How about a relevant, informative thread for once!!

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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Hi all,

I'm growing tired of all the inquiries on this forum into particular schools and programs, as well as threads related to interviews, etc.... While all those are important, and I HAVE found a lot of them useful, how about some new, up-to-date threads on class experiences, advice, study tips, clinical experiences, time management, scheduling, etc rather than dozens of school-specific inquiry threads? Any takers??

Stephen

Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Wow... this has turned into one of the MOST informative threads on this forum.... for me anyway... :>P

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Another question I have is this:

Do you find that you are changing your current practice as an RN as you're learning new ways of patient management while you're in MSN school? Or do you just tuck away that knowledge and continue practicing as you always have?

For me ... (and I think for many others) ... graduate school expanded my range of knowledge and abilities to analyze things. It wasn't so much about receiving factual information as it was about growing in my abilities to think for myself and deal with more complex material in a more sophisticated way.

What really illustrated that for me was finding some of my old college papers in a box while I was moving to a new apartment. The work I thought was so sophisticated when I was an undergraduate seemed so juvenile and "beginner-level" to me 10 years later! It was kind'a embarrassing to read some of them.

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Another question I have is this:

Do you find that you are changing your current practice as an RN as you're learning new ways of patient management while you're in MSN school? Or do you just tuck away that knowledge and continue practicing as you always have?

Hi. Steve.

Thanks for this thread. I have tended to skip this forum because, as you said, it mostly seemed to be about inquiries into various schools.

I am in a MSN/CNS program right now, and am on the 5 year plan, taking one class at a time (easier to pay for that way). So far I have benefitted from my patho classess, but most of the rest of my classes (all general "core" classes) have been a waste of time, in my opinion. I suppose I am getting something out of them, but it seems that these core classes are just something to get over with.

I'm taking a public health sort of class right now, and my last paper was ripped by the instructor for its APA format (I even have the darned book and went over it with a fine toothed comb), and I don't agree with some of her APA points. She didn't seem terribly concerned with the content , just the format. How the heck do I learn from that?

I am just hoping things improve. (cranky cranky).

Thanks for letting me vent, and for the thread. BTW, I work 3-4 days a week, so I don't have some of the time challenges other people in this thread do. Hat's off to all of you!

Oldiebutgoodie

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

oldiebutgoodie - you bring up a very valid point: APA format is blown wwwaaayy out of proportion IMHO.

Nursing is a second career for me - I spent 10 years in journalism (print and broadcast). They use MLA format. Learning APA wasn't terribly hard but I too found it frustrating that more focus was spent on how I was writing versus the content of my writing.

The most important info I took away from my MSN was to be able to critically review research. It also brought home that statistics can be slanted in many ways, thus either lending credence to findings or destroying them. The number of subjects in the research study must also be considered.

The avandia study for instance, had only 9 subjects!!! Certainly not enough IMHO to put a warning on avandia that it can increase cardiovascular risk!

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Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.
I'm currently in a part-time MSN Neonatal NP program. Right now I have 7 credits worth of classes on Tuesdays only from 8a-8p. This also requires a 1.5hr commute each way. Next semester, the two classes I'm taking are on 2 separate days, which will be more of a challenge. After that I begin clinicals, of which I have 15 (12hr) clinical shifts to do per semester. So I'll hopefully finish in the fall of '09. I have to work full time, unfortunately, in order to maintain health insurance, not to mention the $10000/yr my employer is putting toward my education each year. I may have to change to per diem if I don't get to come to day shift before clinicals.

I just started a new job in July, so I'm not eligible for anything but sick time until January. So I'll try to stick it out. The biggest challenge for me is going from my BSN program (which was great, don't get me wrong) to my current Ivy League grad program.... I used to be the one who could study the night before the test and get a B+ or an A, and now I'm surrounded with incredibly intelligent, articulate people that I feel I need to compete with. I don't think I've ever been this concerned (or obsessed) with my school performance. I am able to maintain some semblance of a social life for now, which allows me to decompress between my stressful job orientation and papers/projects/reading. It does help, however to have met several RN's and NNPs on my unit that are/were in the same program I'm in.... they've been able to give a lot of good advice.

Thanks for all the replies! They've been very helpful....

Stephen

Wow Stephen

I wish you much success in your course and career as a NP... I am sure the course is very full on!

When do you plan to finish the program?

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).
Wow Stephen

I wish you much success in your course and career as a NP... I am sure the course is very full on!

When do you plan to finish the program?

December of '09........

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I'm taking a public health sort of class right now, and my last paper was ripped by the instructor for its APA format (I even have the darned book and went over it with a fine toothed comb), and I don't agree with some of her APA points. She didn't seem terribly concerned with the content , just the format. How the heck do I learn from that?

Easiest way to deal with APA is buy the 25 or 30 dollar software, type into it, and let it format automatically. THe only problems I've had with my formatting was a glitch that I should have caught myself before turning it in. I was messing with a reference, and all of them ended up indented on the first line instead of the second, all I had to do was hit the format button one more time but I spaced it. I use APA PERRLA, but there are quite a few. It prompts you for stuff, and gives recommendations along with the spot in the book so that you can look it up yourself if wanted. :studyowl:

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