Hope2BaRN

Hi, Yes, it is my physical condition. I am unable to stay awake and functional for 8hr clinicals or 12hr preceptorship. It is a little more complicated than I just had adrenal failure, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia. I was previously a health nursing student before becoming ill. I came down with what seemed as the flu, but it wouldn't go away it became worse quickly. I was down to just under 100 lbs, couldn't get up out of my bed, if I got up I experienced severe dizzyness, had muscle weakness, etc. I was told originally I was fine and later hospitalized on 4 occasions. I asked to have my cortisol tested it was near 0. Then diagnosed with Addison's disease and the steroids would make me all better and I would regain my strength and be able to return to nursing school. I never felt better. The steroids made me anxious and sad. After over a year I saw my 5th endocrinologist at a teaching hospital who took great interest and weaned me of steroids. She determined it was acute adrenal failure rather than addison's and stopped the steroids. The anxiety decreased some, but I still experience extreme fatigue. I can sympathize with being extremely tired after clinicals paperwork etc, but this is something different. It affects my ability to concentrate, my memory, and the greater the fatigue the greater my anxiety. My Dr assumes that I may have caught a virus that caused all this and similar to some other viruses it may be re attacking me causing the extream fatigue and fibromyalgia and difficulties with cognition. A lot of other random things have popped up like extreamly low B12 which I recieve injections for. We hoped that would improve my memory, cognition, etc which it hasn't much. Basically I guess they just don't know exactly what happened to me or why these things continue so they do me with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia. Sorry this is so long. Thank you for your help though.

Thank you very much for your kind words. It has been beyond disappointing for all of this to happen as nursing has always been a passion not just something that would probably pay decent and be a l stable career. It is hard to try to explain to people "well I am not a nurse, but I completed 3 semesters of nursing school before I got sick." I guess unless you have been through nursing school it is difficult to understand just how disapointing and depressing it is to come so close to graduating and everything falling apart. On a good note I am much more aware of what is going on. Lol That can also be a burden though with every possible negative outcome that you have learned of or seen poping into your head. Lol Again thank you for your kind words and compassion.

Thank you so much for the advice. I am going to give it a try and see what happens.

Hi, I completed 3 semesters of RN school in California before having to stop due to adrenal failure, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. in my 3 semesters I passed both lecture and clinicals. The subjects included med-surg, ob, peds, Geri, and psych. I am interested in challenging the LVN boards here in California. I would like at the least to have something to show for all the work I put in even if I am never able to use it. My question is has anyone been in this position and successfully challenged the LVN exam? Does anyone have any idea if this would be enough to qualify? I emaild the BON and was told that i needed to submit all my information, transcripts, letter from the dean of my RN school, etc. I plan to do all this, but was just wondering if maybe I would be wasting my time, money, and hopes on something that wouldn't happen. Thank you so much in advance!!!!

By the way anyone can buy these kit's they don't ask for id or anything.

Check around at other colleges (e.g. community). At my school we have to buy a nurse's pack for $90.00. It contains evertything including a foley, all the stuff for the dressing changes, etc.

Thank you very much for the information!

I am doing homework and trying to define a slip tip syringe. My book doesn't mention it and when I look online all I find are websites selling them. From what I gather they are needless but beyond that I am unsure. Can anyone help? Thanks!

In my class the cat dissection was sort of extra credit. You didn't have to dissect the cat, if you did do it and labeled all the parts they asked you to you got extra credit for it, if you didn't do it you weren't penalized. You did have to know where certain organs, vein, etc. were on the cat though for lab tests. The professor put numbered flags on different things on a cat that was dissected by a lab assistant. The flags had #'s and you had to name what ever it was (not multiple choice, but fill in the blank). I started to dissect the cat but but didn't finish because I found it to be more helpful to study the cat already dissected by the lab assistant. They did a better job than any students, plus the cat had been preserved for a longer period of time making it more dried out and easier to view things. Plus I couldn't stand the formaldehyde smell, it gave me a headache. We did not have to "skin" the cat it came skinned with the exception of the ears, tail, and paws. We did have to name our cat though. I have two pet cat's and have to say that seeing the dead cat wasn't nearly as bad as the smell.

Hi, Just to let everyone know. I recently went and talked to a counselor at ECC to ask for an application for the nursing program and was told that El Camino will NOT be accepting applications untill FALL of 2009, and then you would not be able to start untill FALL of 2010, because they are getting rid of the waitinglist. Everyone who was already on the waitlist will be accepted into the program durring the mean time. From then on there will be no waitlist acceptance will be based on gpa. This is rediculious, a 2 year wait even if you have finished all your pre-req's and are ready to apply, even though people currently on the wait list may have some pre-req's in progress of have yet to even take them.

