[nurse2be8128]

I am in my second semester of Nursing school at DMACC in Des Moines and I am in desperate need of a mentor. I would like someone I could gain some knowledge from that has been in the place that I am now. I have always wanted to be a nurse, but I am doing my med-surg rotation right now with an instructor who seems to want me to fail and I am feeling very discouraged. Any words of advice? I am doing the best that I can,and I love what I do!

[Futuredegreeholder]

Hello Nurse2be! Me too, I am in my last class of Adult Health. AND it's my 2nd time of taking it. Last year I didn't pass by 1 point, talk about an awakening!
Now,tell me.. why do you feel your instructor wants you to fail? IN feeling that way, you are setting yourself UP to fail..you're expecting it..I can feel your pain, been there done that.LOL
Each day, go at it as a NEW day, don't reflect on yesterday, it's over you can't change it, but what you can do, is make your tomorrow count. Do the best you can do, listen..listen and listen some more, find out what you like in a nurse, and then embrace that and make it yours..
you can do this..
I can do this..

[junamoss]

That med surg is tough at DMACC. Study and listen in class, act busy in clinical.
junamoss

[Futuredegreeholder]

Well lets look at what you wrote, "That med surg is tough at DMACC"
It's tough no matter where you go, that's the whole idea, to make it through it, not every one does, and not everyone is meant to be a nurse. Not to say that you aren't meant to be one, it's that you WANT to be one! Take that and embrace it as yours, your want of wanting to be one!!

"study and listen in class.:
That's a given, but do your study time at home, read the syllabus for class, find out what the objectives are, and read that material, and make notes to yourself for class, you'll be surprised at the amount of answers that pop out of your mouth, or just into your mind during class, because you come prepared for it.
Make study cards,( just use 3x5 cards) use them for meds, use them for disease processes, use them for whatever you need to make you understand and remember the material. Go over them when you have time, whether watching tv, riding in the car to class, on your way to work, your break during class, yeah some will say, over achiever, but think of it as a survivial skill.
LISTEN in class, make notes, even tape record it, here it's encouraged to do that, you don't have to have total recall then. Makes sense doesn't it...use shorthand, if the teacher uses a power point, mark all the high points, when the teacher says, remember this, remember it. It will come back at some point, and u'll know it.
"act busy at clinical". ACT? There's no acting in being a nurse, you are busy, you make it busy, it's what you are, you make the time fly by, do your priorities, assessments, documentation, read up on meds, make your patient more comfortable, find out what they need, what you can do to make that patient your priority! Visit with your patient, it's amazing what a patient will tell you because of trust, you are in charge of their health process and progress, there is no acting.
If I "acted" busy at clinical, I'd be bored, I make it my job to know my patient, I read about their history, meds, doctor's notes, I make it my priority each and every clinical day. It's all about caring, not about ourselves, but about them, it's about the patient.
We had 4 patients each last night, and honestly it was busy! But when I gave my report off to the next shift, may primary said, I just want you to know, you are going to be an awesome nurse, you have the heart of a nurse and she hugged me. Now how awesome is that?? It was the greatest compliment I could have ever gotten.
I will help you in any way shape or form, but you have to do this FOR yourself too, I can't give you the answers, you have to learn it...in order to know it!