Looking for Amarillo College Students

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I am planning on applying for the ADN program this coming Spring semester. I am looking for someone that can give me some advice / inside knowledge on the application process and the Hesi exam.

Specializes in interested in NICU!!.

hello, can anyone tell me if in the program advice of any math/med calculation book to buy and practice on? i want to start working on those med calculations.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

Well, you don't have to even worry about pharmacology and dosage calculations until Level I. But if you are a nerd like me, and want to go ahead and work on it when you have spare time (lol), then you could get Dosage Calculations Made Incredibly Easy. There is one that is required for Level I, but I don't remember the name of it (I get my books tommorrow).

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
wow-it's crazy to know there are ac students besides me here on an.lol. i posted under the texas tab, but tell me more about the instructors, calculation exams, clinical instuctors. i'm going to apply this fall for the spring '10. i have a review for the math part which it's like you said, basic math, but i was also wondering where to get studying material for the vocabulary part. which semester are you going to be in?

sorry so many questions but i really don't know anyone who's in the program, and all i know is from susan m.

thanks in advance for taking the time to answer our questions.

as far as studying the vocabulary portion of the hesi, everything you need to study is in the study guide. they used alot of words from that book. i got 100% on the vocabulary portion, and all i studied was the guide.

i am going to be a level i student, so i'm starting clinicals, which is really scary. my friends are freaking out because our books this semester are running about $700 or more! oh well.

i am happy to help you guys out because i didn't really know anybody in the program, either, and it's scary when you have no idea what to expect. i finally found a friend who could give me a head's-up on what to expect, and that helps. :D

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Specializes in interested in NICU!!.

hey, i heard that buiyng the books on amazon.com will be cheaper than buying them at the book store. so please specify this to me, the first semester you know it's only two classes, after that, that's when it's level i (on semester ii)? also what study guide are you talking about when stuying for the hesi?

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
hey, i heard that buiyng the books on amazon.com will be cheaper than buying them at the book store. so please specify this to me, the first semester you know it's only two classes, after that, that's when it's level i (on semester ii)? also what study guide are you talking about when stuying for the hesi?

yeah, some of my friends save alot of $ buying on amazon and on thehalf.com. i am on financial aid, and for me, it's not worth the trouble of buying elsewhere. but yeah, if you're paying out of pocket, you should look into it. you have to be careful, though. one of my ns buddies bought her books online, and they ended up being the wrong edition. she had to send them back and wait on that, which took awhile; order the right books, which took more time; and i think she had to fight with one of the sellers to get her money back.

the study guide i am talking about is the hesi study guide, which they sell at the west campus bookstore, and at barnes and noble, too. it says 'hesi' on it. i got a different book - a nursing entrance exam study guide - before that, and it had different material on it. so get the right one!

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Specializes in interested in NICU!!.

sheri ree-how was your boot camp day?

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Bootcamp was grrrreat, I really enjoyed meeting the teachers, although I am already swamped in homework LOL, but I am actually looking forward to it. I can't wait till skills on Tuesday, I can't wait to start a study group and develop new friendships. I was really motivated at the end when Jan(level 1 teacher) showed us the video of her and some other people ( nurses and doctors) went to Africa to help out with medical treatment at a village, it was amazing, something I am really considering now. I am so excited, I can't wait to become a nurse, I know it is going to get hard, really hard, but it will be worth it, because I know someday I can and will make difference in someone elses life, I can't wait to help all those in need of a nurses touch. Oh my(i am tearing up) I want this sooooo much!

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
Bootcamp was grrrreat, I really enjoyed meeting the teachers, although I am already swamped in homework LOL, but I am actually looking forward to it. I can't wait till skills on Tuesday, I can't wait to start a study group and develop new friendships. I was really motivated at the end when Jan(level 1 teacher) showed us the video of her and some other people ( nurses and doctors) went to Africa to help out with medical treatment at a village, it was amazing, something I am really considering now. I am so excited, I can't wait to become a nurse, I know it is going to get hard, really hard, but it will be worth it, because I know someday I can and will make difference in someone elses life, I can't wait to help all those in need of a nurses touch. Oh my(i am tearing up) I want this sooooo much!

Yeah, that is a cool video. I meant to tell y'all about it. Jan will be my clinicals professor this fall!

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Hi everyone! I am an AC level III student, and have been here before but never posted because I never found any AC students on here, so I am glad to see you:) First of all let me say, congratulations on becoming a nursing student, not everyone makes it, and after intro and level I you will lose alot of people. My class started at 112 and now in level III we are at 52... we lost around 25 students after level I. Don't be worried by this, level I just weeded out some people and it is the hardest level I have taken so far. Jan is a great teacher, but very challenging. Pay close attention to fluid and electrolytes and renal, these are things you will see alot from here on out.

