SpokesAndCoffee

I worked in public relations and used my skills and accomplishments from that, including team leadership, project management, communication, etc. I also made sure to list the hospital and unit for each of my clinicals. Just remember, as a graduate nurse they know you'll be starting pretty much from scratch.

It depends on a lot on the instructor and the site staff. I had the same instructor for two semesters and she pushed us to be our best. By the end, we were each handling three patients, all assessments, meds, cares, etc. for 6-7 hours/day. Staff loved the help and had extra time to teach us even further. In contrast, our classmates one floor up were bored out of their minds with only one patient each, not even passing meds everyday, and only staying on the floor a few hours at a time. As you can imagine, staff felt they just got in the way.

As a previous poster said, ask in a respectful manner for specific examples as to how you can improve in the areas mentioned. It really doesn't matter how well you did on written assignments or how inconvenient the working conditions were. Your instructor has likely seen dozens of students pass and fail, and if she sees room for improvement, you would do well to honestly consider her advice.

No need to overcomplicate it. Focus more on the limitations of each device. For example, nasal cannula is the least intrusive, but is limited to 6 L/min at a partial oxygen concentration (not 100%). A simple mask is more intrusive, but can go up to 12 L/min at a partial concentration. A non-rebreather is even more intrusive, but goes at 10-15 L/min at a full 100% oxygen. So basically, a low need patient will likely do with a nasal cannula. For respiratory distress, you're going straight for that non-rebreather.

Check the prerequisites for the program you are entering. Chemistry is pretty much a given for nursing programs. Biology might be needed to get into Anatomy & Physiology depending on your school.

I'm going to make a bit of an assumption here (sorry if I'm incorrect), but I get the impression that you're relying too much on memorization and 'tips & tricks'. I think you need to stop cramming and really focus on underlying A&P and how everything in the body is interconnected (cause and effect). For example, a patient's arm was crushed in an accident and is 'not' hemorrhaging, so why would you be worried about urine output and mental status? Obviously, pharm requires some memorization, but even then, understanding how the drugs work (receptors, neurotransmitters, etc) is going to get you further than rote memorization.

Talk to a recruiter, tell them that you are looking to transition to bedside care, and see what they say. Don't just assume that they wouldn't have you. Plenty of new grads get jobs without prior experience. That said, I think the main hurdle might be the strength of your core nursing skills after three years of disuse. Maybe look into a refresher course if needed.

I thought I'd see how the test went and if you have been able to start working yet. Obviously, you're the only one who can say whether healthcare is right for you, but what I can say is that it'll probably be very different than your current/previous career, and I don't just mean in terms of the duties performed. I came from a 15-year background in PR and writing. Since I was mainly a contractor, a huge upside of switching to healthcare was that I essentially got a $10k raise due to benefits like insurance, 401k matching, PTO, etc. I also have plenty of job security with much more clear paths of advancement. On the flipside, coming from a more creative field has required some serious adjustments. It's a much more rigid environment with very specific policies, procedures, and chains of command. Some days your voice will be heard, and others you'll feel utterly ignored. And gone are the days of taking walks to clear your head, or saving that irksome task for the next day. I'm not saying it's bad, just very different.

First, you need to get the most thorough portrayal of nursing you can. Talk to nurses, shadow if possible, and maybe go through CNA training. While a desire to help people is important in this profession, I don't think that alone is enough. Will you still feel like you're helping someone who defecates in the bed because they think it's funny that you have to clean it up, or someone who shows up on your floor every few weeks due to repeated substance abuse? I'm not saying that such things are the norm, but they do happen, and something has to drive you forward despite such instances. If nursing is your ultimate passion, go for it. Just realize that even if a program is two years, you'll have to add at least another year for prerequisites. And, no, you probably won't work much during that time. That's not to say people don't juggle both, but many of the people who try end up failing out or having to drop down to part-time school. At 45, with little savings, I don't think you need to completely switch gears and go deeper in debt just to help people. You could use your business degree at another company, or maybe take online courses for a masters degree in health administration.

Unless you want kids, stop fretting about age. Every single one of my friends who got married in their 20s also got a divorce in their 30s. The younger you are, the more you tend to rush things like you're running out of time. Ironic, isn't it? Anyway, I would probably shy away from trying to date coworkers. A) You're going to develop the reputation of that "creepy guy who hits on everyone." B) Don't you want someone with whom you can talk about something besides healthcare?