missmatched

- communicating with MDs - charting - clinical skills: IV, foley, PCA, lifts, everything - chart checks - how to ask for help balanced with independence - juggling, juggling, juggling

a better stethoscope, then 5 pairs of "work" shoes

on my 10th week, 5 more shifts to go before I'm let loose.

My last scheduled shift as PCT was 10/14. Finally got word today that I now have a fulltime position in another hospital where I'm finishing up a residency program. Had my RN license since February. It's been tough to find an RN job. I guess it just depends on the facility and the state board.

thanks. Being so new at the Clinacial stage of nursing school, I felt like I didn't know what I was doing most of the time. Your post gives me hope for the next semesters.

I'm not in the accelerated program but I had 2 semesters of dosage. First of all, how comfortable are you with math, simple math. That's all there is. I'm also over 35, in the regular nursing program. Dosage tests are really quite easy. Don't worry about which method, they pretty much accept the answer as long as you can show how you arrived at it. Most important thing is how to round numbers. I suggest you do the questions in the manual that they'll give you.

What your pharmacology class is like? How your teacher teaches it? Had 2 semester of Patho/Pharm, the first taught with an old-fashioned projector and the pther with PPS. They both gave us the notes, then breezed through it the whole semester. One gave case studies to practice on, one gave frequent quizzes. What you think of your book? Lehne(pharm) used it a few times for the 1st semester, never for the 2nd Porth(patho) used it basically for the pictures and diagrams(visual learner here). What tools do you use that you feel help? NCLEX reviewer(Saunders), rewriting the notes, organizing it in a way that makes more sense to me, searched for pictures and visuals

Think first, open mouth later, much later. I hate it when you show up for a test and there's already a regular Roman forum going on in the hallway. Classmates so eager to tell you what they've learned/studied. Annoying and confusing, makes me feel like I haven't studied at all.

took ATI Foundations about 3 weeks ago, passed with a Level 2 (needed to be level 1 to pass). I took the ATI practice test half an hour before the actual test, it was a disaster @ about 53%. We were given a book, which is a good Cliff's-notes type but not much practice testing. I think using Saunders NCLEX review didn't hurt. For our test, I wished I'd known that you can't go back to a question you skipped once you go to the next page. It helps to be aware of the time and use it wisely because when you get to the last page there is no turning back.

last test was on May 14, I'm already bored. 2 semesters down 3 more to go before BSN. I plan to work as a nurse aide or something during the summer to get more experience in a hospital. Of course I can organize my notes from last semester, especially my care plans so I can copy and paste next semester (if it applies).

Nobody's too old to do anything they want to do. Hi, I'm xxxxx and I'm 36, I'm older than my instructors and I graduate in 2010. It's often said that regrets in life are for those things that you didn't do, not the things you've done. Go for it, if it's really what you want to do.

Here's a website that makes ABG's fun. just note that they may have different values than what your instructor tells you. In my school we go by PaCo2 of 35-45 and HCO3 of 22-26. I agree with Daytonite on how it works. http://www.vectors.cx/med/apps/abg.cgi

I learned that E and NE are adrenergic/catecholamines and of the SNS not parasympathethic(which is cholinergic). Ach is for PSNS. Just finished the patho /pharm test today. My teacher did not differentite btwn alpha 1 & 2. But it was easy to remember that alpha was for puils and blood vessels, Beta1 is for heart(because you only have one heart), Beta2 is for lungs(coz you got 2 of those). Those functions you listed are the same as what I learned. Agonists are going to copy/mimic what the body normally does. Whether it be SNS or PSNS. Antagonist are going to block or inhibit those normal responses. In a sense, SNS antagonists/blockers are going to act like PSNS and PSNS antagonist/blockers are going to act like SNS hope this makes sense

I'm from the Philippines myself, but i'm still in nursing school. I guess, it's not unusual, all my friends from home who live here are nurses. where did you go for nursing?

Are you from the Philippines?

pre-reqs: hands down microbiology nursing school(so far): Pathophysiology/Pharmacology-combined in my school

It never occured to me that some schools prohibit voice recorders. Sorry to hear that. My school apparently allows it, my Patho/Pharm teacher even pauses it for some of the students and tell them if it did something unusual.

