Please...please...Help

I just got accepted in a community college ADN and im scared to death Students General Students

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  • Specializes in 6 yrs CNA. Float pool NA (ER, Med,Surg, Pulm/Renal.

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NICUmiiki, DNP, NP

1,774 Posts

Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

If you were accepted you're at least the average nursing student. They didn't accept a bunch of people way smarter and you. You guys are all at the same level You (and all of the others accepted) are incompetent because you should be. You aren't a nurse, so no one expects you to be at that level yet.

Look up imposter syndrome. It sounds like you have it.

If they do have a question about chemistry on a test, don't worry, the would have gone over it in class. I didn't have chem either. Learn your notes word for word.

Specializes in Nursing Ed, Med Errors.

Hi-- I'm a nursing professor with 40 years of nursing experience. I teach pharmacology, fundamentals, med-surg, and psychiatric nursing.

I'm not sure why any RN would state they don't need chemistry to function; makes me wonder what they do at work.

Here are some places where chemistry is used in nursing:

  • fluid and electrolytes-- basically applied chemistry in the human body. You will need to understand Na+ and K+; ionization, movement across membranes and factors which influence the process-- which are virtually all biologic processes.
  • renal function-- great deal of chemistry there.
  • respiratory function-- again, chemistry of gases/movement and how it goes awry.
  • pharmacology-- all chemistry; it's the use of chemicals to influence s/s/health.
  • GI processes-- chemistry in effect once again; for instance, the use of hypertonic fluids to move fluid into the bowel (FLeets enema) and how this works.
  • metabolic disorders such as diabetic ketoacidosis, rhabdomyolosis are also chemistry-related illnesses.

It's the nurse's responsibility to understand all this and more-- and apply the nursing process of assessment/intervention/evaluation to the same. This is true in all settings, for all patients, all disorders.

I think you may find some concepts unfamiliar during school; be mindful of this and prepare to get tutoring as needed.

Last thing: of course you are no less capable than anyone else. That's rubbish. However, practical experience as a nurse's aide, while helpful with comfort in clinical settings, does not prepare RNs. Nursing school does; and in that clinical environment, you will assess patients, teach them about their disorders and treatments; and intervene as a nurse. You will also be expected to abstain from carrying out orders if they're not safe. That's quite a judgment to make-- not the judgment of a tech. It's quite different from helping with ADLs.

Specializes in Critical Care.
20 minutes ago, melissamabd said:

Hi-- I'm a nursing professor with 40 years of nursing experience. I teach pharmacology, fundamentals, med-surg, and psychiatric nursing.

I'm not sure why any RN would state they don't need chemistry to function; makes me wonder what they do at work.

Here are some places where chemistry is used in nursing:

  • fluid and electrolytes-- basically applied chemistry in the human body. You will need to understand Na+ and K+; ionization, movement across membranes and factors which influence the process-- which are virtually all biologic processes.
  • renal function-- great deal of chemistry there.
  • respiratory function-- again, chemistry of gases/movement and how it goes awry.
  • pharmacology-- all chemistry; it's the use of chemicals to influence s/s/health.
  • GI processes-- chemistry in effect once again; for instance, the use of hypertonic fluids to move fluid into the bowel (FLeets enema) and how this works.
  • metabolic disorders such as diabetic ketoacidosis, rhabdomyolosis are also chemistry-related illnesses.

It's the nurse's responsibility to understand all this and more-- and apply the nursing process of assessment/intervention/evaluation to the same. This is true in all settings, for all patients, all disorders.

I think you may find some concepts unfamiliar during school; be mindful of this and prepare to get tutoring as needed.

Last thing: of course you are no less capable than anyone else. That's rubbish. However, practical experience as a nurse's aide, while helpful with comfort in clinical settings, does not prepare RNs. Nursing school does; and in that clinical environment, you will assess patients, teach them about their disorders and treatments; and intervene as a nurse. You will also be expected to abstain from carrying out orders if they're not safe. That's quite a judgment to make-- not the judgment of a tech. It's quite different from helping with ADLs.

I agree that a chemistry understanding is essential. I wonder why nursing is pushing towards all of this “community nursing/nursing theory” packed BSN rather than organic and biochemistry as well as physics. Until I started premed I had none of these, and my nursing program only required a simple high school chemistry. Since taking these courses I understand many things we do in a nursing setting in much greater depth. THIS is what would help strengthen nursing.

(It turns out many nursing programs don’t even require general bio! Just A+P, and micro!)

carti, BSN, RN

1 Article; 201 Posts

5 hours ago, melissamabd said:

Hi-- I'm a nursing professor with 40 years of nursing experience. I teach pharmacology, fundamentals, med-surg, and psychiatric nursing.

I'm not sure why any RN would state they don't need chemistry to function; makes me wonder what they do at work.

Here are some places where chemistry is used in nursing:

  • fluid and electrolytes-- basically applied chemistry in the human body. You will need to understand Na+ and K+; ionization, movement across membranes and factors which influence the process-- which are virtually all biologic processes.
  • renal function-- great deal of chemistry there.
  • respiratory function-- again, chemistry of gases/movement and how it goes awry.
  • pharmacology-- all chemistry; it's the use of chemicals to influence s/s/health.
  • GI processes-- chemistry in effect once again; for instance, the use of hypertonic fluids to move fluid into the bowel (FLeets enema) and how this works.
  • metabolic disorders such as diabetic ketoacidosis, rhabdomyolosis are also chemistry-related illnesses.

