New RN Nursing Student

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Hi all!

I'll be starting in an RN day program beginning at the end of January! I'm super excited, nervous, excited & nervous... I pretty much bounce between those two feelings any time I think about it. I can't believe I got in... it was my first time applying and was almost certain I'd be denied for whatever reason.

I have a prior BFA in Fine Arts, and though I received pretty good grades throughout my nursing prerequisites, I figure I don't have much experience in the Nursing field specifically so this is all very new to me. Upon graduating from art school, I started working with a young child with disabilities. It began more as an art therapy kind of position, but slowly transformed into a full time job, as the child's mother wanted me to participate in the extensive therapies and medical visits he had to endure. From that position, I moved on to working with adults with special needs through a non-profit organization that promotes individualized care and personalized goal-oriented assistance. Long story short, I became more and more interested in assistive medical care, intrigued by all of the things I didn't understand and wanted to know more, which lead me to the nursing pre-reqs and now I'm enrolled in Nursing school. It's crazy!

Anyway, any words of wisdom from those who are in a program, or who've graduated and are working, would be greatly appreciated. I've yet to attend my orientation, which isn't until December, so I'm trying to do some research on what I should be prepared for. Other's entering an RN program soon... how are you preparing yourself? Any tips/tricks/stories/etc...???

:) Thanks so much for reading my story! I'm excited to be a part of the Nursing world!

Hang on just a minute Dranger! One of my offspring has an BS, MFA & a wonderful career. There's always a place for people with both creativity and skill.

OP, have you considered Art Therapy as a profession? American Art Therapy Association It may be a better match for you than nursing, especially since the nursing job market is so uncertain these days.

Maybe....but as a recent college grad most of my BFA friends are literally the typical starving artists, in crappy retail management or working as baristas. You can't deny there is more opportunities for science and or practical majors. What % of BFA grads reach 6 figures? I know life isn't about money but I am sure most people expect decent compensation for working on a 4 year degree right?

Had a roommate at my college (close to 55k a year tuition) who got majored in pottery and dance (BFA), I mean c'mon now....

Oh and I am not going to put down your art therapy suggestion but something tells me even with the glut of new nurses there is more demand for nursing (when factoring in pay and versatility) than art therapy.

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Had a roommate at my college (close to 55k a year tuition) who got majored in pottery and dance (BFA), I mean c'mon now....

Your school really made out like a bandit on that one. What is that person working as now?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I use art at work a lot. ;)

Though my latest art work is to design and build a custom Halloween costume with my pediatric patient that fits over his w/c. He's very excited with our progress so far.

Cardboard & duct tape go a long way.

An artistic eye can often help in seeing the big picture and spotting subtle changes. This can be especially helpful with young or non-verbal patients.

Best of luck as you begin your nursing education.

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Your school really made out like a bandit on that one. What is that person working as now?

Bartender....not even joking. Looking to go back to school for a masters in art.....

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Specializes in Neurosurgical ICU, Emergency, Psych, Art Therapy.

Dranger,

That story sounds very familiar to me. Unfortunately I'll be paying off a hefty amount of student loans once I'm working as an RN. The only good thing that came from my art school experience is learning more about myself and deciding I'd rather work in a field where I'm hands-on directly helping people in need. I don't know if I would've come to that conclusion without my art school experience. It was an expensive lesson to learn!

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I would suggest taking a couple nursing courses allowed in your program. Im taking pathophysiology and medical terminology it has helped me prepare how the exams are set up and i took health assessment this summer.

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Congratulations!!! And nursing is a career with so many possibilities, even a background in customer service and retail has proved helpful for many of my classmates! You'll take the knowledge and experiences you have from your BFA and utilize it, trust me! Many aspects of nursing can be viewed as an artform! :yes:

As for preparing...NOTHING will prepare you for what you are about to endure! Hahaha. I tried to read some NCLEX review books and such before I started my program, but I found it really just confused me much more, because those books are not meant to teach you nursing, but rather review material you already know from your classes for the board exam.

I found that studying A&P a little was very helpful, because understanding how the human body works will help you in the long run and put you in a better position when it comes to each system. You could begin a little med-math, as most of the math is math you'll already know, just in a different context, going over some conversions (mg-kg, ml-pint, oz, etc) will help, unless you're super comfortable with the metric system.

Once you go to orientation/get set up for the start of the semester, yoour professors will let you know what you need to do! I started my program in the fall but went to orientation the middle of the summer and left with a list of books to buy and chapters of readings to complete! They'll let you know what you need to do!

