January/Spring '08 Starters...check in!

Nursing Students General Students

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hello everyone!!!

i thought...we are inching closer and closer to our start dates, it might be good to introduce ourselves and get aquainted as we will be leaning on each other (and those who are ahead of us) for the next couple of years!!!

i'm curious to see how everyone is doing and what you are doing right now to prepare for your start!!!

first off, congratulations to everone!!!! i'm sure you are just as excited as i am to be starting in the spring! let's get to know each other a little better!!! figured we could use this as an intro and for any questions we might have for each other!!! can't wait to meet everyone!!!

name: lori

orientation date: january 7

start date: january 23

school attending: college of lake county, grayslake illinois

degree seeking: adn

school history: finished pre-req's in spring '07, didn't get in for fall of '07, but starting in spring '08!

personal info: i am married with a 2 year old daughter and a dog and i work full-time. i will be attending night classes at my cc.

anything else you want to share: i am enjoying my free time right now and through the holidays because i know once my classes begin, i will not be available at all for anything!!! i am excited to start, but enjoying the days leading up to it!

how are you preparing?: i go next week for my immunizations and i have to get a physical soon. cpr is done and i think other than that, nothing else until orientation! doing my research for the palm pilot software to help me through! also, i am requesting a lot of stuff from the in-laws to do with my classes for christmas - rolling back-pack, shoes, stehescope/bp cuff...and just plain ol' cash!

those who had their orientation already, how did it go? what did the day include??? please, help those of us who have to wait a few more weeks! :bow:

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I start January 14th, after two LONG years of prereqs!! Had orientation yesterday...can you say overwhelming??? I'm so excited...this is what I've been preparing for and dreaming about for two years now, but at the same time I've nervous and anxious about what's ahead. The director of nursing spent a lot of time telling us that our lives won't be our own over the next two years and pretty much gave us a big dose of reality! My biggest challenge will be managing my study time/school time with my family. The best recommendation we were given was to actually block out your day on a calendar and schedule EVERYTHING, including your study time. They also stressed the importance of having some me time every day, even if it's just 20 or 30 minutes. Otherwise, you will burn out.

I'm just so excited to finally be in this forum and connecting with others who are going to be taking the same journey!

We are student nurses now!!!;)

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I start January 14th, after two LONG years of prereqs!! Had orientation yesterday...can you say overwhelming??? I'm so excited...this is what I've been preparing for and dreaming about for two years now, but at the same time I've nervous and anxious about what's ahead. The director of nursing spent a lot of time telling us that our lives won't be our own over the next two years and pretty much gave us a big dose of reality! My biggest challenge will be managing my study time/school time with my family. The best recommendation we were given was to actually block out your day on a calendar and schedule EVERYTHING, including your study time. They also stressed the importance of having some me time every day, even if it's just 20 or 30 minutes. Otherwise, you will burn out.

I'm just so excited to finally be in this forum and connecting with others who are going to be taking the same journey!

We are student nurses now!!!;)

If it makes you feel any better, I have been going to school since Summer of 2004. I had my daughter in that time and took a little bit of time off, so that messed up my "plan". But yes...this is what I have been working towards for the past 3 1/2 years!

I have the next couple of weeks off of work, and next week is pretty much dedicated to getting all of my ducks in a row with physicals and titres and such! So, I should be set come Orientation time!

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If it makes you feel any better, I have been going to school since Summer of 2004. I had my daughter in that time and took a little bit of time off, so that messed up my "plan". But yes...this is what I have been working towards for the past 3 1/2 years!

I have the next couple of weeks off of work, and next week is pretty much dedicated to getting all of my ducks in a row with physicals and titres and such! So, I should be set come Orientation time!

I started in 2004 as well, I had a couple of things mess up my "plan" and put me behind, but I am still plugging away, my orignial goal was to be graduating this May, the same time my daughter goes on to middle school, but it looks more like I will be graduating with my boys they will be in 5th grade when i graduate.

I have finished up all my loose ends just need to get my books and our orientation isn't until a week before classes begin.

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I start January 14th, after two LONG years of prereqs!! Had orientation yesterday...can you say overwhelming??? I'm so excited...this is what I've been preparing for and dreaming about for two years now, but at the same time I've nervous and anxious about what's ahead. The director of nursing spent a lot of time telling us that our lives won't be our own over the next two years and pretty much gave us a big dose of reality! My biggest challenge will be managing my study time/school time with my family. The best recommendation we were given was to actually block out your day on a calendar and schedule EVERYTHING, including your study time. They also stressed the importance of having some me time every day, even if it's just 20 or 30 minutes. Otherwise, you will burn out.

I'm just so excited to finally be in this forum and connecting with others who are going to be taking the same journey!

We are student nurses now!!!;)

During my Orientation, the Nursing Director gave us a daily planner sheet already filled out with the times of theory and clinicals. She had us go through and fill out 2-3 hours of study time everyday and then fill out around 2 hours of family time everyday. The rest of the time was to be used for extra studying and running errands, housecleaning, etc. She suggested that we guard the study/family times and let no one or nothing interfere with them. She told us that it has been her experience that the best students were those who could successfully balance home life and school life and if we actually trust her (she's had 21 years of teaching nursing students) and listen to her suggestions....we would be fine. I thought this was a grand idea. I was worried about how I would be able to balance everything and she really put me at ease about this issue. Most of my support courses were done online and I have very little experience with actual campus classes. After attending Orientation...I'm much more relaxed and actually looking forward to my time spent on campus. Since I homeschool, actually going to campus will be a daily break from my home life for me.

