Eagle's Eye View...a Boston College Student Blog on Nursing

Inside St. Ignatius Hospital

2010-11-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

I just found this awesome video on the Boston College website of student nurses working and learning inside the simulation laboratory, also known as St. Ignatius Hospital. Students begin to work in the "sim lab" with computer-programmed dummies sophomore year before stepping into the hospital setting. We continue to work in this practice area all the way through senior year in conjunction with clinical rotations. Our instructors sit behind a two-way mirror and control the mannequins. They speak through the dummies and change their blood pressure, heartbeat, etc. I won't be in the sim lab until the spring, but it's something that I'm really looking forward to. I can't wait to begin the "hands-on" part of nursing!

A Change (Or Two) Is Going to Come

2010-11-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hello again, potential BC students!

I'm very happy to announce that...midterms (at least for me) have been completed. It's still weird for me to think that midterms happen in October in college, but I guess that's what happens when your university courses equal a year's worth of high school material! It's totally manageable, but it takes a lot of time management.

On a completely different note, if you come for a tour, an information session, and/or a day visit (all of which I recommend) on campus right now, you will see a few areas that are fenced off and hear the lovely sounds of drilling and general construction. Boston College is currently undergoing some major renovations. One of them is a refacing of Gasson Hall, the very first building to be erected on the Chestnut Hill campus in 1913. It is from this building that the style of architecture of all other buildings on campus is based. All of the exterior bricks are being removed from Gasson, will be exactly replicated, and will be returned to their original locations. All of this will be completed by 2013, the 100th anniversary of the building. Since Gasson housed many classroom spaces, some classes are being held in residence hall lounges (which can be extremely convenient if you live in that hall) and other buildings around campus. However, I'm very excited to see this project be completed, especially because Gasson is by far my favorite building and, in my opinion, the most beautiful on campus.

Another development on campus is a brand-new building that will be called Stokes Hall. By the spring of 2012, it will provide the BC community with a student center, a new dining hall, and many new classrooms for the humanities. There currently isn't one central location or student union where all students here tend to gather, so a lot of us are eager to see this building go up. For the time being, the construction of Stokes Hall has changed pedestrian traffic on campus because it is being built on a section of the Dust Bowl, the campus green. The area has been temporarily fenced off, consequently obstructing a main pathway from one of the dining halls to the academic buildings. The Dust Bowl, as a whole, is a central part of Boston College, where one can find the typical game of Frisbee, advertisements for events on campus, students studying outside on a warm autumn day, and public demonstrations. You can read this article to get a sense of how this green space on campus will be missed for the next 2 years. You can also see take a 3D tour of Stokes Hall to see how this building will change the face of campus.

Also, a renovation that is more likely to interest all of you is one that happened to the second floor of Cushing Hall, where the Connell School of Nursing is located. The administration area has a new reception desk and shiny glass doors through which one enters. Also, the student lounge is a completely different place. Before it was just a room where there were a few couches to sit in between class and file cabinets where you could pick up announcements and graded assignments from professors. Now, the lounge has bright yellow walls, a computer where you can print out papers, tall cafe-style tables and chairs, a refrigerator and a microwave. I feel that I find more students using the lounge now because it is just so much more inviting. It's a great place to get work done between classes or just meet up with fellow nursing students.

Well, that's it for now. Please contact me if you have any questions at all. To any seniors that might be out there, don't get too stressed out over applications! For anyone who applied Early Action, I wish you all the best!

Peace, love, and brisk autumn weather
Malika

CSON

2010-10-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

My name is Isabella and I am a Junior in CSON. I just wanted to say a quick hello as I will be blogging on here for the rest of the semester. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you ever have any questions (dennis.isabella@gmail.com)

Anyway, I just got back from my clinical at Mass General Hospital which was amazing. Clinicals are a great way to understand the things we learn in class and it makes everything more interesting and understandable. All of my other classmates in clinical feel the same way. There are so many great hospitals in Boston with such easy access so it's the perfect place to study nursing. The nurses and patients are all really helpful, which makes the whole experience that much better. I've taken many interesting classes at BC but going to the hospital every Thursday for clinical is definitely my favorite part of academics here.

On top of school work I also participate in the Student Admissions Program, Intramural Sports, and I am a Peer Advisor for a group of Freshman nursing Students. I also used to volunteer at the Campus School which I definitely encourage everyone to look in to. There are so many clubs here so everyone can find something they are interested in.

If you have any questions about clinical, extracurriculars, or just BC in general please let me know! I look forward to hearing from you

Isabella

Nurses rule!

