joyfulgal

Research Sucks! What a waste of time in a nursing program; I feel for you. I just finished all of this fun stuff not that long ago and NEVER want to re-live it. My advice: set your question based upon what you are interested in answering. For example what if you were interested in knowing "How do side effects, both physical and psychological, effect women who have experienced treatment for cervical cancer.."-radiation therapy, sex drive/life, effects of ADL's etc... I have used both data-bases mentioned and they are very useful if you know how to manipulate your research question. You may not find articles which match your question exactly, be able to adapt what you find to your original question. Goooood Luck!

I just graduated from a nursing school in Nebraska and agree with the person who previously posted. The program was an accelerated one because I already had a bachelor's of science. There was no wait at my school, however it is a private school so the cost of tuition was much higher. For me it was worth every penny because I was finished in 12months and well prepared for NCLEX; everyone of my classmates (60) passed first try. I am now working as an RN paying back that tuition. I can say with confidence there is no way I would have waited 1-2yrs to attend nursing school because of my age. Give it some thought, there are both pro's and cons to doing what I have done; it just depends on your situation. If you need more info please contact me.

I just began my first nursing job in fast-paced Med/Surg and love, love, love my job! I like the fast pace of everything that goes on during the days, however I will be working 7p-7a rather than days once orientation is completed. Everyone tells me it will be a slower pace at night and anyone who can hack days should be well prepared for nights. I think what I like most about my job is the envirionment and the people I work with. I rate these two factors as top priority. As for your question; if you are looking to go into something where you have to have strong assessment skills, experience, and confidence such as ER, or ICU then get those skills in Med/Surg where you have ample opportunity to get it ALL! Give it one year, if you still feel this way, then move on. At least gives you that one year M/S experience which many units prefer or better yet "require". Hook-up with a nurse working in another unit you think you might be interested in and shadow them for a day or so. This is just one of the "perks" of nursing. How many other professions offer such a wide variety of choices in obtaining work as a licensed professional....What ever you choose, I wish you the best and hope you find your "gig" :)

Thank you for the great story and chuckle....I am laughing so hard, but only because I start my very first nursing job tomarrow as a new grad on a med/surg unit! Just finished the orientation, documentation and computer training today only to find out that our facility is being visited by JCAHO this week :) looks like I will be learning some good stuff right out of the gate!---thanks for sharing.

I live in OKC and there is indeed many, many positions open for RN's at almost all of the metro area hospitals as well as in the communities immediately surrounding the city. I just graduated in August, moved to a different area, passed boards and secured a job all in a matter of a few short weeks. There are so many positions available and endless opportunity for both new and experienced RN's here; I feel very lucky to have so many choices to start with! I was hired in a med/surg position and start orientation this week, can't wait to dig in after being absent from allnurses during this past year of intense study in nursing school.

I just took the NCLEX and know how stressful this whole process can be; I am sorry that you have to go through this for a second time. I am not going to tell you whether or not to reschedule the exam, only you can decide if you feel better prepared to take the exam; however I did see that you have both the Kaplan and Exam Cram books to study with. Did you take the Kaplan prep course, or just purchase the books? I took the Kaplan prep course and thought that is was well worth it. On the other hand, the book is NOT the best piece of study material (my opinion only). I found that having access to the Kaplan online exams after finishing the course was very useful. The strategies they teach really do help with reading and answering correctly. For me, the best strategy was to answer as many questions as possible and go back to look at each question, the answer, and rationale. I don't think it does much good to answer a ton of questions and then not look over each one individually after the fact. If there are areas that you really do not know, then go back and study that material (diabetes insipidus, Addison's, Cushings etc). If I can be of any help please let me know. Take a deep breath and think positive! Good Luck with everything.

Thank you for your response. Do you think I will have a better shot at finding my way to the ER if I were to work in Med/Surg unit at Mercy for a while? I like Med/Surg and believe it is a good step to take for any new grad; but I know that I will want to go to ER nursing at some point. I took a look at their job postings on-line, and they do have shifts available..what do you think? I appreciate any input at this point. Thanks, Joy

I am moving back to OKC after graduating from an accelerated BSN program in Nebraska. I was curious if anyone has suggestions or recommendations for working at Mercy Hospital? I will be living in Edmond (I-35/Memorial) starting around Sept. 1. I like Med/Surg and almost all areas of nursing, but have had limited experience. Do ER departments hire new grads? Should I start with a Med/Surg unit?,,,I would love to hear from someone working in this area, or who has some good advice on how to decide where to start my nursing career.....Joyfulgal

My program recommends comfortable, casual dress, and layers due to inside A/C. I always freeze in the classroom and hate being cold! I am thinking casual/dress capris, cute top, but do not want to wear heels! There is no sense in being miserable all day long. Good Luck!

