TRCCnurse2be

I graduated December 2011 and got my RN license in January......2 interviews at the hospital and no job.....no experience= FRUSTRATION. I even did my clinical rotation at the hospital that claimed they were trying to recruit new grads and they only hired 3 out a class of 27. I ended up going to the nursing home, as did many of my former classmates. It is really not so bad, I actually do quite a bit of the same work as I did at the hospital on the Med Surg floor because most of those patients were elderly. I actually like it, I work weekend option while I attend the RN-BSN bridge program full time.

I am not sure how an LPN can have authority over a RN. I live in Missouri and the State Board of Nursing clearly states that an LPN works under the direct supervision of a RN. I have no trouble asking an LPN for advice, and I value the judgment and expertise of the LPNs I work for, but would have a problem with them being my supervisor. I agree with you that teamwork is crucial. It takes all the nurses working together to take care of the resident's needs , regardless of our title.

I am an RN working in a LTC facility for now.....until I finish my BSN in June and then I plan to work as nurse in Oncology. I work with some awesome LPNs and have learned a lot from them. However, a few seem to think because they have years of experience and I do not, that they know more than I do. That is not necessarily true. I have more education than they do, and I have worked extremely hard for my degree. I respect the LPNs I work with, and they should respect me as well. LPNs can always bridge over to RN school. Otherwise, they really shouldn't be so judgmental of a RN and what we have to go through to earn that title.

Platypus....I could have written your message lol.....I too was having trouble finding a job as a new grad and Golden Living gave me a job as an RN supervisor. Like you, I was terrified because I just graduated and was green as could be in nursing. A couple of the other nurses were great, others I think took pleasure in watching me suffer trying to learn on my own. I can't say that I LOVE my job there, but my DNS works with me on my schedule since I am currently pursing my BSN and only have a little more than a year to be finished. I think you make the job bad or good depending on your attitude and willingness to learn on your own. I will stay with Golden Living Ctr because I think with my BSN, I can climb the ladder in the company quicker than as a staff nurse at the hospital.

This is probably too late of an answer, but I found all white Nike Shocks at Hibbet's sporting goods.

Congratulations!!! I have 3 more semesters. Hope they go by quickly!

Thanks! I just worry because I "hear" that the Med/Sur instructor is much tougher than the other instructors, which I find hard to believe. All of my instructors have been fair but tough. I wouldn't want it any other way though, I don't want to slide by, it is really important to me that I know this stuff well. I worked really hard in Fundamentals and kept my grades up but it was not easy. I am also an older student, 40 years old, with a husband and kids. I don't know if my age is an advantage or disadvantage, all I know is I think it was easier to learn 20 years ago lol :chuckle I am reviewing what we covered last semester right now so that it will be fresh in mind. I am looking forward to this semester, but I admit to being nervous as well. Thanks for the tip on the NCLEX review book, a friend of mine who is an RN also suggested buying that book, so I will look for it. Do you think Barnes and Noble carries it? Thanks again!

I use the DA method for almost all of my med math problems. It is the best thing I could have learned in pharm. Thanks for posting this!

I also used this book and it helped, however it was very similiar to the book we used in class. I think having been blessed with my awesome instructor is what helped me the most. That woman really went above and beyond to help us. I will always be grateful for my instructors. Also the math sticky thread on this site is WONDERFUL!!! Helped me bunches!

For me it is the time I have to sacrifice with my family. I don't think the course itself is too awful, and our textbooks are pretty easy to understand. I think I am pretty good in science and decent in math and I will be the first to admit that nursing classes are tougher....at least they are for me. It is hard to understand what a nursing student goes through unless you are a student yourself. I sure hope this sacrifice pays off in the end because I will never be able to get that time with my family back.

Hi all! I will start my 2nd year of nursing school soon. So far, the first year has been challenging but manageable. We covered Fundamentals and then Ob/Peds. Some students think this is equivelent to LPN school, and it may very well be, I have not been to LPN school so I really don't know. Anyway, I am wondering what I can expect the 2nd year, which is Med/Surg and Mental Health. I have heard horror stories from nursing students ahead of me that swear Med/ Surg will be the hardest course I will ever have, others say it is not so bad. For those of you who have completed a 2 year ADN program, what advice can you offer on how to survive Med/Surg? I ended up with a decent grade last semester and I thought Fundamantals was pretty cool. I liked the nursing home. OB is also really neat and Peds, well we do more observation than anything but still very fun working with the kids. I have a very supportive husband and kids, I make time for my homework and have stopped working outside the home while I am in school. I am just curious is Med/Surg is really as bad as other students make it sound. Nursing school is a challenge for me but I love it. I do think it takes a lot of scarifice. I have to give up time with my family and friends but like I said, they are supportive and that means the world to me. Thanks for any advice....I have really gotten a lot of help from this site!

thanks for your reply and advice! I am actually doing much better than I anticipated. I graduated from high shool in 1988 so I was pretty scared to go back to school. I am making A' and B's but I know it is because I have great instructors that facilitate my learning........and I have many friends in class that also help me. I know I have a long way to go and it will just get tougher but I am determined to stay after it because I really want to be a great nurse. I know my instructors have to teach " by the book" and figure things will be very different once I actually go into practice.Nursing school kics my rear but I love it, and can't imagine making a better career choice. I think TRCC has a great nursing program and I am very proud to say i am a student there. Thanks again!

