Made it through the first week of nursing school

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Well almost, I have one more day. It's funny, in the Pre Nursing Student Section I made a post many months ago for those of us starting now and how excited I was and how I would be here my first day to share it with everyone and so forth and so on.

So here it is Thursday and I am finally finding I have a small ounce of energy to come make my post and only because someone asked me in the other forum or else I would have probably just waited until this weekend.

It has been a good week, I am mainly so tired and stuff because I am a night person and I am adjusting to waking up at 6 a.m. every morning and trying to go to bed early and having class every day all day. That has been by far the biggest struggle. I don't have to be up at 6 every day but I figured it would be better to stick to a routine for me and my youngest kid that just started childcare as well. Anyway, also to get parking you have to get there early and I mean REALLY EARLY, our school had a 31% increase in students and parking is horrific so I get to school early and can study or what not on days my classes don't start first thing.

Monday we had Orientation, we had a drawing thing and I won (along with like 15 other students) and I picked a book called "How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School, A Guide FOR students BY students."I haven't started reading it yet but it looks good.

We meet our clinical instructors and found out where we will do our Clinicals which first semester will be long term care. My clinical site will be about 10 mins from my house so that is nice. They tried to group people by their home addresses. We have a huge class size, biggest they have ever done and it's 50 students. Thankfully for most labs and math classes we are in 2 groups so only our Fundamentals and Pharmacology lecture classes will have all of us.

We meet all the nursing instructors and they all seem really great, the ones we have had doing Fundamental lectures have just been awesome and so pleasant and seem like they truly want to see us succeed. It's a two person team and both are currently going for their masters right now so they say how they feel what we are going through and it has helped them more. For example, one lady is trying something new and telling us what PAGES and paragraphs to focus our reading on instead of saying just read chapter 1 and 2. She says to just skim the rest and focus on the things she highlights and she is very thorough.

We also have so much free help from our Learning Opportunity Center that they came in and talked to us about that honestly if a student is determined to succeed there is no reason they can't. We have the Math learning lab, we have a Pharm Drop in study thing if you need help with Pharm, we have free tutoring from 5 RN's, free counseling and even couple counseling if you need it, stress management, test anxiety work shops etc. etc. all free so the help is there if you seek it out.

So anyway, so far I don't feel overwhelmed, but it's only the first week. Lecture has been good, the math teacher for Dosage and Calc seems wonderful and she says she has never had a student that was passing her class not pass the Dosage and Calc exam within the 3 tries at the 100% required.

We start Pharm next week and had our first lab today. It was simple stuff, they said today was mainly the stuff you learn in the CNA classes so for the CNA's in our group it would just be review.

So that was about it, I get home and I am so tired that my kids are freaked out that mom is ready for bed before them, especially since I was always going to bed around 3 in the morning. With my kids starting school last week this week was also back to school night at 2 schools and at my sons middle school it lasted until 9:30 and had first foot ball games and so on, so yea I will use this weekend to recharge and hopefully my body gets more accustomed and the new sleep cycle gets easier as the weeks go on.

Oh we also have a nursing club for the National Student Nurses Association. I am joining that, it looks like a lot of fun and support and a good foot in, our school is trying to start the club up this semester so hopefully there is enough interest to keep a local chapter but NSNA (hope I got that right) will be having a convention in Co Springs in Oct. and I am hoping to go.

So that was my first week as a nursing student, minus tomorrow. but tomorrow is a pretty lite day, after I am going to the spa and getting a facial LOL

Sorry for any major typos and stuff I am beat.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's so great that you posted and wonderful that you had a good first week. It sounds exhausting, but I'm sure your body will soon get in the swing of things and you'll get used to the new sleeping pattern.

I start next week, but I'm not sure exactly when. We have a "professional/orientation" day on Tuesday, but that is not nursing-school specific. Classes at our CC start the next day, but that coincides with clinical for me (first few clinicals actually in lab on campus). So, I'm not really sure if we'll actually have that day (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or if we'll start with the first lecture class, which would be Friday. Either way, by this time next week i will have had a class or two.

I hope your 2nd week goes just as well as your first. :nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Long-term care.

Reading these posts made me remember how exciting it was to start nursing classes. You should both be proud of yourselves.

I just finished my associates in May (over a 9 year process...lol) and I can't believe it's done.

From the newly finished to the newly started, a few survival tips:

Coffee is your friend.

Never be afraid to ask questions, even if your classmates grumble.

Get a tutor...that is what they are there for and you aren't stupid if you use one!

Don't be negative and ignore those being negative around you....it's just TOXIC!

On testing days, put the notes/study materials away just prior to the test...extra cramming is only going to make you doubt what you have learned.

Be nice to each other....it isn't a popularity contest, and you may be surprised how much you can help each other.

Get industrial strength stain remover to clean your scrubs.

Smile...this too shall pass.

Thank the people in your support system, they may not expect it, but it will warm up their day.

And finally....

Don't forget about the most important component of the whole process...YOU! Give yourself "ME" time at least 2-3 times per week (even if it's for five minutes). It is easy to forget yourself in the priority ladder.

