For mrsraisinkain

L&D_2b · Apr 11, 2008

I definitely had more anxiety of taking the test than the actual test material. The nutrition test was a little more difficult than I thought it would be. The teacher tried to give us our grades but the scantron machine broke so I have to wait a week for my score now. I'm really liking school though!

I didn't think nutrition was going to be that hard either, but it was. I had an 88 on that test. However, I thought fluid and electrolytes was going to be a killer and I got 102% on that one (got the bonus question as well, whoohoo!)

I'm glad you like school. I do to. I'm so happy I finally decided to take that leap of faith and pursue my dream.

Keep me posted as to your progress.

--Marci

Hoping2beRN, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2008

OMG Erica I miss talking to you so much! I'm off this weekend so call me :)

MAmom81 · Apr 14, 2008

:ancong!::urck::hpygrp::chrs::anpom::anpom::anpom::anpom:!!!! That is awsome!!!! I just got back my grade on my 2nd exam in A&P and I got an 82!!!! That's a B I am so excited!!!! I take my 2nd lab Practical on Thursday & OMG!!!! it's gonna kick my a**!!!! We have to identify the cat muscles, parts of the sheep brain, the eye & ear and know the functions too!!!!

mrsraisinkain · Apr 22, 2008

Ok guys. I know it's been a little while since an update so here's a little bit. I'm just in my 4th week of school, and I don't feel like we've done a whole lot of stuff that I can actually share with you guys because we haven't done much of the "meat and potatoes" nursing as one of my instructors calls it. Basically all we've done so far is lectures and tests, tests and lectures. Today is actually supposed to be our first day at our clinical sites but my clinical instructor had a prior engagement so i don't go to clinicals until next Tuesday. That day will just be an orientation day where we will learn about the facility and the requirements and expectations of us students. My clinicals are at an LTC facility that's about an hour away from me. I'd be a little upset about the drive except it's a really really nice place. My great-aunt lives there. I dont actually get to have a patient until two weeks from today. The first couple of weeks in clinicals we will be on a partners basis where our instructor will pair the experienced people with the inexperienced people. I've met my clinical instructor once. She is so nice and i can't wait to learn from her. We will have clinicals once a week for our first term (our program is 3 15-week terms) and then I think twice a week in 2nd term and 3 times a week in third term. So far in Anatomy and Physiology we have taken one test and I have another test Friday. That is the "weed out" class in our course. They said about 30% of the students fail that class!! The test I take on Friday is over the integumentary system, the skeletal system, and the muscular system. That's a whole lot of body parts in one test!! For me A&P is just a whole lot of memorization and that's not my strong point so I've invested in a lot of index cards to make myself flashcards.

In my nursing 100 class (which is the foundations of nursing) we have covered safety (this was regarding assessing patients to be fall risks, transferring a patient safely from their bed to their wheelchair, what to do in case of a fire, or other internal or external disaster including biological terrorism) hygiene (which covered everything from bathing the patient to assessing pressure sores and how to treat and prevent them, we even have to be able to identify lice on our test and tell if it's head, body, or pubic lice EW!) and vital signs (not only does this include temperature, pulse, respirations and blood pressure but the NEW 4th vital sign -- pain! We learned all the 9 different pulse sites, I can even take somebody's blood pressure in their leg if I have to!, how to assess and treat somebody's pain, and ALL the different ways to take temperature, and then what to do in case any of these vital signs are abnormal) Nursing 100 is a class that we're in all day long, 3 days a week but it's where we're learning all of our basic nursing skills. We really haven't spent a whole lot of time doing any kind of skills yet but I think that's coming. I know this Thursday we will be learning how to do accuchecks and next week we will be learning how to insert an NG tube. I feel like we have learned so much already and I'm only about 1/4 of the way through my 1st term. This is going to be quite an exciting ride!!!!!

I really feel like all of the teachers at my school are invested in each one of us, and want us all to succeed. Each instructor that I have I think sees their students as individuals, not just as a class as a whole, and that helps a lot.

I think I'm hanging in there pretty well. I've gotten passing grades on all my tests so far. That may not sound like much but trust me there aren't a whole lot of people in my classes that can say that! It's been pretty difficult trying to make study time at home. Not because my husband isn't supportive, but because I have 2 small children and I want to spend more time with them.

I'll talk to everybody soon!!!!

mrsraisinkain · Apr 26, 2008

OMG, the rumor is that we are going to have to retake tests in 2 different classes because somebody was caught cheating in each. Arrrrgggghhh

mrsraisinkain · May 15, 2008

Oh my gosh you guys, I'm so busy!!!

