One Module Down

[MotivatedOne]

So I started my first semester of Nursing School August 17th, and these past 3 weeks have been so overwhelming. I've been struggling with time managment and figuring out what I should do about my work schedule in order to have enough time to study for school. Classes have been LONG and semi boring. I've had to sit in the very front to prevent myself from falling asleep. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the 8th and 9th we took our first exam in both Pharmacology and Fundamentals.

My school is on some weird 6 pt scale so I ended up getting a C (82) on my Fundamentals exam and a B (90) on my Pharm exam. I guess I should be grateful for those scores considering I didn't study as much as I should/could have.

We started clinicals our second week of class. So far all we've been doing are bed baths. But this upcoming week we'll start checking vital signs. I almost feel as if there is a lack of structure in my program and like I'm teaching myself. All of our lectures are ONLINE...and for 3 hours our instructors reiterate what we've already listened to prior to coming to class and that's if and only if they don't go off on some tangit about only God know's what.

So basically...One Module down...who know's how many more to go.

Good luck everyone!

[Sarah Hay]

I have never heard of that grading scale before and I'd be quite frustrated if a 82 was a C here because in my program we cannot make below a B in any classes.

I felt the same way when I started school as well. As you continue on through your first year, you will develop a time schedule and things wont be too hectic. However, if your program is anything like mine - once you hit your second year ... wow. You cannot have a day time job and we're not allowed to work nights on clinical days. (Wednesday and Thursday nights). Your previous time schedule is thrown out the window. =D I'm still trying to cope 3 weeks in... Good luck to you!

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

in my program, 80-84 was a C, 85-89 was a B, 90 and above was a A. couldn't pass with lower than a C.

I felt that way when I first started. I hadn't been a CNA before school, and really didn't know what was going on, our instructor was not very forthcoming and expected us to know nursing basics without being taught(took a diabetic away from breakfast first week, because we were told to take our clients to their room upon arriving on the floor and then assess....so when they were looking for him, I had him in his room.)

hang in there, it does get better. keep on trucking.

[MotivatedOne]

My whole clinical group is in agreement that we are learning far more from our clinical instructor than we are from our lecture and lab instructors. We just started vital signs today. Our class is from 12-3 and for the first 2.5 hours we "talked" about blood pressure, pulse, pulse ox, temp and respiration. Then for the last 30 minutes we practiced checking vital signs. Considering being an NA was not a requirement for students in my program, half of my classmates have no health care experience and for that reason alone, we should have been given more time. This is a LAB class not my LECTURE class...which is interesting considering my professors say that they will not lecture us in class because the "lectures" are online instead.

They are supposed to go to the 10 point scale next year. Hopefully anyway!