Any good advice fellow students?

pharmgirl · Jan 30, 2009

There are a ton of good tips posted all over this site. The most prominent one is stay on top of the school work and dont get behind. There is a lot of information to learn in relatively little time. So, with that in mind, here's a rundown of my standard tips

1) make portable notes (i.e. flash cards or whatever works) so when you are cooking dinner, or standing in line at the grocery store, or lunch break at work you can look at them.

2) prepare your support team, (i.e. parents, hubby) that you will need extra time and if they could do dinner or laundry or anything to help that would be great.

3) Make a schedule with yourself as to the best time to study. When little one is in bed or at gramma's or is at daycare for an extra hour. make an appointment with yourself and keep it!! just like you would a dr. appt.

4) I also have a little one and a hubby...once a month, I take a saturday and make up homemade TV dinners and stick them in the freezer. So nights when I don't have time to cook, they dont have to eat expensive fast food.

You can do this!! Take it one step at a time and if you have to break it down into small pieces. The first week or two is always the roughest, you will be overwhelmed, but after that you will find yourself a routine that works for you. You can do it!!! Good luck!!

irvinsgirl · Jan 30, 2009

My class starts on Feb 2nd thanks for all the good advice. I know it will be all worth it in the end.

vintagestudent · Feb 9, 2009

The fact that you have some CNA experience makes you one step ahead of those of us who are completely green in terms of hospital/SNF experience. This lack of experience has proven to be frustrating for me because I'm in an accelerated program and the instructors--come to find out--expect you to have your basic bedmaking/bathing skills down to a tee. Uhhh, after 1 bedmaking/bathing skills lab, that's not the case with me. You have no idea how it feels to be the last to finish at clinicals because you're, once again, unfinished. At my age, the added stress is just one more thing to slow me down.

How I wish the program director had advised me to take a CNA course before applying to our LVN program. It would have benefitted both the instructor and me. Unfortunately, I had no clue how important that move would have been and now I'm 3.5 mths from graduation and still struggling to efficiently change linens and bathe my patients. My current instructor--the epitome of a nurse, IMHO--hasn't been real impressed with me. It doesn't help that my previous clinical instructor most likely told her I was a novice and probably shouldn't have been admitted into the program. I'd by lying if I said I don't feel uncomfortable & unfairly judged. Still, I press on. As long as I'm not kicked out, I'm finishing the race.

Take care.

Learn from my struggle with this and have those basic skills mastered before clinicals begin. It will save you unnecessary grief & frustration when you hit the hospital floor soon.

Wishing you well.

vintagestudent · Feb 9, 2009

The fact that you have some CNA experience makes you one step ahead of those of us who are completely green in terms of hospital/SNF experience. This lack of experience has proven to be frustrating for me because I'm in an accelerated program and the instructors--come to find out--expect you to have your basic bedmaking/bathing skills down to a tee. Uhhh, after 1 bedmaking/bathing skills lab, that's not the case with me. You have no idea how it feels to be the last to finish at clinicals because you're, once again, unfinished. At my age, the added stress is just one more thing to slow me down.
How I wish the program director had advised me to take a CNA course before applying to our LVN program. It would have benefitted both the instructor and me. Unfortunately, I had no clue how important that move would have been and now I'm 3.5 mths from graduation and still struggling to efficiently change linens and bathe my patients. My current instructor--the epitome of a nurse, IMHO--hasn't been real impressed with me. It doesn't help that my previous clinical instructor most likely told her I was a novice and probably shouldn't have been admitted into the program. I'd by lying if I said I don't feel uncomfortable & unfairly judged. Still, I press on. As long as I'm not kicked out, I'm finishing the race.
Take care.
Learn from my struggle with this and have those basic skills mastered before clinicals begin. It will save you unnecessary grief & frustration when you hit the hospital floor soon.
Wishing you well.

Oops, sorry for the poorly typed post. I forgot to scroll all the way down to see if I'd left anything in that needed moving around.

SynCardia, BSN · Feb 9, 2009

The best advice I can give you is between work and the baby make sure you use your free time wisley. I take my books with me EVERYWERE. I study at my prenantal visits hair appts etc..

irvinsgirl · Feb 9, 2009

I hope you all the best and I bet you are not the first one to struggle nor the last. I personally and scared to death over the math!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will pray that you get better at bed making if its any consulations it has been so long I am not sure I remember how to do it myself.:uhoh21: Well we will see how it goes. I am going to go study my anatomy now. I have a huge test on the skeletal system tomorrow.

vintagestudent · Feb 9, 2009

I hope you all the best and I bet you are not the first one to struggle nor the last. I personally and scared to death over the math!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will pray that you get better at bed making if its any consulations it has been so long I am not sure I remember how to do it myself.:uhoh21: Well we will see how it goes. I am going to go study my anatomy now. I have a huge test on the skeletal system tomorrow.

Thanks for the encouragement. I hope to become more efficient throughout my remaining nursing service at my clinical site...I just feel so cheated in the basics. I'm convinced my previous instructor should have been demanded better execution of these fundamental skills, or at least advised me to sharpen those bed-making skills before heading into 2nd semester because my current instructor--a former CNA program instructor--frowns on students like me. I would have been willing to spend time in the skills lab practicing over & over. Who would have thought I'd be stressing over making beds & bathing pts? I thought my second semester instructor would be more concerned with making sure I adhere to the 6Rs for passing meds than how fast I make beds/bathe people. It's a no-win situation. :icon_roll

Maybe some of you reading this have some tips for this ol' gal. I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Any bright ideas? :idea:

Thanks again, irvinsgirl.