For those that have started school already?

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How is it? Is it as rough as you've heard? What's the best/worst part so far? Tell me everything!

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I am thinking that maybe that means you must maintain an 80 percent in each semester. That is my understanding of this but you should ask better safe than sorry

Either that, or that the cumulative GPA must be 80 or higher.

I agree--you really should ask them.

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We're allowed only one pair of stud earrings, but we are allowed to have a nose ring stud. I don't have one, but one of our instructors does and she said it's okay.

Also, no nail polish or fake nails.

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I am thinking that maybe that means you must maintain an 80 percent in each semester. That is my understanding of this but you should ask better safe than sorry

My school as the 80% requirement also. We must have at leat an 80% in all of our classes (prereqs included), anything

Good Luck and I'm sure you'll do fine.

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Specializes in GICU-WE GET IT ALL.

well, i just finished my first year of nursing school, and about to start my second. I can remember how nervous and excited I was, and I kinda feel that way again going into a new year with new classes, clinicals and challenges. I have done pretty well so far, but it took my first semester to realize what were the REALLY important things to focus on. I had always studied alone prior to NS, but now I almost always study with a study group. it really helps to discuss the readings, and hear feedback form other students!( *just make sure the group is serious about studying so things get accomplished!) Also, i second what the other posters said about not getting behind on readings! there is soo much info. to read and learn that getting behind makes keeping up and remembering the info inpossible. LAst, the days of memorizing facts for a test are long gone. I cant memorize stuff and then dump it all after the test anymore. Everything builds upon old info, so you have to learn everything! I have enjoyed NS so far though. it is stressful but i am learnign so much. Good lucK!

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I totally agree. The first coupl of semesters of nursing school I was really nervous and stressed out all the time. I remember the first week of nursing school we had tow test on abbreviations and drug calculations where we could only miss a couple on the abbreviations test and ge a hundred on the drug calc. As you go on its still hard but you cope better with it. Everybody experience is different and its all worth it in the end.

With my school we have to wear our hair up if its long and a natural color, only one piercing per ear and it doesnt matter where, no facial piercings, no tattoes that are visuable, no perfumes, and our nails have to be short as well and no colored nail polish. I guess most schools are the same with these.

Wow, I cant believe you cant have you hair dyed while attending your program, that is too much, and what about if someone arleady have their hair bleached or darken or whatever, how it is going to come back to its own natural color, they will kick you out of the program? With piercing and tatooing I understand that it is not proffesional, but I think as far as nail polish clear, transparent color should be acceptable.

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Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.

Just take it a day at a time. I wouldn't spend too much time trying to prepare for anything because you have to find your own way of dealing with things that come along. And you will! Human beings are very adaptable creatures.

Keep an open mind. Be flexible. If your instructor says that the best way to protect a patient from cholera is to feed them grape popsicles then, while you are in nursing school, that is gospel. Don't question it or you will drive yourself.....and your classmates......crazy. No matter what you think you know, forget that you know it. It is so much harder to relearn information than it is to learn it the first time.

Think of the information as answers to test questions. I don't care what you saw on Discovery Health Channel, or ER, or Oprah or what you read in a book or magazine, or what your mother/grandmother/sister/cousin/neighbor who is a nurse told you, when you are in nursing school the only truth is what your instructor tells you. You can question what they tell you if they contradict what they have already said, or it doesn't match what is in your reading assignment. But rather than telling your instructor she's wrong, show her the contradiction and ask her to clarify.

If you ever think you are right and the instructor is wrong, you will miss that answer on HESI or NCLEX.......and you don't want to do that.

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Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.
That sounds confusing to me too! I can't imagine that they would just kick you out because you did poorly on one test and that dropped you a couple of percentage points. I know that at my school we have to have a 75% to move on to the next semester, but by no means do you have to maintain that throughout the semester. If you haven't had orientation yet you may want to ask about that when orientation time comes around, or call the school and see if they can clarify that for you. I am really hoping that they wouldn't kick you out for not maintaining an 80

Think of it this way......if you gave your patient 75% more or less of the right medication, he will be 100% dead.

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Think of it this way......if you gave your patient 75% more or less of the right medication, he will be 100% dead.

So are you saying that everyone should have to get 100% during the semester to move on to the next semester...if that is your train of thought then there will 0% new nurses. I seriously doubt that in the history of nursing school someone has ever gotten 100% as their final grade for the semester. However if you are referring to the medication exam...my school requires a medication exam to be taken before you begin each semester and you must score 100% on that.

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Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.
So are you saying that everyone should have to get 100% during the semester to move on to the next semester...if that is your train of thought then there will 0% new nurses. I seriously doubt that in the history of nursing school someone has ever gotten 100% as their final grade for the semester. However if you are referring to the medication exam...my school requires a medication exam to be taken before you begin each semester and you must score 100% on that.

Sorry I wasn't more clear. I think 75% on a med exam is unacceptable. Your instructors are trying to prepare you for the reality of giving meds without error. They also are preparing you for being able to pass any calculations test that comes along. All hospitals give you a calculation exam before they hire you. More and more hospitals are requiring that you pass with 100% before they hire you. The school is doing you a favor by setting the bar so high.

Now as for being required to have 80% before passing, I don't think that's an unrealistic expectation either. Our school's criteria is 70 or better, but almost everyone who ended with scores in the 70s couldn't pass HESI.

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I think she means colors found in nature. Like not blue, or pink, or green, etc.

Wow, I cant believe you cant have you hair dyed while attending your program, that is too much, and what about if someone arleady have their hair bleached or darken or whatever, how it is going to come back to its own natural color, they will kick you out of the program? With piercing and tatooing I understand that it is not proffesional, but I think as far as nail polish clear, transparent color should be acceptable.
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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

The first day seems like a million miles ago lol it was a bit of a reality check because the amount of time you need to be able to digest and understand the information is smaller than the general ed classes, it was a bit of a learning curve for all of us, the first day of clinicals maaan I have never felt so stupid in my life lolol but by the time we started clinicals in Med-Surg I it was a whole new ball game and I thought clinicals were too short lol we go back to begin our next to last semester and can't believe how fast that past year went (ask all the husbands tho and they say it took an eternity to pass lol)

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We can have nose piercings and eyebrow piercings as long as they're studs, not hoops. One of our instructors has her nose pierced.

We cannot wear nail polish of any color because it can be a nice nesting ground for bacteria. Our nails have to be kept short and we cannot have acrylic nails.

I don't remember them saying anything about hair color at orientation, though.

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