First day of nursing School *unleashed* post yours

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Well, I would like to share my first day of nursing school experience.

It all started last night when i could not go to sleep, then I woke up at 4 am, because I was so excited and anxiety had taken over! Well I got up, took a shower, took care of the dogs, and even ironed my uniform.

I ended up leaving home at 6 am, for the 1 hour commute, since I was afraid that I would be caught in the middle of traffic.

I ended up at school at 7 am, I sat in my car, had my coffee, and at 730 people started showing up. Well I found out that classes would not start until 9 on the first day, since they had people lost on the buildings, trying to find the classrooms, teachers coming back gathering loads of stuff, from a side to another, and finally classes started. It was funny to see all my peeps from pre-reqs there in addition to some other new faces!

It all started by our Pharmacology teacher (we have pharm all day long on Mondays) asking us to write a paragraph on:

- Why nursing?

- Semester goal

- 3 year goal

After we wrote that, she made us one by one, read it to the class, as an introduction! Well, I heard maybe half of the people with the CRNA goal, the other half with money/or NP goal, LOL hopefully they'll get there!

Then she started the syllabus, in which:

  • 50% are tests
  • 10% presentation
  • 10% group work, participation
  • 5% post test
  • 25% finals.

Which is not bad. My first impression is that Our teacher is a nice Lady, she has been a NP for 12 years, and on still works 2 days a week on her private practice, which I thought was a plus, since she is updated on things.

Well, then lecture started, and we went over the nursing process, and then the 7 rights, and then we covered chapters 1 and 2 of the book (keep in mind 5 hour lecture LOL) the funny thing is: We have to know chapters 1-9 by next Monday!!! For our first test, she will give us multiple choices only, and will allow us to use a 4X6 flashcard, where we can write stuff on one side, and hand it to her, then she will return it to us on the first test day, keep in mind that we have 5 tests. OMG that is a lot of info, even though I had answered the questions already on the study guide...

She is really nice to us, always asking if it is all clear, anymore questions! I like her I guess! (Although you know... some people on the break room already started venting... blah)

Then she was telling us that we will have clinicals starting on the end of the month, so we can learn how to talk to our patients, practice some basic skills. (For the first 3 weeks we have Thursday and Fridays just for skills!!! 10 hours a week!).

She said that we will not do any invasive skill on ourselves, meaning no drawing each others blood, or giving any sort of injection. How the hell am I going to learn??? How did you guys learn this??? It makes me wonder, since I have no previous experience with that other than a few lovenox abdominal shots.

She said that in May we will start giving IM, IV, Sq, and all that good stuff. (But then again with no previous human attempts! She said that if we were to do it among ourselves, somewhere else... Whatever! But not in class!)

So it was exciting today, lots of information, and homework! Can't wait for tomorrow (but I am ok, anxiety level is down now).

We have fundamentals ALLLLLL day tomorrow, starting at 8-2pm

So, bottom line, so far I am very happy with everything, the nursing staff seems amazing so far (have dealt with them since pre-reqs) and all my classmates are cool (of course, there is the sleepy one, the parrot one, the repetitive one, the fancy girls, the CNA knows it all's, but they are ok so far!)

Comments are welcome!

Those who start(started) soon please post your experience here! Lets make this thread last all the way through our graduation!!!

I have to say this is one of the greatest threads on here. I have officially read the whole thing and it really has provided amazing insight into what a typical day is in nursing school. As if I wasn't already excited to start this fall, this has made me even more anxious!! Thanks everyone for taking so much time out of your already busy day to really help everyone of us hopefuls. :yeah:

Well, I would have to say nursing school is HARD! My first day was on Monday and we had a miniquiz on Tuesday. I passed the miniquiz with a 90%, but that was only after reading the chapters 3 times. There was another quiz on Thursday which I failed horribly :cry:. I don't know what went wrong, I read the chapters but I guess I got lazy thinking that it wasn't going to be that hard to pass because of my 90% on the first quiz. Reality sunk in very quickly and now I am readind, reading, reading! We had our first skills check Wednesday on hand washing and applying PPE and I pased that fine. There is another miniquiz on Monday, and a Math quiz on Wednesday.We also have a big quiz next Thursday, it's alot of information to try and understand within a short amount of time. Well I will keep you guys posted! Good Luck!

