Before nursing school I wish I knew.....?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am starting nursing school in the spring. I would love if experienced students and nurses would share something that they wish they had known or reviewed before school had started.

Specializes in Operating Room.
I wish I would have relaxed more during my nursing school. Don't forget to take the time to relax and see your friends and family. It would definitely HELP!!!!

I totally agree! At first all I wanted to do was stay in and finish EVERYTHING and neglected my social life (and eventually my sanity). About mid-semester, I was so burnt out. I had been working so hard for so long and it took a toll on me. I actually became quite lonely and depressed because I realized I never saw anyone anymore. Luckily the semester is slowing down and I'm in a better place right now.

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If I knew what I know now I wouldnt go into nursing...

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I wish I knew that nursing school doesn't last forever and I wish I would have paid a little more attention in school. I also wish that I knew I would have to give up a lot of weekends once I graduated.

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I totally agree! At first all I wanted to do was stay in and finish EVERYTHING and neglected my social life (and eventually my sanity). About mid-semester, I was so burnt out. I had been working so hard for so long and it took a toll on me. I actually became quite lonely and depressed because I realized I never saw anyone anymore. Luckily the semester is slowing down and I'm in a better place right now.

I totally know hiw you feel. I am in my senior year and do not know what to do when I graduate. I have totally stressed myself out, to the point of having to go to ER because I was having shortness of breath and my B/P jumped to 200/88. Note, that my B/P is normally 103/50...and has been my whole life. My whole family is driving me nuts, they cannot back off and give me some spacel they have to check in on me and everything. That resulted in a sheruff duputy come to my apt, because my family. I am seeking legal advice at this time and about ready to call it quites. I have never been so lost in this big world.

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Getting an Nclex book and learning the style of testing will help tremendously. If you can, get your fundmentals book and start looking through it. I know my school gave us the first couple of weeks reading so we could get started. There is a lot of reading but if you break it up it is doable. I do take my book or something with me everywhere so I can read when I have time. They also gave us the math and a sample test before school so we could study and pass our first math test.

Start practicing doing your vitals (B/P, breathing, etc....) Start listening to lung and heart sounds and try to differenciate between the crackles and wheezes in the lungs and the murmurs or Lub Dubs of the heart. Get familar with your stethoscope. Learn to locate all your pulses (carotid, brachial, radial, popliteal, dorsal pedalis and posterior tibial)

Start looking through learning to do assessments. Starting at the head and working your way down.

You can get familar with some medications such as opiods, anelgesics, etc.. Just the basic or most common medications.

That is a lot of what we learned first quarter. I would definately learn the stlyle Nclex testing.

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Oh yeah it is hard for sure and I do pass up some social things but I also make time for them too. Also when you are studying and are tired. Go to bed get some good sleep and wake up in the morning and study. Once your brain shuts down you are spinning your wheels studying and not retaining anything.

Do NOT wait for the last minute to test for your skills (if your schools does that) or the last minute to finish an assignment. It feels so much better to cross it off your list early and not have to stress about it.

Good luck and enjoy it! you worked hard to get there :)

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My school has a list of drugs that are used in the simulation lab. I have made cards and started learning these drugs.

Jenn

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

The Kaplan trick to answering nclex style questions, the way they teach you to break down the question. Very helpful in answering these questions.

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