Yes, it wasn't that good. I just saw that last bit of it. I thought it was going to be longer. Last night at the end of the broadcast they said that there would be one more story on tonight so I am going to watch and see what it's about. So you might what to check and see if it's on where your at too. :)

sorry I thought it would be longer.

watch abc now they have something on night line about the neonatal nurses and docs trying to save a baby on the west coast.

pgws0212, Thank you soooo much. It feels good to know that someone has made it despite all the negative talk (about how hard it will be to become a L&D RN and how hard it is to find a L&D job) I have heard from class mates. I know that L&D is my calling, it is my passion the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hope I can find my way like you have. Thank you once again !!! Hope2BaRN :)

Thank you for your information. It is great to hear from people that have been there and done that. I know school will be hard, and L&D is no cake walk. I want to work in L&D because the RN that cared for me while I was having my daughter was such a great RN, she basically saved my daughter's life (all the MD did was deliver her, left the rest up to the 1 RN who looked pretty worried), really it was inspiring. I had always known I wanted to be a RN I just couldn't figure out which area would be best for me, but that one moment/encounter helped me to make up my mind. She also encouraged me to finish school and achieve my dream of becoming a RN (she did it as a single mom with two young children) I don't want to work in L&D to just hold babies. I want to do it because I want to make a difference, I want to care for the mothers as well as the babies, be able to insure them about things, and who knows save a life or more. Again thank you so much for the information.

Thank you all so much. I talked to my husband the other night and told him that if things did not change I would leave. I made it perfectly clear that this was my decision and there was no going back on it. Boy did he change, he started cleaning up, changing diapers, washing his own clothes. I have my doubts though I don't truely believe he is going to change. You see it's not just that he does not support my education but he will also tell my "what took you so long to get home from school?" "were there any guys in your class?" "Any guys try to talk to you at school?" you know trying to say I am cheating or something. Like school is a gathering place to hang out and party or something. I have become tired of defending my self, and explaining where I was at between 9:00 pm and 9:10 p.m. (the time it takes me to get to and from school). I have concidered social services. Although I don't really like asking for help, if it will benifit my daughter and myself in the long run maybe I should. I have seen it work my husbands sister who is a single mom of two kids get public assistance and is in her 1st year of nursing school and although I don't like her (because she has made racial comments about my daughter, I am white and my husband is hispanic, plus she does not take care of her kids she leaves them with her mom all day while she is at school the goes out with her BF ) she has the right idea. It has allowed her to stay in school full time. I value my education and I believe my partner should as well. How am I supposed to tell my daughter when she gets big that you need to make something of youself and get an education if I didn't. I will finish school no matter what, even if it means I will do it alone.

I am not a RN but hope to be. I have a couple of questions though. I wanted to know is it more common to work 8 or 12 hr. shifts in L & D? If you work/have worked a 12 hr shifts how many breaks do you get? Is it extreamly hard to do a 12 hr shift in L & D? How did you get your start in L & D? Do you injoy L & D (pro's and con's)? How is clinical in school? I want to be a L & D RN sooooo badly. I was just wanting to know a couple things. Any insight would be great !! Thanks

Well I have one Pre-req class left untill I can apply to nursing programs. Anyone know of any good ADN programs in or around Los Angeles, CA? Well I am worried, I have a 2 yr old I am having doubts about my self I have had problems in Chem and stuff like that I don't know if nursing school will be to difficult for me. I stay at home and care for my daughter all day everyday except when I am at school. I don't have a really good support system. My husband does not seem to value my education as much as I do. I know he works hard but he feels when he comes home from work his job is done, that leaves me to cook,clean,take care of my daughter, and study. I often find myself up at 2:00 or 3:00 am studying. It feels like I have 2 kids sometimes. Has anyone else had do deal with similar situations? Any advice ideas?

I know it's far from you but you can look at LA Trade Tech www://lattc.cc.ca.us they have I think a 30 unit LVN option it's probubly a lot cheaper. Good Luck

When my daughter was about 7 months she started crying like crazy, which is not normal for her, we inspected her starting from the head down, when we got to her feet we noticed one of her toes was blue. We got a magnifying glass but couldnt see anything. We took her to the ER it turned out to be a toe tourniquet. Then a when she was 1 1/2 she was extreamly sick wouldn't eat, drink do much of anything very lethargic. Since she's never sick like that we took her to the ER because it was about 8:00 p.m. on a Sunday, the Dr said she had an ear infection even though he barley touched her and didn't even get a good look in her ear because he was scared of her (she was crying like crazy). He gave her antibiotics, 2 day's later no change she was getting worse high temp, didn't move just stared at the sealing, no eating, we took her back different Dr looked her over got to her mouth looked in and said "Ahhh look here" I looked turned out she had Coxsackie. Had never herd of it before, just gave her a little childrens motrin and she got better.

I was 21 yrs old when I had my daughter. I was taking college classes and wanted to be a RN but wasn't taking things so seriously (you know the mentality I'm young I have forever to finish school) then I was pregnant and had my daughter and it was like all the sudden a light bulb went off and I was like I need to hurry up and finish school. I have to admit it has been extreamly difficult, I don't have much help from my husband he works and I am a stay at home mom/student he thinks his day ends when he comes home from work so I find it hard to sudy with a 2 yr old constantly wanting my attention. I just hope and pray things get easier and I can finish school. I would say about 25-29 yrs old is a good age to start a family, hopefuly by then the person would have finished school and have established a solid foundation for the child, but then again even by 29 some still arn't ready for children.