Ask me anything!

[missmollie]

I just finished my first semester of an ADN nursing program, and I remember wondering what things were going to be like before I started.

I'm going to start this thread so you guys can ask me anything. I'll give you a little bit of a background first: I am a mom, I do not work, and this is a second degree. I have a previous degree in Literature. I also found that I LOVE nursing.

So, any questions or worries about your upcoming program or nursing in general, post your questions here. I'm sure I won't be the only person who answers, but I'll be more than happy to answer your questions concerning nursing school and my own personal experience.

[TheCStudent]

Hello! Since this is a pre-nursing thread, I'd like to ask about what was your studying schedule? How did you study?

[douxmusique]

Hi Bluesky,

Nursing school is harder than I thought it would be, based on the amount of material there is to learn.

Thinking critically, I don't know. I feel that every test question is subjective, and you either get what the professor is trying to say (or their answer) or you don't. Other people will disagree with me on this, but if a professor says that Answer A is correct, and you believe answer B after careful analysis of the question and answer (which involves critical thinking), I can assure you that answer A is correct. It's hard, because it's very subjective.

Clinicals: We didn't get graded exactly, but we were taught applicable knowledge. Your instructors may grade, mine did not. It depends on your facility/learning environment.

So true on the first two. Im about to finish up my first semester as well and the whole subjectiveness of test questions has been hard to get used to. It has probably been my biggest challenge. It had even made me incredibly nervous to interact with patients in clinicals because I was seriously getting every therapeutic communication question wrong. But.... I got better and am more confident with it all.

[cjcaet]

You're the future me!!!

How many kids do you have?

Do you feel that there are certain aspects where being a mom had helped you or given you an "edge" (if that makes sense?) as in, I've been pee'd, pooped and puked on soooo many times since being a mom that I feel desensitized to it to a Degree. Same for mucous. I've heard suctioning out trachs are horrible

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

Hello! Since this is a pre-nursing thread, I'd like to ask about what was your studying schedule? How did you study?

I never read the book before lecture, preferring to use the book to supplement what was covered in the power point notes after the fact. I did take notes on both the book and power points. I have always found it better to write down questions and answers because it helped me remember.

The best advice I can give you is to stay ahead of schedule. When you get home from lecture, that's the time to make up your study guide/notes/question sheets. Read the book. Buy some supplemental question bank books. I suggest the Fundamentals Success by Davis. And pick up some NCLEX question banks. If you open the book and see hundreds of questions...buy it. Use it.

Some people are auditory learners. Take a tape recorder or get an app on your phone to record lectures, after checking that it is okay with your professor. I would listen to the lecture while driving.

As far as schedule, I studied every day. Again, you are going to get a massive amount of material, and it is all important, so be prepared for that.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

You're the future me!!!

How many kids do you have?

Do you feel that there are certain aspects where being a mom had helped you or given you an "edge" (if that makes sense?) as in, I've been pee'd, pooped and puked on soooo many times since being a mom that I feel desensitized to it to a Degree. Same for mucous. I've heard suctioning out trachs are horrible

Hi cjcaet!

I have a six year old boy. He's in first grade, and he makes grades a competition. Son: "You only got a 94 on your test, that's okay. if you study harder you can get a 100 like me." He's also very self-sufficient and able to entertain himself because "Mommy has to study."

I don't think I am grossed out by anything simply because I am a mom, but I don't feel that it gave me an edge, so to speak. For myself, however, I know that I can care more now than before I was a mother, simply because I am used to putting my son first.

On that note, get ready to feel all sorts of guilt because you can't be the mother you were while in school. You are going to have to put yourself first occasionally, and there is a huge amount of guilt that comes with that, but it is necessary. My son doesn't do Judo on a Monday before an exam. I felt terrible the first time I did that, but he didn't seem to mind and accepted the fact. Now he knows when I have an exam and tells me that he doesn't need to go to Judo. He's sweet like that.

[skellyfutureNP]

Yes, I wanted to know the thing's I need for nursing? Is it extremly hard? what are the thing's I should look out for? Give me some insight

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

Everything you need for nursing you already have. Tangible items include text books, good friends, a decent stethoscope, and a really good alarm clock.

Give me some specifics, what kind of things do you think you need?

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

Oh, and you need a penlight. They are so useful!

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

Yes, I wanted to know the thing's I need for nursing? Is it extremly hard? what are the thing's I should look out for? Give me some insight

Binders, hilighters, printer, large backpack (I have a Jantzen driver 8 rolling one, barely fits all my books), planner, whiteboard to write really important reminders on. That's really all you need for supplies. It's not that the content is hard. It's the sheer volume of information that's hard to adjust to. And the tests are styled totally different as I am sure you have heard. Show up for every class, lab and clinical. Do only the assigned reading which the professors usually give on their Unit objectives (if you tried reading entire chapters you would never have time to do anything else in life). Don't procrastinate on assignments. If you have reading quizzes or what I call busy work assignments that you are allowed to complete open book, really try to get excellent scores on those, because although they may only count as 1 point, that could be the one point between an A and a B. I wish I had tried harder on my reading quizzes and my B in Pharm would be an A. Oh well..... live and learn. Now I know.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

Concerning Binders, I had a different binder for every test, complete with my handwritten question/answer sheets and power points with handwritten notes on them.

[mayninetytwo]

Thanks for answering questions :) I have one more semester of pre-reqs and waiting to take the HESI A2. I am so nervous I may not get in. What were your stats when you were accepted?

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

I had a 3.5 from my previous major, and a 4.0 from prerequisites when I applied. We didn't take the HESI A2, but rather the NLN, and on that I had a 94%.

My advice is to really do well in A&P, because you will use that knowledge.

All schools are different though, so don't be down if you get less than stellar grades. I've seen many threads where students say they had a "C" in a course and were accepted. It really depends on the school. If you don't get accepted and you are positive that this is what you want to do, keep re-applying. So far, I love nursing, and I can tell you it is worth it!