Roxborough Memorial Hospital Nursing Program Review

With the demand for professional nurses and well-trained students growing every day, universities and colleges are offering a variety of learning resources and education programs for prospective healthcare workers. When searching for a reliable, high-quality nursing school, it’s important to take into consideration both the expertise of the teaching staff and the opportunity for hands-on experience with clinical work. That being said, here is one of the most widely-known school of nursing in Pennsylvania that has a promising training program.

What you need to know about Roxborough Memorial Hospital

Founded in 1890, the institution is fully-licensed and accredited by the Joint Commission, providing healthcare for families and individuals in Roxborough, Northwest Philadelphia and Montgomery County. The facility focuses on medical care concerning acute and chronic diseases and has an experienced staff of over 300 devoted physicians. Implementing a wide range of services – from cardiology, radiology, emergency, gastroenterology and gynecology – Roxborough Memorial Hospital provides education and career opportunities for potential employees in administrative, clinical and other support roles. The establishment also contains four operating suites, where surgeons perform general, vascular or urological surgery, as well as laser, eye and plastic surgery. The staff also focuses on extensive orthopedic procedures, from joint replacement and reconstruction to spinal surgery and arthroscopy.

Roxborough Nursing Program

The community hospital has a School of Nursing which has been providing high-quality education and training for nurses since 1898. Decades later, the organization has graduated over 2,000 dedicated men and women, most of which now hold reputable positions in nursing leadership and hospitals. Combining nursing theory and clinical work, the school offers a 21 month hospital-based program, which is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and certified by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. With an average annual cost of $13,500, the program introduces students to basic medical care procedures and the role of the professional nurse within the healthcare system.

Moreover, the courses emphasize the importance of patient communication and interaction with other hospital employees. Collaboration and team work are a key-component at Roxborough Memorial Hospital when it comes to providing comprehensive, reliable care. By the end of the program, you will have both the clinical and theoretical foundation necessary in order to deliver quality, safe medical care within the framework of the nurse practice rules and regulations. You will also learn critical thinking and decision-making skills established on legal, ethical and cultural bases for professional practice. In addition, you will study psychology, mental health and social studies in order to thoroughly understand patients and provide full, integrated care.

Curriculum and Clinical work

There are several prerequisite courses that have to be completed in order to enroll in the program, including chemistry, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, nutrition and sociology. During the theory classes you will learn about basic nursing procedures and clinical routine, as well as study therapeutic communication and the key-principles of patient-centered education. You will learn how to provide quality, safe care in order to achieve optimal patient health and efficiently interact and collaborate with the medical staff. The courses will also focus on chronic and acute illnesses, multisystem pathophysiology and the impact of diseases on patients and their family members. You will be trained to work within a holistic framework, using your nursing knowledge and skills to manage care for individual, families and communities. You will also learn about leadership and management issues that will help you transition in the role of a reliable, resourceful nurse.

Here are some of the courses that you will focus on during your study – Foundations of Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Management of Care and Mental Health. The learning material will be provided and presented both during lectures and through instructional formats, backed up by firsthand clinical procedures. Unlike most other nursing schools, Roxborough Medical Hospital allows students to access the clinical environment in the first semester, developing practice alongside theoretical knowledge.

Admission and Education Requirements

Aside from the above mentioned prerequisites, admission in the program is determined by your previous academic performance. That being said, you require a high-school diploma or GED, as well as two references that you can submit. In addition, you will have to attend an informational session and take a standardized pre-nursing test. When it comes to your grades, you have to obtain a C or higher in all of your prerequisite courses, including developmental psychology, sociology, chemistry, English composition and college algebra or statistics. A GPA of 2.5 or higher is preferred for most of these courses and the Anatomy and Physiology prerequisite should not be older than 5 years to be valid. You also require a satisfactory Federal Criminal Record and you will have to provide Drug Testing Clearance. If you have English as a second language, then it’s possible to be asked to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination.

Tuition Fees and Student Financial Aid Sources

Here are the main required fees that you have to take into consideration when applying – approximately $11,000 tuition per year (2 years total), non-refundable matriculation, clinical applications fee, KAPLAN course, library, testing, child abuse clearance, criminal record check, FBI fingerprinting, computer and technical maintenance fee, uniforms and lab equipment pack (the last 2 are paid directly to the company). If you’re struggling with money or want to learn more about keeping your debt low, you can contact the school’s staff for financial assistance. There are several programs available for all students for financial counseling. Moreover, there are sources of financial aid that you can look into, including – Veterans Educational Benefits, Outside Organization Grants and Scholarships, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (subsidized, plus loans or unsubsidized) and The Federal Pell Grant Program.