3 Months until NS starts.. What should i be doing!

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Hey everybody.. Just got my OFFICIAL acceptance letter for my ADN program that starts in late August in Fayetteville, NC. Medical exam and immunizations are done. Uniforms ordered and embroidered. Registered for classes. What do u all suggest I do to prepare myself more?? I'm so excited and I feel like I should be doing SOMETHING!!! What are some important things i may need to purchase.. Anything... Suggestions!?!?

Sleep!!!! :D Get your BLS certification and PPD done. I would also recommend learning the common abbreviation like NPO and BID. Congrats on the acceptance and good luck

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Specializes in High Acuity / Emergency / Trauma.

Absorb that last bit of free time you will have for a while. Trust me, this is the time to relax, by the time you get to graduation for your program you will have forgotten how to (relax).

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Make sure you have all of your ducks in a row... Such as medical requirements, uniforms, supplies. I'm in my third semester. We have lost nearly half our starting class. The biggest reason? Anatomy and physiology. Dust that book off... Review as much as you possibly can. I have to say that is the most critical knowledge to have in nursing school because everything builds around it. Remember not to memorize.... Very important! You must UNDERSTAND the information because you will use it over and over... if you know your A & P, you will do just fine. If you every just need to talk feel free to email me at [email protected]... Congratulations on getting in and good luck!

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.

R & R!!!

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Love the helpful suggestions! May I ask: in most of these posts when posters say they are "getting ready to start NS", does it mean in a four year BSN program they are now at their junior year and will be doing Nursing-only coursework and clinicals?

Or do some university/BSN programs intermix nursing coursework after you have completed just a few of the pertinent science pre-reqs so that you actually do some nursing-specific courses before your junior year?

Thanks!

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Enjoy reading for pleasure... it will be a long time before you can do that again.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Sock away a few extra bucks now! You will need it when you are done with school (if not before) and you definately wont feel like working extra between classes.

Brush-up on anatomy and med language (otomy/ectomy; pleura/dura; sub/supra; etc.) So many things will come easier if you can decipher words! - Yes, there will be trick-questions.

Mosby's Memory Notecard (flippy-books) have pictures, cartoon characters, and catchy ways to remember Pharmacology, Med-Surg. stuff, etc. - Real lifesavers

Buy used stuff on Amazon! - Order early enough that you can get another copy if some butthead forgets to ship it or you "accidentally" buy something without the CD you need. I only bought a few books from the campus bookstore and probably saved close to two-grand!

Enjoy your free-time, but don't procrastinate on ANYTHING!

If you smoke, Quit Now! (or forget about nursing - Your dream job wants non-smokers!)

Don't start some moronic diet in the middle of school; Definately don't begin something like the hCG diet two weeks before finals! The point is don't be starving, craving, miserable and unable to focus when you are trying to learn/focus/concentrate and retain information. I saw two classmates fail out because some radical change just sucked the brains right out of them!

Good Luck!

P.S. - Dont' change your answers (unless you are damn sure) ;)

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I'm right there with you! I'm a list-maker, and a planner, and it is KILLING ME to not have a detailed schedule in my hands right now as to what this fall will bring. They basically sent my acceptance letter in March with everything I needed to do/buy before Orientation in July and have been quiet since. And of course because I am checklist obsessed I have already completed 90% of the things we need to do by August. The idea of 3 months of down-time almost makes me feel antsy. (I know...it's totally a problem. (: )

I plan on brushing off the ol' A&P book when I get the urge to "do something nurse-y", and perhaps read up on medical terminology. Which at this rate means I'll know both those books backwards and forwards before August. Hahaha.

Best of luck, and I'll probably see you a lot on these boards in the coming months. :)

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.
Enjoy reading for pleasure... it will be a long time before you can do that again.

This is what I've been doing.

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Ok, I just graduated, so I am going to pass on one really big help-buy the book "Electrolytes made incredibly Easy". Read this book from cover to cover, more than once if needed, but read this book. You need to know these, and they will be with you for the rest of your career. Learn them now, and alot will fall into place-trust me. Good Luck to you.

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Specializes in Neuroscience.

Sleep.

God I wish I could do that right now, but I have a lab class to attend in a few hours. Come to me June 25.

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Wow thank you for that!!! I will definately be getting my A&P books and notes out for review. I havent even thought about that!!! Cool

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