sweetbeet

Thanks for the input. I checked out their web page and like what I see so far. I'm just going to use it as another tool. Thanks again!

did you feel it was helpful? From what I understand we have to take the tests at certain points but they do not reflect on our grade.

My school is going to start requiring ATI NCLEX prep course as part of the nursing curriculum - as if we didn 't have enough to do right now. I'm going into my last semester so I'm not too upset about it but when we were informed that we had to foot the $300 too that kinda ticked me off. If I'm going to take a prep course that I have to pay for, I want to be able to choose from what's out there. Any thoughts?

I so can't wait for this semester to end. One of our instructors is retiring and I swear she is trying to weed out as many people as possible this semester. Every little tiny nit picky thing on paperwork. It wouldn't be bad, but she's not consistent. What she accepts one day, she does not accept another. I'm too tired trying to figure her out.....

I'm happy to say that our course coordinator has taken our complaints seriously. In my program we have documentation to back up our skills for each rotation. Some of us who have had clinicals with the coordinator and have then had them with the "problem" instructor at least had a leg to stand on since the coordinator knew what our skill level was and that we were not just whining about having to do work. It's frustrating because you don't want to be whiny nursing student. But I think it's important to speak up when you can and make sure you can back up your accusations.

OMG! I feel at home. I am having the most horrible rotation right now. Thank goodness it ends tomorrow. This CI is so passive-aggressive. Tells you nothing about her expectations but has no problem cutting you down when you can't read her mind. I used to have so much more confidence in my skills. Now I'm afraid to make even the smallest blunder without her cutting me off at the knees. It sucks so bad. She holds your fate in her hands. If you approach her she can make your life even more of a living hell. You don't want to go to the course coordinator because then you sound like a whiner. It's a no win situation. If I'm unprepared I have no problem taking the criticism. But when I make what I consider to be mistakes a second semester nursing student would make (and nothing that would do harm to a patient), you just quiver and want to vomit. I'm dreading and looking forward to tomorrow all at the same time......UGH!

I was kinda in the same boat as you. I was a paralegal and was making a career change to nursing. I decided to go whole hog, quit my job at the firm and started as a US at a hospital. It's definitely the best choice. You obviously have administrative experience and that carries across well. Just remember that you can set the tone of the department. If you are calm, cool, and collected, that comes across to the nursing staff too. I always tell my nurses it is my job to facilitate for them. It has been a great learning experience and they are more than willing to explain things I may have questions with for nursing school. Good Luck!

I am so happy. I got into HACC Gettysburg's Spring 2011 Program. Yeah!!!!! After 5 years of part-time I only have another 2 years to go!

I agree that you might want to stop reading this site if you are hooked. Especially if you are a typical college student (i.e. young). Please don't take this the wrong way, but after you have a little life experience, you can read between the lines to see when folks are venting and complaining or are just bitter and burned out of their career. I'm currently a pre-nursing student and I'm 37 years old. This will be my second career. Everything I read here about nursing I can apply to my old position as a paralegal (doctors, lawyers, big egos and same bad handwriting!). Just follow your gut and allow for "happy accidents". You never know where you will end up.

I was a paralegal for a personal injury/med mal attorney (currently a nursing student now). What you said is true, a sorry does go a long way. Most often clients would refuse to bring other doctors or wish to really pursue a nurse if they liked the practitioner or felt a connection with them. More often than not, it's not only the patient I think you need to tend to, but also the family. The family is usually going to be the determining factor in a lawsuit. They were conscious and able to see what was going on. So if MD's choose to blow off the family, they do so at their own peril.

How can you not disclose what meds you are on if you have to take a urinalysis? I mean, you don't need to tell them why you are on them and I don't believe they can ask you why, but you would still have to disclose it, wouldn't you? I rootin' for you Kamino - I'm BP too!

Have you tried your local "freecycle" site? I use two in my area. I post when I'm looking for stuff of if I have stuff to offer. No selling, just recycling for free. Good luck. Try this link to find a group in your area. http://www.freecycle.org/findagroup/

As much as I hate to say it, I can see the road ahead will be rocky. But we will survive. My entire family is behind me (as is his). He seems to be the only one who doesn't realize he has a problem. I only hope he sees that he needs help before it's too late.

When hubby is working out of town and I was full time outside the home, the girls would get frozen pizza and some canned green beans on the side with a Flinstones chewable for dessert!!!! They couldn't have been happier! Then we did the hamper dive for clothes to wash for the week! Thanks everyone. Your support and advice means a great deal to me. I'm going to keep on keeping on.

I too believe in "in sickness and health". So I'm not taking this capriously. What hurts is that I've had some health problems the last year and he has totally blown me off to deal with them on my own. If not for my sister, I don't know what I'd do. I'm going to keep on going to school and saving my money for my plan B. We had a little row today about his pissy attitude. I'm not in any physical danger, it's just the emotional and mental bs that gets to be too much.

