ShockerGirl07

I was in my second to last semester of pre-req's when I applied - they have a deadline on the application that you can download from the wichita state website. I took the TEAS on Oct. 1, found out I was in on the 18th of October 05, then started classes in January 2006. Let me know if you come up with any other questions!

Don't worry about your pre-req's they aren't that bad! I literally passed high school chemistry with a 60.1, I didn't understand it at all, but i passed it in college with a 97 and really understood it. I took all of my pre-req's at Butler and Cowley because it was cheaper than WSU and I had good teachers for all of my classes, but so does WSU - most of my friends did their req's here and they did well too. The TEAS was ok, I did ok on my ACT's - I waited until my senior year and did it once, but did average on everything except math, I think I got a 19 (that has never been my strong suit) but I did fine, as long as you do the work book you will be ok. There is quite a bit of math 1st semester, that they go over with you in class, and you do have a math test you have to pass before each clinical that you have but they send you a study guide before hand so its not too bad! Clinicals are really fun, you are at a variety of places throughout the 2 years. 1st semester you are only out for 4 days the whole semester (its more focused on getting book smart stuff) but you go to a nursing home and take health histories on patients. 2nd semester you go out every week, alternating the secondary care 2 days a week(med-surg units) with mental health 2 days a week(Via Christi's Good Shephard campus is where I went). Mental Health was REALLY fun even though I was scared to death, the people are really great. 3rd semester you have Tertiary care 2 days a week(I was in Hutchinson and we were on Med Surg, Orthopedics, and Telemetry, but they had Wichita hospitals too), You also have OB one day a week (you go to Wesley) and Pediatrics one day a week (either St. Francis or Wesley). Also, with OB and peds, you have half of the semester in "community" which for peds was with a school nurse, and OB is usually in a clinic, and the other half is in the hospital. 4th semester I have critical care at Wesley (ICU's) and Care of Populations (not sure what that one is exactly....should be fun!) Sometimes you will have Saturday clinicals for 12 hours (I did 3rd and again 4th semester). Not exactly what I wanted but, you have to do what you have to do. I love it so I can't complain. Anyways, what I'm trying to say in all of that rambling is have fun and the biggest thing is you have to be willing to jump in and do things otherwise you won't learn anything! Yes, it is very nerve wracking the first time you do an IV(you won't do that until 2nd semester), or put in a catheter, but the nurse or instructor is there with you, and they are all really good. Yes you will mess up, everyone does. One big tip - get organized BEFORE HAND. It took me 2 semesters to get my "brain sheet" figured out - the thing you write everything down on, pt. name, room number, doctor, diagnosis, etc. but I'm picky so that could be just me... Sorry I blabed so much - I knew NOTHING going in and really wish I had SOME clue so I want everyone to know everything! If you have any other questions just let me know!

Hi! I am in the program right now, getting ready to start my 4th semester. The admissions process has changed I know since I started - I believe they are doing an interview now, but I'm not sure what else. I would call and ask for an information packet or even seen if you can meet with an advisor. They can give you a piece of paper that will have all of the information regarding pre-req's that is a check sheet so its pretty convenient so you can check off the classes as they go. I want to say they require some volunteer work too but I'm not for sure. As for the waiting list, there were about 120 people that applied when I did and they admitted 60 if that gives you any idea. You do have to take the TEAS test before you are accepted. There is a book to study for it in the WSU bookstore and its pretty much like the ACT from high school, it has math, science, english, and something else...its been a while! Grades are pretty important as well, with science being the most important. I got a C in anatomy and phys the first time, and they suggested I retake it so I did and got an A the second time so that helped I'm sure. If you have any other questions, let me know, you can PM me or just message me back on here, I'll try to check it, I've been bad about that lately! Good luck and let us know how it goes!:monkeydance:

Thanks guys for all of your advice!! its appreciated!

I'm just finishing up my 3rd of 4 semesters, and i currently have a good job (works with my school hours, good people to work with, etc.) however its not a nursing job, and i'm wanting to get some hospital experience before I graduate. I will have 4 days off next semester so I am wanting to finish the summer at my current job, then get a job in the hospital. My question is this: there are 3 hospitals in my city, and I know I want to go into OB, should I "tour" the three hospitals Labor and Delivery and see which one i like best? do i need to apply to all of these and see what happens? I'm a total newbie to the medical world so I dont know how to go about this! Thanks for all of your help!:monkeydance:

milliunits - so 8mu would be .008 units if im doing it right its been a while! its like milligrams to grams, just move the decimal over 3.

first off, congrats! :balloons: we can't give any medical advice on here - have you spoke with your doctor? that's what i would say to do first and see what they have to say. good luck, let us know how it turns out!

