Finally Accepted. Not feeling how I expected...

Guests · May 30, 2014

And, download my flashcards and begin your study of pharmacology... it's far too grand a subject to be mastered in 1 semester...

https://www.google.com/search?q=pharmacology+flash+cards

(Hey, look at that... number 1 hit on Google... You're welcome, Brian :-)

bear94, BSN, RN · May 30, 2014

Thank you guys for the input and information, it really does mean a lot to me.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 30, 2014

I had a friend that was waitlisted for law school (in the US) and they called him the third WEEK of classes. He went. He did well, and ended up with a second law degree and wrote a textbook. He is now a professor of law in a very prominent ancient university in the UK.

So life throws you a curveball now and then? So what? As God said to Job, "Hey, why NOT you?" :)

Congratulations, best wishes, and welcome to the long, long line of nurses going back centuries. You got this.

MariposaOak · May 30, 2014

I'm in a similar boat; I thought I was rejected...but turns out I wasn't. I had already mentally abandoned the idea of nursing school (after years of working toward it), so now I find myself doing mental gymnastics and trying to re-wrap my head around the idea that I'll be going. No stress-free summer for me! It will be a summer filled with paperwork and background checks and CPR classes. My stomach is all tied up in knots and I'm constantly anxious. But this was all part of my goal, and I just achieved one milestone (getting accepted), so I'm trying to slow down and just appreciate that.

I've had other nursing students give me examples of questions on the NCLEX, and there really is no way to prepare for it this early. That's what nursing school is supposed to be preparing us for, and it will. One step at a time, as they say.

I think you'll do great. You're a strong student, and as a previous poster mentioned, your worried ways probably serve you well sometimes. Just remember not to let it take over. Try not to over-think things, and as my friend told me recently, "Don't get in your own way." Put one foot before the other, break big tasks down into smaller ones and check them off one by one.

You should do this, you'll do great!

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · May 31, 2014

Congrats on getting in! Don't let the paperwork intimidate you. They are just pieces of paper you have to gather and submit. Your GPA is great and you have obviously worked hard to get to this point. Be excited, be happy, and just take everything one day at a time.

If you don't try now, you may never know how you would do. So head up, shoulders back, you've earned this privilege. Accept the responsibility and you'll look back in a few years amazed at how far you've come.

bear94, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2014

You guys are all so kind. You seriously have no idea how much all of this has relieved me! After a couple of days, the shock has kind of worn off and I am starting to get a little excited. At first it just all seemed like so much, but the school gave me a printable checklist and so far I have 5/12 things checked off, so I am not doing too bad with a deadline of July 1st. Now if only the lady in charge of scheduling the CPR class would return my four calls and two messages inquiring about the class. -_-

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2014

I think you're having a touch of the "second chance blues". It hurt so much not to get accepted but now the reality has set in that, yes, INDEED you are going (!) now the anxiety that would have set it if you had gotten accepted initially is intensified because you got in based on a second chance. You still would have been just as terrified if you had gotten in the way you hoped you would. But, this seems a little more fragile because you had to get over the disappointment of not getting in. It's quite an emotional roller coaster!

But back up a minute....hold on....slow down.

The NCLEX is forever away from you right now. Nursing school is difficult but take your time this summer getting your compliance requirements done and start kind of poking around at your fundamentals texts, get accustomed to your giant syllabi and just get ready to enjoy (yes!) this process. Besides, a large portion of nursing school is learning how to take the NCLEX. Not saying you're taught the test because you aren't but you will be taught how to conceptualize things the way nurses do. You are going to learn the nurse's way of critical thinking. Since you already feel like these kinds of tests aren't your thing, you MUST know now that you will be practicing these questions and may be doing so even more than your peers. It's recognizing your weaknesses and doing something about them instead of being victimized by them. There's no reason now for you to not do well.

Also, if your school happens to use ATI (once you get your program handbook you'll find out if they do and, if it's a good program they likely will), this is going to help immensely with NCLEX prep. One thing I like to do (and I highly recommend you start doing now) is looking up things on google like this: "ati: wound care" or other kinds of topics you're going to encounter in the very beginning of the program. Personal protective equipment is one topic to become familiar with and ATI has a great module on this as well. If your school doesn't, I still recommend looking up the ATI resources the way I mentioned above. It helps so, so, so much and I always revisit them for any topic I'm not quite sure about.

Finally.....

CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK! You'll feel it soon. :)

Guests · Jun 1, 2014

Now if only the lady in charge of scheduling the CPR class would return my four calls and two messages inquiring about the class. -_-

Get it done however you can, even if you pay 300 for a private course. Get a bunch of things working and then go with the first opportunity.

I knew someone who had been accepted and was told there would be CPR at work a couple of weeks before the program started. The class was canceled and she wasn't permitted to enroll.

Do not delay and don't count on any one option until it's done. Check local hospitals, community colleges, ambulance companies, fire departments, public swimming pools, red cross, heart assoc, university student assoc, etc.

bear94, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2014

Check local hospitals community colleges, ambulance companies, fire departments, public swimming pools, red cross, heart assoc, university student assoc, etc.[/quote'] I have checked and signed up somewhere else on June 4th. (I don't have to pay until the day of the course because it's the local fire department), BUT I have to get ahold of this same woman to make sure that the CPR class that I am taking meets the schools standards. On my document checklist it said the CPR class that I have to take must be CPR for the Healthcare Provider. I typed that into google and the only thing that showed up was BLS For Healthcare Providers which includes:"the ability to recognize several life-threatening emergencies, provide CPR, use an AED, and relieve choking in a safe, timely and effective manner." This course is provided by the American Heart Association. I won't know if this course meets the standards because this unpunctual woman will not give me the time of day (I really REALLY hate people that can't be punctual, it seems unprofessional to me. She has had 4 days for goodness sake, it would take less than 30 seconds to call me back.)

annabellesasu · Jun 1, 2014

That is the correct class you need to take.. That's the class I just took..

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

osi2011 · Jun 2, 2014

(I really REALLY hate people that can't be punctual, it seems unprofessional to me. She has had 4 days for goodness sake, it would take less than 30 seconds to call me back.)

I understand your frustration, however in life things happen. What if something occurred to her in her personal life that mayhave prevented her to responding to your messages? or perhaps she may be experiencing technical issues with her voicemail. Or better yet, she may be extremely busy in conducting or coordinating classes where she might be the only one at the moment and no sort of help. Bottom line: Things happen. Just try to be understanding.

P.S. I too signed up for the BLS CPR course sponsored by the American Heart Association and it is garnered for Healthcare providers of which my program requires as well. So I believe you are all set.

bear94, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2014

What if something occurred to her in her personal life that mayhave prevented her to responding to your messages? or perhaps she may be experiencing technical issues with her voicemail.

I am completely understanding and sympathetic when there's a reasonable excuse, but at the moment I don't know that there is one other than she has more important priorities. I would think that my advisor wouldn't have told me to call her right away and schedule if she knew that there was an emergency or that there were technical difficulties. I know things happen, but this is obviously very important to me. I don't want to miss out on my second chance over something as petty as not being able to get signed up for a CPR class. If she doesn't answer on Monday, I am just going to drive to the school that way I can get something done about it in person and mark one more check on my list.