Older Nursing Students

Nursing Students Student Assist

Published

Anyone out there who are older nursing students who work a part time job too? Any advice on how to study the material? Feedback would be helpful. I am in in fast paced 13 month program and have a medical background... it is administration.

I appreciate your help very much. I have been reviewing and making more flashcards. I have subscribed to Mr. Ford's Class online and have watched some of his videos concerning Anatomy. He explains everything in very basic terms and using many visuals. I am finding this to be most helpful. The $30 subscription is well worth it. Anyone outthere who is considering taking anatomy might want to look into this. Tou can also go to Teacher Tube and look at some of the videos. On Mr. ford he has TONS of resources for every part of the class, practice test, podcasts, etc. Anyway, enough free advertisement for him. Class begins tomorrow. We are using Saladin's Anatomy and Physiology-Unity of Form and function. If anyone out there has used this particular text and has helpful info.Thanks again AtomicWoman! Lisa

Who is Mr. Ford?

Lisa, I forgot to mention one of my favorite A&P "tips" for the visually-challenged. (I don't know if you are, but I sure am.) Whenever I had an exam that required me to label diagrams, as soon as got the exam, I labeled all the "lefts" with a big "RIGHT" and all the "rights" with a big "LEFT". That way, I didn't accidentally label the right ventricle the left ventricle and the right kidney the left kidney. LOL!

Check out old A&P Threads under the pre-nursing student forum. There are lots of great free websites that people have found listed in those threads.

Good luck in class! Remember to breathe tomorrow. :)

MrFordsclass.com is a website of videos, notes, tons of help for A & P. Thank you for the Left/Right tip!!! I am ready to get started. You have been a big help in knowing there are others who have had the same struggles and are making it through!!

Specializes in Psychiatry & Geriatrics.

Hello Everyone.... I am 38 years old and will begin my final year of nursing school in two weeks! YEA! Almost done. I also work 36-40hrs week and raise a family, as well as travel 1hr each way to classes. It's exhausting, but I think of the end result, and that helps me to get through. Another thing that helps is having your very own "space" which is devoted to studying and homework. Set clear boundaries with your family and friends, letting them know the importance of what your are doing. When your up front about what you need, you'll get more support. I also think that as an older student, your instructors/professors are more willing to work with you as they understand the challenges of family/employment/education.

Some study tips...........set limits on how much time you spend at once on each subject, don't become overloaded with too much information all at once; organize your study time, prioritize; use your laptop for note taking, record lectures, etc.

YOU'LL BE FINE!!!

Good luck to all!

SLIC MEN R RED

Good mnenonic for the organ systems;

skeletal, lymphatic, integumentary, cardiovascular, muscular, endocrine, nervous, respiratory, reproductive, excretory(typically known as urinary), digestive

Prone- face down (remember: He is prone to fall on his face!)

supine- (think "soup's up")

supinated; (think hands look like a soup bowl)

Ionic bonds: think of this little joke: Two atoms walked into a bar. One of them said "I think I lost an electron. The other one said, "Are you sure" "I'm positive."

Don't know about the rest of you but these little aids help the mind with remember all the terms, etc.

Hope this helps someone needing to know.

i am also an older nursing student, I work full time as a tech

i also have two children, 16 and 14

i have found that working nights is the best to study

weekends are best for shift-diff and weekend-dif pay

and that the tension level is lower at night and on weekends

you can't count on having studytime though

lately i have been considering private duty at night instead of hospital work

have you found anything yet?

anyone out there have any better suggestions for a job that lets permits study time?

Specializes in Psychiatry.

I'm 38 and work full time this summer as an extern and then I will work part time again when school starts (I graduate next April).

I couldn't imagine NOT working, I seem to perform better when I'm busy.

Cheers,

Diane

Hi - my name is Lyn and I am new on this site. I am currently in my first semester of school and am holding my own. I am 54 years old and spent 30 years working as an Insuance Broker. When I was laid off from my job of 10 years I began taking the pre reqs to get into nursing school which thankfully I managed to do. I was working bad insurance jobs while going to school at night but now that I need to be in school during the day I had to stop working in the insurance field. This summer I took a CNA course and received my certification hoping to get a job in the evening or night - but so far no luck. I have applied to every hospital and nursing home in the area and I have no idea what to do. I am wondering if my age is holding me back since I know CNA jobs are extremely physical. I am in excellent shope for my age and am getting desperate. I don't know if I can remain in school if I don't find a job soon.

