FINALLY! WHEW, Didnt think I would ever get to post this thread! Now where to start... :wink2:
First part of the morning 8-10 we just refreshed on orientation. Introduced ourselves, met the 3 instructors, got some of our books (9 of them), and generally discussed how busy and hectic the next year would be, but also how worth it, it would be as well. 10:00 Break, Then PVR (Practical vocational relationships) This is basically the history of Nursing, the course will cover 10 chapters and only last 2 weeks. (Then Fundamentals will take its place). Starting right off in PVR we had a pretest 25 questions, (they said these were questions that will be on the final exam and they didn't expect us to know do well and it didn't count toward our grade) then we went over the syllabus for this class. On Monday I have to turn in a Profile about myself, Who I am, what brought me to nursing, what I like, how I like to learn, the way I learn best. My hopes and plans for the future 5 and 10 years. I also have to do a 2 Week time Managment paper hour by hour 6 am - 10pm starting with Last Sunday, (said to be creative). Both of these are due the 25th. Also have to read the 1st 4 chapers of the book, with a quiz on Chapt. 1 on Monday and Test on all 4 Chapters on Wed.
12-1 lunch break~~
Next was A&P, You guessed it, another pretest, 50 questions.. I got 30 out of 50 points. (39pts was passing) but on a good note the highest was a 32, lowest was a 17, and it didn't count towards our grade either sooo. Again they said these were questions that would be on our final. ... Quiz on Chapter 1 on Monday, Test on Chapter 1 on Tuesday, along with a quiz on Chapter 2. Test on Chapter 2 on Wed., Test on Chapter 3 on Friday.... So yeah 3 test and 2 quizes next week on A & P alone... Said basically it would be like this all year!
Then we have medmath/pharm.. Same thing pretest didn't count, and don't know my score yet, 25 questions, Quiz over ref. table in front of the book on Monday, and will have a take home quiz on Monday night. and a Pharm take home test on Tues. A test on 1st 3 chapters of Med math on Wednesday. The med math part of this class will last about 8 weeks, and the Pharm will last all year, we will do Pharm as we deal with the need ( cardio drugs when we do Cardio etc.) Which I think is great, will make it much easier to take it all in.
So it will be like 1 subject every 2 hours, for now with lots of quizzes and test. But I am sooooooo excited! 45 students, There is a pretty good mix of ages, most are younger, (early 20s) then maybe 15 above 30 maybe 6 that are around my age 43. 2 males, 3 instructors and 1 director.
The instructors, I think are willing to work with you, if you have problems, you just need to talk to them, they each gave us their private e mails and phone numbers so I thought that was cool. So didn't appear to just be a job for them, They really want us to learn. Anyways gotta go start reading........
I'll try to report again on Monday........ and I look forward to hearing everyone else's stories, and if you have questions that I didn't hit on feel free to ask.
We have started picking up spend and taking about 4 tests a week. So far, I have all A's!!! I hope to keep that up the best of my ability. We have just started the skeletal system too. We are halfway done with our nursing perspectives class. and about to take our basic math final.
Ok, I am little confused. I have been looking into LPN programs to start in 2009, but I was under the impression that you take one subject at a time. But I am noticing that you all are taking more than one subject. Is this typical?
Specializes in EMS~ ALS.../...Bartending ~ Psych :).
I am taking my LPN at a local vo-tech, it is a 12 month program and it is pretty much like high school.. 3 or 4 diff classes each day. Each class has a specific amount of classroom hours that have to be taught in order to have credit for a class.
Once those hours are met, we have the final and start another class... For example math was a 30 hour course, we started it in Mid August and had roughly 8 hours of math per week, and finished it in 4 weeks.
From there the math instructor started teaching nutrition. We basically have 3 instructors that will teach the whole program.
It is very fast paced, and time management is a must.
Specializes in EMS~ ALS.../...Bartending ~ Psych :).
2 months into LPN school, WOW.... Its really going by quickly. Thought I would update a little.
We are taking our Nutrition final tomorrow, and our A&P final is 2 weeks away. Start clinicals when A&P is over. I am still maintaining in the low 90's in everything.
I have found that everything builds on everything else, and in about 2 or 3 chapters later, the light bulb goes off and its like "OH That is what that means or does, or how it works" So I am greatful that things get covered more than once. .
Most of the students as in 50% are having a really hard time in Nutrition, and we are at risk of losing about 12 after the final tomorrow, and another 10 are walking on eggshells. As I have said in other post, we have to maintain a 78% and this is "TEST" scores only... which means, if you don't get a 78% on the test scores, they don't even bother adding the quizes, or projects to your score.
In our labs we are broken down into groups of 6, doing everything from vitals, to trachea care and caths, to wound care. I am seeing that alot of the students are not taking this very seriously, and omitting steps, and I am afraid that this is going to get them into trouble when it come time to check off on our skills in November. Its hard to remember what to do, of you don't practice it. You can fail out of class if you don't pass your skills just like failing the written test.
