First day of nursing School *unleashed* post yours

[9livesRN]

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!!!

[mkblakley07]

So tuesday was my first day of clinical. I met my patient, and started my physical assessment, but I really didn't get much done because he was very tired. The day was not stressful at all, and I think it went pretty well:yeah:. I got compliments from my instructor on my preparedness during documention, and was really looking forward to my clinical rotation today: I was supposed to get to show one of my fellow students how do do dressing changes on my patient, but my clinical instructor cancelled it, and now I have to do this alternate clinical experience that's sounds really lame.:zzzzz

[ICAN!]

I'm sure the pace will pick up for you and you may be wishing for a slow day. Keep us posted!

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

Hello yall, as of now:

We just learned, some more skills:

- wound care

- peg/pej tube feeding,

- peg/pej tube passing meds

- NG tube placement/meds/food

... end of semester burned out here!!!

getting ready for new schedule

3 days of 8am 2 pm lecture

and 2 days of 6 am to 330 pm clinicals (thurs ob/fri medsurg)

[OhioCCRN, MSN, NP]

I have orientation in may.....cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hazel11]

Just wanted to update! :wink2: We have practiced on mannikins all semester and have learned the following skills: Making an occupied bed, wound care, vital signs, urinary catheterization, and we are now working on Trach suctioning and care. We have already planned our new schedules, and I'm happy to say I start clinicals in the fall. :redbeathe My classes include: Health Assessment, Intro to Cultures (my only non-nursing course) Pharmacology, and Core Concepts-Individual (Older Adults) and the clinical that goes along with it. 1 more month to go...

[mkblakley07]

:)well, this is the first day of my third week of clinicals. I almost threw up today when I was suctioning a trach patient, which is weird, because I never get nauseus. But I got through it, and did a good job suctioning her (I think) today wasn't super eventful for me, but I did help my patient a lot. I get assigned my second patient on thursday, and I just wonder how I am going to get everything I need to get done done in the time we have allotted because I take up most of the time on the one patient that I have now.... maybe I need to work on my time management skills. But we're going to use plant therapy with the patients that we are assigned on thursday, which I think sounds really cool. Anyway, things are way more interesting than they were on my first day, and I hope that clinicals keep going as well as they are.:)

[2bnurseforce1]

I am in my 4th week of school, (fundamentals). We had our first test a week ago and I failed it. The second test was yesterday and I passed it so I don't know what to think. We have three more test and then a final and if you don't pass the final you don't pass the class. That's a lot of pressure. We haven't started clinicals yet we start that in two weeks. My class is only 8 weeks long. We have learned a lot in the the lab settings so I can't wait to apply that. Most of all the class is a little hard to me because I still work and its a lot of information and our instructor is not that great. She doesn't really tell you much of anything she just lectures, and she never completes her thoughts. But overall i guess its ok.

[jamesgoal]

Oh...my favorite thread. What's happenning out there? Study hard future nurses I know you're busy.:thnkg:

[~miss_mercy_me]

" I am in my 4th week of school, (fundamentals). We had our first test a week ago and I failed it. The second test was yesterday and I passed it so I don't know what to think."

Hi butterfly82.... just curious about the material that was covered on your 1st test. What was covered and was it taken from the lecture or more from the book.... or both? It sounds like you now have a good grasp on the test material.... keep up the good work You will be a before you know it! :urck:

[2bnurseforce1]

" I am in my 4th week of school, (fundamentals). We had our first test a week ago and I failed it. The second test was yesterday and I passed it so I don't know what to think."

Hi butterfly82.... just curious about the material that was covered on your 1st test. What was covered and was it taken from the lecture or more from the book.... or both? It sounds like you now have a good grasp on the test material.... keep up the good work You will be a before you know it! :urck:

The second test was on bowel urine elimination and lot of other things. Our instructors notes are not really notes its mostly subtitles, so you have to rely on the notes. Im not doing so well in the class at this moment. I have failed the last two test and have one more to take and a final. So I have to get a B on the last test and pass the final to barley pass the class. I am having a hard time with the critical thinking. I know the material because I help other people study my problem comes from applying it on the test and with the questions, I don't think that I am thinking as a nurse would, and I have to work on that.

[nolimitam]

This post has great information and a great insight as to what to expect when I start. I start an accelerated program on June 1st. Although I have heard and know that it will be a tough program, this thread really gives me a good perspective on what is to come. I will try to get ahead of the game as much as possible by learning how to do dosage calculations and such. Thanks for all the information.

[Satori77, ADN]

This has been a great thread, just wanted to bump it up so more people will post about their experiences. I love hearing all the school stories. Thanks to everyone who has contributed!