Wow, I see so many new people around. I have not been around in a couple of weeks but I am back now. I will be starting my last semester of nursing school on Wedensday. YEAH!!!! Welcome to all the new people here!!!
Quick introduction, my name is Tonya, I just turned 23 a few days ago and I am a single mom to 5 year old Alicia Nicole. I will graduate May 18th with my BSN. I would like to work either in the NICU or OB.
I know a lot of you have recently found out you have been accepted. I would like to share with you my personal testimony. Not to brag but when I read other people's personal testimony I personally get even more motivation and inspiration and maybe this will do the same for you.
I became a young mom at 17. It was unexpected but I decided to make the best life I possibly can for me and my daughter. I started college full-time just when my daughter was 6 months old. Since then I have been in school full-time. I started out as a nursing major, changed to business/marketing, then computers but then switched back as a nursing major. I earned my associate's in liberal arts degree back in December 2000 from a community college in my area then transferred to a four year university in my area in January 2001. My first semester of nursing school was a really tough one for me. AT mid-terms my first semester, I received a letter from my dean at my school that I had a D in Patho, I changed a lot of things around, got some serious motivation from my nursing advisor and I got a final grade of B at the end because I had made an A on every single quiz and exam after that mid-term grade. For the past 2 semesters I have been making Dean's honor roll. It has been hard especially with a VERY active young child but I have been working hard.
I have had some serious doubts all during nursing school about am I chosing the right career, am I doing the right thing, how can I make my nursing career successful as a single. I have wondered about the nursing shortage, I have wondered about will I be able to give the best care to my patients if there are not enough co-workers around me. Each time I have had those doubts I truly think I have become stronger. Each time I remember why I chose to become a nurse in the first place and the plans I have for my nursing career. I plan to go to graduate school in a few years. I want to be active and involved. I chose nursing because 1) I love to help other people even if they don't thank me I still love to help, 2)I am so fascinated with medical type stuff, 3)I feel it is a good career option with plenty of diversity. What other field can you think of that offer so much diversity nursing has to offer? You can work any where from babies to the elderly, you can work OR, ER, OB, pediatrics, Med-surg, ICU, Trauma, Long-term care, you can work outside the hospital in the community, home health, clinics, ambulatory care, you can work as a legal nurse consultant if you study to become one and then become certified, you can work the business side of nursing, you can work as a case manager, you can further your education to become a nurse instructor the list goes on and on. Nursing has so much potential. After giving it some serious thought I feel that we may be coming into the field at a time where there is a huge shortage and crisis but I also feel we are coming into the field at a time where there are DEFINITELY possibilities and the chance to become part of the future.
Nursing school is hard but if you believe deep within your heart that you were meant to become a nurse and that you can do this then you WILL make it through nursing school. It takes some hard work, determination and effort.
Here are some of my study tips that work best for me and it may work for you:
1)If at all possible I try to read the assigned reading before class, if that is not possible then I do my best to at least skim through the chapters.
2)I always type my notes after class, I have found that to be really helpful.
3)This should be a no-brainer but sometimes it takes some people more than others to figure this out. If you waited a couple of days before studying for a test in pre-req's don't assume you can do the same for nursing school. In nursing school you need to stay right up with the instructors or be ahead of the game if at all possible. Study at LEAST a week before a test.
4)Buy a NCLEX book. YES, you can buy one your first semester and use the NCLEX book to study with your class notes and text but do NOT Just use the NCLEX book to study.
5)If you are a visual person use flash cards and note charts. Don't be afraid to use a little color to your notes to spice them up. If you are very visual like I am colors may work very well for you.
6)If you feel you are not understanding something despite the fact that you looked things up then don't be afraid to turn to your instructors they are not there to REALLY weed you out if you are serious. They love to help believe it or not. (AT least the instructors at my school).
7)If you feel study groups work best for you then study in a group but don't feel obligated to study in a group. Some people weren't designed to work in a study group and work best by themselves. I do a combination of both. I often find that in many of the study groups I were in things went another direction away from studying and that is why it is best to limit your study group.
8)This board is REALLY supportive. I found so many supportive people on here and we are working towards a common goal.