I wish someone had told me some things when I got into nursing school here at AC, like..... it's really okay, overwhelming? Yes! But you will get through this, just by being on here shows that you care enough to find other resources. I use this site alot when doing care plans for advice and such, and some of the older threads helped me alot. Don't be afraid when you go to your first clinical, the patients are glad to have a nursing student, because that means that they are going to get tons of attention. Don't be afraid to talk to your patient, they want to talk and they usually have nothing but time.

Here is my first clinical day story. My first instuctor can be intimidating, but deep down she is kind of a "softie". So my first patient had end stage renal disease, cirrhosis, and was diabetic, on telemetry, and had just been put on hospice. I was terrified and when I went to see him he could not talk because his abdomen was so swollen with fluid, ascites. So I go to put him in the shower and get him completely naked and realize that he is still hooked up to telemetry. So now I am freaking out!!! I run to get my instructor and she looks at me like I am crazy, and walks down the hall to unhook him. In pre-conference I don't know the action of his insulin, this is important to know, and am feeling pretty insecure. Then, I met his family and started crying in his room, because I realize this man is going to die and he is only 52, with kids and grankids and I am now rethinking if I can handle this. After that I just sat with him and talked and I also went with the family to meet with hospice and saw everything they were going through. His daughter starts crying in the hallway and says that she can't do this anymore, but then she just hugs me and I realize this is what I am here for, today anyway. So after that I sat with him and his family, I brushed his hair, I held his hand and did my best to support his family. My instructor told me later that he died that day, a couple of hours after we left and that his family told the nurse that they appreciated everything I did, and felt like they were lucky to have me,,, I couldn't believe the way it impacted me, I cried for a long time over this man and his family, and later thought "What if they got one of the uncaring students that day?" We are making a difference, even as students, so on your first day of clinical spend time with your patient, hold their hand if needed, talk to the family. This is what finalized my decision that nursing is where I want to be and what I want to do. I hope to someday be a hospice nurse, because of this man, he was my Robert.. at least for one day.

So there, I could tell you more, but I don't want you to worry. I can say that if you are here, in nursing, for the right reasons then you will be fine. Oh, and I have totaled a car, lost 2 grandmothers, a child, and almost gotten divorced while I have been in nursing school, and my kids get sick with the weirdest things when it's time for clinical to start, like whooping cough and hand foot and mouth disease, I know, right, who gets these things? A nursing students kids!!! I wish you the best of luck and feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

Wow, nsCindy! What a first patient to have! I have heard other students say "Go pick up your client early so that you don't get a really hard one." I don't think I want a really hard one on the first day or anything, but I figure you probably get what you need. In your case, he didn't drive you away from nursing - he brought you CLOSER to it. It's a cool story.

You've sure been through alot of stuff! Our S.I. instructor, and she was relating her story about being diagnosed with cancer while still in NS. She basically said, "if I can get through nursing school while fighting cancer, taking chemo, and working full time, and still make A's, then y'all can make it through, too." Thanks for contributing to our thread :) .

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Wow! I have goose bumps nsCindy! That was a sad but inspiring first day! I am looking forward to clinicals even more now. I love your attitude towards nursing, I hear so many nurses say "why did I choose nursing, if I could go back and do it all over I would have done something else in my life"! At first it scared me for a while hearing that, but after hearing it so much over and over I kept telling myself " when I become a nurse I am going to love being a nurse because not everyone can be a nurse and I will never regret my decision of being a nurse because helping others in need is what I love to do!" I wish I could just wake up in the morning and I was a nurse.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

can i please remind members on terms of service and not to post names of instructors or contacts etc with your nursing school

no potentially libelous information about specific schools, instructors, or health care facilities/entities should be posted in these forums. while it is important to be able to network, everyone should be mindful of the following:

1. it is a small world - when we narrow it down to a state and throw in some personal info, there is actually a pretty good chance someone may recognize you if you are not careful. your privacy is paramount to us.

2. while allnurses.com is a wonderful place to vent (without excess personally identifiable details) it is not the place to express why ("x" specific person, place or program) is terrible. gripe away, but since we cannot permit allegations to be made about named entities, your care in not naming them is very much appreciated.

3. please do not give out personal information about others. do not name names where anyone could identify the person in any facility including your nursing programs.

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