NycCutie · May 27, 2008

Oh my gosh you guys, I'm so busy!!!

I am a new LPN student just started school on April 29th 2008, I have really enjoyed you and marci's stories and i am sad that it has not continued, we are 4 weeks into our program ulready and you are not kidding this is no game.I am doing and evenig part time program for 22 months yeah I know it will take a little longer but i have to work full time i have a four year old daughter so this schedule is cool for me:D.Well let me tell you guys a little about my program we are a nursing class of 19 students 1 guy:chuckle so far everyone seems pretty cool. We started off with nursing fundamentals(foundations by christensen) A&P, and professional awareness, A&p has been a breeze 4 tests altogether now and noting less than a 90%:yeah:Fundamentals hasn't really given any major tests yet just learning about pt saftey, care plans and nursing diagnosis(a liitle boring that class the teacher has a BSN in nursing but never taught a class before so you can imagine she doesn't even know wat to do with a powerpoint:chuckle, but she is really sweet and gives everybody a chance we had a critical thinking test and I got a 90% too really proud. As far as the other students some are also doing excepionally well and some don't say anything and when the teacher asks them if they wishh to take it over they all raise their hands then we know which ones did not do good:crying2: 2 girls are ulready missing haven't seen them in the last couples classes but that is gonna be expected:cry:.We also wear whit tops and bottoms and white lab jackets with the school logo not terrible but I fined myself wshing all the time, we start actual clinicals on aug 3rd can wait but still nervous, until then we have lab with dummies and IV's to play around with:yeah:.Tests every week just finished studying:yawn: , everyone was right nursing school is tough but in the end sooooo worth it guys.Please everybody keep this thread going it really helps.Hope to hear from everyone soon love cutie pie:wshgrt:

mrsraisinkain · Jun 5, 2008

I'm sorry I don't mean to be neglectful. I am so busy I don't know if I'm coming or going. I check the board once every several days but don't hardly have time to post and if I do I don't have the energy. I'm in danger of needing to repeat A and P so I've been studying my tushy off for that class. I have about 5 weeks to pull my grade up - 3 more tests including the final. Wish me luck and I'll see everybody soon!!!

MeowTimesTwo · Jun 6, 2008

Best of luck to you!! You can do it!

mrsraisinkain · Jun 6, 2008

Thanks. I have a 74.1% and need a 78.9% to pass the class. I have it figured out that out of the 400 points left available in the class I have to get 326 of them. My instructor is very tough but very nice and he assures me I can do it. I have a test today over the digestive system, the respiratory system, and the cellular level portion of nutrition and metabolism (Krebs cycle, etc) I'm about sick to my stomach I want to make it happen so badly. I'm a wreck this morning!!

NycCutie · Jun 8, 2008

I'm sorry I don't mean to be neglectful. I am so busy I don't know if I'm coming or going. I check the board once every several days but don't hardly have time to post and if I do I don't have the energy. I'm in danger of needing to repeat A and P so I've been studying my tushy off for that class. I have about 5 weeks to pull my grade up - 3 more tests including the final. Wish me luck and I'll see everybody soon!!!

I have learned the trick to A&P is breaking that chapter down.In the first page of the chapter learn the key points, objectives and definitions of the keys words write them down on index cards or looseleaf paper so you can stuff it in your purse and study anywhere, then after you have broken the key points down then read the chapter and everything will be much clearer because if you just read the entire chapter first you will be like what the hell:Dit is too much info and lot of times they squeeze alot of extra into the chapter that you don't need so sometimes it can be confusing.Don't worry boo I have faith in you! Good luck! :yeah:

mrsraisinkain · Jun 12, 2008

Thanks for the help. I actually have been a flashcard addict, carrying them everywhere with me, reading them in the doctor's office, at teeball practice, etc. My problem is that it's not ONE chapter I have to learn at a time, it's THREE chapters on each test, every other week. We have class twice a week and so we have 3 lectures on 3 chapters and then a test. It's a whole lot of information to cram into my little brain in such a short period of time.

However, I do have a 93% in my Nursing 100 class and a 97% in our Concepts of Nursing class. I'm quite happy with that and I am LOVING clinicals. I have met the neatest people in clinicals and look forward to them every week.

Thanks for the support everyone. I only have 3.5 more weeks in this term and then I have a two week break. I can't wait!