Nurse-to-be Needs Advice!

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello friends!

I have recently been accepted into my nursing program in Orlando, FL. I am so excited to begin this adventure and be on my way to becoming a nurse. Since the moment I received my acceptance letter, I have been beaming! :geek:

I have so many questions! Thank you for taking the time to read this. I can't wait to be a nurse! :nurse:

Any advice about nursing school, clinicals, or being a nurse in general would be greatly appreciated. Do's and don'ts are always helpful. If you have an experience from your journey to becoming a nurse that you wouldn't mind sharing, please do! I know this path won't always be easy. If you have any advice for the rough days, that would be great.

What type of watch do you prefer? Are there certain watch features that are essential?

What type of shoes do you prefer? - I know good shoes are essential to the longevity of my back and feet.

What type of stethoscope do you use? I really like the Littman classic 2 and the classic 3, but perhaps other brands are better?

Thank you so, so much in advance. :yes: Any information at all is helpful.

Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

I'm not a nurse (CNA), but as for shoes, Skechers are amazing. Skechers vs Under Armour vs Nike, Skechers are THE best and they're reasonably priced. A lot of people I'm sure will recommend Danskos but there are other options :) Oh, and Baby G watches. $50 on Amazon, variety of colors, waterproof, date and counts seconds.

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I wear Nike Frees as basic floor shoes. I think Danskos are revolting.

I use a Littman Master Cardiology III on the floors

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I spent a good portion of my hard-earned student loans on Danskos and they're awful. I regret not purchasing a pair of comfortable tennis shoes; the Danskos feel like I'm wearing wood planks on my feet for 12+ hours. I think the Littmann Class II is great; spend the extra $10 to get your name engraved so no one steals it, and get a dark color because if you wear dark scrubs the fabric dye will (apparently) rub off on the stethoscope :( Spend a good amount of time studying, but put more time into your lab/clinical than you do exams. They're what's really important. Grades are secondary to your skill. Start networking the minute you start school. No, wait--before you start school. Network relentlessly. Seek out opportunities to volunteer, shadow, work...those opportunities aren't going to find you. And yes, grow a thick skin. Oh yea--in regard to a watch, get one with a second hand and a band that you can bleach/disinfect easily. Otherwise you will bring home all kinds of nasty germs on your wrist!

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Love my Danskos. I'll never buy anything but. Tennis shoes would be killing my back after half a shift =(

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Specializes in NICU.

Invest in compression stockings!! Nursemate is my favorite brand (and quite cute with polka dots and hearts- cute socks are important 😉). I have a pair of Danskos and Sanitas love them both more than my Sketchers and New Balances (I actually can't wear my tennis shoes anymore).

Sometimes (more often than not) school gets rough- find your person who is your rock and you can vent to that's in the program. This person will be a key piece for you and survival. I also joined my NSA at my college and if your school has a chapter I recommend getting involved. FNSA is a blast and truly made nursing school fun, so look into it!

Sometimes you just need to stop, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and tell yourself you're awesome and you got this (cause you probably do).

Congrats, I love my job and love being a nurse. Couldn't imagine doing anything else! Welcome to the club!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I know this isn't one of the questions you specifically asked, but my best advice to you is please don't use your selfie as an avatar. This site tends to be anonymous -- and for good reason. One day you're going to make a post that is ill-timed, ill-considered, ill-advised or stupid. When (not if) that day comes, you're not going to want your nursing instructor, classmates, future colleagues or manager to be able to instantly identify you. When you've unwittingly offended 80,000 nurses on allnurses.com, you don't want to walk into report and have everyone in the room glare daggers at you. While anyone can be identified with just a few keystrokes, please don't be instantly identifiable. Preserve some deniability.

As far as shoes -- whatever fits your feet. I've seen fans of Birkenstocks (which I think are torture devices), Danskos (my favorites), New Balance or Skechers. Get whatever is most comfortable for you, but be prepared to spend some real money ($100 or more) because you need good, solid support so your feet, legs and back don't hurt.

Cheap watches will do -- anything waterproof that counts seconds.

Stethescopes -- Littmans are great. I still have my original from 1970-something, although I've upgraded twice since then. (One of them disappeared for six months after a physician snatched it from around my neck "just for a minute." After I got a new one, it magically turned up on a different unit I was floating to, still with my name attached.) Stethescopes are expensive -- don't wear it around your neck where it can be snatched.

There's a wealth of wisdom on allnurses, and most subjects have been covered at least a few dozen times. Do a search on your question, and then if you can't find the answers you need you can start a new thread.

Good luck in nursing school.

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I love my sketcher's memory foam as well. I own Danskos but find they hurt sometimes.

Tips I have for you :

Be on time. You can be sent home from clinicals for being even a minute late.

Try to keep opinions to yourself. Nurses tend to eat their young...

Study groups turn into parties..I studied alone.

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"Nurses tend to eat their young." :lol2: I assume they're just stressed and have little time for themselves. Let alone, time to juggle everything they do everyday, and help nursing students!

Thanks for the tips! They are great. How do you feel about danskos tennis shoes? Do you own the clog danskos or the tennis shoes? Thanks!

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

congratulations,

i dont want to rain on your parade,

but there is NO NURSING SHORTAGE,

that being said there are ways to succede

become STELLAR in clinicals, be inqusitive, volunteer to do as much as you are able with other RN....be eager and capable.....

make an impression..... the statement " i really like it here"

make the impression, that nurse managers realize you are a good investment.....you will have a ton of compition, appear to be a team player....

when i was DON, i cherrie picked, and recruited from outstanding students

i also would notify ther nursing programs leaders how pleased i was with students "x,y & z"...... cut my recuitment efforts and cost, and obtained quality new nurses......that were an asset.....

congratulations, please take most of my post "to heart".......us old fossils need a relief and break ;)

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congratulations,

i dont want to rain on your parade,

but there is NO NURSING SHORTAGE,

that being said there are ways to succede

become STELLAR in clinicals, be inqusitive, volunteer to do as much as you are able with other RN....be eager and capable.....

make an impression..... the statement " i really like it here"

make the impression, that nurse managers realize you are a good investment.....you will have a ton of compition, appear to be a team player....

when i was DON, i cherrie picked, and recruited from outstanding students

i also would notify ther nursing programs leaders how pleased i was with students "x,y & z"...... cut my recuitment efforts and cost, and obtained quality new nurses......that were an asset.....

congratulations, please take most of my post "to heart".......us old fossils need a relief and break ;)

Thank you!!!!!!!!! :geek: Thanks for all the tips! I can't wait to be a nurse! :nurse:

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Does anyone know the differences between the Littman classic 2 and the cardiology 3?

I "compare" them on their website but I can't find major differences. This is mostly because I have no clue how to even use a stethoscope yet and I don't understand the way they describe it because the vocabulary is like a foreign language.

Is there anyway that a cardiology 3 could hinder me in nursing school? I know its a "better" quality but could it make my learning more difficult?

Thanks!

And for those of you that love danskos, how do you feel about the danskos tennis shoe? I see most people like the dansko clog.

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Love my Danskos. I'll never buy anything but. Tennis shoes would be killing my back after half a shift =(

How do you feel about dansko tennis shoes?

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