Class of 2015

[MommaTy]

Congrats to all those that are accepted and will be the class of 2015. I thought it would be nice to have our own thread where we can support each other along our journey. Mine is an ADN program, but I know some will be BSN as well.

With all that aside has anyone had their nursing orientation yet? How was it? What are some of the costs you have to dish out? Did it finally sink in that you will be starting nursing school soon?

Mine isn't until May 29th 9a-3p. I do know that our tops will be white and our bottoms will be green. I also know we are required to have an iPad which is included in our financial aid. I also know I have to pay $66.00 just for the drug test. The program pays for our in state CORI/SORI but I had to pay for my out of state one which was $31.00. I just payed for that today. We will be required to buy the books, stethoscope, name pin, uniforms, warm up jacket, lab coat, and more. So exciting. We will also schedule our classes on orientation day.

Lets get to know each other so we can support each other :)

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

Glad that you don't feel like you're drowning. I'm just taking this semester one day at a time. We had a skills check off this morning before clinicals starts but all we had to demonstrate as Foley catheter insertion and IV insertion. I did well on the catheterization part, but man I suck at IVs. It wasn't even finding a vein on the mannequin. I couldn't figure out how to advance the catheter without pushing the needle for some reason. It was pretty embarrassing.

Are you using otc needles? if so it's simple. If you hold the needle with your thumb and middle finger on the sides, there's a tab at the top of the cannula that you can use your index finger to drive forward as you retract the needle at the same time. Depending on the type of needle it is, you may needle to hold tamponade on the vein to keep from "bloodletting" haha. You'll get the hang of it. Even vets have a hard time with them

[sjalv]

Jonny, I am unsure what OTC needles look like. I didn't know there was such a thing as an OTC IV Cath/needle o.O This is what our IV needles/cath look like:

[alysonp]

This second semester is already busy. It is a relief to feel like I know what I'm doing at least in the sense that I am not a deer in headlights wondering what nursing school will be like. Also, I'm starting this semester knowing how to study, unlike last semester when it took me quite a few attempts to figure out how to be successful. I was thinking mental health would be dry and uninteresting, but I think it might end up being my favorite class and clinical. We'll see. How is everyone else?[/quote']

How have you changed your studying? I know I need to, I'm just trying to figure out a better way.

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

Jonny, I am unsure what OTC needles look like. I didn't know there was such a thing as an OTC IV Cath/needle o.O This is what our IV needles/cath look like:

I totally said that backwards haha I meant over-the -needle catheters. Sorry fpr the confusion. And I can't seem to blow the picture up on my phone but that appears to be the type. Notice at the top of the plastic cannula there's the little nub there? That's the part you could easily advance the catheter forward into the vein with the nail of your index finger if you hold chamber with your thumb and middle finger upon insertion into the vein.

Like I said, i can't really blow the picture up but that looks like a needle where you'd have to put pressure on the vein before withdrawing the needle. But depending on your clinical site,.I'm sure the hospital will have the newer needleless system where its shielded into itself and you'll only need to hold pressure once you remove it altogether to replace it with your saline lock.

[i♥words]

How have you changed your studying? I know I need to, I'm just trying to figure out a better way.

I rewrite/retype my notes, which I have found to be a huge thing for studying. Some of my instructors record lectures and I sometimes re-listen and add to my notes. I draw pictures, even though I am not an artist at all. I'll take a sheet of paper and draw a stick man, then add symptoms to the body. Then I'll write all over the rest of the page in ADPIE form what I have learned from class and the textbook. I am a visual and tactile learner, so having a colorful picture plus drawing it myself helps me study. If there are things that simply require memorization I make notecards. Also, I don't read the textbook word for word. I reference my textbooks a lot, especially when I'm confused about something. I always look through the chapters and read the tables and photos. I always do the NCLEX questions at the end of the chapters and read the rationales.

At the beginning of my first semester I read my notes a few times and made some note cards about key topics, but that was too passive for me. I need to actively do something to learn. Especially because the questions on my tests aren't like "What is respiratory acidosis?" They are like "Mr. Smith presented with this and this and this, what is the problem?" Always application. One thing that really started improving my grades was doing all of the NCLEX questions. For this semester I bought the Saunders NCLEX-RN review book. I haven't used it yet but I think it will help.

[lovenotwar14]

I rewrite/retype my notes, which I have found to be a huge thing for studying. Some of my instructors record lectures and I sometimes re-listen and add to my notes. I draw pictures, even though I am not an artist at all. I'll take a sheet of paper and draw a stick man, then add symptoms to the body. Then I'll write all over the rest of the page in ADPIE form what I have learned from class and the textbook. I am a visual and tactile learner, so having a colorful picture plus drawing it myself helps me study. If there are things that simply require memorization I make notecards. Also, I don't read the textbook word for word. I reference my textbooks a lot, especially when I'm confused about something. I always look through the chapters and read the tables and photos. I always do the NCLEX questions at the end of the chapters and read the rationales.

At the beginning of my first semester I read my notes a few times and made some note cards about key topics, but that was too passive for me. I need to actively do something to learn. Especially because the questions on my tests aren't like "What is respiratory acidosis?" They are like "Mr. Smith presented with this and this and this, what is the problem?" Always application. One thing that really started improving my grades was doing all of the NCLEX questions. For this semester I bought the Saunders NCLEX-RN review book. I haven't used it yet but I think it will help.

Nice tips. Thanks so much.