2010-10-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

My name is Malika and I'm a sophomore in the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College, and I'll be writing on this blog this semester. I'll try to give you updates on what's happenin' on campus here as well as exciting information about the nursing major, academics, extracurricular activities, Boston, whatever it may be. In the meantime, I encourage you to read the previous posts, as they were great resources to me when I was deciding on colleges. Well, that's it for now. Keep checking in for new blog posts!

Peace, love, and GO EAGLES!
Malika

Boston

2010-04-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

Many students are worried that since BC is located in Chestnut Hill and at the end of the Green Line of the T (one of four colored lines of the public transportation train system of Boston which costs $2 each way) that Boston is not very accessible/it is a hassle to get in and out of the city. This, however, is a false statement.

BC is lucky and has FOUR stops of the T that run close to campus. One is of course the "Boston College" stop at the end of the B line. Although it is very convenient to jump on this line without worrying about a longer walk or catching the shuttle bus, it takes about twice the time to get into Boston. This is why many prospective students think that Boston is inaccessible. Fortunately, BC is also closely situated near the D line. There are three stops on this line that are easily accessed by a quick 10 minute shuttle ride to Cleveland Circle, a short walk from Upper campus, or a short walk into Newton Center from Newton campus. By taking the D line you can easily get into downtown Boston in about 25-30 minutes.

Campus itself is always busy and there are plenty of things to do on the weekends. Most students love to take advantage of the a Capella or comedy shows or other various events held by several different clubs on campus. Sometimes, however, it is refreshing to get off campus and go shopping, go out to dinner, see a movie or attend a sporting event. Personally, I have been to several Bruins and Celtics games this season and just went to my first Red Sox game of the year on Friday! We won!! For birthdays, we usually find a restaurant in the city and go out to dinner and some Saturdays we wake up early and go shopping for the day.

The T is also important to us nurses for clinical. Sometimes, you luck out and have a member of your clinical group who has a car on campus, but most of the time you must rely on the T. With so many different choices of lines to choose from it is virtually hassle free to catch the T. The close access and quick service into the city makes waking up early and getting to the hospitals on time very easy.

The T, and Boston, is also home to Logan International Airport along with South Station which is where most buses and trains out of state depart from. Instead of paying a minimum of $50 to get to the airport or South Station by cab, you can plan ahead and take the T instead. Another activity that could cause a lot of stress and anxiety that is alleviated by the T.

Finally, as a Jesuit University, we have many different service opportunities on campus. One of the main groups, 4Boston, is a service group that devotes about 4 hours per week at a variety of locations in Boston. A class opportunity, PULSE (a Philosophy and Theology based class) has a 7-10 hour service component that primarily takes place in Boston. All locations should be accessible by the train or bus system.

As you can see, Boston is something that is and should be taken advantage of once arriving on campus, and it is easy to do so!

As always, email me with questions! (thomannl@bc.edu)
Lindsay

National Hockey Champions!

2010-04-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hiii!

As you may or may not know, this past Saturday night the Boston College Men's Hockey team became National Champions with a 5-0 win against Wisconsin!! The entire tournament has been a lot of fun to watch and was even more rewarding when we won! On Monday we had a celebratory rally which involved a march throughout campus ending in O'Neill Plaza (a big open area on main campus in front of the library). The morale on campus is so high and everyone is buzzing with spirit and excitement!

I encourage everyone to visit campus at some point during their search, if possible. Lately, with the weather warming up and students becoming restless for summer, students have taking advantage of the vast amount of green space on campus. In between classes into the late afternoon you can see large groups of people sprawled out on the grass reading, talking, playing Frisbee, napping and just hanging out! I think this is a huge advantage to having a contained campus instead of one spread out in a city.

This upcoming Monday is Patriot's Day, a Massachusetts holiday, which coincides with the Boston Marathon. The main city streets of Boston are shut down for the marathon runners, including Commonwealth Ave where we are located, so we have the day off from classes. On top of this break from classes, Main Gate is the 20 mile marker! On Monday morning most students will wake up, throw on their Superfan tee-shirts and stand along Commonwealth Ave cheering on the hundreds of runners all day long. Many past runners have said that their favorite stretch of the marathon is by BC because the students are so energetic and truly help them push through the last 6 miles of the race. Marathon Monday is an old tradition on campus in which most students eagerly take part in. I can't wait!

As this semester comes to an end, I feel as though I'm truly becoming a nurse. The Health Assessment Lab component has taught me the basic exams (cardiac, respiratory, abdomen, etc) which I will need for the rest of my life. I'm feeling nervous yet confident about entering clinical next semester and putting all my hard work to practice!