So I'll be starting my BSN program in the summer. I'm kind of nervous because I am a procrastinator - I don't really have very good time management. What has always gotten me through my pre-reqs is my ability to study like a madman a few days before. It has worked thus far and I've gotten an A in all of my pre-reqs. Maybe ill give this "time management" thing a try...

Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

Hello there!!!

haven't been here much, since i have been knocking my head onto OB books, understanding all the phisiological changes of pregnancy, all social factors, teen pregnancy, pre natal visits, and tests , when they are done, how they are done, what do they show... summed up with all that stuff that the girls seem to enjoy and talk away in the classroom and i felt like blah!

well the test results are in!! and i have got a 94!!! YEY! i had a 98 but forgot to transport 2 questions onto the answer key!!!

OB is not an easy class, specially if you are a man, since you can't relate to most of it, but i just had studied my brains out for these, and i mean literally, since our tests makes 45 per cent of the total grade and we have 3 of them, i figure they are like, "little finals" - hehehe

well i made flash cards, read over the book, work book, re listened to the lectures, took more notes, googled a whole lot!!!

hahaha and it paid off!!! (lol i must to say that it was funny to see the girls funny faces when they were peaking at my test)

on the other hand, i will have to re-take my med calc, since I missed 1 question, so it is ok it was a silly mistake, that i made, and already have remediated it with a few pages of exercises. a stupid infusion time that answered the question right, rate, drip, drop, and total amount of time, and on infusion time _______ i wrote the time where the IV started not repeated the Total amount of time!!!

you know... they should change that word, IMHO it increases the chances of Med errors.

_______

Med surge is no joke man!!! we started on cardiac/ hematology/ and respiratory, straight up!!!

lots to learn lots to do and a big test on monday... another one of those 15 pct of total grade!!!

________

other than that, medsurge clinicals are going great, pretty cool!!! and i got checked off on iv pumps, piggybacking, flushing... so i cant wait to do it!!!!

and this saturday i start doing OB clinicals, !!! 230 to midnight!.... man i now dont have 1 day off!!! since i work sunday-thursday and class mon-thur and clinicals fir-sat!!!

humpf!!!

Thank you dear Lord for caffeine!!!

____

how are yall doing there?

Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.
Well, I would like to share my first day of nursing school experience.

It all started last night when i could not go to sleep, then i woke up at 4 am, because i was so excited and anxiety had taken over! Well I got up, took a shower, took care of the dogs, and even ironed my uniform.

I ended up leaving home at 6 am, for the 1 hour commute, since i was afraid that i would be caught in the middle of traffic.

I ended up at school at 7 am, i sat in my car, had my cofee, and at 730 people started showing up. Well I found out that classes would not start until 9 on the first day, since they had people lost on the buildings, trying to find the classrooms, teachers coming back gathering loads of stuff, from a side to another, and finally classes started. It was funny to see all my peeps from pre-reqs there in addition to some other new faces!

It all started by our Pharmacology teacher (we have pharm all day long on mondays) asking us to write a paragraph on:

- Why nursing

- semester goal

- 3 year goal

After we wrote that, she made us one by one, read it to the class, as an introduction! Well, i heard maybe half of the people with the CRNA goal, the other half with money/or NP goal, LOL hopefully they'll get there!

Then she started the syllabus, in wich

50 % are tests

10 % presentation

10 % group work, participation

5 % post test

25 % finals.

which seemed not bad. My first impression is that Our teacher is a nice Lady, she has been a NP for 12 years, and on still works 2 days a week on her private practice, which i thought was a plus, since she is updated on things.

Well, then lecture started, and we went over the nursing process, and then the 7 rights, and then we covered chapters 1 and 2 of the book (keep in mind 5 hour lecture LOL) the funy thing is: we have to know chapters 1-9 by next monday!!! For our first test, she will give us multiple choices only, and will allow us to use a 4X6 flashcard, where we can write stuff on one side, and hand it to her, then she will return it to us on the first test day, keep in mind that we have 5 tests. OMG that is a lot of info, even though i had answered the questions already on the studygide...

