Hi my name is Peggy and I am a LPN in Edmonton. I just got accepted by Athabasca online bridge program. They have transferred some of my university courses. I only need to finish their nursing courses and I will be done. The problem is the practicum. They told me that I won't be able to choose the location of my practicums except for the last one. I am at lost. I have 2 kids (8 and 6) at home and I don't know what to do with them when I am gone for my practicums. I have no help here as my hubby's and my family are not around. They are all overseas. I am still thinking if I should just go ahead and start the program or if I should wait. I am already 34 and if I wait for another 6 more years before my youngest one can watch himself, I will be 40. Also, I won't know if Athabasca will change the admission requirement by that time.The whole situation is really bothering me. I really want to finish the degree. Help.Peggy
Fiona59 8,343 Posts Has 18 years experience. Aug 16, 2008 Well you have seven years to finish an Athabasca Degree. And yes it is true that you go whereever they can find space for you. I know one nurse from the Edmonton area that had to travel to Lethbridge to do hers.
Pediatric Critical Care Columnist NotReady4PrimeTime, RN 16 Articles; 7,358 Posts Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology. Has 25 years experience. Aug 16, 2008 There is no way around the clinical placement issue. There are only so many places a school can send their students and it's absolute h-e-double-hockey-sticks to have students from more than one school on the floor at one time. Expectations are a little different, policies are a little different and skills vary from group to group. Athabasca doesn't have a "home site", being a distance education facility so they have to take what they can get for clinicals. And thus so do their students.
linzz 931 Posts Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg.. Aug 16, 2008 The choices do seem a bit limited. The only choices I can think of are to request something near your area and wait for it if they will let you. As the other poster said, you have seven years and unless you can afford a live in nanny for when you are gone, it may take you somewhat longer.If you have previous university credits, could you take an accelerated program in your area, that way you know that your clinicals will be in the school's territory.We have the same problem here in Ontario, esp. the greater Toronto area, clinical placements are much in demand.
