FATKAT

RE: "Nursing School: Officially the Hardest Thing I've Ever Done" I worked full time shift work (12 hour shifts) while doing school work on my days off. It has taken me 7 years. I don't have any kids though. It is still hard to make myself do school work on days off though. Night shifts were great for writing essays or essay outlines too.

RE: "Nursing School: Officially the Hardest Thing I've Ever Done" I hear you. I am also a nursing student (done next April :anpom:) and I work full time. It has been a long haul! There is light at the end of the tunnel!

I am currently an LPN working in an acute care hospital. I do not work to full scope due to the preference of my employer. Scope depends on where you work. The job of LPN's and RN's are similar but the RN takes the administrative and supervisory roles more and includes more critical thinking, where the LPN's job is more of a task oriented role of patient care. LPN's and RN's do assessments and collaborate in care - LPN's can't do IV meds etc. Although there is more schooling for RN's but don't forget the role of experience. As an LPN who has been practicing for almost 10years, I have seen more and done more than a new grad RN and many times have encountered new grads who are extremely lacking in skills/knowledge due to their lack of experience. Don't ever discount the value of experience.

No, I have the right to autonomy and the right to refuse!

My first code was terrible! I was in my med/surg practicum, my patient was in with a respiratory thing when something broke inside him when he was coughing, he bled out right in front of me and not just from his mouth, but eyes, ears etc. Of course everyone rushed to his aid, but he was a DNR. Unfortunately his wife saw it all to, very traumatizing at the time, but I got over it and am still nursing. Just remember that life is a fragile thing, do and be the best you can be and enjoy every minute of it! :)

Re: "Do any of you have trouble caring about what patients, residents, or anybody does anymore? Today the nurse on 3rd shift was telling me that so and so just will not get out of bed anymore. All I could do is look at her and say I do not care." Bottom line: You can't help/change those who don't want to be helped or change. But think of it this way, do your best regardless, at least you can have peace of mind that you are doing all that you can do and doing it well. Take a vacation and perhaps even consider a change of environment, maybe to somewhere that will help you feel that you are making a difference. (such as school health nurse, community health, prenatal teaching etc.) And don't feel bad, I think that we all feel like this sometimes.:redpinkhe

This made me laugh. We have all been in this situation with these thoughts at one time or another.

re: Oh! The sacrifices we make just to get through nursing school "i hear what you guys are saying...the other day as i was taking my daughters home from school, who are ages 7 and 5, so i could meet my study group for an upcoming test my daughters asked me where i was going and why couldn't they come with me. i simply told them that i had to study and they started crying and told me that i don't love them and i love my friends more because i spend more time with them. that was all it took for me to cry and try to explain to them that i do love them with all my heart. so when i came home and we walked in the door my husband asks me why were we all crying and i told them what our girls think and he told me that they would be okay and he will talk to them some more! i thank GOD everyday for a husband who is supportive and willing to help out as much as he can. when i started nursing school i had no idea how much time it would take away from my family but i have to remember it is all worth it in the end!" Ooohh! Your story made me cry too. I wish people running the nursing programs/schools would realize how this affects people's lives and families. It will be worth in the end! Keep smiling!

I hear yah. I will soon be in your position, I currently work full time while doing close to full time distance studies. I am approaching "crunch time" where I will have to go part time or casual to complete my studies by my deadline. Can't wait to be done and finally be able to have a life! It will all be worth it! :)

"instructors are not to choose who will be a nurse, but to educate and grade fairly. " well said! :)

Re"Lpns should be done away with althogether" I am currently an LPN and have been for six years in Alberta, Canada. As an LPN here we do almost everything that RN's do. Depending on where you work. Total patient care is done by LPN's from assessment to care. I am also currently working on a university degree to transition from LPN to RN, and I feel much more confident with my nursing experience behind me, my LPN program was very comprehensive, but the one the job learning is invaluable, I now feel more prepared to handle a higher degree of responsibility. I also had more clinical time in my LPN program, and since I'm almost done the RN program I must say that so the university program is lacking in clinical "real" life experience. All the papers I've had to write are useless in the actual patient care environment.

Re: Should a nursing instructor tell a student they are not nursing material. "I am a nursing instructor and have never told someone that they are not nursing material. I have asked students in the past if this is really what they want to do for the rest of their life. I based that question on poor clinical evaluations and performances in the clinical settings. I think it is how us instructors approach you students that are not doing well and we suspect that your desire to become a nurse isn't really there ,is what the real issue is regarding this matter. I am sorry some of you feel that we are rude. My goal is that everyone enjoys nursing as much as I do and when it appears that a student seems disgusted when asked to perform basic nursing duties and etc., I do questioned whether she really wants to be a nurse. Remember there is always two sides to a story. You are only hearing one side. Please don't judge until you have heard both sides." Good point.

Re: should a nursing instructor tell a student they are not nursing material Absolutely not! I had this happen to me, instead of believing in me and encouraging me through constructive criticism, my instructor told me point blank that I should quit, that I wasn't good enough to be a nurse. Horrendous, but it just made me work harder at my goal to become an RN (from and LPN) so I could prove her wrong. I have never had any other problems since my instructor and I parted ways and I'm a great nurse! Perseverence and determination all the way and I am now only 6 courses away from my goal! Those kinds of instructors need to remember that they were once new and inexperienced too. :grad:

Re: news flash That is exactly why it is a huge problem if your instructor tells you to quit because you are "not nursing material"!

I also would have picked the answere A and I had the same rationale as you.