CacaoHeart

Latest Activity

1. wife due soon, should I defer RN-BSN program?

   CacaoHeart posted a topic in Online Learning

   I began applying to online RN-BSN programs before my wife became pregnant and now that she's due in March I've been accepted to my top choice program that would start in January. It looks like I can readily defer starting to next August but I'm wonde...

2. Best Nursing School Stethoscope?

   CacaoHeart replied to NurseAsh723's topic in Uniform/Gear

   As long as you don't have hearing issues, most any stethoscope will likely be fine. Many nurses at work use the disposable contact isolation stethoscopes for everything. I have always generated excess cerumen/earwax, and found that even though I can ...

3. A little frustrated/confused about BSN/ADN

   CacaoHeart replied to hellfirecat's topic in ADN/BSN

   I graduated in May from an ADN program, having gone with the view that associates programs were cheaper and that I could go back and get my BSN online quickly after getting a job. While that is true for many people, if I were to do it again I'd try h...

4. How "Wake Tech Community College" Nursing Program works.

   CacaoHeart replied to BOSS man's topic in North Carolina

   I recommend going to their info session to be sure, though when I started 2 years ago the policy was that AP credit was calculated as a B, which was a little disappointing but was better than nothing. Provided she takes all the prereqs with A's in mo...

5. NCLEX to Licensure

   CacaoHeart replied to inthecosmos's topic in North Carolina

   Last month I received an email from the NC BON with a copy of my license less than 45 hours after completing the NCLEX, before my quick results were even available. Needless to say I never bothered getting my quick results. It seems to vary a bit fo...

6. BSN right away OR community college RN, then BSN

   CacaoHeart replied to mmoorevirrey's topic in ADN/BSN

   In addition to what others have said so far, in my area it seems that the BSN programs are more flexible and will work with students to make sure they make it through the program, with completion rates in the upper 90s vs 50-70%. Another issue is th...

7. Anyone pass the NCLEX without study/preparation?

   CacaoHeart replied to Stcroix's topic in NCLEX

   It's been ~3.5 years since my last post on this thread but I thought it'd be useful to provide an update. I ended up switching programs which delayed my graduation by 2 years and continued studying nclex style questions throughout both programs. In ...

8. RN programs that don't have a preceptorship?

   CacaoHeart replied to Xlorgguss's topic in General Students

   I started in a 4 semester community college program in which preceptorships were only for a lucky 20 or so of 60 students, with everyone else having regular clinical. I ended up switching to a community college with a 5 semester program and 120 hours...

9. First Choice Nurse; Second ???

   CacaoHeart replied to AllieSparksRN's topic in General Nursing

   Join a circus troop as a partner acrobat. Lifting people up in the air, and also playing on aerial silks/flying trapeze. For now I help organize local circus meetups as part of staying sane in nursing school ;-) One friend recently left a six figure ...

10. hard of hearing

    CacaoHeart replied to shana0's topic in General Nursing

    If you have trouble hearing patients speak, you need a hearing aid. If you only have trouble hearing through stethoscopes, look into electronic ones. If I haven't had my ears cleaned recently I have trouble doing manual blood pressures too. It is wor...

11. AWD vehicle for nurses

    CacaoHeart replied to waiting4ivpush's topic in General Nursing

    Snow tires would be my recommendation if wanting to pay for an improvement in snow driving performance. In practice I drive a front wheel drive (much safer on snow than rear wheel drive) Saturn sedan that I paid 3 grand for almost 10 years ago. I don...

12. CNA as a career

    CacaoHeart replied to unbrokenx3's topic in CNA/MA

    I would not describe working as a CNA to be low anxiety, even when you have good management. I've been a CNA for 7 years now, first in assisted living, then home health, and for the last 18 months in a hospital while making my way through nursing sch...

13. Nurses: You've Been LIED to about your Back and Body Mechanics

    CacaoHeart replied to Lynda Lampert, RN's topic in General Nursing

    I'm happy to see other long term weight lifters on here. I'm a 30 year old student nurse (having worked as a CNA for 7 years now) and have been lifting weights since age 7. Hearing NPR talk about the high rate of back injuries in nursing renewed my c...

14. What did you give up to be in nursing school?

    CacaoHeart replied to negatron's topic in General Students

    Delaying having kids. Reduced social life. My wife and I have been together 7 years, I'm 30 and she's 28. We're trying to wait on having kids until I'm done with nursing school, hopefully May next year.

15. RN program with no pre-reqs?

    CacaoHeart replied to SweetHeartRN2Be's topic in Pre-Nursing

    Agreed. The program I first went into had only 1 official prereq, but then there were 10 courses that gave points toward admission depending on your grade, and if you didn't take most of them and get mostly A's you weren't getting in. This was only ...