You did not offend me, I may not subscribe to someone's religious background, but I believe all prayer no matter what faith is a good thing! Thanks.

Thanks everyone. I believe I've decided to simply continue on with getting my RN part-time. I was a paralegal for 15 years before losing my job. I can make good living at home for now. I can suck it up and stay with the girls while slowly but surely finishing my education. I'll just have to keep an open mind that if it gets bad enough, I will take them and leave.

thanks everyone. I guess it just really comes down to me making a hard decision. I have a lot to think about. Thanks.

Thanks for the reply. I've been "back in school" since 2005. So I've been taking my time. I lost my job in 9/07 and have been home since. His drinking waxes and wanes, but I know it will only get worse. I do attend al-anon meetings and am in therapy. My family is well aware of the situation and are on board for a family intervention. He will not seek counseling for our marriage or drinking and has told me so flat out. It's just so hard when one minute he's a great dad and good husband and then I have this drunken idiot on my hands. I think I'm just going to keep plugging away one or two classes at a time for my rn and keep saving my money. When I can leave with the girls, we will. I know I can always finish school later.

I need some advice. I'm to apply to lpn clinicals here in another week or so. I have an excellent chance of getting accepted. Problem is what's going on at home. Husband says he supports me, blah, blah, blah. We've talked about me not working while in clinicals (which are one year straight through). We've talked about the time commitment I need to make to studying, etc. Him picking up slack around the house. He was all on board for it. But now that it is here, I'm really doubting myself. He has a drinking problem. Not your "typical" drunk, he holds a steady job, etc. But drinks most nights. And I believe him to be an alcoholic. Sometimes he drinks until he passes out, sometimes not. He can and has gotten verbally abusive. He's been this way for over 10 years, will not change, doesn't believe he has a problem. I have two girls 9 and 7. They are now old enough and are seeing his behavior and questioning it more and more. I'm very honest with them. My problem is this, I don't trust him to pick up the slack around the house (he never has before so why start now) even though he says he will. He's already complaining about some of the clinical sites I'll have to drive to (pretty far away, 1 - 1.5 hours from home). Already complaining about having to take the kids to other functions, girl scouts, etc. And he's starting to complain about the fact that you don't get paid for clinicals. He went through a trade school apprenticeship and he got paid, why shouldn't I, over and over. I haven't even applied and been accepted and he's already bitching!!!! I've only been working sporadic transcription - not a lot of bring home money. But I now have the opportunity to work for a company making really good money transcribing for them. I'm thinking about just holding off on lpn clinicals for now and saving my money to leave this jerk. I plan on continuing with my classes for RN. The local community college does offer a part-time clinical portion for rn. Takes two years, but hey, whatever. I guess I just need some outside advice at this point.

I respect your opinion, but do disagree. We are students and I refuse to do all of the work on top of everything else I have to do. Why should my lazy lab partner get a good grade off of me! I definitely don't want that person to get ahead in the program on my skill and no their own.

I'm applying to the nursing program that starts Jan. 08. But this fall I'm taking A&P I and Psychology of Adjustment.

I've had this happen to me this term. We had to pair up with the entire table (4 of us). Two of us are nursing majors and this is a required and important course for us. The other two are an elementary ed major and a sports management (???!!!) major. They were rushing through stuff, not following directions, moving ahead without us, just didn't give a rat's orifice. After our first lab, my nursing lab buddy and I talked after the class and planned our attack. We told the other two outright that we need this class and are not going to screw around and if they didn't like it, they could find other partners. We all had to agree to work together and pull our weight. Well that went over like a ton of bricks so we talked with our instructor and she had no problem with me and my nursing lab partner to just pair off. We have more work to do between the two of us, but we both know how important this is and are doing much better. Good luck.

I had the similar issues - family, school, work, medical isues - wasn't sleeping more than 4 or 5 hours a night. I finally took my doc's suggestion and got a script. It was the best thing to finally get a full night's sleep. I took my meds when I knew I didn't need to be anywhere the next day until after lunchtime. Was a little groggy in the morning at first, but felt better than I had in a LONG time. I tried Ambien and had no real problems or issues. Good luck to you.

I totally agree that someone should have called the attending. Having had a 2 week old in need of PICU treatment for a blood clot of her IVC, there was no way the nursing staff tried to stick my girl more than twice for anything, blood work, etc. If there was a problem the attending was called. She was at a a top-notch teaching hospital and I expected residents to try procedures. But not 5 or 6 times! I wasn't even a nursing student back then, but I totally trusted those nurses to advocate for my daughter when I couldn't be there with her. There is definitely a line that should not be crossed whether you are a nurse or doctor. That child could not advocate for him/herself and the nurse is there to do that. It is not bullcrap as previously stated. Advocating for patients isn't about a turf war, it's absolutely about quality of patient care.