I'm not a perfectionist but after tried the college route 2x before and coming back to school older and wiser, I have been near perfect. Had one B by the time I got accepted to Nursing School. Got invited to Honor societies and really felt good about myself until a Patho/Pharm test brought me down quickly. One I had studied for 2 weeks and only a low C to show up for it. I did my share of crying, turned around and faced the 2 tests I had for the next day. I met with the instructor which was a helpful experience. I found out that I have a very unhealthy relationship with my eraser and was changing right answers to wrong. Had I not, I'd have gotten a very high B. Things I've learned: 1. trust your self and what you know. Often, the answer is very simple, don't complicate it by exploring possibilities instead of focusing on what's really asked. 2. Use every method of study you can think of, try anything. I got a 92 on the next test mainly because I recorded my own understanding of the material, paraphrased and simplified from the notes. 3. Talk to your professor, look at your tests, find out what your weaknesses are. 4. and the message I don't want to hear myself: C is satisfactory, it means you know the material enough, you pass. You still get an RN when you graduate/get license regardless of getting all C's or all A's. Well, I know, nothing you really haven't heard before but believe that you have not become dumb or stupid all of a sudden. You still are smart just in unfamiliar territory. The sooner you get over the panic and really assess where you are and where you need to be, you will get there. Hang in there, celebrate small victories to get you through rough times. Oh, as for my Patho/Pharm, I could still get an A, if I get all answers right on the finals. Not impossible but maybe improbable. Yet, who knows what will happen. Good luck.

Apparently, there are so many of us in the same boat. Just last week I got a C in Patho/Pharm. I cried that night then marshalled whatever I had left to take the Assessment test the next day(which mercifully for my frazzled nerves was an A). I really want to keep my A's,they just looked good when they're all lined up:wink2:. But my teacher said we have to get over this grade business and just be happy we're passing. In the past, in Microbiology I employed flashcards, recordings, notes and book readings. I may have to do that again. I hate memorizing but I know I have to. I listen very well during lecture but somehow it does not translate to A's. I may have to be contented with a B on this course, that is if I don't screw it up further. I just want my grades to reflect the time and effort I've spent on studying. Good luck all. Persevere.

Thanks. I just finished the 3rd of the 4 tests I have this week and had a low point yesterday when I found out what my grade was in one of the tests. Nice encouraging words from somebody who knows what's it like is always helpful. Thing is, i can afford to dwell on something that didn't go the way i wanted because there's more issues to deal with. one step at a time.

landau's hunter green which has this funky cut pants. Still have to check if dickies or cherokee has the same color in better cut. The color is a very intense green, I don't like it but it's school colors and I guess it's better than white.

going over the whole physical assessment(return demo on tuesday), fluid and electrolytes, dosage, intro to nursing stuff, gathering info from community assessment.

Good thing I found this post. I'm also having a little trouble adjusting to NS now that the prereqs are a thing of the past. I haven't had any tests yet(oh, they're coming) but these first few weeks, I'm just trying to find a method that works. I'm loving all the suggestions. I'm just hoping that because I really listen in class and not worry too much about note taking, I'll be good. I do try to participate in class discussions that way I can air my thoughts out and know if I'm on the right track(even if it means getting things wrong). I skim the chapters then read chapter summaries(like my life depended on it) and do tests from books and websites. I just keep telling myself to get the big picture and the details will fall into place. Good luck to everyone in the same boat.

It's my 1st sem in Selu-SON, regular program and so far thanks to Gustav, only about 2 weeks in school. Can't say much about the accelerated program and perhaps it's still too early to say about the teachers BUT so far, I really like my teachers. They seem to be genuine in their concern and help. They have been very approachable and have been open to a lot of "newbie" questions. Of course it's your problem if you flunk out. However, they are making sure that you don't, they have been tremendously encouraging. As for GPA, I figure one has to enter SELU SON with guns loaded, It's amazing how much we are expected to have known the prereqs well and just jump to the next level. There is none of that annoying review of the past semester's course work which normally took up a month.

Can't say that I've never been roped into these situations and that I will never be again. However, I really do not care about what what goes on in most people's lives, the drama, I mean. I'm at an age where I have a better grasp on what needs my attention the most. Having said that, I am a bit thin skinned and I always get shocked when people treat others like crap just because.