I am in the nursing program and I will also be in that class. I have heard he is a good instructor, most people seem to like him well enough. I loved my other instructor, but with my nursing classes I can't take her class this semester for A&P II Maybe we will be in the same class.

thanks so much for the encouragement! I got my books so I am going to start going over them. Fortunately, my husband is a math whiz so if I get stuck he will help me out. Thanks again!

Thanks! Well, if the nursing math is similiar to the chemistry math I should do fine. I ended up with a 98% in Chemistry and found it odd that I did better than many people who took College Algebra did. I have not taken college algebra yet, just the class before it. It is not required for the ADN degree at my school, but I do plan to take the class ( college algebra) because I plan to go on for my BSN. I have heard many nursing students say math is not their strongest subject but still did well with it in nursing class. I am just intimidated by it I guess, particulary random math questions that I am timed on. I did well enough in math to get into the program so hopefully my math skills are strong enough to get through the drug calculations :)

yes, i see I have a typo in the heading :) Apparently, ours is for a grade, and it must be at lest 80%. I wonder if that is the test that most nursing schools require for dosage calcualtion? Math is not my favorite subject, but I do well enough in it. I got an A in Algebra and in Chemistry....is the nursing med math similiar? I am so nervous :)

Can anyone explain this to me? I don't know what it is, all I know if that I have 5 attempts to score 80%. What material does it cover? I am just starting nursing school and it is in my syllabus. Also what is the NLN acheivement test? Thanks!

I too have been trying to de-clutter and as far as meals, I have a 16 yr old daughter, a 7 yr old son and a husband who can cook for themselves ( well my son can't lol) so that is a big help. I am a life long low carb dieter so my meals are pretty basic...each morning is a protein shake sometimes with berries, lunch is a low carb wrap filled with turkey or ham, cheese and veggies, dinner is almost always a salad with some protein and ranch dressing. Then I snack on string cheese or nuts....easy and very quick so I will have more time to study. I don't think I would even attempt the nursing program if I had to work full time so I tip my proverbial hat to you for being able to :)

I am blessed with a husband who supports me both finacially and emotionally so that helps more than I can say. Thanks for sending good thoughts my way....I send them your way too!

Wow, I am a little envious....your last semester, that's great, congrats to you! I will be so proud when I can say I only have one more semester left. I am nervous, but excited at the same time. I did really well in science classes ( A's in chem and A&P) so I hope that will be in my favor. I totally surprised myself with those grades. I graduated high school in 1988 so you could say I was pretty rusty in academics. I have dedicated my life to my husband and kids and now that they don't need me quite as much as they used to, I am going to focus on getting my career started. I will just turn 41 when I graduate but there are people as old as 60 in my class. We appear to all try very hard, I think because we want to now more than we did when we were younger....not to say that younger students don't try, they do. In fact, one of the girls just turned 19 and she has totally given up her social life to study and make good grades......I am speaking on a personal level for myself, I did not apply myself in high school and I admit that. I do try hard now, so I think it is my 2nd chance to be succesful. I have always wanted to be a nurse, and now finally I have been blessed with the opportunity to make it happen. Best wishes to you and thanks for your advice! Tracy

I will finally start nursing school on January 20th after 2 semesters of pre- nursing and being accepted as one of the 30 selected from over 300 applicants. I am SO happy that I was selected and I will put 100 % effort into becoming the best nurse I can be. I have a question for all of you who have gotten through nursing school.....what can I expect? I mean I have just taken gen ed classes thus far, but I have made all A' and only one B and have a GPA of 3.77 and 30 credit hours. I understand that nursing classes will be very different from gen ed classes, and there are people at my college who said they went into the program with as high as a 4.0 GPA and did not make it in the nursing classes. Is this common or just maybe these people have a 4.0 and are "book smart" but have no common sense or good critical thinking skills, which I think would differ from gen ed class material. Any suggestion and advice would be great!

I will be attending TRCC in Poplar Bluff Mo. Not sure what to expect but I am ready to get started.

HI! I just got accepted to the RN progam at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. I am excited, but also nervous. Has anyone gone to TRCC evening program ( or day) if so, would you share your experience and offer me some advice? Thanks!

Chemistry, in my opinion is only as hard as you want to make it. If you are dedicated and study hard you will survive chemistry. Also if you do well in Algebra you will have an easier time. I made an A and I never had chmeistry in high school, and I graduated 20 years ago.

Chemistry is tough but I enjoyed it and made an A in my class. However, my class started out with 24 students and only 12 of us were left on the day of the final exam. I think only myself and one other student made an A, so Chemistry is tough for most people. What I would suggest is taking Chemistry by itself or only with not-so-tough subjects that are not math based. Some people, such as myself, find that taking Chemistry and Algebra together proves to be too stressful. At my college and every college in my area, Chemistry is a required pre req and you may not even apply to the nursing program until it is complete. I just got accepted into the RN program at my college, and believe me it was tough getting there. Just don't give up, you can do it :)