PDXSammy

How old would you be if you didn't go to nursing school? ;-) I didn't start pre-req's until I was 47, and got my RN license the same year I turned 52. Like you, I wanted to be a nurse after I graduated from hs, but that didn't happen, and regretted it almost every day. Go for it - the sooner you start, the sooner you'll realize your dream.

I had to get 9 Arts & Humanities credits, so I signed up for Ceramics, Photography and Abnormal Psych summer term. Ceramics was WAY fun, and photography was a breeze - it was a list of subjects to shoot (a thin blue line, a yellow circle, a reflection of yourself, etc). The abnormal psych prof creeped me out, but that's a whole new post. I highly recommend ceramics. Do something fun and artistic that won't require a paper or reading.

I have a t-shirt that reads "That's MR. nurse to you", and wear it to work regularly. The only problem I have is correcting people that automatically assume I'm a doctor. What you do in the bedroom has nothing to do with your chosen career. Unless you're a prostitute.

I feel sorry for the students who didn't study and/or blew off clinicals and still passed. Karma will catch up with them when they're suddenly faced with test questions they can't answer (or even guess at an answer), or are asked to do a procedure they *should* be semi-proficient at, but will stumble through. The positive in the situation, though, is that the slacker professor isn't taking care of patients. If she's short-changing students paying big bucks for a quality education, how well would she treat people who aren't intentionally sick? Her license should be yanked.

I got addicted to pretzels and choc milk while studying. Anybody know how to turn a stack of 33x36 501's into a quilt?

i was immediately curious about your professor's fact and found this at the new york-presbyterian the university hospital of columbia and cornell website. she's partly right, but i'd be very careful to not make waves while in ns. being of advanced age, it was glaringly apparent very soon that a huge part of ns is learning to deal with politics. choose your battles and let go of the bs. ns will be a mostly wonderful memory before you know it. sometime in the future, when you're writing rn (or lpn) after your name, you'll realize how very insignificant this professor was. what foods most often cause food allergy? approximately 90 percent of all food allergies are caused by the following eight foods: milk eggs wheat soy tree nuts fish shellfish peanuts eggs, milk, and peanuts are the most common causes of food allergies in children, with wheat, soy, and tree nuts also included. peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish commonly cause the most severe reactions. nearly 3 percent of children have food allergies. although most children "outgrow" their allergies, allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish may be life-long. [color=#2200cc]food allergies - new york presbyterian hospital

I know this is slightly off subject, but I had to tell it after I read about the male chauvinist pig resident. During one of my med/surg rotations, I was alone in a private room doing vs and morning care on a patient in 4 point restraints. This arrogant, egomaniacal very young resident walks in with his clipboard, totally ignoring me and going over the patient like he was a pot roast, rather than a human being. The doc didn't introduce himself to me, make eye contact, or say a word to the patient, until he barks "BRUSH HIS TEETH". I'm on the other side of the bed, leaning against the wall just watching this jerk and his dynamic with the patient. I look around and think to myself "Who's he talking to like that?" A few minutes later, the doc barks a 2nd time, "BRUSH HIS TEETH" and walks out. I follow him out to chart what I had done so far, and he spins around and says to me "DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME THE FIRST TIME?", which made everyone in the common area stop and stare at us. Being as this doc was young enough to be my son, all I could do was start laughing and say "YOU brush his teeth!", then walked away from him. Two of the staff nurses thanked me in private for standing up to him, then my advisor pulled me aside and attempted to rake me over the coals - but had a grin on her face, or had to put her hand over her mouth to muffle the giggles the whole time. Apparently, everyone was afraid of this doc because of his "in your face" attitude. My dad once said something to the effect of "Everyone is equal. The only time you should consider someone better than you is if they can stick their elbow in their ear." But his saying used a different body orifice. Good words to live by.

I would call the person that offered the job and let her know you haven't heard from HR. She can let you know if HR's swamped and haven't gotten to your paperwork yet, or (gawd forbid) if the offer fell through. I was recruited by the unit where I did my preceptorship, but not only did my position get eliminated, but the entire nurse internship program for med/surg/acute care/womens health all got cancelled because of the economy. I think your case is a simple matter of a departmental communication snafu. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. MAJOR congrats on your accomplishments this far and best of luck to you in your final term. I can't describe the feeling of walking into the packed gym for the pinning ceremony with my fellow grads, and the entire audience is on their feet cheering and waving.

