allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses - General Nursing Student Discussions

Help me figure out how to make it through school...PLEASE!!!

try2banurse — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:30:51 GMT

I am in my second year of a two year program. The first year was a BREEZE!!! I finished the end of the year with all A's and just a few B'S. This year...I feel like I am barely hanging on by a thread. I study and study...but can't seem to find anything that works. We are moving so fast, and I'm just feeling really overwhelmed. Any advice on how I can make through this semester and only 1 more semester after this in order to graduate? I really want to be able to feel confident about what I've studied when I go in to lecture and testing. Please....any advice is so much appreciated!!! Thanks!

Ahhh crap!

CrunchyMama — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:37:31 GMT

I did something so stupid yesterday during clinical! If I could kick myself I would! Ok...I had this elderly pt that everytime I rolled her, she would poop (diarrhea). I had so much on my mind with not getting in the med room in time (my prof. had to get the meds for me and bring them to me), cleaning this lady up constantly while dealing with her daughter who was there (sweet but a talker), my classmates and prof. right outside the pts. door pressuring me to hurry up so we can all go on break. I'm sorry, but stopping what I'm doing while I'm in the middle of cleaning her up and get her aid to do it is NOT as important as going on break! Anyway...I finally get done and walk out of the room and left the bed up!!! :smackingf So so so stupid!!! Of course my prof. saw it and asked if it was up and instantly I wanted to bang my head against a wall, lol. That's obviously a big no no and I hope it's not held against me regarding my grade. I only blame myself but I feel if I wasn't being badgered about going on break and to hurry up, I would've done things right. :angryfire Anyway, just wanted to vent!

Munchausen Syndrome

kabenkula — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:10:30 GMT

I recently had a patient diagnosed with Munchausen Syndrome admitted to the surgical floor for surgery. This patient was placed on suicide precautions. Because I don't know much about this sydrome, does anyone know if they are at an increased risk for suicide? I thought that with this syndrome, the patient was more interested in gaining attention versus actually committing suicide. Does anyone have any information for me that could help in the future?

nursing school questions? so confused!

sabby09 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:57:19 GMT

HI everyone,

im new to the group just signed up today.im 18 and starting nursing school in a month. My goal is to become a level III nicu nurse but im unsure about how to become one. After i finish nursing school what certifications should i have? do i need extra training? if so what kind and how much schooling is required to work in level III? also if theres any other info i should know please share lol.

thanks for answering
-sabrina-

Grading in Nursing School?

SummitAP — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:19:31 GMT

Is it mostly based on tests? Essays? Problem sets? Research Papers? Practical evaluations?
How is it distributed?

HACC Gettysburg vs Harrisburg

Strwbrywne — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:48:16 GMT

Anyone out there familiar with the HACC nursing program? I am currently a pre-nursing student and just registered for the Spring 10 semester. I will be taking my last 2 pre-req's and will be able to apply to clinicals in May! So exciting! Anyway, I hear a lot of chatter on the campus about how disorganized the Harrisburg progam is. I try to take much of the opinions in stride, however, since I am now approaching the application date, I would like to research WHY people are dissatisfied with the program. I am also researching the Gettysburg campus and want to receive feedback about their program. I live smack dab in the middle of both campuses, so I could easily apply to either campus for clinicals.

Looking for some guidance and experiences from either location.

Thanks so much!

What exactly does this mean?

lalastudent — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:21:58 GMT

Identify a complete list of clinical and psychosocial data under the appropriate nursing diagnosis

What exactly do they want me to do? Do they want me to post ALL data in topics regarding the nursing diagnosis or only the data that supports why you made the nursing diagnosis to begin with?