Hi everyone! I'm a 3rd semester NS (almost done) and we are just starting our OB rotation. We had orientation on Saturday (12 hour days) and I really enjoyed it. Since it was orientation, we didn't get to do much and we only got to spend 2 hours on the floor. I really like that there is such a low patient ratio, but I don't really know much about the rest of it! Could you guys give me some sort of information about what you typically do (how many meds, assessments, procedures, etc) and why you chose OB? It seemed like the nurse stayed in the room (patient ratio was 1:1) almost the entire time - is it always like this? I loved our first day and cant wait until next Saturday! Thanks! ShockerGirl07

Ive heard of it, my nutrition teacher swore by it when I was doing my pre-reqs. Like in the link before, there is a book called "Eat right 4 your type" I knew what my blood type is so i looked mine up and i couldn't do it because i'm too picky of an eater and the list of foods they have in there i didnt like! Its an interesting book and concept though! Good reading! I checked it out from the library instead of buying it though since i wouldn't actually be using it. if i remember right i think they have meals you can cook and stuff.

do you guys have a policy there about outside contact with patients? if its against company policy then she will understand. If you dont, i would just explain other options that she has to cope like the post before and politely decline.

I dont know if this will help much but its what we use. Go to the link, then you can click on the chapters at the top (it will tell you what it cover in the upper left hand corner) then click on NCLEX review questions. Hope this helps!

I had a similar thing happen when i got my flu shot (im a nursing student). She stuck me and i could tell she was having trouble pushing the med, but she just kept at it and it shot in really fast and there was a popping noise, then my arm got tingly...im she said she must have hit a nerve? i dont know what happened but it sounds familiar!

I remember things by association...i know this isnt want you were asking for, but stuff like Vitamin K is for clotting....its vitamin K, and clotting sounds like it starts with a K....does this make sense? or another example is the drug doxorubicin turns urine red...it has RUB in it, like ruby..rubys are red...red urine...for some people that is way too much thinking but thats the only way i can remember it! hope this helps! it helps to get creative and have fun too! :monkeydance:

Call and ask, like you said you dont want to hold them up by changing if they want you in scrubs and you are in slacks and a top...I agree, i would feel weird too, but I would call and ask. Good luck! let us know how it goes!

eek!! button up! ours aren't that bad, white scrub top with the school logo and black pants

What classes are you taking? not all programs are the same - i had Med surg II, secondary care, research, and mental health.

How does she want you to be more assertive? In clinical? If it's in clinical, if you don't have anything to do, offer a classmate assistance if they need it. I know on our unit, if one of us didn't have anything to do, we would go around and see how everyone was doing (we had 10 on a floor) and there was usually always someone who needed help with a transfer, or care plan, etc. If you are doing something with a patient, like hanging a new IV bag, etc, do you watch someone else like the nurse or teacher do it? Make sure you take the bag and hang it, etc. If its in class, maybe speak up more when she asks a question, or seek clarification if something doesnt make sense. Good luck! Most of all, have confidence!!!

Psych was my favorite rotation so far. For us it was pretty easy - we werent allowed to pass meds or assess or anything. My teacher really liked that I sat in the day room (we were at an inpatient facility) and made myself available to the patients. Alot of them came to talk to me, and I often got games started (cards, board games) or puzzles and we would have 4-5 patients helping us. That way you aren't just seeing your patient, but a variety and experiencing their conditions too. To my suprise, all the way until my last clinical, everyone of them was "normal" - none were hard to talk to, it was just like us talking, not the stigma i had attached to them, that changed FAST. On our last clinical, I had a guy who thought he was God, but I didnt know that until the second day and he just casually mentioned it, and that was it. You will do fine, its alot of fun - just dont take offense if they don't want to talk to you or ignore you, etc!

I have no previous medical experience, and I'm doing fine in my RN classes - they really aren't that bad, and like nurseangel47 said, things will come back to you. I can't tell you how much i've learned in clinical experience. If you want it you can do it!

Did you try checking the Better Business Bureau? I dont know if you can check doctors there...but thats where I would start...hope this helps! Congrats!:balloons:

We too take the ATI tests, but with ours, if we dont pass it the first time, we get to take it home and do it and we have to get 90% or better I think, but im pretty sure you can take it as many times as you need - if you take it once at home, its nice because it tells you the correct answer and why, so the second time you can fly through it.

I agree with everyone else - take a W and retake it. I got a C the first time I took it, and re-took it at the advice of my advisor. She said if it came down to me and another person, and they had a higher grade in A&P they would pick them so I did and got an A the second time. Good luck!

My friend lived in Lawrence and recently moved to Eudora because she is in the KU nursing program, and found that was a smaller commute - Eudora is inbetween Kansas City and Lawrence. Good luck! Hope you like cold weather too! it can get pretty chilly!

A thing our teachers told us to say was "i'm going to CHECK (not take) your vitals now" because if you say "take" some people get scared, worried, etc.

I was in High School and we had class pictures that day and as we were leaving a teacher came up to our teacher and said something about planes flying really low, then we came back and the period ended and the TV was on in all the class rooms for the next period so we all just watched CNN for the rest of the day, almost like school was cancelled.