As always, email me with any questions! (thomannl@bc.edu)
- Lindsay

Extracurriculars!

2010-04-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

This past weekend was Easter weekend; as a Jesuit-Catholic school we have a longer break then most other schools in order to observe Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday. Most students will head back to school at some point today because all classes will be running as usual tomorrow.

As Nursing students we spend many hours per week with the same 100 girls (and a few boys) in lectures, labs and clinical. With this being said, it is important to join clubs and activities around campus to widen our social circles and experiences. No matter what you are interested in there will be an activity, group or club around campus that will suit you!

Personally, I am involved with the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), the Student Admissions Program, and intramural sports. One of UGBC's main goals is to continuously improve campus life while staying true to traditions and heritage. The Student Admissions Program maintains contact with perspective students from September until they are admitted and make decisions in May. There are different sports to play each intramural season and you can sign up for as many as you'd like. Teams are co-ed and the games are a lot of fun! Although these are the activities I chose to join, there are also a cappella groups, comedy groups, various newspaper staffs, cultural groups, dance ensembles and so forth. You will definitely be able to find something you enjoy around campus!

As always, feel free to e-mail me with any questions, comments or concerns! (thomannl@bc.edu)
Lindsay

April Showers.. in March

2010-03-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hey!

First off, if you are in the Class of 2010 and have been accepted to our Nursing program, CONGRATULATIONS! Although it was a few years ago, I remember the anticipation during March and April while I waited for all of the letters and had to eventually make a decision.

Next semester, as a Plan A first semester junior, I will be taking Pharmacology and Nutrition, Adult Health I Theory, Adult Health Lab, and my first clinical! Other then that I'm going to take two other classes -not quite sure what those will be yet. My Plan B friends have been raving about clinical and everything you get to see/learn. I absolutely cannot wait!

As Nursing students, we are one of the few groups of students guaranteed four years of on-campus housing. Nursing students, scholarship athletes, the top 15% of your class and disabled students are the only students who are originally guaranteed on campus housing for four years. If you only have three years of housing, junior year is the year when you live off-campus on the various BC-student-dominated Commonwealth Ave side streets. The off-campus community is within walking distance of Main Campus so even though many of my friends will live off-campus next year, they are still very close. You are not bound to the four years of housing contract; you can choose to fore-go your on-campus housing without any consequences for senior year. Personally, I chose to live on campus with a couple of nurses and other friends who were given four years - I think it will be much easier to coordinate schedules next year with early morning clinicals.

Admitted Eagle Days are coming up! If you have not visited campus yet or are trying to decide between BC and another school this is an excellent opportunity to see campus, dorm rooms and speak with your Dean and other professors.

Good Luck with your final decisions and remember I'm always available via e-mail if you have any questions! (thomannl@bc.edu)
-Lindsay

Next Semester!

2009-11-02T14:24:00.001-08:00

Hello friends,

As November begins (yikes!) it is time to start thinking about next semester and new classes. As nurses, we have many classes chosen for us which, trust me, makes this time of the semester much less stressful. Next semester I am taking Pathophysiology and Adult Health Assessment with a simulation lab. I've heard that Patho is a lot of work but it's when we finally start learning things we will need to apply in life - diseases! The Clinical Simulation Lab has a simulated hospital room which allows us to practice what we will need to do during our clinical experiences, it allows us to get comfortable with the procedures before we have to perform them on actual patients.

Along with my nursing classes, I'm taking my final two Core requirement classes. This means that beginning junior year, aside from my nursing classes, I can choose any class I'd like as an elective. As clinicals begin our schedules get very busy so I'm glad I will have my schedule free to pick classes that don't have too much work.

The football team beat Central Michigan this past weekend at home! We, unfortunately, only have one more home game this season. :( The hockey and basketball seasons are now starting though, so we always have a fantastic sports team to cheer on!

Email me with any questions you have! (thomannl@bc.edu)

Lindsay

October at BC

2009-10-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

It's been a few weeks since my last post so I'll give you all a quick update of whats been happening here at BC.

October means the real start of school here at Boston College: professors have gotten into the swing of things, papers are due and exam dates approach. Many of my friends have midterms this week and next week, which proves to be stressful, but don't worry! The relief you feel once the exam is over is so great you almost wonder why you were so stressed in the first place!

This past weekend, Columbus Day weekend, some students choose to go home but many stay on campus. The football game was away (we lost :( ) but saturday night was our Homecoming dance! Tickets are available for all grades and it's an outdoor dance in one of the parking lots on Lower Campus. I know that doesn't sound classy or very fun but trust me, it's a GREAT time! Most freshmen don't go or sell their ticket to an eager senior but I would suggest attending at some point. It's a fun night of dancing and hanging out with many undergrads at BC!