Instructor from hell fails me in clinical!

jolly4u — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:29:35 GMT

I had attended a nursing school at a university. I decided to transfer in the middle of the program (after 2 semesters) to a university closer to home. I figured since the programs were both 3 year BSN programs they would be very similar.
I couldn't have been more wrong. Everything about the program was different from the way the instructors treated the students to the classes. My instructor was the one everyone dreaded that semester. We, however, did not get to select our own clinical instructors at this school. To get to the point, the instructor was awful She didn't praise you, give you any compliments or confidence what so ever, all she did was find something else wrong with what you were doing. This was not only for me, but my classmates as well. Because I was so on edge by the way she treated me, I was sure to keep up and make sure I was going to pass, everything was looking good a couple of weeks before the end. Well, she ended up failing me, because on the last day of clinical, the nurse had complained about my sterile technique while putting in the foley cath. This particular nurse didn't really like students and so I didn't really even want to go in there, but the nurse I was working with said very bluntly that if I wanted new experiences I should go in there and seek them. During evaluations, I stated how I didn't think I deserved to fail the course, and so the instructor then changed my grade to a D-. Thinking about this makes me so depressed, knowing that I am going to have to repeat the whole semester. I made an appointment with the Dean, and he in turn called the Director of nursing and asked that she try to resolve this with me first. She was then upset with me, because I went over her head. The only reason I did this was because tallking with her before about this same instructor had gotten me nowhere, and also the instructor had found out I had went to her! Is there anything I can do now? It just makes me sick to think that I am going to graduate six months later, all because of this. I know there has to be some way I can file a grievance or something. It is just I do not know where or even how to start. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME IDEAS. Thanks

First Semester Down, 3 more to go...

L&DWannaB — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:14:04 GMT

Well, I just finished my last clinical and I will take my final the Thurs after Thanksgiving. I am thinking that it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Did anyone else feel like this? I had myself all freaked out thinking I was going to die because the first two semesters are fundamentals and they are the hardest. I am not going to lie and say it was without its issues but, overall I am very pleased with the semester. I am also very relieved to have it behind me. Well, after the test I will be done.

Anyone else finishing up for the semester? Was it better or worse then you had anticipated? I know we have shared lots of laughter and a few tears this semester but, I am really excited for Med/Surg. I can't wait to get in the OR.

Have a good day!

Andrea

CBI IRRIGATION

va369 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:07:44 GMT

Help i recently had a practical exam... For cbi... And i was instruction to do intermittent irrigation with piston syringe. One instructor told me to irritate through the port connected to the irrigating solution and another instructor told me to irrigate through the port connected to the foley bag. Does anyone know which is the best way?

I assumed that irrigation through the port that was connected to the irrigation solution would have been best....

Thank you

this probably isn't the first time you've read this, in my student nurse panic.

nursingisnoteasy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:23:19 GMT

so, everyone knows what the passing is for you nursnig school. 70? 75? 80? even down to the decimal, 74.5 ( I HOPE THEY ROUND UP). i've never heard of a nursing school where all the students were passing. usually they start the program with 60 and dwindle down to a graduating class of maybe 30 or 20. honestly, it's like a reality show, semester by semester people are dropping like flies. students are running out of offices with tears in their eyes, or all the color drained from their face when they realized that failure is on the brink. - ok and with good reason, we're taking care of the sick, i understand that, and the standards for which they test us i don't have a problem with. BUT, if nursings school realize that the passing rate is low and that there's obviously a connection missing with critical thinking then why is that they never emphasize that in class. i mean from my own personal experience in school, i feel like my teachers are just reading off the power points, we do like 1 or 2 case studies and that's it.

then in clinical world, me and my fellow classmates are doing our best, we're doing semi-fowlers, we're putting the bed in the lowest position, we're making our patients as happy as possible, addressing priority diagnosis and it's never clinical in which the problem lies, but while you're in clinical feeling as if you've made a difference in some person's life then as your mind recedes into the dark cloud of the last lecture exam you've either 1. failed it horribly or 2. teetering on the brink of failure. and no matter how hard you've studied, no matter how many hours you've put into reading the chapter a million times over, there is no evidence of having learned anything.

so now you're thinking, well it doesn't matter if you've read the chapter a thousand times, you're obviously not making a connection in reading the patho, knowing the signs and symptoms and prioritizing your nursing responsibilities miss prudent nurse....then fine, i will take that responsibility as a student and as a future healthcare worker, i will take that as a responsibility in maybe one day having someone's life in my hands that i have not made the connection, BUT why is this student system so cold to the student? if you realize that the passing turn over in your school is low, then why don't they emphasize vehement classes in critical thinking? when we go over exams (at least at my school and as i've heard from other schools) we're not allowed to get a copy of the exam questions. why, cheating? really? because i would love to take those questions home and dissect exactly why i'd gotten that question wrong, where were my mistakes in critical thinking and what do i need to look for so i can IMPROVE and maybe actually be a better student/nurse/person. then maybe on the next exam i won't make the same mistakes i'm making over and over.

