Chomping at the bit

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I'm in! I just got accepted to the Accelerated program at UCCS in Colorado Springs and I'm stoked. I have 10 whole weeks before things get started. In that time, I would like to do a little ground work. What do you think will be the most helpful? An A&P review? Flash cards on drugs? What do you wish you had more familiarity with in your first semester? Or should I just chill out and spend a little time with my family?

I have a really strong medical background, so I'm looking for things that might be specific to nursing school.

Cheers!!

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I am on the western slope at an unrelated BSN program but I say relax and enjoy your time off! It'll wear on you and it's better to start fresh and ready to go!

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As soon as I posted this, it seemed silly. I'm not worried, just excited. Think we'll try and take a vacation instead. Are you at Mesa, Jules? How do you like it?

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Congratulations! I graduated from uccs's accelerated BSN program in August of 2013! It was quite the experience.

For me, I would say definitely look up all you can on pharmacology and pathophysiology. That first summer semester is very intense and those two classes were the most intense I've heard. I was lucky enough to be able to take patho and pharm and pharm math the spring semester before the program actually started, but I had lots of classmates telling me the woes of those classes during the summer.

Congratulations! It's a wonderful program and sometimes I do look back on it fondly (except the first care plan! Haha)

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Thanks for the heads up. I am waiting to hear if the patho I already have will transfer in, and won't have to take it. If I do, it'll be a great review, just trying to save a little money:) I have a nursing pharm text that we use in the paramedic program I teach for (Mosby's Pharmacology for Nursing Practice.) It centers on drug classes and pharmacokinetics, rather than any specific drugs. As a paramedic, I am responsible for knowing EVERYTHING about 50+ meds. It seems that as a nurse, I will be responsible for knowing the vital things about thousands of drugs. Is that an accurate distinction? How do you study for this? Take a drug class at a time? Is it better to look at the disease process first?

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the differences in the nursing and medical model. I have an open mind, and think Ill be fine, I just don't even know what I don't know yet:)

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As a nurse they do want you to know the vital things about drug classes. Mostly what side effects to look out for. If patient is presenting with this should we hold this drug? That kind of stuff. Pharmacology wasn't too bad for me, I was a pharmacy technician for years, so I was pretty familiar with it and pharm math was easy. The only issue with pharm and patho is that they take up a lot of your time.... And time is scarce during that first summer session.

My advice, embrace the suck. Get thru that first summer session. After that the program becomes manageable.

Also, get to know you're professors. They all want to see you succeed and are really great at advocating for you. I still keep in touch with my old professors :)

Good luck and enjoy the ride! It's frantic and you will be certain at times that you are on the edge of a nervous breakdown, but when it's all said and done you will be proud of what you accomplished. Then it's onto NCLEX hell. LOL.

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