Our football team, besides against VT, has been doing very well in the ACC. We beat Wake Forest and Florida State, two games that were potential losses but turned out to be excellent, nail-biting wins. I would highly recommend purchasing season football tickets; the games are too good to pass up.

Time for my thursday night TV lineup: Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice! (Can't wait for these shows to be our potential lives!!) Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns (thomannl@bc.edu)

Lindsay

Plan A vs. Plan B

2009-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hey!

My name is Lindsay Thomann and I'm a sophomore in the Connell School of Nursing (CSON) and I absolutely love it! I'm from Saugus, Massachusetts, a suburb about 30 minutes north of Boston. Although I'm from close by there are many students here from around the country- and the world! Don't be nervous if you're coming from far away, many students do.

Freshman year was filled with many beginner courses. As nurses we start off with anatomy and physiology (with lab) , chemistry (with lab), statistics, a nursing core class and other core/elective classes of your choosing. Sophomore year starts the split. There are two paths you can take, Plan A and Plan B. Plan B is set aside for those students who wish to study abroad; however, both plans obviously cover the same nursing material. Second semester junior year is when you, as a nurse, would go abroad and take only core or elective classes, no nursing classes. Because that semester is a "nursing free" semester, in order to keep both paths the same first semester sophomore year is the Plan A students' "nursing free" semester. Currently, I am enrolled in Plan A and am taking many courses to satisfy my University core requirements like psychology, history and a literature class. I do miss nursing classes and some friends that are in Plan B, but I enjoy the free time I have now because I know from next semester on my nursing clinicals and classes will demand a lot from me!

I'm headed to the Bruins season opener tonight so I have to get some reading done before I jump on the T (Boston's transportation system). Feel free to email me (thomannl@bc.edu) or post any questions you may have!

Lindsay

Nursing at BC

2008-10-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I'm Djerica and I'm a sophomore in the school of nursing here at BC. I'm originally from North Attleboro Massachusetts, which is about 45 minutes south of BC.

I'll tell you a little more about the nursing program at BC. Last year as a freshman I took the basic science classes and labs that all nurses have to take and 1 nursing theory course and also some core classes. It was a great year but very different from high school. This year (which in my opinion is a little more exciting) I am in my first clinical lab! This is a 4 hour lab in the simulation lab of the top floor of the nursing school. It looks just like any hospital room looks. I have been learning how to take blood pressure, listen to heart and lung sounds, and much more hands-on stuff. By the end of the semester I will be able to give a complete physical! Next semester I will go into the Boston hospitals and put all of the things that I've learned into action with real patients. Some of the hospitals that we go to in the Boston area are MassGeneral, Brigham and Women's, Beth Israel, and Children's Hospital Boston. I am really excited for this opportunity and I'm counting the days till my first clinical placement!

Something that I'm involved with this year on campus is the Nursing Senate. This is a student government for the nursing school and each class has its own set of representatives. My class officers and I all have different duties but we mostly work together and plan events for our class. It could be a volunteer opportunity nearby or a social event. I am also on the Student Advisory Board for the Council for Women at Boston College. It is a great way to meet women in different career fields that graduated from BC and network with them.

So that was a little bit about my life here at BC. I hope you all enjoyed it and got more insight into the nursing program.

Djerica

Welcome!

2008-09-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting the Boston College Student Admission Program blogs! This blog is maintained by undergraduates in the Connell School of Nursing who are studying or interested in studying for a degree in nursing.

If you are a prospective student who is interested in applying to BC's nursing program, look no further! Here we try to give you a window into the life of Boston College students, who will be posting about what daily life is like on the Heights. Bookmark this page and keep coming back for more; this blog will be updated regularly by one of many of our Student Admission Program volunteers! We all have stories to share that we hope will help you determine if BC is right for you.

These blogs can be as interactive as you make them. Want to hear about a certain aspect of college life? Curious as to how we survive without home-cooked meals and laundry done for us? Ask and you shall receive. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to post them! We'll respond in our next entry as soon as we can.

Thank you so much for stopping in! If you'd like to hear more about BC, visit the official site of Boston College! You can also learn more about visiting campus and our tours and infamous Eagle Eye sessions at the SAP webpage! We'd love to have you!

Good luck!

Sam Lipscomb
SAP Technology Coordinator '08-'09
Boston College A&S '10
lipscoms@bc.edu