Good luck and God's blessings to all starting, progressing through, graduating, NCLEX-ing, or pondering the nursing profession.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Mi Vida Loca, I am happy to hear you had a good first week. I had three days of orientation and it was great. Well, it was very overwhelming too. In order to be there on time I get up at 5am and I myself, am not a morning person. The others in my clinical are great! They are positive and optimistic-I like that attitude, and that is what it takes t0 succeed!!! I have a mountain of reading, printing, studying to do in preparation for next week. I have a running list and it gets longer and longer. Good Luck to all!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Congrats to those of you that just started as well and thank you pkellog and congrats to you as well on finishing, I don't drink coffee but I am right there with all your other advice.

Already I see certain things come out in some of the students that make me think to stay away and not get sucked in and that is exactly what I have done. Have met a lot of good students as well that seem to be focused and positive but not overly stressed to the point of negativity as well. It's a bit overwhelming even meeting a lot of people right now as well since there are so many faces but thankfully in our labs we break up into our clinical group and this will be our group for the entire semester so it's great. Next semester we have a new location for clinicals and will get a new clinical group.

Hopefully this week wasn't the calm before the storm. HA!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Oh and anyone else feel free to share your stories to I would love to hear them. I am SO HAPPY it's friday so I can rest and relax this weekend before the pace picks up. I went and had my facial today and besides physically feeling tired I feel nice and refreshed!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm glad you had a good first week, Mi Vida Loca.

My first week was good, too. The first day was the 17th. In my first week, we had a couple of lectures each day in basics, and we met our clinical instructors and our Pharmacology instructor.

This past Tuesday was our first clinical day at school in the lab. We learned how to do sterile dressing changes. I was OK with it, but it's gonna take a little more practice before I can do it well enough for my first check off next week. We don't start clinicals at the hospital until the seventh week.

It was overwhelming at first, but things have gotten better now and I'm really starting to like it. I just can't believe how quickly the weeks are going by! I know it isn't a lot to only have completed two weeks, but those two weeks went by so fast.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

Mi Vida, it's good to see you on the other side :p

These forums made me afraid that I would have psycho instructors, but from what I've seen so far, they are bending themselves over backwards to help us. This, too, has been an exhausting week. My official schedule actually isn't bad at all: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I don't start until 3. But I still spend every spare moment from 8am in the morning on, at the library trying to keep up with my material and out-of-class quizzes.

It feels like there is an elephant sitting on my chest, with as much stress as I am feeling, but it is exhilarating.

So, when does everyone start at their clinical site?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MED SURG.

I have also made it through the first week of school and wow, I am overwelmed and extremly busy. One thing I can that is good about the nursing compaired to pre reqs, nursing classes are more intresting at least to me. I have not been tired in any of the lectures so far. I am accually retaining some of the info yay! I hope I can keep it there. hehehe!!! I have alot of organizing, I think the killed a whole forest of trees for as much papers they have given me. Oh something funny to share, I was looking for nursing shoes and I could not find iny that fit right and were comfy and were all white so I was recomeded to go to this shoe store in my town and so I went and as soon as I walked in there I was like "no way" these were all elderly shoes. and I was getting ready to go out and they said can I help you and my husbad told them I was looking for white nursing shoes and so she told me to sit and I did and she brought over the ugliest shoes I have ever seen and she put the on my feet (yes, she put the on me) and I stood up and oh wow they are the most comfy shoes I have ever worn. Needless to say I brought the ugly COMFY shoe, comfort rules over beauty.

Anyway so my first week went well but very confusing and overwelming to all we have to do in 16 short weeks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I, too, just finished my first week. Lecture on Monday and Tuesday with a dosage calculation test first thing Tuesday morning. Lab on Wednesday and Thursday to practice Physical Assessments, with a check off for vital signs on Thursday. And then a Mastery check off for Physical Assessments on Friday. Whew! I take the bus into downtown since I live in the 'burbs and so I usually get there really early and stay after and spend my extra time in the library. Being prepared ahead of class/lab has REALLY helped. Well, off for more homework!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MED SURG.
I, too, just finished my first week. Lecture on Monday and Tuesday with a dosage calculation test first thing Tuesday morning. Lab on Wednesday and Thursday to practice Physical Assessments, with a check off for vital signs on Thursday. And then a Mastery check off for Physical Assessments on Friday. Whew! I take the bus into downtown since I live in the 'burbs and so I usually get there really early and stay after and spend my extra time in the library. Being prepared ahead of class/lab has REALLY helped. Well, off for more homework!

wow,you already had your dosage calculation test in the first week? how do they expect you to know it already? That test freaks me out. we have to make a 90 on it in order to continue in nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Mi Vida, it's good to see you on the other side :p

These forums made me afraid that I would have psycho instructors, but from what I've seen so far, they are bending themselves over backwards to help us. This, too, has been an exhausting week. My official schedule actually isn't bad at all: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I don't start until 3. But I still spend every spare moment from 8am in the morning on, at the library trying to keep up with my material and out-of-class quizzes.

It feels like there is an elephant sitting on my chest, with as much stress as I am feeling, but it is exhilarating.

So, when does everyone start at their clinical site?

That is how it was here, we do have class every day but some days we have a couple hours between classes which is a great opportunity to get some studying done and stuff. My biggest struggle this week is just adjusting to getting up early, that is why on days I don't have to get up at 6 I still do, that way I stay in routine.

We start our clinicals on Sept. 14th, I was super worried to start as well from reading these boards but so far it's been not to bad at all.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment