New Nursing Student

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2006

reading your post made me think back to when i was a kid and my parents made our first trip out to california. i was so excited about the prospect of actually getting to go to disneyland that i was a bundle of pent up energy. it's sort of on the same level of santa's visit. was i good this year, or not? will i get what i want for christmas? don't you kind of feel that same way? the problem is that you have too much idle time on your hands right now and your conscious mind is doing one of the things it does so very well--sabotaging you. i think that maybe what you need is some positive reinforcement at this point. so, i've posted some links to some articles i usually post for people considering going into nursing. then, i suggest you immerse yourself in holiday activities. if there is something you particularly like doing, do it while you have the chance. when january 16th rolls around your life will be filled with schoolwork. you should also make sure you have school supplies purchased and ready. if you haven't read the threads on allnurses related to this, seek them out and read what others have to say. and, as you read some of the threads on allnurses, remember that many post on the forums to vent their frustrations. while i wouldn't say that my nursing school experience was a "walk in the park" i had wonderful instructors who cared very much about helping us to learn and understand what we were doing. most nursing instructors are not the freaks you might hear being referred to in posts, but very caring, supportive people.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/majors_careers/45263.html - "ten questions to ask yourself" about nursing and if it might be right for you

http://nursing.about.com/od/becomeanurse/bb/beforenurse.htm - "before you decide to become a nurse". things to consider about being a nurse. lots of links to information about what skills you need to become a nurse. and, what if you're really bad at math and science is discussed.

http://nursing.about.com/od/becomeanurse/a/notforeveryone.htm - "nursing is not for everyone". this is a very down to earth and honest article that broadly discusses what a nurse does and what you can expect on the job as a nurse.

http://nursing.about.com/od/nursingshortage/a/transferskills.htm - "nurses skills transfer to other professions". a list of 8 basic job skills that nurses are able to perform making them desirable for hire in many other professions.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/day-life-registered-nurse-185298.html - a day in the life of a registered nurse thread on general nursing discussion forum

cfrimer · Dec 16, 2006

I second Daytonite.

I am just finishing my first semester of an accelerated program, and I was so nervous in the months before classes started. I had to ban myself from reading this site, because I found it to be too upsetting; I was questioning my decision, feeling like I wasn't cut out for the job and even if I was, who would want to do it, since it seemed like all I was reading were accounts of horrible, mean-spirited, back-stabbing, or unfair practices.

The good news is that so far (knock wood) I haven't encountered anything like the stuff that I read here. As Daytonite says, it's not a walk in the park, and my program is far from perfect, and I still have a long way to go, but I just have to take it one week at a time.

I think in the months before school, what helped me the most was to try not to think about it too much -- to relax as much as possible and enjoy doing things that I enjoy. During this first semester, it has been a real effort to do anything that wasn't school related, because I am always so busy. So really sitting back and having fun should make sure that you're prepared when school finally starts!

Good luck!

NaomieRN · Dec 16, 2006

I just my final today for nursing 101, so far I love it.

What I did before I started: Read the first week of lecture, practiced dosage calculations, got Sanders Nclex book and did some questions, I read every single day, even it was for 1 hour and recorded the lectures. For the final, I need to get 45 to pass with a 79.25. I must be doing something right. The key is to get familiar with the test strategy. The Sanders book I got, I only focused on fundamentals of nursing.

momathoner09, BSN, MSN, APRN · Dec 16, 2006

Congrats on your acceptance! I just finished my first semester and the one thing I can recommend is a recorder. I have a digital one so I don't have to keep up w/all those tapes. Even if you don't get around to listening to every lecture you will have them all if you are struggling w/a concept. I was surprised by how much I missed in my notes after giving a second listen. And I consider myself a really good and fast note taker! Also I recommend the book "Fundamentals Sucess." It has great practice questions; if you ask me, half the battle is in training your brain how to take nursing exams. Best of luck to you!

81ke83 · Dec 23, 2006

The one thing, I recommend is a digital recorder. I loaded it on my computer and then downloaded to my ipod and listen to it in the car. If I needed to I could re-listen to any lecture on my computer and update my notes. My first half lecture instructor did her tests from the lectures. The second half instructor did a combination of reading and lecture. I have one person, I study with and we as questions to each other from our notes. Anything that is covered. It is one thing to think you know the material and another to recite it back to someone. If you can recite it back then you can test on it. The school I go to, really turns your world upside down. We were given so many assignments and our care plans took hours to complete. Never thought we would get through it and it is amazing what I have learned. Here it is xmas break and I will be going into the second semester. One day at a time is all you can do.