I would love to have a copy the drug lists you have posted! I know this sounds silly but I just finished my finals for the spring and have the summer off before I start a very busy accelerated program in August....I am finding that I need something to focus on and study over the summer as I am already in the nursing school/study mode. I think it will make my Fall semester go a little smoother if I have some Pharmocology background. Thank you so much, Joyfulgal

Take General Chem first, then if required take Organic Chem next! It is really difficult to get through Organic Chem if you do not have a good understanding of General Chem. I just finished Organic this past winter after a 13yr. break from any Chemistry and it was very challenging to say the least. I am also starting an accelerated program soon and just need one more level of Chemistry to satisfy the pre-reqs. Let's just say I love Microbiology soooo much more! Good luck to you and of course be sure to check with your advisor at the school you are applying to!

This is a required text prior to entering our actual nursing classes for an accelerated program. I assume that we will be tested on the material shortly after the program begins. I ordered it on Amazon for about $23. Calculations of Drug Dosages, 7th ed. by Sheila J. Ogden. It starts with the very basics of math and leads into the more complicated mathematics of calculating dosages. Look for it, it is great! Good Luck!

Hi jda1977, just saw your recent post about how organic chem relates to your general chem that you took 3 years ago???You will be just fine! You always have to start with the basic principles of chemistry in general. Lewis structures, valence electrons, basic knowledge of the periodic table, ect.,,the way I see it, a 3 year gap is much easier to work with than the 13yr. gap that I am faced with! It also depends on your situation with family/work/home and how much time you are able to sit down and work through problems. I just got home from my class and let's just say that I am not so pleased with my results from exam 2! Thank god I did well on the first exam. The instructor said not to be discouraged because everyone in the class slid as well. Some how that does not make me feel all that much better; but she also said that grades for exam 3 tend to be higher....so I have that going for me, I guess. I just need to pass with a "C" or better as I am already accepted into an accelerated program and that is the minimum requirement! Good luck, and sorry so long, I am just a little disappointed.:uhoh21:

I am about 2/3 of the way through my organic chemistry class and cannot wait until it is over b/c like your counselor said, once you tackle o. chem, you can do anything! I believe it! Don't get discouraged before you even begin. Start with a positive attitude and start reading ahead before your class even begins, if you have the text. Organic is just like any math class, you have to work the problems in order to get better and understand what you are doing. Good luck with it, and if you need any help I can "try" and answer some questions since it is so fresh in my brain. I got an "A" on my first exam and will find out tonight at night class what my score is for exam 2, it was on monday evening and was much more difficult than the first (took me 2 1/2 hrs,,,ouch) Study hard, it pays off in the end!

Sorry to hear that your ethics class is going to be so involved! I am currently taking Intro to Ethics and it really is not bad at all. As far as writing assignments and papers go we have 10 one page essays due throughout the course, one mid-term, which was take home, and then the final. Good luck, if you need support let me know!

I too am in the process of looking into federal student loans. I am not quite sure how all of this works. I have never taken out any student loans before, luckily we were able to pay for my first BS degree. My husband has a great job and we have always lived on his income alone, but I know we cannot afford to pay out of pocket for an accelerated BSN program at a private institution., which is where I am heading. Are there any "catches" that I should be prepared for when applying for a federal student loan? Also, how soon should I begin the application process, my nursing program begins Aug'07? If anyone has information and is willing to share, please let me know..I could use all the advice on this topic that I can get!

Hi, I too am accepted into an accelerated BSN program which begins Aug'07. My BS degree is in Health and Sport Sciences. This is area of study has many different options. It can focus on "health sciences" or "sport and exercise sciences". It looks as though you have already taken many of the prerequs for a degree in that area. Check it out & Good LucK!

I know this may start to sound a little like a skip in your favorite cd... but,,,,consider taking Anatomy and Physiology together (they are good buddies) and then take Micro. It will flow better for you in the long run from one experience to another. Just my thoughts, I do not mean to scare you at all! Good luck with everything!

Hi stpauligirl, I just noticed you post about ethics. I am currently in the Intro Ethics class and just started the winter quarter here. The class is based on your own personal opinion, values, etc, with writing a few short essays and journal entries. Not too bad so far. Goodluch with yours!

Is anybody out there currently enrolled in Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry? I just started, my school works in the quarter system so we are just starting the winter quarter and I have 9 weeks left of this stuff. My previous history with Chem is Intro to Chem, General Chem I, but that was 13yrs ago..... I did make A's maybe B's in those classes, but it has been so long. I do seem to put in many hours of study and will do so in order to pass with at least a "C" or better inorder to start my BSN-accelerated program in Aug'07. I just wanted to know if there is anyone who logs onto this site with a good solid knowledge base of organic chem that I can turn to? Let me know, thankyou!

Hi everyone! I just thought I would post a question. I am new to this so hopefullly I will do it right. I am in my last semester of pre-reqs for an accelerated nursing program. Already have one BS and start BSN program in Aug '07. I noticed in a post someone had mentioned the NET prep book.??? Maybe a silly question, but what is this? Classes for winter and spring quarters are: Organic Chemistry, Into to Ethics, Microbiology, & Developmental Psychology. Smiles!