Each semester of the ADN Nursing program is packed with important content and learning opportunites. There is little time to devote to allowing the student to acclimate to the learning environment, becoming familiar with the web-enhanced structure of the class and MOODLE, and for organizing an effective study schedule. Therefore, the faculty and staff have prepared activities, materials, and actual class assignments that the student is expected to accomplish prior to the start of the semester.
First-Day Handouts
First-Day Handouts contain important information, guidelines and class rules for your course. Normally, your First-Day Handouts will be included within the course content on MOODLE. Because your MOODLE course will not be open to you until you register for the class, we are including the First-Day Handouts on this web content so that you can review them during your Orientation. Please read carefully so that you are familiar with the information and know what is expected of you throughout the courses.
Pre-Class Reading Assignments
The Pre-Class assignments for REGN 1 & REGN 2 are intended to provide opportunities for the student to become familiar with the structure of classes in the ADN program, and to assist the student to be ready to dive into their courses from the very first day of class.
Reading assignments have been prepared for the first two weeks of classes for the 1st semester which includes classes with both of the faculty for the semester and for the Clinical Skills Lab. Students are expected to purchase their textbooks and begin the reading assignments prior to the first day of class. Arrangements have been made with the Bookstore to have your textbook bundles available at the time of your Face-to-Face orientation or shortly thereafter.
Pre-Class Reading Assignment - Linda Thomas
Pre-Class Reading Assignment - Teresa Degnan
Clinical Skills Lab Preparatory Assignment
REGN 1& 2 Calendar - The calendar for the first two weeks has been uploaded here so that they are available to you prior to the first day of class. As you review, use them to fill in your own calendar and make preparations for childcare or alert your family to your schedule.
In addition to the reading assignments from the nursing textbooks, the 1st semester nursing students are expected to complete all readings for the math content by the commencement of classes.
Gray Morris, D. C. (2010). Calculate with confidence (5th ed.)St.Louis: Elsevier Mosby.
The readings will include the following: Chapters 1-15, 17-20, & 23.
This is not a recommendation but a requirement. Nursing students will be expected to score 100% on a Medication Math Test (see REGN 1 First Day Handout) in first semester to pass the course.
Pre-Content Learning Materials
Knowing that your MOODLE course will not be available until you register for your classes, we are including the course pre-content materials for the first few weeks here for you to access now prior to your class being opened in MOODLE.
MOODLE
ADN nursing courses are web-enhanced meaning that a portion of the courses and class activities will take place on the internet platform used by Shasta College – MOODLE. Quizzes, exams and even finals may be administered online.
Every student will need to have access to a computer with internet capability. Computers are available in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) located in the Health Sciences building (Room 8207) for the students' use.
An orientation to the MOODLE system will be included in the online program orientation. Once registration is completed, students have access to the MOODLE course. When the courses are ready in the system, the faculty will open the course. Therefore, the sooner students register for the REGN 1/REGN 2 courses the sooner they will be able to begin familiarizing themselves with the courses.
The MOODLE Student Orientation handbook has been prepared as a reference as for using MOODLE and to provide instructions for the use of the system.
Textbooks
The approximate cost of the first semester textbooks and required materials is $900. The required textbook list is located in the REGN 1 or REGN 2 Course Information/Syllabus and accessible through the MOODLE system. A book package (bundle) for all Elsevier books is available in the Bookstore at a 10% student savings and includes their electronic support materials system and e-books (meaning that your total cost savings is considerable).
We recommend that students, especially for this first semester, purchase textbooks at the Bookstore and not online or used. The Elsevier e-system is heavily used and referenced in the coursework for all semesters. If students purchase books online they will not have access to PageBurst (digital books) and will, therefore, not have access to some of the materials that are needed unless they purchase the electronic support materials directly from Elsevier.
The Davis Drug Guide and Tabor’s are also packaged together at a substantial savings to the student when purchased through the Bookstore.
It is important that students purchase the same edition for textbooks that are on the required textbook list. Each new edition of a textbook contains some new content, so if a student is using a previous edition, material may be missing or located on different pages than indicated in the Course Syllabus -- a potential cause of frustration and confusion.
Textbooks will be available in the Shasta College Bookstore (242-7574) prior to the beginning of each new semester and are organized according to the Division and the Course section for which the student is enrolled. The student will need the textbooks to complete the preparatory assignments for the first two weeks of class.
Required Textbook list for REGN1 & REGN 2
The main textbooks for the 1st semester of the nursing program are published by Elsevier. Purchasing the book bundle from Elsevier includes access to books and a variety of learning resources from the Evolve website. Students who purchase the bundle will be given an access code that will allow the student to utilize establish an Evolve account and access the resource materials (PageBurst) throughout the program. In addition to the textbooks, the student is required to purchase an access code to use in accessing Evolve's SimChart. This allows the student to access the information and materials required for the electronic medical records portions of classroom and clinical lab assignments.
Electronic medical records are now a reality in the healthcare facilities used by Shasta College's nursing programs. Students are required to have a SimChart access code so that they can access the documentation system that will be used during their course and clinical skills work. The access code is included in the Elsevier bundle through the Bookstore. If the student chooses to purchase their books elsewhere, they must purchase a SimChart access directly form Elsevier.
Instructions for setting up the Evolve and SimChart accounts
Nursing Skills Kit
In addition to your books, you will also need to purchase your Nursing Skills Kit. These are available for online purchase from one of our supply vendors, Discount Disaposables (they are not available through the bookstore or from any other source). To make your purchase you will go to http://www.infectioncontrolproducts.com. As you scroll down the left side of the home page, you will see a tab labeled Shasta College Nursing. You will be purchasing the 1st semester nursing kit. You then add it to your cart and proceed with the online purchase. Arrangements have been made to have these kits delivered to your home address 2-3 weeks before the start of the semester.
Study Strategies and Test-Taking
Studing and taking tests in nursing requires the student to formalize their knowledge and comprehension of material so that they can analyze new situations and apply their previous learning to solve problems. Testing is at the application level in the nursing program. Students who have been able to pass their tests in pre-requisite classes by memorizing information may find themselves challenged by the nursing exams. The nursing student is required to assess a potential health care scenario, understand data, and apply information taught in the classroom to the scenario. Students often feel that their grade obtained upon a test does not reflect their understanding of the material. Students verbalize their frustration with test questions. Many students refer to nursing exams as “tricky.” Nursing exam grades are predictive of a student’s ability to be successful on the NCLEX because nursing program exams are modeled after NCLEX.
We strongly encourage students to read the following books prior to beginning their first semester of the ADN program to assist them in developing effective strategies for test-taking. These books can be purchased online from the publisher or through Amazon.com or Halfdot.com
- Dunham, K. S. (2008). How to survive & maybe even love nursing school (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.
- Nugent, P. M., & Vitalie, B. A. (2008). Test success: Test-taking techniques for beginning nursing students. (5th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
Test-Taking Strategies is a resource that has been prepared by the first semester faculty to summarize some of the information from these books to assist the student in planning how to be successful in taking tests during the nursing program.
APA Format
Papers in the ADN program are expected to be written using the American Psychological Association APA format. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that students familiarize themselves with the format or review prior to commencing their classes.
APA format information can be accessed online. An APA textbook is available in the reserves section of the library. Most Library services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the web site. Contact the Library at 225-4777 for exception hours.
ADN Nursing Program (Home)
ADN Student Handbook
ADN Student Resources
REGN 1 & 2 Textbooks
REGN 1 & 2 First-Day Handouts
REGN 1 & 2 Pre-Content Learning Materials
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