It's the nurse's responsibility to understand all this and more-- and apply the nursing process of assessment/intervention/evaluation to the same. This is true in all settings, for all patients, all disorders.

I think you may find some concepts unfamiliar during school; be mindful of this and prepare to get tutoring as needed.

Last thing: of course you are no less capable than anyone else. That's rubbish. However, practical experience as a nurse's aide, while helpful with comfort in clinical settings, does not prepare RNs. Nursing school does; and in that clinical environment, you will assess patients, teach them about their disorders and treatments; and intervene as a nurse. You will also be expected to abstain from carrying out orders if they're not safe. That's quite a judgment to make-- not the judgment of a tech. It's quite different from helping with ADLs.

Yes, you have 40 years as a nursing professor experience.....but how many years ago did you take Chemistry at a university though? With all due respect, as someone who has taken General Chemistry/Organic Chemistry in the last 3-4 years, I can promise you, nothing you learn in those classes have anything to do with being a nurse.

If you want, I could send you a syllabus of how an introductory general chemistry 1 course is like. It's nothing but math, random equations about stoichiometry, how to balance equations, and more math.

I believe you are confusing those topics you are referring to such as acid/base, renal, GI as something you learn in your A&P classes. A&P is 1000x more useful to a nurse than a chemistry class. Why does a nurse need to learn how to balance an equation or learn how to figure out how many moles in a molecule?

There is a class for that; it's called Biochemistry; and thats why premeds take it, not PRE-nursing students.

carti, BSN, RN

1 Article; 201 Posts

5 hours ago, melissamabd said:

Hi-- I'm a nursing professor with 40 years of nursing experience. I teach pharmacology, fundamentals, med-surg, and psychiatric nursing.

I'm not sure why any RN would state they don't need chemistry to function; makes me wonder what they do at work.

Here are some places where chemistry is used in nursing:

  • fluid and electrolytes-- basically applied chemistry in the human body. You will need to understand Na+ and K+; ionization, movement across membranes and factors which influence the process-- which are virtually all biologic processes.
  • renal function-- great deal of chemistry there.
  • respiratory function-- again, chemistry of gases/movement and how it goes awry.
  • pharmacology-- all chemistry; it's the use of chemicals to influence s/s/health.
  • GI processes-- chemistry in effect once again; for instance, the use of hypertonic fluids to move fluid into the bowel (FLeets enema) and how this works.
  • metabolic disorders such as diabetic ketoacidosis, rhabdomyolosis are also chemistry-related illnesses.

It's the nurse's responsibility to understand all this and more-- and apply the nursing process of assessment/intervention/evaluation to the same. This is true in all settings, for all patients, all disorders.

I think you may find some concepts unfamiliar during school; be mindful of this and prepare to get tutoring as needed.

Last thing: of course you are no less capable than anyone else. That's rubbish. However, practical experience as a nurse's aide, while helpful with comfort in clinical settings, does not prepare RNs. Nursing school does; and in that clinical environment, you will assess patients, teach them about their disorders and treatments; and intervene as a nurse. You will also be expected to abstain from carrying out orders if they're not safe. That's quite a judgment to make-- not the judgment of a tech. It's quite different from helping with ADLs.

Yes, you have 40 years as a nursing professor experience.....but how many years ago did you take Chemistry at a university though? With all due respect, as someone who has taken General Chemistry/Organic Chemistry in the last 3-4 years, I can promise you, nothing you learn in those classes have anything to do with being a nurse.

If you want, I could send you a syllabus of how an introductory general chemistry 1 course is like. It's nothing but math, random equations about stoichiometry, how to balance equations, and more math.

I believe you are confusing those topics you are referring to such as acid/base, renal, GI as something you learn in your A&P classes. A&P is 1000x more useful to a nurse than a chemistry class. Why does a nurse need to learn how to balance an equation or learn how to figure out how many moles in a molecule?

There is a class for that; it's called Biochemistry; and thats why premeds take it, not PRE-nursing students.

OP, you don't need Chemistry to be a nurse; take it from someone who has taken Chem 1, Chem 2, Ochem, etc.

Jeff G

75 Posts

Specializes in Chemistry/Physics Teacher at a community college..

Although you may not see "Chemistry" in daily activities, I can assure you that the principles of Chemistry are everywhere. One just has to investigate a bit.

There are myriads of applications of Chemistry in the health professions. As time allows, I touch on these in my general Chemistry and organic Chemistry courses. By mentioning these applications, I find it reminds students of why they are learning the material.

I should note that I have observed several professors and they will not cover applications of Chemistry to health/medicine since they simply do not have enough time in the course.

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

JeffG - whole heartedly agree with you. But sadly many do not see the forest for the trees re chem and life in healthcare. Not everybody can see the application of the Krebs Cycle into so much. But I can!

Instructors make all the difference! :bow:

Kudos to my bachelor's Chem1 Prof.

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