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Ball still has night shift diff.

Like others have mentioned, it depends on what type of nursing you want to do. You could have a job as a nurse that doesn't involve direct patient care, but you would still have to go through it in nursing school. Our first clinical was a nursing home so there was plenty of poo. But from your post, I'm wondering why you want to be a nurse. You don't sound too interested.

My first clinical was in a nursing home. I volunteered to do evening clinicals (3p - 11p) but most clinicals at my school are 7a - 3:30p. We would have a pre-conference before we started our day. This would include discussing what we were going to be working on (glucometers, shots, meds, etc.) and then being assigned to a patient. Since it was our first clinical, we only had one patient a day. After we were done with our assessments, we would help out the nurses and CNA's with whatever they needed. We did a lot of bathing, glucometers, toileting, and answering call lights. Every day was different though. There were times when someone would need a catheter, trach care, flu shot, etc. and someone would volunteer to do it or our instructor would make us check off on it. At the end of the day, we had a post conference to discuss our day and anything we learned. It is scary at first being by yourself but we worked with other classmates and it made things a lot less stressful. Plus, our instructor was always around if we needed help. And remember to always be on time!

Jpeters, we had to do 2 ATI tests last semester or we couldn't go on. However, if we didn't pass, we got to remediate on our own. It was easy. If your school is the same, I wouldn't worry about it.

I agree with everyone else and that you should try not to take as many science classes all at once. It's hard enough just to keep up with one! I did want to add that I failed EVERY single class I took my first semester of pre-reqs. I was discouraged but I retook each class the next semester and aced every single one. That was about two years ago and I am now going into my second semester of my schools RN program with a 4.0 GPA. Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not the end of the world. If you want to be a nurse, pick yourself up and try again next semester. You will be fine!!

Well, it seems like you kind of have your mind made up after reading this: "I didn't spend the last 3 years banging my head against a wall so I could work 2 jobs." I think you should keep looking. Maybe you could find something that offers more hours so you wouldn't have to work 2 jobs.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am feeling a bit better about things today. I thought about volunteering at a Children's Hospital but the nearest one is a little over an hour away. I honestly can't afford the gas money while in school. I did, however, just get hired as a student nurse in a step down unit. Hopefully, it will give me some general experience and maybe I can even float to peds occasionally. I'm just glad to know that I am not the only one that has felt this way.

I'm in my second semester of nursing school and I am seriously doubting everything right now. I get good grades and I love clinicals but I know that real world nursing is completely different. My heart is set on working in pediatrics, specifically oncology. However, I am worried that when I graduate I will not be able to find a job in peds due to lack of experience and I will have to accept a position that I am not really happy with. I am fairly young and am wondering if I can do this for the rest of my life. I don't want to be a burnt out nurse. I have a lot of passion and I have been told by instructors that I will make a great nurse but I am just terrified that I am going to put all of this time and effort into nursing, only to be unhappy in the end. Or that I will not be able to handle all of the nursing politics. Can anyone else relate or am I just thinking too much into this?

I will be starting my second semester this spring. I have Med Surg II lecture and clinicals at our hospital. I think our Med. Surg. clinical is on a floor dealing with neuro. Then we have Maternal Mother Child and OB clinical. I can't wait. I am really not interested in working in OB because I can't handle deliveries, but I think it will be really exciting to have the experience.

Thanks for the reply. I just went and explained everything and was told it didn't matter, if I don't have BOTH, I can't start. Guess it just wasn't meant to be.

I just got hired as an SNT (student nurse tech). I am excited and was told I would be starting next week. Problem is, I need two letters of recommendation from 2 instructors or I will not be able to start. This wouldn't be a big deal if we weren't on break. I have called instructors and sent emails and I can't get ahold of anyone!! I am a complete loss on what to do and am afraid that I will not be able to start this job. What would you guys do?

Well, since someone already revived this thread, I'll go ahead and say that you guys really know how to turn off a nursing student. Hah. I am now terrified and second guessing my career choices. Thank you.

hahaha. that is awesome.

Hey, you sent me a message but I figured I'd respond here. I only got like a 73 the first time but I studied and took it again and scored an 85. I checked out books about other nursing entrance exams and then studied the TEAS manual nonstop. It helped somewhat but I also memorized some questions on the TEAS that I took. I sat down and wrote out all the questions I remembered and asked friends/family to help me solve them. I then searched online for questions that were similar and that helped. I don't know that I'd recommend memorizing questions because I believe some TEAS tests are different than others, but it worked for me.