1. What is your title and what kind of unit do you work in? RN and Community Health Nurse, working at a county health clinic 2. How long have you worked in this unit/department? 2 months 3. What are your nursing responsibilities? advice nurse calls, walk in adult imms, triage provider paperwork 4. What continuing education and/or certification are required for your position? none 5. What advice would you give a new graduating nurse? Nursing school is for the true basics...real life is very different 6. What was the most difficult adjustment you had to make from nursing student to graduate nurse? Accepting the realization of the responsibility involved with being an RN 7. What has helped you the most in making the transition from student to graduate nurse? The awesome nurses I work with and my supervisor. They encourage me to ask questions and want me to be involved in their procedures. They're complimentary but don't sugar coat anything. As a new hire/new RN, I'm required to have tasks witnessed and 'checked off' before I'm given a provider schedule. Because the MA's do most of the walk in IM's and the lab does the draws, my supervisor volunteers to let me do injections and phlebotomy on her to get the tasks done and approved. I couldn't ask for a better first RN job! :offtopic::Crash:

What helped me pass on my 3rd try was NCLEX for Dummies. I tried Kaplan and Saunders the first two times. Please don't give up. You've invested too much time and work to let it all slip through your fingers. If you passed nursing school, you WILL pass the NCLEX!:scrm::sfxpld:

It might be easy to say something like, "Suzie, your tone of voice really sounds angry, so if I did something to set you off, let's talk. I really don't want you upset with me." I think she's running down the pier to hop on the Titanic. As long as she goes unchecked, it's only a matter of time before the percentage of her unprofessional conduct will overtake the few positives. Keep doing what you love to do...now sit back and watch her self destruct.

Or how about, "Are you messing with me, or are you really that stupid?"

I know what you mean about forgetting material right after the test! As far as keeping track of 6 patients - get organized now! Use your favorite patient organization sheets and keep lots of notes as you go. If you don't have a favorite sheet yet, use a variety and by noon you'll know which ones you like and don't like. The basic stuff will come back as soon as you need to do vs on the first of the 6 patients. Ask for help if when you start getting backed up. I had a tough time keeping track of med times with 4 patients, but what finally helped was to actually write out the meds and times on the org sheet, and keeping the org sheets stapled together in order of the patient rooms. I caught myself wasting WAY too much time shuffling loose papers, post-it's and index cards. Do you graduate in June and take the NCLEX asap after graduation? Much congrats on getting as far as you have. Nursing school is brutal!! It took me 3 tries to finally pass the NCLEX. The first go around I studied Kaplan, the second time Saunders and the third time NCLEX-RN for Dummies. I came out of all 3 attempts feeling as though the test wasn't that difficult, and was shocked and devastated when I got the no pass letter a few days after testing 2 times. Try to relax, TOTALLY DISECT every word of every question and don't read any more into the question than what's actually being asked. Keep in mind Maslow's hiearchy, ABC's, and patient safety at all times. DO NOT go with what you think is the obvious answer...your first choice....unless the question is something like "What color is an orange?" What I did differently on the last attempt was to think about the consequences of each of the selections before choosing one. You'll do fine...and know you aren't alone if you don't pass the first or second time. Best of luck with juggling 6 patients and the NCLEX. It'll all be a memory before you know it and you'll have that license in your hand.

I'm repeating myself here, but it's easier than getting into the "read up" thing. I started pre-req's at 47 and passed the NCLEX last month at the age of 53...but a young 53 :chuckle Go for it, Sistah!!!

I'm having a tough time getting a job, too! Either the positions are being cancelled or someone more qualified is hired. It's totally frustrating to keep running into 'we're looking for someone with more real nursing experience''. How am I supposed to gain the 1 year of experience if I don't get hired? There needs to be more trust out there, employers!!!:mnnnrsngrk:

I used Kaplan and Saunders books after graduation and didn't pass the first time. Then a fellow student who took the Kaplan course said that the instructor mentioned "off the record" during a break to go with Saunders. So I picked up a 2nd Saunders book and concentrated only on Saunders for the second go around and didn't pass. Then I picked up a copy of NCLEX-RN for Dummies, read it cover to cover and did the entire test on the CD and passed the NCLEX on the 3rd try. Since you don't have enough time to get through the Dummies book, here are a few hints that I learned from that book that helped quite a bit: #1 DO NOT go with your first choice right away unless you're absolutely, totally 100% positive it's the correct answer. Like if you were answering the question "What color is an Orange?" #2 - Pay very close attention to EVERY word in the question. Don't read ANYTHING extra into what's being asked. #3 - Think through each of the selections....as in "What are the consequences of this choice?" #4 - Keep Maslow, ABC's, and safety in mind at all times. I know this is basic stuff...but in retrospect, I feel that I slacked on these issues the first two tries. I was a solid B student all through NS, and blew through the NCLEX the first two times, thinking it was pretty easy, only to be devastated when I got THE ENVELOPE in the mail. I wish you the best of luck on Thursday. It'll feel almost surreal to suddenly be able to put those letters after your name.