Congratulations again!! I remember how excited/scared I was to start and now it's almost over for me! It'll fly by, but relax and enjoy the rest of your old life...because you'll never be the same again!

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My advice is to enjoy the next few months as much as you can and try not to focus on your nerves (if that is even possible). I started in August, so I really know what you're going through! After you walk through those doors on your first day, you will never be the same person ever again; and personally, I think it is awesome! You learn so much in such a little amount of time, and you really develop a sincere respect for the field.. and you know in just a few short semesters, you are going to be a part of that highly respected team.

Before school started, I got a rolling book bag for my like 7 textbooks, a bunch of paper for notes, and I bought a desk and big white board calendar so I could be organized! Otherwise, just have fun and spend as much time with friends and family as you can. Good luck! You will have so much fun in nursing school. :)

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Hi all! I'll be starting in an RN day program beginning at the end of January! I'm super excited nervous, excited & nervous... I pretty much bounce between those two feelings any time I think about it. I can't believe I got in... it was my first time applying and was almost certain I'd be denied for whatever reason. I have a prior BFA in Fine Arts, and though I received pretty good grades throughout my nursing prerequisites, I figure I don't have much experience in the Nursing field specifically so this is all very new to me. Upon graduating from art school, I started working with a young child with disabilities. It began more as an art therapy kind of position, but slowly transformed into a full time job, as the child's mother wanted me to participate in the extensive therapies and medical visits he had to endure. From that position, I moved on to working with adults with special needs through a non-profit organization that promotes individualized care and personalized goal-oriented assistance. Long story short, I became more and more interested in assistive medical care, intrigued by all of the things I didn't understand and wanted to know more, which lead me to the nursing pre-reqs and now I'm enrolled in Nursing school. It's crazy! Anyway, any words of wisdom from those who are in a program, or who've graduated and are working, would be greatly appreciated. I've yet to attend my orientation, which isn't until December, so I'm trying to do some research on what I should be prepared for. Other's entering an RN program soon... how are you preparing yourself? Any tips/tricks/stories/etc...??? :) Thanks so much for reading my story! I'm excited to be a part of the Nursing world![/quote']

I am in my first semester of an ADN program after a BA in English... My best advice is don't be cocky about tests... Or anything for that matter haha It has been a humbling experience taking nursing exams. Keep in mind that, with the different way of thinking that comes along with nursing, there is a different language pattern and style to get used to especially if you are used to a more right-brained way of communicating/info processing. I think the tests are tricky in that sometimes I over think the question and sometimes I don't over think it enough, if that makes sense.

You cannot study enough, but it's different; memorization is only the first step in succeeding. You need to apply and analyze what you have learned. Oh also, it's helpful to really embrace the concept of prioritization of nursing care according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Write that on the back of your eyelids.

With that said, nursing school is pretty awesome so far! Best of luck!

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I agree with dollface - there is no surefire way to prepare for nursing school. I am a single mom of 2 and it ran a close second to being the hardest thing I have ever done.

I studied and analyzed so much and either did stellar or poorly on exams. No gray area with me!

If I really had to rack my brain and give you honest advice?

1. Don't make any presumptions. What you go in thinking you might like or be good at may just get blown out of the water.

2. Only join study groups if you are really studying! Talking about last night's party is a terrible use of valuable time

3. Don't split up study guides. My class loved doing this and guess what - you knew your part really well... and thats about it

4. SLEEP. So many people skipped sleep before major exams. There's a reason we preach sleep to our patients. It's necessary

5. Make friends. I hardly ever missed a class. But when I did, I had at least 2 people I could get good notes from. And I repaid the favor when they needed me.

I finished well, passed boards and got 2 job offers. No the job market isn't great, not just for nurses. If you stay diligent and true to what nursing encompasses, you will do just fine :)

GL and let us know how it goes!:angrybird5:

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Specializes in Public Health.

My only advice is to avoid making your entire life about school. Whether it's your calling or not, it's still a job. Study smartly and learn how to answer NCLEX questions and prioritize.

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Specializes in ER.

I would see if you can find out about scrubs/supplies requirements. We had to buy a stethoscope, scrubs, bandage scissors, hemostats, and pen light. You can find awesome discounts on scrubs and stethoscopes during Black Friday and you don't see those kind of discounts again till usually nursing week. So I would email them and find out what is required and what is allowed. They may require certain scrub bottoms or only one type of scrubs is allowed. I would also find out about shoes.

This stuff can be expensive. My first Littman was about 80 bucks but you can find a decent stethoscope for less. I just want one that I know I can hear out of due to sometimes I can't hear that well.

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