lioness1977

In my first month of being on my own in Renal Medsurg I have learned. 1. Never believe when someone says: All the labs have been done or are ordered, they rarely are 2. Double check on all of your patients no more than 20 minutes prior to handing them off to the next shift they will inevitably be poopy 3. Sing a silly song when getting overwhelmed with 6 pts and a new admit during med pass time it keeps the crazy from driving you insane. The good thing is I have also learned how to Do complete Trach dressing on brand new trach alone &/ c CNA assist Do Bladder & Zazzi irrigation Wound care - big time Smile when I go home and know I did the best I possibly could for 12 hrs. By the way I love my job and wouldn't trade bedside care for the world

Welcome to nursing school, hope you enjoy the ride. That being said I'll tell you what I tell myself everytime I go to prepare for the next test instead of playing with my kids, or sleeping an extra hour on Sunday morning, "How bad do you want this?" Study for 2 years, live life after you graduate. I promise it will slow down (during summer breaks) and I promise when you get to your last semester you will realize how far you've come. Now get your nose back to the grindstone!

I dislike my school for the opposite reason. They try to fail you out so they can keep their 100% pass rate that they advertise. However, we are all so scared to make a mistake we learn nothing about being a nurse only survivng clinicals. I just study the heck out of my NCLEX books when I have a spare minute. I really like the ones that break it down into sections so that it correlates with what I'm learning that week. Best of luck to you!

Maybe I should clarify, my step-son. The one who lived with us and ate all of our food from the time that his father and I were married in 98. Since I fed him and had his student loans out of my checks yeah, my son.

To those who took the summer off. Don't come asking me to help you study for that test you where told we would have the first week of class 2 days prior. Oh and yeah I worked 2 full time jobs, have 2 kids, a hubby and STILL managed to study daily. So no I will not become your best friend all the sudden when you haven't bothered to try and talk to me since the final. Sorry, just had to vent.

Since my second semester I have been unable to sleep. I now have an alarm clock in my head that wakes me up at 3am every day, even if I didn't go to sleep till 1am. I am unable to go back to sleep because my mind keeps thinking "You need to study ........ before your final semester." As for the crying is it because something happened or are you just overwhelmed? If that's the case then Iluvivt has the right idea. I take advantage of my hubby and kids being asleep and do my NCLEX and ATI study guides till they wake up so I can focus on them the rest of the day. Cheer up darling, this to shall pass. Whatever it may be.

Here it goes, my son is from your area. He is HIV+ and uses Marrinol. He was in a BSN program. What he did was be honest before the testing so that he would not look suspect. He disclosed his status and was not discriminated againest. He is now a nurse, so good luck!

The residency status may have a large influence, depending on the area that you decide on. I know that here where I am preference is given to residency. You could posibbly work while geting your year needed for residency. As far as comp. in the school, it can be frowned upon to have low scores for your sciences and maths. If you need to retake those I reccomend you get a high B to an A the second time around. Cost of living is much cheaper than the SF area, however, the big cities are higher prices as with any where. You still have your tax rate at 8.25% on all nonfood purchases. Keep that in mind. Give it a shot, do your research, make sure to do a good visit with your final 3 I would say. Oh an get in touch with the counselors for the program you are interested in. They can be very helpful in telling you whether or not you stand a chance and what could improve your chances as well.

My GPA was a 3.8 which is what made us decide to come south. You know as well as I do that it is impossible to get in with that low of a GPA. I had to buy a house to qualify for scholarships that are state run. I would highly suggest that if you can't buy a high get your residency changed before entering school. It will open up more than just loans and the Pell grant for you. As far as culture, we come from a greener community, were recycling is a habit. Being polite to one another is natural and not forced. I have noticed a dramatic change in my teenagers since coming here. The school is wonderful but it is in Lubbock. I don't think you would consider this area as it is 2 hours from Dallas and longer to San Antonio. I noticed that it is getting a bit more competitive here than it was when I entered. I know however I would not have gotten in without buying the house. As far as being here for the long haul, probably not. Land is a good investment no matter what the economy is doing. Besides my mortgage is cheaper than the rent on a much smaller apartment, plus my youngest was able to paint her room without asking a landlord. The people here think very differently is all. I loved the west coast mentality, very laid back and go with the flow. You talk about feeling the energy of the room and they all think your smokin something.

Come out for a visit first. Go to the campuses you are interested in. get a feel for the area. My family and I moved to texas from the west coast as well. As oregonians it has been a major culture shock for us. We have adjusted and I am 3/4 of the way through the ADN program. We ended up having to purchase a home in order for me to qualify for alot of the financial aid and scholarships that are offered at my school. Getting in was not hard, I finished my remaining 2 prereqs, applied and boom I'm in. Just trust a person that knows what you are going through with the compitition out there. Feel it out real well first. Make sure you can handle the area for 2 plus years.

I understand what you are feeling, I am the only income for 2 kids and a disabled husband. I'm not the oldest in the class, but I'm close enough. I cannot tell you how to build confidence in yourself but I can say what I did. Read, record, listen, write, type. These are how I build my confidence, the more I know the better I feel. Only now it annoys my hubby cause all the slackers call me for their study sessions the night before the test. Not that I go mind you, but it makes me feel good to help out those that try but just can't get it by reading only. Good luck, hope it gets better.

You know your in nursing school when, you can't sleep more than 4 hrs at a time ON SPRING BREAK.

I'm almost done c school now and all I can say is know your stuff, and I mean know it. If you have questions ask. Show no fear, that is what one of our instructors thrives on. Her thinking is that, if you are to scared of her to stand up for yourself when you know your right, how are you going to stand up to that doctor when you know their wrong? Honestly, I can see her point, and I think I will be a better nurse for learning that lesson.

Those of us who didn't have our CNA were able to test for one with the state. Although, I have had mine for awhile while doing prereqs. I find that the experience I have gotten from real world situations has made my clinicals go just that much smoother. It is easier for me to connect to the patients, I love the fact that I get to spend one on one time rather than," Here you have X # of patients and 12 hrs, have fun." In other words it depends on you and your needs. Me, myself, I could never go back to waitressing, to many sick people.

I know what you are going through. When I didn't get accepted c a 3.4. My family and I packed up and moved from Oregon to Texas. It was very hard to do on a CNA liscense and my husbands SSI, but we did it and I got accepted right away. There are ways, and remember when one door closes use the window.