I am curious about what to expect

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Hi All,

I am just curious on what to expect when I start Nursing Classes this fall. We have clinicals on Tues and Thurs. I guess my questions is, do you start out working in the lab (as your clinicals) at school or do you start at a hospital as soon as school starts?

I ve heard terrible things about the 1st semester nursing class, which scares me to death. What and how bad should I be expecting? Any answers will help me out dealing with the jitters!!!!!

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Funny - there was a thread with almost the exactly same title recently! :)

I don't have any advice - because I start this fall and am nervous too!

Good luck! I think this site will be a great sounding board... :)

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Every school is different. Some schools have you go through Labs before you ever touch a patient.

The hospital school that I go to threw us to the Lions immediately in the first week of school.

The jitters are normal. I went through them right at the beginning of my first semester.

Good Luck to You!

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What kinda a bad things have you heard?

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I am definatley excited about starting this fall (especially since I've been on the waiting list :rolleyes: since 2002) just a little nervous of course. Each semester they admit 70 students and about 35 graduate. :uhoh21:

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What kinda a bad things have you heard?

I think I've heard it all, but the most discouraging thing is that this is when most people quit. I am definatley not a quiter and I plan on getting thru no matter what. :)

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Funny - there was a thread with almost the exactly same title recently! :)

I don't have any advice - because I start this fall and am nervous too!

Good luck! I think this site will be a great sounding board... :)

I see you are in Mississippi. What school are you going to?

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That sounds about right. My school started off with 80 in my class, we are down to 66, and I think that is going to be the number that we finish with. If you study smart (I have a phrase, study smarter, not harder) you should have no problem.

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Im pretty good at studying smarter. I guess getting past the "gross stuff" is going to be the worst. :uhoh21:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ER.

Welcome and congradulations! I know this is an exciting time for you... I remember anticipating my first classes two years ago too.

Well my school required a semester of lab type skillswork (assessment, fundamentals- med administration, foleys, etc) prior to hands on care along with 5 lecture classes including pharm, patho and other not so memorable BSN theory crap.

You know I haven't seen that much gross stuff so far and I did my senior practicum at a level 1 trauma center. I mean sure the poop and puke in med/surg is a little gross but hey you only get 1-2 pts and you always have your instructor and fellow students to run to for empathy and assistance if you really need it.

Best of luck to you-

Lexi

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I guess getting past the "gross stuff" is going to be the worst. :uhoh21:
You'll get use to the gross stuff. When I first I couldn't handle Vomit, Diarrhea, or Feces. Then I had a patient throw up on me and that cured my vomit problem in a day that I refer to as Trial by Vomit. I got cured of feces and Diarrhea with a C. diff patient. She had so many cases of diarrhea during a two day period that when i first started i wanted to vomit, and by the end, it was all old school.

You just learn to deal with it. And you know you are a pro when you can think about eating sausages while watching a nephrectomy with the patient's intestines squirming on his chest. Don't sweat it and good Luck!!!:) :)

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

My first semester wasn't that bad. A lot of CNA review. Baths, turning, making beds, then more advanced stuff such as po meds, foleys, NGT's. We all of our lab before clinical started. We had labs on Thursday and Friday, then we had clinical on Thursday and Fridays. It was a lot of fun. You get to be goofy (see post about bathing) and get to bond with classmates. -Andrea

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