If anyone has any ideas - I would greatly appreciate it.

WOW! Has this thread taken off...so nice to know about all of us 'oldies' out there.

My name is Caci and I'm turning 40 in less than a month (EEEEK!). I am just a child at heart.

I went to EMT school when I was 36, then went to paramedic school, then took my prereqs for nursing, and now am in an accelerated program for medics/RTs/LPNs for nursing. I did all this working FT and PT with a teenager and a husband who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia 8 years ago. I was going to be a forensic scientist...but thems the breaks. I decided that no one was going to take care of him better than me, so off to learn the medical field I did. I went into school with a 2.1 GPA from early years of not giving a flying pig's *$%. Now, my GPA is 3.98 and I'm beginning to see the light around the corner.

Ideas for studying? Have you ever taken one of those tests that tell you what kind of a learner you are? That was great for me. I am very visual and auditory. As I read the book, I type notes on my computer then print them out for exams. I make lots of notecards, charts (for similarities and differences - this worked fantastic for me for the electrolytes), and so on. Different chapters/body systems require different studying techniques for me. Once I get into it, I then make my plan.

I have a specific time that I study everyday. Sometimes I have to tweak it because of my home life, but it stays pretty consistent. I am highly organized (this lessens frustration), and I don't have many friends :clown: (lol). As you go into it, you will develop a more concise system. When I started I was trying EVERYTHING. Then things settled down, and I have a very structured way that I study.

Good luck, girlfriend. We'll make it. No matter what. I think to myself all the time, my family does not deserve failure. They deserve my best and by God, I'm gonna give it.

Blessings to all of you

I just read your thread and I can identify with you. I am 51 and was downsized after 20 yrs of loyal service.

I 've always loved biology but like we all say life gets in the way. I am one of the older students in my pre requic classes, but I love it. Wish I had done this @ least 5yrs ago. The younger students and I get along great and we study together well. Empty nester so I have plenty of time to study. But like another post I'm going to have to look for another p/t job cause classes and books are expensive.

Hang in there!!!! and glad for this website, it's great for encouragment.

Hello All,

I am 38 yrs old and am in the middle of my pre-requisites in community college. Hopefully by Sept I can start my clinicals might be Jan. I am struggling a bit because I am a full time Secretary in a hospital with a demanding job. I have an 18 year old son iwho is very good just wish he was a bit more motivated when it comes to school. Hopefully I will inspire him. By the grace of god and hard work I will make it throuhgh the next couple of years. Joining this site and reading all of your comments is both motivating and inspiring. Thank you and good luck to all of you.

Specializes in 6 mos. of LVN, 10 Yrs caring for Mom.

Go Golden Oldies!

I'm 52-yrs-old and a nursing student. When I look around my classroom and realize that not only am I older than all my classmates and instructors, but heck, I'm older than the building! But the good thing, is that we are "Boomers" and will have the majority of the aging population in our age-range. That will give us "older" students the advantage of patients being able to relate to us (nurses of the same generation). Right?

Specializes in med surg home care PEDS.

I'm 54 and a senior in a 2yr ADN program, and I gave up working, or should I say it gave me up. Worked since 16yo, 20years are the auto industry, 10 years in the food and beverage industry, as secretary for a major soft drink co. and 5 years as admin for a top exec of a mjor telecommunications co. decided after kids finished college to return to school and try and realize a life long dream.

I am exhausted, stress and just generally disgusted. I love nursing, but nursing school is a whole other story, it is the hardest thing I have ever done, harder than I ever imagined. the work load is dizzying, I keep up but no longer worry about A's, the clinicals depend on the instructor I have had patient, nurturing instructors who I learned so much from and truly horrible instructors that make clinical hell, I learn nothing and spend most of my clinical trying to avoid any interaction with them for fear of being failed out of clincical for some infraction of their rules.

However, if you really want it you will suceed, you'll stay up all night studying if you have to, you'll learn to smile and look attentively while being completely demoralized, you'll learn which one of your classmates you can trust and which are just ******, you learn the limits of your physical strength, which believe me no way matches that of your 20 something classmates. You'll learn to snatch a few moments to read a newspaper, or watch a TV show, you'll learn to let your house work go and cooking and laundry without freaking out.

You'll learn time management, and most of all you'll learn by observing the nurses on the floor what type of nurse you want to be and what type you don't want to be.

You can do it, and work part-time but be prepared to be both emotionally and physcially exhausted but keep your eyes on the prize and go for it.

+ Add a Comment