cloudydrms

Stretch, Sorry, but I can't help you with the points systems. When I started at Del Tech, you were admitted into clinicals based almost solely on your score on the NLN. I scored really well on it, so I just had to wait the standard 1 year after taking the NLN to get into clinicals. I think that the people who didn't do well on the NLN were put on a waiting list and admitted as space allows. Of course, now with the list of people waiting to get in those people would never make it...I think that's why they changed the admission process. Anyway, hope you make it! Cindy

I start working on the floor tomorrow. Oh my gosh. I'm sooooo scared! :sofahider I officially started on Monday, but had three days of classes. Tomorrow I'll be starting on my unit (MICU Step Down) with my preceptor. I'll be praying for many things tonight: Wisdom , a guardian angel to watch over me and my patients , a good preceptor (LOL), a sixth sense, and patience with myself. Why oh why, did I pick such a hard floor?????? Cindy (accepting any and all prayers)

I'd totally support this. I'm a firm believer in nurses wearing something that distinguishes them from CNA/PCT's, Docs, or whomever. I've been in the hospital. My hubby's been in the hospital. It's always a question. Who is the nurse? You're always trying to read their nametag. I just think something needs to be done to make it clear to the patients. Cindy

Just a funny anecdote. I'm starting in the MICU StepDown on Monday. New older nurse (40yo) and for some reason I lost my mind and accepted a job there. (Actually I'm excited, but scared out of my mind.) Needless to say, I immediately came to this board to see what was being said and what reference books might be recommended. Anyway, I say the MICU faqs and saved it to my favorites to check out later. Meanwhile I went to amazon and ordered a book. I just went to look at the MICU faqs and realized it was the same book I'd ordered. That's a great thing. Must mean I was really interested in it. Now I can hardly wait until it comes in the mail. Just my little story. I let you know what I think after I get it! Cindy

Just a funny anecdote. I'm starting in the MICU StepDown on Monday. New older nurse (40yo) and for some reason I lost my mind and accepted a job there. (Actually I'm excited, but scared out of my mind.) Needless to say, I immediately came to this board to see what was being said and what reference books might be recommended. Anyway, I say the MICU faqs and saved it to my favorites to check out later. Meanwhile I went to amazon and ordered a book. I just went to look at the MICU faqs and realized it was the same book I'd ordered. That's a great thing. Must mean I was really interested in it. Now I can hardly wait until it comes in the mail. Just my little story. I let you know what I think after I get it! Cindy

It really shouldn't matter. I graduated in May, took and passed the NCLEX in July, and really didn't start looking seriously until mid-August. I just accepted a position. I interviewed everywhere. (I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do.) Anyway, I think two people asked me why I hadn't gotten a job yet, and I was completely honest. I told them I'd decided to take some time off after nursing school, pass the boards, and then start applying which is basically what I did. They seemed to understand. I really don't think you'll have a problem. Cindy

:roll :rotfl: Cindy

This aren't lovely quotes, but they are funny Southernisms: (To be used after someone's had a particularly rough night) Your eyes look like two pi$$ holes in the sand. Busy as a cat covering up s&*t Dry as a popcorn fart. (As in "Man, it sure hasn't rained in a while" "Yep, it's dry as a popcorn fart.)

I used an NLN study guide entitled "Review Guide for RN Pre-Entrance Exam" by Mary McDonald. It was the only one available at the time. It was a fairly thick text and it covered all the material that could be on the NLN. It definitely helped me to raise my grade...especially in the math portion (I hadn't even looked at a math question in 20 years!) It is available at amazon.com. Hope this helps. Cindy

Congratulations, Sheryl, . Way to hang in there! Cindy :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons:

I honestly don't know where this theory came from, but if you think about it it does make sense. But it only makes sense if you get more than 75 or less than 265 questions. If you get more than 75 and they are looking for you to show that you've definitively passed or failed the exam then in theory if you get the last one right then the computer probably just was able to determine that you definitively passed (or are competent). If you missed the last question, then the computer was probably able to just figure that you definitively failed. Now, I'm just guessing here, cuz I actually have no idea, but it does make sense to me. Now if you get 75 questions and you get your last question wrong, you could still pass because the computer could have already determined that you were competent. If you get 265 questions, then it really doesn't matter what you get on your last question. The computer just looks at the last 60 questions to determine if you're competent or not. Now you probably didn't really want this lengthy of an answer, did you? LOL! Cindy

I'd just like to say one little thing...I PASSED! WOO HOO! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :kiss :kiss :kiss :roll :roll :roll :yelclap: :yelclap: :yelclap: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :flowersfo :flowersfo :flowersfo :smiley_aa :smiley_aa :smiley_aa And finally... Woo hoo. Just call me. Cindy Wheeler, RN! LOL!

Cheryl and Alliecat, Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. I took it on Friday, too, but still don't know the results. My state isn't a one where you can find out on the website or call. I just have to wait until it appears on the BON website. Everybody who's taken it on a Friday has had to wait until Monday or Tuesday of the following week. So here I sit knowing that it won't be up this weekend and STILL looking several times a day. (You never know...maybe someone came into the office and thought that they'd just update this one person's name on the website. LOL!!!) I got 75 questions and I didn't feel horrible about it after it was over. I got a lot of priority, 3 med calcs (Yipee!), 2 or 3 check all that apply, 1 of the ones where you put the procedure in the correct order. I can't really remember what my questions were...they were mostly just priority, so I hoping I did well on them. Even though I only got 75 questions I felt wiped out by the time the test ended. I feel for those who've had more questions than that. I think I'd have had to come home and sleep for a week! Anyway...I sit and wait for my results. Cindy

