p_hawk

Seriously LOL'ed @ this

Know that, if you did indeed fail, it in no way reflects on the kind of nurse you *are* going to be. Regroup, refocus, retake as soon as possible. I know a girl that had horrible test anxiety all through school. She failed the NCLEX the first time and that only made her anxiety worse. But she kept at it and eventually passed. She's an amazing nurse. You'll get there.

Muno, I'm pretty sure OP meant a supply pyxis. Supply pyxis is different than med pyxis. We keep all our fluids in a supply pyxis. Ours has an annoying voice that asks "did you forget to press a button?!" as a reminder.

She made it pretty clear that the dr had already ordered blood cultures, iv antibiotics, and percocet prn.

There is truth in that, for sure. For me, being older, it was better for me to get an Associate and then work on my bachelor after I could sign RN after my name.

I work in ICU. Just this week I was taking report on a pt and she had about a 10 beat run of what looked like v-tach on the monitor. When I questioned it the nurse giving me report said "oh yeah she's been doing that all day, it's fine". Stuff like that makes me nervous. The pt in question had a cardiology consult the day before so I called and asked if the cardiologist on call would just come by and check up on her and see what he thought. Turns out it was just a-fib with a flipped axis.... So in the am when I was giving report I said "oh yeah she's been doing that all night, it's fine".

I'd also factor in how arousable they are... like you described before, a patient that's just "lethargic" might sleep all the time, but wake up easily and respond appropriately to questions. Where as someone who's hypoxic or hypercapnic might not. Know what I mean?

I'd go ahead. She can always transition from LPN to RN. Around where I live (arkansas) the LPN programs are around a year and LPN to RN programs are around a year as well, for the most part. Unless it's a LPN to BSN then it gets more lengthy. My program was 4 semesters long and functioned as both a traditional AASN program and as a LPN to Assoc. Degree RN. The LPN's didn't join us until the 2nd semester, so for them the program was a 3 semesters, but I know of other people that attended LPN to RN programs that were a year long. In their case it was similar to what you were describing... both programs were at the same school and LPN students most often bridged immediately from the LPN program to the RN program. Anyway... at the very least, with an LPN license she can get some experience nursing and help support herself through school. It wouldn't be a bad situation to be in, IMHO. Sorry if this is all jumbled. I tend to ramble, and half the time I realize that I'm typing one thing and thinking about something completely different. I do it in real life as well. My friends say that I say "does that make sense?" waaaay too much. LOL!

Saying nothing and/or doing nothing about situations you know are wrong just because "nothing will be done" is a great way to make sure nothing changes.

In Micro the general chemistry concepts that were needed were taught. I had taken chemistry nearly 20 years ago when I was 18 and in college the first time not knowing what the hell I wanted to do other than drink beer and chase boys. Maybe some of that stuck. The chemistry, I mean. Not the beer and boys... mostly. I enjoyed my Micro class. It was like a summer long mystery to be solved. I heart puzzles.

Out in our unit as well. We're replacing with neo for the time being. The diprivan shortage was horrible. sedation vacations were a joke with versed drips.

I recently graduated from an ADN program and chemistry wasn't required. It is, however, for most RN-BSN programs that I know of.

I agree with nursejoed. I wasn't required to take a chemistry class to graduate and I don't feel that it hinders my patient care at all. Chemistry isn't Pharmacology. Which I wasn't required to take either... but that's a whole other story, ha ha!

I'd imagine it wouldn't make a difference. The reason we're careful when using O2 with COPDers is because we can knock out their respiratory drive. The only thing keeping them breathing is O2 lack. CO2 buildup doesn't matter to their body, they're so used to it it doesn't drive them to breathe anymore. If a COPDer is coding and an ambu bag is necessary, knocking out their respiratory drive isn't really a concern anymore, because its already gone, lol.

Eep! It is sad, sad, sad that you've never had the pleasure of a hot KK. The KK is a donut shop. Yummy!

As a new graduate of an associate rn program, I just want to clarify that the nclex that I will be sitting for is the same nclex that the bsn graduates sit for. An RN is an RN. That being said, there are some places that prefer you to have your BSN, especially in management positions. Where I work there is no designation between bachelor prepared nurses and associate degree nurses. New nurses start off with the same pay regardless of what it says on their diploma. And I am not working at a rehab facility or a clinic. I am starting a job in critical care at one of the larger hospitals in my area, so an associate doesn't necessarily limit your employment. Most associate degree programs are 4 semesters, bachelor programs are 6 semesters, usually the "Program" starts your sophomore year with your freshman year full of prereqs and such. As was stated in a previous reply, there are many online or mostly online RN to BSN programs. I am planning on eventually getting my BSN. It's nice to know that when I do receive my BSN I won't have another board to sit for, as I will already be licensed as an RN. If all goes according to plan on my nclex date, that is! Lol Good luck to you. Nursing school can be tough, but when you're finished it feels like a major accomplishment and it's something you can be very proud of, IMHO.

