samaletta

Hi everyone! I just graduated from an ADN program 2 months ago. Wow was that tough! I did well (3.5 gpa), but it was just exhausting. I decided somewhere around 3rd semester that I wanted to become an NP. I will be starting an accererated RN to BSN program this fall (18 mo). We were told by almost all of our instructors that this ADN program was the most difficult program compared to the BSN or graduate programs if we would decide to pursue them. Just wondering if you NPs agreed with this. I am thinking that NP school will be very difficult and very comparable to the initial ADN program. Is it as long and grueling as the ADN? Thanks for any responses!!

I am practicing Nclex questions. I have been whipping through these chapters. I read Suzanne's post about doing each chapter and if I score higher than 75, moving on to the next chapter. But I am really moving though these fast.... with scores in the 80's and 90's in each chapter. the questions seem too easy at times. Has anyone else been using the Saunder's Nclex Exam book? Do you find that the questions are too easy? What should I do?

Just curious how many practice questions you did on your own time before you took the NCLEX. And how much time elapsed between the time you finished school and took boards? and did you pass? Just curious....

I just posted this thread not 20 minutes ago...... I went to check the state website (as I do 20 to 30 times a day) to see if anything was posted yet. Guess who's name was listed?????!!!!! Mine!! lol! Now I just have to wait for my auth to test. WOOOO HOOOO!!!! Thanks for the replies! I called HR, surprisingly she was there, and told her. I will be starting FOR SURE this time in 2 weeks. Just enough time to get myself excited again!! Thanks again!

5 years ago when I was 19 I was arrested for a DUI. This arrest made me take a good hard look at my life and made me think about what i wanted to do with it. At the time I was bartending and waitressing. I felt like a loser and decided to start classes at the community college. I went into nursing and excelled in the program. I graduated this past april with a 3.67 gpa. I really feel that if i didn't get that dui, i still might be waitressing and bartending. So I was extremely excited about my start date of may 29th and the fact that i would be working on such an acute floor. I felt so proud of myself for making it through ns and accomplishing something as big as this!!! I sent in my applications for the NCLEX and for my GN license. I also had to check the box where it asks if you have ever been arrested for something that involved drugs or alcohol. I had to mark yes. I sent in the appropriate documents along with a current criminal history check that showed NO record. it showed no record b/c i was a first time offender so the courts gave me ARD and it would be exponged from my record. I sent this information in at the end of april. I have yet to recieve my practice permit or an authorization to test. My start date at the hospital has been moved a total of 5 times b/c I have not yet recieved these. I have called the BON several, several times and they tell me that it is under review. I understand that they need to review my application and criminal history, but I am getting very discouraged. I was so excited to start my new job and to take the NCLEX. I wanted to take the NCLEX asap. I wanted to start my new job as a NURSE. I was thrilled to call myself a nurse and begin working as one. Now after this many start dates, and not hearing anything from BON I just feel depressed. I don't even feel excited anymore, the excitement is gone. I have worked so hard for this and was thrilled to start, but now I just feel like a slug Thanks for reading.

I have read in all of my nursing books 7-10 days. I got on the internet and see up to 8weeks. I ask because my boyfriend's brother's 7 week old baby still has her cord. I am good friends with his wife and she told me about the doctor mentioning the possibility of an immunodeficency associated with delay cord separation, though she didn't know what the name of it and asked me to do some research (Leukocyte Adhesion Defect type 1). I did some research and I REALLY don't think this LAD is the case. I have also read on quite a few websites that it can take up to 45 days for the cord to fall off! I think it was pretty crappy of the doctor to mention this to her without assessing more thoroughly. Anyway, just wondering what other nurses say about the amount of time it can take for the cord to fall off... Thanks!!

For me learning is part of my growing as a person. I just graduated from Nursing school 3 weeks ago and I feel as though this is the begining of a new chapter in my life. I am not the same person I was at the begining of college. I am looking forward to continuing my growth and my learning :)

:rotfl: For the longest time i thought my boyfriend coined that term! I have never heard it used before I met him. lmao.

freaken gross

YES! I thought about that too! The larger doses of drugs. I just really didn't like what I saw. She was last on the nurses list to be seen or have any of her concerns addressed. I thought pain is one of a nurse's top priorities.

I worked in a hospital while I went to school, it did benifit me- I think it just made me more comfortable in the hospital environment. If you don't want to though, don't. I don't think you will be 'lost' after u grad, after all you will have had all of your clinical experiences and you will have orientation for your new job.