Good luck to everyone! Yeah for nursing students!!!:nurse:

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During my Orientation, the Nursing Director gave us a daily planner sheet already filled out with the times of theory and clinicals. She had us go through and fill out 2-3 hours of study time everyday and then fill out around 2 hours of family time everyday. The rest of the time was to be used for extra studying and running errands, housecleaning, etc. She suggested that we guard the study/family times and let no one or nothing interfere with them. She told us that it has been her experience that the best students were those who could successfully balance home life and school life and if we actually trust her (she's had 21 years of teaching nursing students) and listen to her suggestions....we would be fine. I thought this was a grand idea. I was worried about how I would be able to balance everything and she really put me at ease about this issue. Most of my support courses were done online and I have very little experience with actual campus classes. After attending Orientation...I'm much more relaxed and actually looking forward to my time spent on campus. Since I homeschool, actually going to campus will be a daily break from my home life for me.

Good luck to everyone! Yeah for nursing students!!!:nurse:

What a great idea your director had! I may have to snatch that one up!

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name: greg

orientation date: january 4

start date: january 7

school attending: mt. hood community college, finish at oregon health & science university

degree seeking: adn-then-bsn (hybrid program)

school history: i've been done with my pre-reqs for a full year now, eek. been working on bsn requirements in the meantime.

personal info: 21 years old, recently single, no kids. pretty young things better watch out!

anything else you want to share: i've been waiting for this for too long. of course i know that once it starts, all i will want is for it to be over. i'm waiting until the last-minute orientation before buying the misc stuff, but i will get some fugly royal blue color scrubs before that. i am sooo gonna dread wearing that color for 2 whole years!

how are you preparing?: i've been working as an in-home caregiver to fill up my time and to keep the bank account in the black. i'm trying to figure out how much i can work during nursing school, all the theory classes and labs will be day shift and i prefer night shift work, so managing sleep will be tricky.

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name: lisa

orientation date: january

start date: january 28

school attending: galen college of nursing louisville, ky.

degree seeking: rn

school history: some college back in 92-96

personal info: i am married, 33 years old with 4 kiddos. (12, 9, 4 & 2) my hubby works from home (real estate) and will be watching our smallest while i am in school. we have horses, dogs, cats, ferrets, a small zoo! lol. i am also a type 1 diabetic and thinking about doing something in that field.

anything else you want to share: i am very excited to start, but trying to enjoy my last few weeks before school with my children. i am also trying to simplify things around the house to make things easier.

how are you preparing?: just finished my immunizations & health checks. (oh and the wonderful hep-b shot, ick) my stethescope and supplies will be here any day, shoes are here, just waiting to get everything else in line for late january.

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name: jen

orientation date: december 14

start date: january 14

school attending: saddleback community college

degree seeking: adn

school history: i have been trying to get into nursing school for a little over 2 years and in that time have completed every required class for this program with the exception of the core nursing courses.

personal info: i am married and have 3 auto-immune diseases.

how are you preparing?: i know nursing school will be my life in a month so i am just enjoying my free time while i have it.

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name: tiffany

orientation date: november 14, 2007

start date: january 7, 2008

school attending: university of michigan

degree seeking: bsn

school history: had one year of college in 1996, stopped to have my daughter. started again in may 2005, just days after my son was released from the nicu, and have been taking 1-3 classes a semester since.

personal info: i am married (10 years tomorrow!) with a 9 year old daughter, a 2 year old son, a dog and two cats.

anything else you want to share: i am excited and nervous for a number of reasons. we actually get to start with patients our second week! i am nervous that i won't be able to balance everything and that i won't do well. i've wanted this and have been working towards this for a long time.

how are you preparing?:i've figured out my son's child care situation and done all the work necessary to make sure his care giver will know what to do if he has a seizure. i've had my physical, done my tb test, had my titers drawn, bought my stethoscope, uniforms, lab coat, school patches, shoes, some of my textbooks, bp cuff, penlights and had a bunch of immunizations. when i had my titers done, they said that i was not immune to rubella even though i was vaccinated as a child and had a booster after my son was born in 2005. apparently you are not supposed to give vaccinations or boosters around the time you give a blood transfusion, but my doctor's office made a mistake. i ended up needing mmr, tetorifice and diptheria, and hep b. i take cpr tomorrow night. i still need to get the second hep b shot, do my computer training for bloodborne pathogens and hipaa and to be able to use the hospital's computer system, buy the rest of my textbooks, and pick up a few other supplies.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

name: de

orientation date: january 11, 2008

start date: january 14, 2008

school attending: university of texas at tyler - palestine campus

degree seeking: bsn (lvn - bsn transition)

school history: bs in fashion merchandising 1992. decided to puruse nursing career. lvn license 2/14/07.

personal info: single, never married. no kids. one dog: schnauzer named toby. i have been taking classes non-stop since 2000 (when i decided to pursue a healthcare career)....and i'm ready to have a life....maybe a boyfriend...husband....kids....i'm almost 40!!!

anything else you want to share: i am excited and ready to be an rn! i've been working at a local state mental hospital since my lvn pinning (have worked here as a psychiatric nurse assistanct for 3.5 years prior). good luck to all!!

how are you preparing?: i'm praying that the lord will provide the finances for me to complete the program and give me the strength and knowledge to succeed.

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Specializes in Mother/Baby and LDR.

name: tina

orientation date: november, 2007

start date: january 14, 2008

school attending: ivy tech state college, columbus, indiana

degree seeking: ass. in nursing

school history: correctional officer certificate 1991, medical asst. certificate in 1988, ged in 1987

personal info: married. 5 kids, 2 grandkids and 1 more maybe today, 1 dog, 1 cat. one child left at home, one is in basic trianing with the marines. work full time. daugther plays travel softball

anything else you want to share: i am excited and ready to be an rn! good luck to all!!

how are you preparing?: i'm praying that the lord will provide the finances for me to get back and forth to school, it is a hour drive, complete the program and give me the strength and knowledge to succeed.

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