That. Indeed.

11. i'm not a nurse but i stayed at a holiday in express last night? @ myself...

I work 36 hours a week and am a full time nursing student in an Associate RN program. I'm set to graduate in December. I won't lie, it's not easy. I work weekend nights 12 hour shifts so I get all my work done on the weekends and can concentrate on school during the week. It does suck when we have all day Friday clinicals and I have to be at work @ 7pm on Friday nights... I work in intensive care in a hospital so they are understanding about my schooling.. and I learn *a lot* at work because I pay attention and ask lots of questions.. and I'm blessed to have nurses that I work with that are wonderful and teach me things. Lab values.. meds.. stuff like that I see a lot of at work and it's helped me immensely. All that being said, and like I said before, it's NOT easy. We don't have classes on mondays so I can sleep then... but there's many a week that we've had a test on Tuesday and I'm so wiped out I didn't get any studying done like I'd like on Monday night. But if you're stingy with your time and very dedicated it can be done. It just takes a lot of time, dedication and a commitment to the fact that you'll have no life outside of work and school until school is done with. Weeknights are spent studying to make up for the weekend time that other students spend in the books. Good luck to you. We all have lives to manage, just keep pushing forward, take one test at a time and you'll make it through!! :)

It's sort of both... in so that the statement, "I am allergic to drug x" is the subjective data and the positive test results would be objective. That being said, however, we rarely have access to that sort of test. In my experience, for the nurses the allergies are confirmed through pharmacy and through questioning the patient. So, say a patient is allergic to pcn. Would we have, in their records, an acutal test showing a reaction to pcn? Probably not. What we might have is a pmh of a reaction to pcn. Most likely what we'd have is a statement from the patient and/or their families that the patient is allergic to pcn. If they had been seen in the same facility previously more than likely it is already listed as part of their previous medical record. Make any sense? I tend to ramble.. heh heh heh. :) Remembering that Objective data is something that we can OBSERVE helps me. Something measurable, like test results. If the patient states it, it's subjective.

there have been nursing schools around since the 1920's at least (i wouldn't be suprised if even further back than that, really).. so i don't know where the idea of there not being nursing schools comes from, really. neither do i understand the idea of an RN not being a "skilled trade"... regardless... there're always going to be those people out there that think they are better people because of their position. my advice? ignore them. easier said than done, i know.. but really, why let people like this ruin your day(s) or your opinion on the profession you have chosen? try and learn as much as you can from the situation you're in, even if it's only that you WILL NOT act like ms. so-and-so when you finally pass that nclex. it sucks being bottom of the totem pole.. remember that when you're not on the bottom anymore

from what i understood the 2 within a week-ish thing was when you've never had a ppd before, and that after the first time you do this, for every subsequent ppd (when your year's up and you're due for another one) you only have to have the one done. anyone else heard this? my brain's quite mushy recently so no tellin' what's gonna come out of it...

if you don't want to be here then just drop already. stop saying 'my mom won't let me'. grow a pair!:icon_roll at the very least *please* stop saying that you're only here to kill time until you figure out what you want to do "when you grow up". the rest of us want to be here. we're (well most of us) are working hard to *stay* here. your spot should go to someone who'd appreciate it, imho. and please... PLEASE stop saying i'm selfish because i won't help you study. you've already stated that you don't want to be here. why should i, who am doing the best i can to make sure *I* pass, work to try and help you pass when you so obviously don't care whether you pass or not, really. stop thinking it's funny to get drunk every night and screw around with this gift you've fallen into. or at least stop talking to me about it :banghead:

it took some getting used to for me to hear right out of mine. i like how easy breath sounds are. granted i haven't used a littman for any length of time so i guess i can't really say one way or another but i do like my flowers and pink tubing

I've mentioned to one instructor that it works via pressure but she seemed unreceptive. Her comment was that I'd eventually need to get a dual-head stethoscope anyway... apparently for when I'm out of school and working(?)... I think I'm just not going to worry too much about it and take things as they come. I don't want to seem like I'm rocking the boat and/or throwing a fit to get my way... know what I mean? It doesn't seem like they're going to care about what I take to clinicals, just what I use on checkoffs... guess that shows that I understand the concept of the bell and diaphragm hearing different pitches. Thanks to everyone for the replies!