She is really nice to us, always asking if it is all clear, anymore questions! i like her i gues! (although you know... some people on the break room already started venting... blah)

Then she was telling us that we will have clinicals starting on the end of the month, so we can learn how to talk to our patients, practice some basic skills (for the first 3 weeks we have thursday and fridays just for skills!!! 10 hours a week!) she said that we will not do any invasive skill on ourselfs, meaning no drawing each others blood, or giving any sort of injection (how the hell am i going to learn??? how did you guys learned this??? it makes me wonder, since i have no prevous experience with that other than a few lovenox abdominal shots) and she said that in may we will start giving IM, IV, Sq, and all that good stuff. (but then again with no previus human attempts! she said that if we were to do it among ourselfs, somewhere else... whatever! but not in class!)

So it was exciting today, lots of information, and homework! can't wait for tomorrow (but i am ok, enxiety level is down now)

we have fundamentals ALLLLLL day tomorrow, starting at 8-2pm

so, bottom line, so far i am very happy with everything, the nursing staff seems amazing so far (have dealt with them since pre-reqs) and all my classmates are cool (of course, there is the sleepy one, the parrot one, the repetitive one, the fancy girls, the CNAknowsitall's, but they are ok so far!)

comments are welcome!

those who start(started) soon please post your experience here!

lets make this thread last all the way through our graduation!!!

Oh my gosh, it is so funny to look back and see the progress, and how much i have learned, look at the little things that made a big deal back than...

it sure feels like more than 6 months when i started fundamentals and pharm.

Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

all right!!! I rocked a 96 on My ob exam and a B+ ish on my medsurge!!!

boy was that tough!

Specializes in Pediatric Intensive Care, Long Term care.

oh boy...i know this thread is kinda old but i LOVE reading it..i start aug 24 and im very excited!!!!! You guys are giving me sooo much insight on what to expect during my first weeks. Looks like i need to party while i can...lol, jk...i cant party regardless because of my 2 yr old :lol2:

Specializes in Telemetry/IMC.

congrats on the good grades in ob and medsurge :yeah: . I've heard they are difficult courses.

I too am very excited about starting nursing school in the fall. The only thing I think and worry about is doing presentations in front of the class. I have an incredible fear of public speaking. YIKES! I even get all freaked out when doing ice breakers the first day of class. Other than that, I am SO excited to learn about disease processes and being a Nurse.

Ok after reading this thread I am scared to start this fall 2. I will try to keep an open mind the first day and not be like a know it all cna lol that cracked me up. However I will not be labeling everyone the first day either as that will only make enemies :). Its ok I used to do it (we all do it) to but we all should not be so quick to judge (especially in this field). Nerves sometimes tend to make us toot our own horn sometimes to feel at a level of comfort. So if anyone is starting the program with me this fall please get to know me first lol. :nurse:

Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

ok.... It is now 11 pm and i just finished my care plan... the one i have to turn in this rotation, man oh man, this pt had so many meds, and so many things going on with him... it took me 4 hours working on this, (of course i am doing it at work!!!) and had to write about so many meds, and protocols we had to start for the patient. and the NANDAS NIC NOC and the works...

I am now trying to grasp fluid and electrolytes, and preping the material that i will be studying on the weekend, ob review and medsurge!!!

trying to be on top of your game is not easy!!! specially when you cant keep your eyes open!

you know what... i thought OB would be a pain in the neck, but it is so interesting it just makes you want to learn more and more!!! (that is my impression of it half way through, lets wait and see)

my medsurge impression: critical thinking will save your life in school, and the pt life out there! as long as you understand the concepts, and are able to connect points it seems not so hard of a class, still not easy anyways. it feels like it is an advance continuation of a blend between A&P and fundamentals!

Clinical in the other hand is a-w-e-s-o-m-e, it just is!!! we are now checked of on IV's, so we get to do more stuff, and put those calculation into a real cenario!!!!

helpingothersinlife, Great Job!! You sound like a very dedicated person, I am proud of you!! I cant wait to start NS in Aug. Keep up the awesome work!

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