We sound a lot alike minus the two job ordeal. I'm 20 and work part time (25 hours a week) and start nursing school in 10 days. I live with my mom, however, I help support both of us. I am completely independent and pay for everything I have as well as groceries for both my mom and I, cat food/litter, and everyday necessities. There is no way we would make it without my income. We are barely making it by now! It doesn't help that I can't get student loans besides Stafford. I am terrified to work 25 hours, go to school 26 hours, and have a load of homework/studying in between but I know I can do it and I have no choice. Your post gives me courage. I hope that both of us can make it through this!! Goodluck with everything. :)

I just checked mine (somehow it let me check it at 2 am..) and don't have it either. Now I'm jealous.

Mrs.frog I'm in the same boat you are. It's aggravating. They told us if our classes aren't paid for the first day, we're dropped from the program. Well, I can't pay it without a Stafford Loan so it's not my fault Ivy Tech is full of slackers. I work a whole 25 hours a week and am broke. There is no way I can pay for tuition and books out of pocket, even if I did receive the money later on. You can't pay it if ya ain't got it. I'm struggling just to gather up money for uniforms and clinical supplies. Thank God, we don't have to order them. We can buy our uniforms anywhere which makes it a bit cheaper. Anyway, I think Ivy Tech probably waited til last minute to switch over to the new system and have now screwed themselves. It's so Ivy Tech of them!! :) I will just be super p*ssed if I don't get my money before classes start and I'm dropped from the program. I wouldn't think they would do that considering the situation but you never know. I didn't bust my ass to get here and then get dropped from the program. No way!!!!

Okay, I just called my financial aid office. The lady told me that there is a new procedure to apply for Stafford loans this year and there would be an announcement on Campus Connect telling everyone how to do it. I asked when we could apply, since it's getting awfully close to the first day of classes, and she told me that I would just have to keep checking on the Campus Connect website because the loan site is not ready yet.

I am going to lose it. Okay, so I tried to apply for my Stafford loan and the opennet website didn't give me the option; it would only allow me to apply for a private loan. It also kept saying it couldn't find my account when I tried to manage my loans. I called Sallie Mae and was told that my first loan in 06 was never disbursed to the school and was withdrawn. That caused my two later loans not to be disbursed to the school. That makes absolutely no sense what so ever. Why would the school allow me to use loan money that was apparently never disbursed to pay for all of my books for the past 2 years? And why would they cut me a check for the remainder of the loan? Also, why would Ivy Tech let me attend classes for 2 years if my loans were never disbursed and I owed them money?? I also looked at my loans on the FAFSA website after clicking some link on Campus Connect and it gives me the exact dates that the money was disbursed to Ivy Tech. This guy really upset me. He said I probably owe Ivy Tech thousands of dollars and until I pay them everything, I can't take out any Stafford loans and I would have to take out a private loan to pay all of the "undisbursed loans" I've already taken out. I'm so freakin' aggravated. Guess I'll be at the financial aid office first thing tomorrow.

Do any of you take out unsubsidized? Everyone (outside of the nursing program) is telling me not to take them out, but I heard you get more if you do and I need money to live off of! For whatever reason, the Sallie Mae website is not offering me to apply for a Stafford loan. It goes straight to "Apply for a Private Loan." I've done this for the past 2 years and have yet to have a problem. I hate this!!

Yikes. I hope I put that on my FAFSA. I am never approved for any kind of grant which is ridiculous because we're struggling. Anyway, now I'm nervous that I won't be able to get my Stafford loan if I didn't mark that. Gah, I need to call the financial aid office.

How do you get that much on Stafford Loans? I go through the Sallie Mae website that Ivy Tech tells their students to use but last semester I only got $1500. That isn't even enough to buy books for the nursing program! I'm working with someone at Work One to get financial help and he told me that I'm probably not getting both subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Honestly, I have no idea what any of that means or how to get both. Can anyone help me? I'm going to try to apply for my Fall/Spring loans this weekend.

Haha!! That's great. Now comes the stress of trying to figure out how to pay for it and if I have to quit my job. I hate that orientation isn't until July!

Have you guys received your letters yet? I got mine today and... I GOT IN!!!!!! :D:D:D:D I start the ASN in Muncie on Aug. 25th. I am so excited. Hope everyone out there got in too!

I would look into taking Com. 102 instead of 101, unless you absolutely have to. Com. 102 is also a co-req for the RN program. I took it online and it was sooo easy. We didn't have to go to campus or use a camcorder for speeches at all. My instructor made us watch movies and then write a one page paper over them, take quizzes, and post on the discussion board. I never once had to give a speech in any way, shape, or form. It was really good for me because I have anxiety and hate to speak in front of people.