55 days!!!

loveSBK · Jul 2, 2013

Be prepared to study hard so relax for now!!!! The windows tablets are awesome and they have good reviews. Congratulations on starting in the fall, it will be done before you know it (that's what I tell myself lol). Good luck with everything

kdixon123 · Jul 2, 2013

Thank you. I have been calm up until today when I counted the days. I guess I will get plenty of sleep now and spend as much time with family as possible. I have already told them I will be telling them goodbye for two years come August. I have heard the Windows tablets were pretty good. I will look at them. Best wishes to you as well

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 4, 2013

I start in August also. I have a tablet, a kindle, but I am looking for a new computer. My Dell has breathed it's last! The screen is cracked, the battery only holds a charge for four minutes. So they say the first semester will be our most costly, and I believe it. Have you had orientation? Ours is Aug 12. We won't order uniforms til then, but we have been given our list of vaccinations, background checks, drug test, etc to work on until then. I did order my fantabulous rolling backpack though! A Jansport Driver 8, in a most smashing color-- torquoise!

i♥words · Jul 5, 2013

Me too! The closer it gets the more I'm dreading it, and I'm concerned about having that feeling. I don't know, I've been dealing with some health issues, so I think that just has me down. I want to be excited, but I'm more nervous about the workload than anything else.

green34 · Jul 5, 2013

Do you need a tablet? If you don't, I'd consider getting a laptop or an netbook or at least a tablet with a keyboard. I use my laptop all the time for lecture and once or twice we watched videos for clinical on it. Like how a member implant works and different techniques. (The doctor invited us in for that, the staff originally said the doctor never would allow it).

I would look at getting a high quality stethoscope around Black Friday if you already have a cheap one. Ask if you can borrow a Littmann in class to do a blood pressure or listen to heart sounds to hear the difference. I know we had teaching Littman's in my school for the apical pulse.

One thing I am looking at is a stethoscope watch. I hate wearing watches.

Multicolor pens are great.

There is a clipboard with a bunch of different formulas written on it. It looks awesome. It has a calculator too. I did it old fashion with a notepad.

I would consider getting a smart phone. There is a free drug app called micro medex or something and it never steered me wrong yet.

A pocket guide for critical care nursing is very helpful down the line but it's not necessary. I am buying these cards that have "cheat sheets" for lab values, pediatric vital signs, etc to go behind my school ID. The equivalent may be on the clipboard. It may be helpful and it may not. I also bought a clear ID holder so I can keep my work ID and school ID together because some hospitals in my system let me use employee deduction for food.

Some people say subscribe to a journal, but my school subscribes to the nursing journals electronically for us. I am joining the AACN and ENA as a student entering my last semester. It's a lot cheaper.

Look for your school scholarships and see if your state has a loan forgiveness program.

Limit how much you work. I work 36 to 48 hours a week and it's too much. I am exhausted. I am cutting back to 24 and then 36 hours. Meaning I work 24 one week and 36 the next. It's hard. Work as much as you can in the summer.

Try to get into the hospital in some capacity.

Try to hold off major changes like moving, buying a house, pregnancy, wedding till after nursing school.

If you cannot afford the books, consider renting. I rent some and buy some. Adult health and ob/peds I bought. All the others I rented. Bigwords is helpful in comparing all the prices. I also borrow nclex review items from my library. Yes some are older but most of the rationales still apply. I passed my medic NREMT test this way. The questions with rationales are the best. Some people say they reference the books a lot but still.

Another item to consider is compression stockings. I just started wearing them.

If you do online lectures, be prepared for twice the work and still getting assigned group projects. Our online classes require students to take classes on campus too.

If you can pick your clinicals and find out about the instructors (few schools allow you), then look them up on rateyourprofrssor.com or listen for word of mouth.

Astudentlovesjameson · Jul 6, 2013

I am starting my first semester nursing program Aug. 19th. I am excited that I got in this fall but I am so nervous about the workload and wondering if I will do well enough or understand enough. I don't have a health care experience. We have 8 or 9 books the first semester and they are big and heavy. I really love to sleep so I think that getting enough sleep during this semester will be difficult and I hope that it doesn't affect me too much. I still need my scrub pants and tops, watch with second hand, white leather shoes, school supplies, laptop, nursing kit, stethoscope, and sleep. lol Anyway good luck to everyone that will be starting this fall. I believe the future is very bright and optimistic for nurses so it will be worth the 2 years of pain.