GratefulHeart

O do try to be more kind to yourself, or you won't last long in this profession. You are learning, working very hard, and did the honorable thing once you understood the mistake you had made. Therefore, you have nothing to be ashamed about nor to run...

Honestly? --If you enjoy and are quite capable in the sciences (especially in chemistry), go for pharmacy. You will have plenty of interaction with others (if not patients). Pharmacists are in short supply pretty much everywhere, so you should be ...

I'm about 5 months into my first nursing job on a monitored bed floor in an acute care hospital and am growing discouraged by the lack of quality of life and stress & strain on my family by not being able to plan anything with them. Though I'm t...

Ditto. It seems to be one of those well-kept secrets that isn't let out of the bag til after you're actually on the job. True too that I feel very little loyalty to this employer for the lure of so much time off per year - but with almost NO oppor...

Take a read at the First-Year After Licensure board here & also the Student boards. Plenty of real-life stuff there to get your feet wet.

You'll learn a lot about the balancing act that occurs between the heart, the lungs, and the kidneys...how to care for people experiencing CHF, CP, CAD, COPD, diabetes, and renal failure (among other conditions). You'll learn about fluid and blood s...

Do you have a trusted advisor at school, perhaps a nursing instructor you especially respect that you could speak with about how to write your resume? If so, I would get their input on how to do this. I think they may be better acquainted with the ...

Yesterday during my clinical rotation in the ER, a nurse shared with me that she was working her 12th day (12-hr shifts) in a row. This apparently was voluntary on her part, but it still raised questions for me about the safety of the practice. What ...

When you got home, did some research, and then counted up the number of questions you got wrong - how many did you miss but then still pass the exam? Was anyone out there convinced they failed based on the number of questions they know they failed b...

Wow, you have been through so much, and I really needed to hear your story today. Your passion for nursing and perserverance are beautiful. Thank you for strengthening my faith that no matter what the results of my exam are, the LORD will get me th...

I agree with this post. I took the NCLEX yesterday. I practiced using test questions from many sources, but those from NCSBN were the most like the NCLEX in difficulty level. Nothing, though, in reality was *as* tough. It got very intense for me ...

Yes, do hang in there. I spoke with a representative at the BRN in California last week, and she happened to mention that this is one of the *peak* seasons for taking the NCLEX, which may account for the delay. BTW I just took my NCLEX today for the...

I agree with the others that the only way to overcome this kind of fear is to take it one step, one lab, one test at a time. Find a way to keep yourself from sweating over what's up far ahead of you. Just concentrate on the next thing you need to d...

Just yesterday, written by a new intern for a patient who was unresponsive, unable to swallow, and being considered for intubation: "Hard candies to suck on." [sheesh, and what did the poor guy ever do to you, doc?]

Search your state's registered nursing board re "diversion" programs. In California, nurses can self-refer to the diversion program if they are impaired as the result of drug/alcohol problems.

The post conferences I have learned the most from are the ones where the instructor made up a case study that pulled in some of the pieces of clinical scenarios that several of us (students) encountered or may encounter. Then he threw in a twist or t...

I did the same, and it worked well for me too. I also agree about asking for help whenever you need it (despite any flack you may get in return for asking).

I don't think you need to worry about toughening up. The experiences you go through will mold you, softening you up in some ways while toughening you up in others. When you're *it*, i.e. the one responsible to care for someone who's hurting, you'll r...

Retype your lecture notes as soon after class as you can and supplement from the book or reputable online sources in areas that you are having difficulty understanding. Study as you go instead of trying to cram it all in just before the exam. Early i...

Funny (thanks for the laugh today)!!!

My heart goes out to you. I worked with one very snarky nurse last semester who left me feeling that way. My only consolation was realizing she had a habit of treating all students that way, and my CI knew about it and wouldn't let me give up. You m...

Best thing: Challenging in every way [growth factor] Worst thing: Challenging in every way [fatigue factor] How do you handle it all? --Only by the grace of God, which includes a very supportive husband, kids at ages where they're pretty self suffici...

How about pulling out a job description for the nurse's aide job and discussing item by item why what they're doing is so necessary for patient care and reminding them that they're each being held personally accountable for what's in their job descri...

I should've read your post before I shared mine - appears we had a similar life-changing experience.

You know, one single event doesn't stand out but certain patients come to mind. One gentleman in particular I remember was dying of cancer and was so appreciative for the little things I did - bathing him and changing his sheets, the real simple stuf...