YVCC Fall 2018

cloud0_07 · Jun 9, 2020

Hello! Here is an update of my experiences ?

Costs
Just wanted to share an update that generally I have spent about $1400 on tuition for each quarter. I think that can change but it's been roughly that much for those of you that are planning to pay out of pocket. The first quarter is still the most expensive because of the supplies, scrubs, shoes, and books. But the nice thing is that the books will mostly last the entire program. There are a couple extra you will need to get that are not included in the bundle, but they should be rare.

Applying
As far as applying goes, I communicated regularly with Rebecca via email and just kept in mind that she is usually super busy so she can't always get back right away. The scoring is different every quarter, there is no way to know how everyone else is going to score, so try not to stress that too much. Just do the best you can and keep trying! Not everyone gets in their first try and that is okay, just be sure to get your letters in to be placed on the alternate list!

Schedule/Life/School/Work Balance
Obviously the whole COVID thing has changed things up a bit, but the schedule changes EVERY quarter. That is why you can't get an exact answer for scheduling, and sometimes the schedule changes during the quarter because stuff comes up. Each quarter we were on campus daily for the most part and the hours varied some were half days others were all day long. Just an FYI after you have passed Q4 you are eligible to take you NCLEX-PN to get your LPN license, it's not required though.
Clinicals are once a week and generally go from 0645-1900, you meet up with your group in the morning for "pre conference" and then leave the floor a bit early to have "post-conference", during post conference there is usually stuff we do like talk about our day, do presentations, discuss concepts we are covering in class, practice SBAR reports, etc. You will follow a different nurse generally every time you go to clinical and clinicals can be done at many different sites and floors. With COVID there are Virtual SIM's which allow you to practice, practice, practice! They're not as good as the real thing, but they give you a chance to learn and practice so take them seriously. On campus SIM's are usually group based, except for the Individual testing ones. They are actually super fun and educational!

Lastly, working during this program is tough but doable depending on your study habits. I know people that have families and stayed working full time, others never worked, some did part time, some were able to work for the first few quarters but then needed to quit working, and others just worked over the Summer. It truly depends on how flexible your job is and how much you are able to study. If you feel like you are struggling to grasp concepts and find yourself short on time, it might be a good idea to cut back at work as much as possible. If you feel like you totally get everything and aren't overwhelmed working is totally doable and if you work in the medical field you'll notice yourself understanding things more than you did before!

Extra's

If you're waiting to get started and want to begin learning/practicing a bit, I recommend watching Sarah RN on Youtube, she does an amazing job and I watched her stuff a lot! Also there are a ton of apps out there like Nursing.com, UN World, NCLEX Prep, that will help you get used to NCLEX style questions which is what the program uses. If you can find something that works for you and makes sense to you, USE IT!
I have loved my experience at YVC and my group is amazing, I didn't get in my first try and I am grateful that life put me with the group I am with. I felt that my instructors truly cared and wanted me to succeed but they want me to be safe and successful, so the content is challenging. Some stuff was harder than other concepts/content but everything has pushed me to where I am at now.

Anywho that's just a bit of info on things based on my experience and everyone has a different experience. I can't speak for everyone, just my own journey. Best of luck to you all!

Victoria0604, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2020

34 minutes ago, cloud0_07 said:
Hey thanks for replying! What do you mean when you say,
"just be sure to get your letters in to be placed on the alternate list!"
Is this a letter we write to say we want to be on an alternate list that we turn in with our application?
Also, would you be able to help me with some application questions I have over phone or email? I can Venmo/ cash app you for your time LOL! I can't seem to find anyone to help

cloud0_07 · Jun 13, 2020

On 6/9/2020 at 9:07 AM, Victoria0604 said:
"Is this a letter we write to say we want to be on an alternate list that we turn in with our application?"

Hello!

So, the alternate list is available to those that do NOT get in. It is included in with the rejection letters and you can just send in a simple note stating that you would like YVC to hold on to your records and that you would like to be placed on the alternate list, just in case there is someone that did get accepted but decides not to go.

I will add that Fall in notoriously competitive as far as overall scores go. I think the group that was ahead of me had a minimum score of 45 (?), but Winter and Spring tend to have less applicants. I honestly don't even remember my score (I feel like maybe it was 38?) because it has never come up since. I was on the alternate list and got accepted after I had been rejected initially. I did pretty well on the TEAS test and shockingly did best on the Math section. Oddly the grammar part was the one I didn't bother to study for and that was the one I did poorly on. So you may want to review conjunctions and pronouns LOL.