I'll be taking it with you tomorrow 7/15 at 9 a.m. I'm not looking forward to it at all! Good luck to all! Cindy

Definitely review the kidneys. They're so important. If you're very unfamiliar with the liver and what it does...review. And, especially if you're a nursing student, understand the heart anatomy and beats completely. Cindy

Fortunately, most of the RN's I came into contact with during my clinical rotations were really helpful, but my advice to you for the ones who are less than helpful is this: KISS HIS/HER BEHIND! I know that you shouldn't have to, but, believe me, as a nursing student you will learn so much more from that nurse if you follow that advice! I can remember several of my fellow nursing students having trouble with one nurse in particular...the more she was hostile, the more attitude and hostility they got towards her. It just escalated until there was no learning taking place at all. I always just took anything they dished out with a smile on my face and always asked their opinion like it was the most opinion I could ever come in contact with. I always ended up having a good relationship with these "testy" nurses AND I usually learned that they had a lot of good info to impart. Just one recent graduates opinion, Cindy

And one other thing: At the school I just graduated from we were able to print out the power points for the lecture before we even came to the lecture. This enabled us to take notes right on our powerpoint and listen to understand the lecture more instead of just writing furiously without really understanding. Cindy

I'll give you an example. While we I agree with the above statements completely! I like an instructor that lectures from a powerpoint, but uses the powerpoint and expands upon each topic. I love real-word examples. I HATE group work. To me that is just asking the students to do the instructors work and then most people in the class don't listen. I'm a great student, but I'm only half there when listening to a group give a presentation on a topic. I'm not sure why, but it always happens. Maybe because I'm always wondering if the group's info is correct. If discussing trachs or chest tubes, bring in equipment for the students to look at. It's always easier to understand it if you're looking at the equipment. I like it when the instructor asks questions of the students, but it can be done too much. Don't present everything as a question. And the most important thing: Know your powerpoint/lecture. Nothing is more distracting or frustrating than a student feeling like it's the instructors first time through the powerpoint. Cindy

NascarFan, What's the name of the skills program that you have? As I'm soon to be starting as a new nurse, that sounds like a pretty handy program to have. Thanks. Cindy

What a wonderful experience, Tammy! Just beautiful! Cindy

Sounds like you're doing pretty well. How you do in Ron's A&P is a fairly good indication of how you'll do in nursing courses although it is different. It's just so much easier to get behind in the nursing courses with the reading and all. Are you taking both classes telecourse or just one? Honestly, I would have advised that you not take any telecourse the first semester not because it's harder, but because you really need to get into the swing of it all and I think that's easier to do if you have to constantly be at the school. On the other hand, you're a good student. I'm sure you'll do fine. Sue is right (I just love her...my favorite clinical instructor. Her and Anne.) The telecourse classes do fill up fast but you'll find that the even numbered classes fill up faster. It seems like they always schedule early registration for classes on a Monday so you'll be in clinical. Now you'll have an advantage because you're in evening clinicals, right? So if you get online early (or get to the school early) that Monday and register, you won't have any problem. I never had any problem getting what I wanted if I registered on the first day and I was in day clinicals. Anyway, that's the scoop. Cindy

This isn't hospital related (I just graduated and I hope I don't run into any ghosts too soon...I have enough to worry about already!), but it is a ghost story. Actually, it's a story that happened to my best friend several years ago. About 14 years ago her hubby was worked for the air force and they were stationed at Edwards Air Force Base (where the shuttle lands). Anyway, her Mom had come out to visit and they were driving off of the base pretty late at night. Well, according to her, at Edwards in order to get off the base you have to drive for miles and miles through the desert and it is, of course, very very dark at night. So, they're driving through the desert she and her Mom and her son is in the back of the car when her headlights light up a guy walking on the side of the road way up ahead. He's got on a flight suit and he's carrying his helmet in his hand down next to his body. When they're getting closer to him, her Mom turned to her and suggested that maybe they should pick him up. My friend agreed and when they both brought their eyes back to the road he had vanished. She said it was the weirdest thing that has ever happened to her. They both just kind of looked at each other with shocked faces. The thing about Edwards AFB is that they do a lot of test piloting for planes out there and several planes have gone down in the desert killing men over the years. Anyway, that's just another story to scare you before you go to bed tonight. Cindy

Jennifer, I just graduated from the Stanton DTCC nursing program in May. Sorry that I didn't see your post earlier, but this past semester was a really busy one. Yes, I have taken several nursing classes telecourse. Are you having to take both 141 and 142 as telecourses or just one of them? If you are a pretty good student (How'd you do in A&P?) and you don't need anyone to push you, then you'll be fine with the telecourse. Just don't let yourself get behind with the videos!!! Also, in the future, it's much easier to take the even numbered courses (142, 144, 242, and 244) as telecourse than the odd numbered ones (141, 143, 241, 243). The odd numbered courses are the harder Med-Surg courses, and I always found it easier to actually be there for the lecture than to watch it on video. On the other hand, some people liked to watch it on video cuz then they could always rewind if they missed something, etc. Let me know if I can help you out in any way, Cindy

I just graduated from Delaware Tech Stanton Campus - you know, just over the bridge from you. We have a lot of students that live in southern Jersey. Anyway, I was just talking to one of my nursing instructors and she said they're going to start a weekend program. I would assume that would be within the next year. They currently have an evening clinical and afternoon class program along with the regular day program. You should look into it. Cindy

Here in Delaware we don't have quick results either, but you can go to our State Board of Nursing page and there's a list of nurses. As soon as you pass the NCLEX your name goes up on that page. It only takes about 2 - 4 days after the NCLEX. Don't know if that works in CA, but it's worth a shot. Cindy