side of Lake Union), to name a few.

As for preparing, I have found that I'm really at a disadvantage still in clinicals because I came with really no experience in a hospital. If you don't have CNA experience and have the time to do it, that would be valuable. It helps you get used to the environment and "stuff" around you as well as working with people in healthcare. If you are thinking more along the lines of studying, I'd say you could review your A & P and maybe read through some of those "Incredibly Easy" type books on nursing topics. if you learn that way. Just a few thoughts.

smrahain · Jan 11, 2014

I'm glad I found this :) I was accepted for Summer '14 as well! I already accepted the admissions offer, now just working on the separate UW application! I wonder who the other 46 accepted people are!

abalone · Jan 13, 2014

Hey, I'm a 2nd year BSN at UW. As for neighborhoods: my advice is live in Seattle. Your program is INTENSE! Don't make life more difficult by adding a long commute. If you can afford it and find a place, live in the U District or Eastlake area. Otherwise, try to live "one bus away" (no transfer required). Personally, I live in Westlake (sort of on Queen Ann Hill, close to Fremont) and it takes me 2 buses to get to UW (can be annoying). My advice: When you are looking at apartments, use the metro trip planning service to see how difficult it would be to get to UW. King County Metro Transit Trip Planning Also, below are the main Seattle-based buses that serve UW and the other neighborhoods they serve (may not be an exhaustive list) - to give you an idea of where to start.

25 - Downtown Seattle, Eastlake, Montlake, University Village, Children's Hospital, Laurelhurst

30 - University District, Ravenna, Sand Point, NOAA

31 - Magnolia, SPU, North Queen Anne Hill, Fremont, Wallingford, University District

32 - Seattle Center, Queen Anne, Interbay, Seattle Pacific University, Fremont,Wallingford, University District

43 - Downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, Group Health Hospital, Central District, Montlake, UW Campus, University District

44 - Government Locks, Ballard, Wallingford, University District, UW Campus, Montlake

48 - Loyal Heights, Crown Hill, Greenwood, Ravenna, University District, Montlake, Central District, Mount Baker Transit Center

49 - University District, Capitol Hill, Broadway, Seattle Central Community College, Downtown Seattle

65 - University District, UW Campus, University Village, Children's Hospital, Ravenna, Wedgwood, Lake City

66 - Downtown Seattle, Eastlake, University District, Maple Leaf, Northgate Transit Center

67 - UW Campus, University District, Maple Leaf, Northgate Transit Center

68 - University District, UW Campus, University Village, Ravenna, Wedgwood, Northgate Mall, Northgate Transit Center

70 - Downtown Seattle, Fairview Ave N, Eastlake, University District

71 - Tunnel (Link), Downtown Seattle, Eastlake, University District, Ravenna, View Ridge, Wedgwood

72 - Tunnel (Link), Downtown Seattle, Eastlake, University District, Maple Leaf, Lake City

73 - Tunnel (Link), Downtown Seattle, Eastlake, University District, Green Lake P&R, Maple Leaf, Jackson Park

74 - NOAA, Sand Point, Ravenna, University District, Downtown Seattle Tunnel (Link)

75 - University District, UW Campus, University Village, Sand Point, Lake City, Northgate Mall, Northgate Transit Center

76 - Downtown Seattle Tunnel, Green Lake P&R, Ravenna, Wedgwood

NJstudent2009 · Jan 13, 2014

Hello! I was also accepted into the program and I'm so excited to start! Can anyone who is already in the program maybe explain how the clinicals will work? Basically how much time and how many days will be spent in clinical? Also anyone from the area know how bad the traffic is on I 5 north? I am moving to the Fort Lewis area and I was wondering how the commute is going to be. Thank you! Can't wait to meet the other 46!

macrina · Jan 14, 2014

Congratulations to you guys!

NJstudent, I hope you aren't committed to Fort Lewis. It is a SERIOUSLY long way from the UW. With no traffic it will take you over an hour, and with traffic I believe it could easily take you 2, if you're driving a car. Doing the ABSN program is very time-intensive and you also will have clinicals and events that sometimes go until 9:30 or 10PM. I think if you live that far away you will be setting yourself up for a really tough time, unless you enjoy studying on the bus... which also means carrying your books (HUGE!) to read from or going electronic. I hope you will have time and flexibility to look around before you settle that far away. You'll be exhausted. P.S. You have intense traffic through both downtown Seattle AND downtown Tacoma with that location, and the bulk of your travel will be during rush hours.

macrina · Jan 14, 2014

Clinicals vary from one semester to the next. You can see exactly what your program looks like by finding the Program Curriculum chart that lays out your program by quarter. All the classes that are called NCLIN are your clinicals. For us, we had one clinical and a weekly lab the first quarter. Then we had 2 clinicals for the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Then we have one clinical in the spring and our major capstone clinical experience our final summer quarter. Yours will probably be similar, but perhaps not exactly the same.

Generally you will go once a week to your clinical site in small cohorts of 8 students or so with a preceptor who will mill around on site with you checking in and guiding your experience through meetings before, during and/or after your shifts, which are initially about 5-6 hours and then increase to about 8-10 hours and I believe end in full 8-12 hour shifts your last quarter. For clinicals you also have lab classes to go along with the environment you're working in to help you learn and practice skills so you can be more effective onsite. Some clinicals, like our Psychiatric one last quarter, were half at the hospital and half in the lab, since you really need more time learning skills and there isn't a lot you can do therapeutically in the hospitals. Your first quarter, you'll have a full lab class and a full clinical onsite at a major hospital. The first quarter is all focused on assessment, both in the hospital and the Learning Lab, where you will learn how to assess your patient (and your classmates!) from head to toe.

So in terms of time and schedule, when you have a clinical day it is generally a few hours the day before preparing and then a full day onsite (8 hours or so, becoming about 10 when you factor in transportation!). This is one reason why the program is so intense. With double clinicals (which is how they get us through faster) you have 2 days a week in either 2 separate hospitals or one hospital and one lab day at school, generally. It varies a lot and your schedule will be a moving target throughout most of the program.

smrahain · Jan 15, 2014

I currently work night shift as a CNA in Tacoma & live in Bellevue. I do the morning commute up I-5 and it is hit or miss with how bad the traffic is. With no traffic it takes me ~50 mins to get home, with traffic it takes me ~ an hour and twenty mins or so, sometimes more, sometimes less. At times when there has been a nasty accident on 405 I'll take 5 up through Seattle and then hop on 90 to cross the lake and the traffic hitting Seattle is always pretty bad.

You do what you gotta do! I've been living in the area for close to 2 years (we moved out for my boyfriend's work then) so I know the area pretty well if you need any help! I'll be staying in Bellevue and doing the hellish commute across 520 every morning, so at least we'll be in good company.