Btw here is a link for a TEAS Grammar Quizlet study set I was able to find on Google...
https://quizlet.com/168200329/TEAS-grammar-flash-cards/

Victoria0604, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2020

On 6/13/2020 at 3:58 PM, cloud0_07 said:
Hello!

So, the alternate list is available to those that do NOT get in. It is included in with the rejection letters and you can just send in a simple note stating that you would like YVC to hold on to your records and that you would like to be placed on the alternate list, just in case there is someone that did get accepted but decides not to go.

I will add that Fall in notoriously competitive as far as overall scores go. I think the group that was ahead of me had a minimum score of 45 (?), but Winter and Spring tend to have less applicants. I honestly don't even remember my score (I feel like maybe it was 38?) because it has never come up since. I was on the alternate list and got accepted after I had been rejected initially. I did pretty well on the TEAS test and shockingly did best on the Math section. Oddly the grammar part was the one I didn't bother to study for and that was the one I did poorly on. So you may want to review conjunctions and pronouns LOL.

Btw here is a link for a TEAS Grammar Quizlet study set I was able to find on Google...
https://quizlet.com/168200329/TEAS-grammar-flash-cards/

Thank you for taking your time to reply ? I've heard that students buy their books as a bundle through YVC, is it required to buy it from them or can I buy them individually from different sources or graduated students from the program? Also, I calculated my score to be a 59 so hopefully my chances are pretty good!

cloud0_07 · Jun 22, 2020

I'm not sure if you can find the bundle online, but there is usually students that try to sell their books. I personally will be taking these books to the grave! LOL I worked hard for them, with them, and will probably still use them for the first few years as a new RN. I just bought it from the school and all the recommended books like the Davis drug guide. I'm not sure if they will change the books or not, because I bought mine almost two years ago now, but they were like Nursing Fundamentals, a pharmacology book, a med/surg book, maternity/peds, that sort of thing.

You'll love the program, even when it is stressful just try to remind yourself to be grateful for the stress and it's part of the process. Good luck!!

cloud0_07 · Jun 28, 2020

Oops! I forgot to mention that Clinical days are different every quarter, like Q1 was like Thursday's (I think), but Quarter 5 you were part of a group that went either Tuesday or Wednesday. You usually find out about clinical at the beginning of each quarter and there is usually 10 people in each group. At the end of Quarter 5 you put in your top 3 requests for your preceptor rotation for Quarter 6. Once Quarter 6 starts you find out where you get to do your rotation, it might be one of your requests it might not.

Someone had asked about hours for working, I worked 24 hour every weekend until Q4. Again some people are able to work full time all the way through, others are not. It's really going to be up to you to decide. I felt fine working during Q1 and Q2, but got stressed during Quarter 3 because I felt like the content/critical thinking really got stepped up, and made the decision at the end of Q3 quarter to switch to per diem to allow for more study time. It was definitely the right decision for me.

Ummm... let's see assignments wise there are Care Plans those are super important and they are a lot of work. You have one due for each clinical day. You cannot start them ahead of time, because you have to wait for your pt assignment which you will get the day before clinical, so be prepared to have a your night dedicated to working on that! It's not required to be typed, but I typed mine on the computer for legibility and the ability to print 2 copies (one for me to have during my day, and the one that gets turned in at 0645am when you go to pre-conference).

Each quarter you will have an "Evidence Based Research Paper" due that will need to be relevant to the topics you are covering in the class that quarter.
There are quizzes for lab that are usually online and directly relate to the skills you are learning (NG tube, indwelling catheter, Chest Tube, IV, dressing changes, etc.) and there are group SIM's, and Individual SIM.

There is a Medication Calculation quiz each quarter, it's directly related to medication/dosing calculations. Watch some Youtube videos for refreshers on how to feel comfortable with those.

VSim was new and there was no exams on it, just the Reflective Thinking and like Post-conference type questions. They still took some time to complete and were really good practice for SBAR, but they do not take nearly as much as the Care Plans do. Take them seriously, DO NOT copy and paste answers. Treat it like you would a real Care Plan and you will do just fine.