To the verbally abusive, drug seeking, non-compliant 20 year old with a gun shot wound...."How would you like to tell all your friends you got your ass kicked by a nurse?"

I'm from Portland, Oregon.

Wow! Tyler's Mom - I certainly respect your right to voice whatever opinion you have, but I do draw the line when ageism, racism, sexism or homophobia are a driving factor. Do you feel the same way about patients being "too old" in their 40's or 50's? They're just closer to death, so why give quality care if they're just going to kick the bucket within a few years anyway? How do you know I'm going to retire in 15 - 20 years? I plan on working full time for those 15 or 20 years, and then work as many hours as possible as long as I'm able to work. People guess my age at 10 - 15 years younger than 53. Pursuing my dream of becoming an RN was something I wanted to do as a second/third/fourth career. I blew off a 4 year scholarship to college and nursing school after I graduated from HS in 1973. Every day since then, I regretted my not starting the wheels turning to get through nursing school. It took me almost 6 years of taking a few classes at a time to get a 2 year degree. Time goes by so quickly that before you know it, you're going to be the one in your 40's, then 50's, and remember the above letter you wrote with a totally different perspective. For you to say that ANY human is a "waste of space" in ANY context is hurtful, offensive, mean, narrow minded, and ignorant. Whether or not you believe it, your judgemental attitude subconsciously affects your nursing skills and day to day life. Your comments proved in a few short paragraphs that your social skills, professionalism, work ethic and personality lag far behind your chronological age. You have many many wounds to heal and roads to travel before you can truly contribute something to the work force. Until you obliterate your demons, you're an ongoing liability as an accident waiting to happen. Get with the program and take your blinders off. There's alot to appreciate out there, but your preconceived notions are squelching your full potential. Peace - Sammy

I passed the NCLEX-RN last month, and I'll be 54 this September.

I had a similar experience with an instructor during a re-entry scenario. I bombed out of 2nd year winter term and had to wait a year to get back into the program. One term was audited before repeating the failed term. After the audit term, re-entry students are required to pass an assigned clinical scenario. The doctors orders and med list were handed out the day before the test, so I was determined to be fully prepared with any questions that could come up during the test. When I found out the testing instructor was Alice, I knew I was doomed. This woman attempted to fail me three previous times during labs. Each time I retested with another instructor and passed with no problem and great compliments. When the re-entry scenario began, she started asking very obscure questions that were barely relevant to the patient or med. She kept pounding questions until it was clear to her that I didn't know the answer, then kept pounding more questions at me. What was supposed to be a 20 minute practical exam (which is how long it took her to test the female students) took an hour and 45 minutes. The more rattled I became, the more she lit up...even smiling and chuckling. During the test, she would say things like "You aren't even up to first year, first term standards." At the end of the test, she said she couldn't pass me, then asked me what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I said I didn't know, but I that I was going to file a formal complaint with the director of nursing at the school. I immediately went to the director's office and complained about the test. Alice knocked on the door and handed the director the paper work used during the test. Everything Alice had written was incorrect and outright lies. The director asked me to document what had happened and that my case would be decided by someone higher than her (the director) within a few days. A few hours later, when I was at home, the director called and said I didn't need to document anything, and to take the same scenario over with another instructor in a few days. The second time I had no problem passing with a perfect score. After graduation, I was visiting with my favorite lab instructor when Alice walked by and said to anyone who would listen, "did HE graduate?!!" I suggested to her that she seek counseling to find a less obvious way to deal with her hatred of men and/or male nurses. She turned such a shade of red that I thought she was going to take a swing at me. Not only did I graduate, but I've passed the NCLEX-RN and now officially licensed in Oregon. Rae - You're going to ROCK as a nurse. I think there are a few of the seasoned nurses out there that just get off on eating their young. After we've been practicing for a few years, we'll look back and truly realize just how insignificant and wrong they were.