Shay08

It's tough out there, I agree! Sometimes having a connection is key. Do you know anyone at any of the facilities you're interested in who could steer you in the right direction? How about your nursing instructors or clinical instructors? At my school, many of our instructors work (or used to work) at nearby hospitals. Your teachers may know nurse managers or HR people you could contact. Or maybe former classmates? I'm getting ready to graduate with my BSN next month. I was able to secure myself a hospital RN position for after graduation because I did an externship on the unit where I will be working. But the reason I landed that externship was because I knew someone who was able to direct me to the HR recruiter, and as a result, the nurse manager. Good luck!!

This situation just happened to me. I'm graduating in May and have a vacation already booked shortly afterwards. I recently interviewed for, and was offered a new grad position in the hospital where I currently work. Once I was offered the job, I mentioned to the manager that I have a trip planned on xxx dates, would this be a problem and if so how could we work it out. Even though it will be during my orientation, my manager said it would be fine. I plan to have this in writing when my official offer letter comes. Good luck, hope you get the job AND the vacation!

hi - my daughters are 8 and 4, and my younger one has been in preschool in the mornings since I started NS a few years ago (my 8 year old goes to full day elementary school). I really try to maximize my study time in those 3 hours I have each morning when she is in school, then I spend afternoons with her and study again after the girls go to bed. I am in a part-time, evening/weekend BSN program and I think part-time has been the key for me. I only take 1 or 2 classes a semester and that has been very manageable. My clinicals are on Saturdays and Sundays when my husband is home. We don't have any family nearby, so I have had to get babysitters if my husband has to travel for work or has a meeting on a night that I have class. It's taking our group of part-time students a little longer to finish the program, but doing it this way has been the best solution for me. We graduate in 2012. You will find a way to make it work - best of luck!! p.s. Fundamentals Success book is an excellent supplementary book for Fundamentals, and I used the Saunders book to help with Med Surg. Doing lots of practice questions really helps!

hi - I'm taking fundamentals right now and I love it! We are about halfway through, learning all the topics mentioned above. In my program, this class is where the exams start to become application/critical thinking types of tests. A lot of "choose the best response", "which statement made by the client indicates further instruction is needed," or "what would you do first" kinds of questions. We also have to take a HESI at the end of the semester. Best of luck!

hi - I also took BYU's nutrition class through the independent study. I finished it in 5 months, but you have up to a year to do it. I enjoyed it and made an A pretty easily while taking chemistry at the same time. The teaching assistants were helpful in answering questions too. Just make sure that the course will transfer in to whatever school you want to attend before you register for it. Good luck!

I used the Vangonotes audibles as a supplement as well. I liked them because they were clear, easy to understand, and had relatable examples with material that can sometimes be a little bit complicated. I listened to them in my car and also liked the practice quizzes after each chapter. Good luck!

hi there, I just finished micro this spring and I loved it! Here are a few tips that helped me... When you can, get your book and start flipping through it, just to get an idea of some of the topics you will be covering. Has your instructor posted a syllabus yet? You can check that out too. Also, some books come with a supplemental CD-rom; they often have helpful animations and practice tests/quizzes for every chapter. These are some of the things we covered in my class. (Naturally every school is different, but many times the information is the same)... - microscopy (esp in the lab) - prokaryotic vs eukaryotic cells (cell structure, shape, etc) - staining (gram stain, simple stain, etc) - microbial growth and control - microbial metabolism (glycolysis, Krebs cycle, ETC, respiration) - microbial genetics (a DNA refresher would be good if your class is covering this) - antimicrobial drugs - viruses/viral life cycle - immunology (refresh from A&P) and HIV - epidemiology and pathogenicity There is probably more but that's all I can think of from the top of my head. This class was very interesting, but there is a lot of information to be memorized. If you can, find out how the instructor does their exams. Ours were 70-80 multiple choice questions and also an essay. Our entire grade was based on only 4 exams so you really had to do well on each one. No extra credit! I hope that helped somewhat. Good luck!

Have you tried posting this question in the Pennsylvania regional forum? You might get a good response there, from people who are attending one of those programs.

nursewannabe, congrats on your A in A&P! Well done!! For micro, I did not use the same book you will be using but if you can find a copy of your book that has a supplemental CD rom with it, that could be very useful. Our book had a CD with practice tests and quizzes for every chapter, and animations that really helped with things like viral replication, bacterial metabolism and DNA. I loved this class! The labs are interesting and relevant too. There is a lot of material covered but if you review some every day and ask for help if you need it, you will do just fine. Hope that helps. Good luck!

hi - I am a SAHM in a BSN program. My daughters are 6 and 2.5, and right now I am only going part time (no more than 2 classes/semester). So far my classes have been in the evenings, so my husband can generally be here when I have class. I have also taken a few classes online. I don't mind taking it slow because I can focus a lot better this way. I definitely have a list of sitters that I use if my husband has to be out of town for work. This may all change when I get to clinicals, since I don't know if they will continue to offer an evening/weekend program at my school by the time I get to that point next fall - in which case I'll probably need to use the sitters a lot more! We don't have any family living anywhere near us, which stinks! I also like to use the time when they are in school (kindergarten and preschool) to study. It is not easy to be a student and a mom at the same time but you just find a way to do it that works for you and your family. Hope that helps!

Hi - I just wrapped up my second unknown for the semester in Micro. Our entire class knew we had Gr - enterobacteria, but we did about a dozen different tests to narrow it down. One of the big ones was the motility test, are you doing that one? Either with nitrate or a hanging drop slide. Also, does your instructor have copies of Bergey's manual that you can use? Our lab manual had several flow charts that helped too. Good luck!

Busymom, I am finishing up micro in a couple of weeks. I have really enjoyed it! One thing I did to familiarize myself with some of the concepts before the class even started, was go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and leaf through some of those Microbiology for Dummies type books. They are easy to read and got my mind thinking about what lay ahead. Also, as the date gets closer to start the class, find out how the teacher lectures - does he/she use power point slides? Are they available on shared files electronically somewhere so you can access them before the first day? I found that to be helpful too. Good luck, hope you enjoy the class as much as I have!!

Hi - it is not always easy. My kids are 6 and 2.5, so I try to maximize my study time when they are in school or asleep. I also only carry 2 classes a semester - it might take a little longer that way, but it works for me because I have enough time for my family and can make A's. In terms of the particulars of studying, it varies from class to class. For micro, my professor tests from his power points so I make sure I thoroughly study those. I write and re-write things until they stick and I can do it from memory. Any concepts I don't understand, I either ask him or look them up in other sources...books, internet, etc. Straight A's are nice but are not the most important thing. Set realistic goals. Study, but make time for your family too. Good luck!

Hi - I would take chem first. I took it last semester and am taking micro this semester, and there are definitely some concepts from chem that I am encountering again in micro. Not sure what kind of chem class it is (general, organic, etc) that you are going to take, but if there is any biochem component then, in my experience, it is useful to understand that before taking micro. Good luck!

Thanks for your responses. I think it does make sense now, and we also used a similar chart with measurements that correspond to sensitivity. So essentially, what I think you're saying is that you can have 1 drug with a zone of inhibition of 15 mm which = sensitivity toward that drug, and another drug with the same 15 mm zone but for that drug it = resistance. As far as technique, our instructor had a special method of punching the drugs onto the plate for us, all of them at the same time. There was no flaming involved. Thanks!!