kavi

I never had Chem. in high school. Took an intro course last semester (and I'm 48). It was fascinating, but a lot to remember. I don't know if I would call it 'difficult' it was more a matter of taking up a lot of time. Good luck!

Opalm-hi! That was perfect! We're the Non-Non's. We should get t-shirts or something. Kavi

MonaB! I know! I was really nervous about suggesting it because I was afraid it would bomb. I'm glad there's so many of us here. kavi:cool:

Hi! Looks like we're off to a good start! Thanks to Mona B. for getting us going (and Brian too). Thanks to DebRNo1 who's already finished this way, but has offered to give us advice and support. And CindyJ and Renerian who also can give us inspiration and advice. Mona B--I am doing Excelsior's A&P and Micro. Thanks for the tip on the book, I'll take all the help I can get! I'll look for that title. I'm hoping to finish all this in three years. Like everyone, it depends on life. I know some people go into the program with all of their pre-reqs done, and are able to complete it much faster. I still have some Psychology and Sociology pre-requs to do. I live in a tourist area, things are very quiet in the winter. Lots of time to study. In summer, everyone works 6 and 7 days, 70-80 hour weeks, so I won't get much done then! I've noticed I have a tendency to get bogged down in learning details. I have a friend that keeps reminding me to stick to the study guide--and I need that. Otherwise I waste entire days playing on websites with different perspectives of the body, or of bacterial cells or whatever. Is anyone else having tht problem?

We have online sites we can go to for lab tutorials, academic advisors, etc., but are responsible for obtaining our own clinical experience. I've been an EMT full-time for seven years, and worked as a Medical Assistant in a Clinic--doing labs, blood draws, taking patient vitals, etc. You have to have some sort of practical background along this line to be accepted into Excelsior College's nursing program. At the end of the Nursing Program you do an intense three day onsite handson practical testing in a hospital. They have several hospitals around the country that work with them. You basically have to go in 'knowing how to do it as if you were a working nurse'. So you have to already have the experience, or find a way to get it on your own. They have a guidebook of what you need to know, and you find a way to learn it whatever way you can. I've worked with two nurses who completed this program, and both said it was very difficult, but they were well-prepared when they started their nursing careers. It's not for everyone though. Kavi

This is a new forum, it just opened yesterday. I started with Excelsior a few months ago, and am working on pre-requisites. I know 'Deaconness" has come up in a few threads, and I know at least one person is considering their program. I'm hoping we can all offer each other support, even if we are in different stages of our studies. We all have different backgrounds, but I think most independant programs require some medical background experience. I think it takes a certain type of person to work independantly. I know people who have completed nursing programs this way, and they said they are actually more difficult in some ways. But so much more flexible for those of us who just can't attend a traditional program. Right now I'm immersed with A & P and MicroBiology studies, and I'm also taking Ethics and Chemistry. I'm hoping to have my pre-reqs. out of the way by this fall. We'll see. I still have to take a few more courses before I'm there. Anyway, look forward to hearing from others.

I feel terrible for you. It's not quite the same thing, but I had an EMT instructor who didn't want me to take the final. She just didn't like me, didn't think I was suited for the profession, and said I was much too 'emotional' to do the job. She was a terrible teacher, and I felt that I learned nothing from her. I went over her head, and took the final and went on to challenge and pass the State Exams (this was before National). And got the last laugh. And I've been doing it full time for six years and recieved plenty of kudos, proved her wrong big time. And she's completely out of the business, disliked and discredited. Another example is the Catholic priest here. I'm not Catholic, but everyone goes to his church because he's a remarkable guy. He's been a priest for like 40 years. As he tells it, they didn't want to ordain him way back when, because they didn't think he was 'suited' for the priesthood. Now, he's the only priest left out of his entire class, virtually all of them left the priesthood and married. The point is---just as these others are saying---if you want to be a Nurse, don't let someone else ruin it for you. Chances are you are not the first she's driven away, and someday she will get what is coming to her for doing this. Everything I've encountered on this board and in talking to other nurses is that it isn't an easy profession. Like EMS, the only reason to do it is because you want to. And you know you do. Think of her as an unpleasant bug that ruined a pair of shoes ---when you walked over her to move on toward your goal. :chuckle Good luck!

I'm taking micro now, and enjoying it. That doesn't mean I don't get overwhelmed sometimes with all that I have to remember. But it is fascinating, especially when you think about how much it will apply to everything we do as nurses. Keep the faith!

This is one of the best I've seen. Did you write it??? :roll :chuckle

I really liked JT's response. The union thing is very new up here, and that's why the hospital is trying to break it. The original vote to unionize was pretty close. I agree that unionizing can be controversial. But sometimes it seems that is what is needed to make changes. Right now it seems a common problem among nurses everywhere to try and eliminate mandatory overtime, improve nurse to patient ratios, and protect their own benefits. That's all these nurse's are trying to do. In fact, based on what I've read here, these nurses aren't paid as much as most nurses nationwide. I was truly surprised when the hospital broke off negotiations and allowed the strike to take place. This same hospital has closed to new patients several times in the past year because they were so short of nurses. So Jt must be right, they're getting the money from insurance or somewhere to pay these substitute nurses. I don't feel remotely sad for the hospital administration. And for insurance reasons alone (in our lawsuit happy world) I'm sure that they wouldn't accept patients at all if they couldn't count on scab nurses. The problem is, as long as strikebreaking scab nurses are willing to participate in the program, nursing in general will not improve. Not everyone can be a travel nurse, or even an agency nurse. And simply because the nurse's on the picket line are courteous to the strikebreaking nurses doesn't mean that they are glad that they are there. These nurses trying to improve the care in their own community. The other nurses are undermining their efforts. But being such caring individuals, the striking nurses are also concerned about the patients. Even if it is costing them their jobs. That's what I think is sad. The rich corporate fat cats don't care about either the nurses or the patients. That's the difference. I'm a nursing student, and I'm not in it for the 'money'. I also have a sister who was an RN for twenty years, and left five years ago because she was burnt out, and tired of being responsible for too many patients and mandatory overtime. (She lives across the country in Washington state so it's proof the problem isn't just around here.) I'm hoping that when I become an RN (hopefully in about 18 months) the nursing world will be a little better, because of these nurses today. I support what they are doing and wish them the best. I would never cross their picket line.

There is a strike going on now about an hour from here. There is an Agency in Denver that apparantly specializes in providing Nurses during strikes. According to the newspaper, they make $40. an hour. However, I think it's sad. The nurses on the picket line are trying to get better nurse to patient ratios and decent benefits. The hospital's administration says there is no money. Yet they are paying these scab nurses $40. an hour. The union is new, and rumor has it that the hospital wants to 'break' the union. To me, these nurse's are profiting off of other nurses. Very sad.

I feel better reading all of this. I'm taking A & P, Microbiology, Chemistry, and Ethics. And every one of them has me pulling out my hair for one reason or another. I already knew basic A & P, but the detail detail detail........yikes. The only good thing is there was a slight overlap in the beginning (molecules). I found a great mnemonics site that is helping. It's at: http://www.medicalmnemonics.com/ hope it helps!