On a personal level, NS is changing me as a person, I tend to extend the critical thinking and analizing into my daily life more and more, and the family is picking up on it and making little comments, not necessarily in a bad way, but just to get my attention, that they see me going from the "up all night party like a rockstar" attitude, to the "if you would avoid this, you might not feel like that" attitude. But all in all they are very proud of me and my biggest supporters.
Financially, my not working for the past 2 months is starting to set in. Alot of things are starting to be eliminated, my Boyfriend is working harding then he has ever had to, and we have less to show for it. My daughter works and is now spending her own $, instead of me handing out to her. Lunches are either non existant, or PB&J sandwiches. Dinners are not as extravagant, so not many leftovers. I am sure there will be more eliminations over the next 10 months, but I have no doubt that it will all be worth it.
Your program setup sounds just like mine. On our first day we had to take a drug calculation test and you had to get at least an 80 percent the first day. If you got below 80 you had to get at least a 90 the second day and if you still didn't pass the third day you had to make a 100% or you have to drop out of the program until next quarter. Everyone in my class passed thank God. We were the last class accepted until further notice so if any of us had failed we would be out until they open the program back up. Like you all of us that started together are grouped together all day long in the same classes. I wish you luck with everything.
good luck, i'm kicking ass rigth now in med math but fundametals is kicking me. I've passed everything so far, but not the grade i wanted. i just need to balance everything and get all the reading done. stay on top of the reading is all i can say
I'm near the last month of my last semester and wow..what a ride. I wish this semester was as easy as the first :)Yes, I mean it. My class started with 60, now were at 13 of the original with 4 repeats. I'm still crossing my fingers and going crazy trying to make it to the end.
awww fresh meat!! i am done in december but remember having the same excitement in my tone when i started!!My program was 8 to 3 everyday mon thru friday for a yr straight and i am finally almost done, pheww hardest year of my life!!Anyway, the 5 tests/quizzes a week is the norm i remember at one point we had about 5 tests a week it was horrible!My program started out differently i started with A&p and NF1 and PA. Good luck to you!!!!!!!:nuke:
Man since the first day of school I've only posted a few threads. Once you start...not sure how much time you will have to get on Allnurses because of the schedule and if you work like myself.
***UPDATE: We are heading into the last weeks of A/P we have just start the IMMUNE SYSTEM. We have a "group test" (??) :uhoh21:on Cardiovascular, Hematology and the Immune system on Thursday 11-13. Six more chapters and we head to Pharmacology. She hasn't given our mid-grades yet but I feel very confident to say I'm averaging a B. We just wrapping up Nurtition on Monday 11-10. Nutrition wasn't my favorite:( but I have maintained a 85 so far. For an over achiever that's horrible. But it know I have to learn but it doesn't interest me like A/P. Is anyone else feeling like that with nutrition? Hopefully I can get an A or high B on this last test. As long as I pass this one with atleast a 80% which is all you need I'm good. Then Wednesday 11-12 we start FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING. I can't believe I'm already 2 months into school only 16 more months to go.
With working fulltime and going to school it's truly been a challenge but I will have to say that CAN'T WAIT UNTIL BREAK THE CHRISTMAS BREAK--2WEEKS OFF!!!!! We only get 3 days for Thanksgiving but I need more.
Good luck to all and just know it will all be worth it at the end.
Specializes in EMS~ ALS.../...Bartending ~ Psych :).
3 Months down, 9 to go........ Wow! It has been non stop from day 1. Had Finals in A&P a couple weeks ago. (92%). Finals for Fundamentals and Med Term are Thurs & Friday. I think that as far as the book work we will start to slow down a little now, and it will be more clinicals. We test out on our skills Thurs & Fri of next week.
We did a 2 week rotation at the VA the last of Oct. It was interesting, didn't really get to do too much, assisted the CNAs mostly, watched the med passes, and that is truely about it.
Starting next week we will be starting Med Surge, and our Pharm will go in accordance with what we are learning in med surge. ie. Cardiac drugs will be taught with the cardiac classes, psych drugs with psych classes. Which I think is great.
After Thanksgiving we will start clinicals at the local hospital, for 2 weeks then winter break, then our capping ceremonie will be the first week of Jan.
It is my understanding after the capping, that we focus on one thing at a time for a month, like Jan will be OB, classes M&F and Clinical rotations on T,W,&Th. Then Feb will be Peds. with the same sched. So it should be interesting to say the least. I will try and keep you informed.
Oh and just to mention, the cattiness is out in full force, but that is a whole other topic! Just be warned!
kayte03
19 Posts
We have started picking up spend and taking about 4 tests a week. So far, I have all A's!!! I hope to keep that up the best of my ability. We have just started the skeletal system too. We are halfway done with our nursing perspectives class. and about to take our basic math final.