maybe i sound like i'm complaining, like i think there's a defect in the whole nursing school system, but as the semesters pass i see my friends drop like flies, and honestly once you've done clinical and shared the same anxiety with a fellow nursing student and done all that hard work the entire semester, to see them not pass is heart breaking. when you're in a patients room and you've moving them and wiping poop and seeing and smelling all kinds of odors you've probably never smelled you're entire life is a real bonding experience, with you're patient and your fellow nursing student. i mean you come out of that room like, "wow that was intense". but you understand the compassion that we both held for that person too.

believe or not some of us want to become nurses because we actually want to help people, not because of the salary, not because of the job availability (which in nyc any way is becoming scarce) and when i see my friend who was great with her patient care get dropped because she couldn't bridge the gap between knowing your facts (path, s/s, nursing interventions) and critical thinking and some cold heartless *you know what* pass the course because it's bridging the gap is easy for her then it's disheartening to have any faith in the future of this profession.

i know life isn't fair but i also know that there are probably a lot of great people that go into nursing that could be amazing nurses and have been left in the dust and a lot of people that passed nursing that probably have no compassion for their future patients (and believe me i've seen it).

if nursing school is about: knowing the normal physiological process of the body, then knowing how diseases cause a deviation, then knowing the signs and symptoms of this deviation, then addressing those deviations with in the realm of your own responsibility as a nurse (not as a doctor or therapist) and bridging the gap to articulating your critical thinking skills, then please make an emphasis on it bridging that gap cause honestly the healthcare field will be missing a lot of great nurses.

ok i'm done ranting, but this is how i feel.

thanks for your time.

Whats the deal with all the crying?!?!....

morningland — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:58:52 GMT

So me and my clinical friends were sitting around and lunch, talking about the program and we started asking ourselves about students who cry all the time. We had heard, from nurses on our floor that, that students before us have been found in the clean utility rooms balling their eyes out but no one in our group has even come close. Anxiety yes... uncertainty yes... but we have never come near crying?

So I would like to hear your stories about times you cried in nursing school. What happened to make you cry? Do you think it's an overreaction? We think it is but what do you guys say?

I remember doing really well in A&P back in my pre-req days and then watching my grade take a nose dive. I went from 98% exams to a 70% and 68% both in a row. I remember going into my car and crying a little but it seems like people in the program cry over the smallest things; like they screw up on their first checkoff or they miss a single point on the exam.

Whats the deal with this?...

Students interested in finding out about CRNAs

Divergirl — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:44:01 GMT

Hello to all the Nursing students out there! I am a CRNA and I was wondering how many nursing students would like to learn about what advance practice options maybe available to you after you complete your nursing degree. I have found that while most nursing students have heard of nurse practitioners, many students know very little about CRNAs. I have been thinking about contacting local nursing schools to see if they would be interested in having a CRNA talk to students regarding the nurse anesthetist profession. Let me know what you think.

Are there any tricks on remembering how to take care of cardiac pt?

HelloM1M1 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:39:11 GMT

I'm having a hard time memorizing preop and postop cares for cardiovascular diseases pt. (atrial fib, CAD, MI, Right/Left sided failures), cardiac catheter pt., heart transplant pt.

This is the 5th time I went over my notes, and still I could not get the preop, postop plan cares and teaching cares in my head >__< They all sound the same to me, I'm not sure how to study for this test =(

If you have any tips on remembering these cares, please post it here. Otherwise, I will continue to go over my notes. Thanks in advance

Study Manual Recommendations for the TEAS?

emptyboxcars — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:37:01 GMT

I will be taking the TEAS in a couple months. I purchased the study manual by ATI, but wanted to ask about any other manuals that would be beneficial to me from others who have studied for it and passed with flying colors. Also, any reviews on the ATI study manual itself and how it relates to the actual TEAS would be good to know as well. Thanks so much!