I just recently graduated from nursing school and will be starting a GN position at the end of the month. I am still currently working as a tech in the hospital until I start the position. Last week I worked midnight shift and was placed in the ER for one of the nights. A young woman came in for severe abdominal pain. I knew this woman from working on the other floors, she has crohn's disease. All of the nurses were disgusted and talking about her being a drug seeker, both in the ER that night and when she was on the floor I had remembered the floor nurses saying the same thing. It kinda bothered me (and maybe I am being niave) because people who have chronic conditions with exacerbations will be going to the community ER for help, and they will be admitted at times. So the hospital nurses will know them, and because Crohn's can be a painful condition, the patient may be looking for relief. I just thought a couple of the nurses were not treating her fairly or with respect, which made me feel bad for this young woman. Do you think that sometimes people with chronic conditions that can be painful are sometimes labeled as drug seekers? I just don't think it is very fair.

7 weeks left of nursing school and I stuck myself with a used insulin needle. I was terrified. I cried. I left clinical and went to the ER to be tested for HIV and Hep C. The woman's daughter was contacted to get consent to have the woman tested as well. Her results came back negative the following week. The results should have come back sooner, this is something that upset me, there was a lot of delay and confusion because they did not have a police and procedure with needlestick exposures pertaining to students, only employees. I knew that she was a very low risk client, but I was still very scared. You can't just "tell" if they have something or not. During the week's wait I was pretty nervous and didn't even have sex with my boyfriend:(

yes u r right, it is a hard profession. I used to be a waitress, it was hard physically and mentally.....remembering what people ordered, who needed refills etc. (I can somewhat compare the two professions) Now that I am a nurse, I realize I can't slack off, I can't make mistakes. it's so serious. before if I brought the wrong order to the table, it was ok, no biggy, but if I were to bring the wrong med or something to a patient..... whoa! it's such a big responsibility it's almost scary to me. hey, tomorrow is my pinning! woo hoo! And congratulations to you with your upcoming graduation!

My pinning is tomorrow. Our ceremony is different from others in that we choose a person (friend or family) to pin us. I chose my significant other. He will meet me on the stage and the director hands him the pin and he pins me..... oo000oOoo I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it! Also they give us a single rose. this all happens as they announce my name, his name, where I accepted a job at. Woo hoo!!!

Hey you mommyjskns! Congratulations! I can remember getting my acceptance letter in march 2005. Tomorrow is my pinning. I can't believe I made it! It will seem like an eternity making it through, but you will and it'll go fast. Have Fun!

Last summer I was working midnight shift and there was a man who was in my assignment who had some kind of bowel obstruction and was just getting over it. he was on strict bed rest and was not allowed to get up. he had to move his bowels so I put him on the bed pan. I left to give him his privacy then came back a few mintues later to get him off. The smell was the worst smell I have ever EVER ever EVER smelled in my life. I didn't let it show, however, and took the bed pan to the bathroom to empty it after cleaning him up. While emptying the bedpan, I started dry heaving then finally threw up right on top of his poop which made me even sicker. Thankfully this did not happen in front of the patient, the bathroom is a seperate room. Now, I do NOT have a weak stomach, I can handle C-Diff, gi bleeds, trach care, it is just that this poop was like no other poop I have ever smelled. yuk!

Thanks for the input. It was somewhat embarrassing to ever write this thread, but I kinda wanted to hear from others on the topic. Thanks for letting my know I'm not alone in feeling this way RN28MD. And thanks for the advice abundantjoy07. I have always planned on being a professional nurse and not being one who jokes and flirts. I want to be taken seriously and well respected. Thank you!

I recently accepted a GN position. I'm excited about starting the real learning. But I have been thinking... the only thing that kinda makes me feel uneasy is dealing with the doctors. I haven't had much experience with it in school or clinicals. I'm somewhat of a shy person, and I know doctors are humans - not some super species; and I shouldn't feel intimidated... but I do. Are there other people who have felt this way? I feel like a big wimp! Any suggestions or advice?

I would love to find the slideshow to that. Any idea if it's online somewhere? I am in my "long term" rotation at school, we have only 2 more weeks before we graduate. I would LOVE to share this poem and possibly the slideshow with my classmates; especially since we are studying gerontology. Any help finding it would be greatly appreciated!!

Thinning hair / bald O.U. Did I do that right?

I love it!

Pittsburgh Children's Hospital (UPMC) is one of the BEST children's hospitals in the country. They give 6 solid months of orientation. I do not work there but I did my peds clinicals there.

Thank you. That sounds like a great intro - I could really work with that! I really appreciate the info and help. Thanks!

I will be interviewing this Monday and I am nervous. I will be graduating in May, and this will be my first RN job. I already work at this hospital PRN as an aide but none of the supervisors really know me because I only work the min 16 hrs per month required. Anyways, I am worried about the "tell me about yourself" question. What aspect should I talk about? Me PERSONALLY? School? Prior work experience?