RadfordSN

Hey there! My friend told me of another trick to find out whether or not you passed. She went on our state BON website and did a license lookup (2 days after her exam date) and saw that she was issued a RN license number. I found the California BON license lookup here: http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/wllqryna$lcev2.startup?p_qte_code=RN&p_qte_pgm_code=7800 Look yourself up and see if you're in their system. I hope this helps. Deep breaths. :)

My exam is scheduled for September 30th. :/ I have yet to study any nursing material, and it's been 4 months since I graduated in May. From what my classmates have told me there is no way to study for the NCLEX. So far they have all passed, and I'm hoping to help my alma mater keep their 100% pass rate. lol Good luck everyone!

Our class lost the most people in critical care, the previous semester's med-surg class did a good job at weeding people out as well.

What type of clinical areas will you experience during your last semester? Community rotations. Does your program have a preceptorship during the last semester? If so, in which area would you like to do your preceptorship? We do. I asked to be placed in women's health, med-surg, or ER. I have a feeling the majority of my class will get med-surg, which is fine as long as it's not at the same hospital I had during that rotation. What smilie represents how you feel about starting your LAST semester? No one has really told us what we'll be doing and I don't know if I'll make it to graduation without a car. So it's hard to be excited about it right now, unfortunately.

Sounds just like our program.

I cried a lot last semester, just about every day, except weekends. My instructor made it her job to make my life hell for those 14 weeks. I also cried every other day at the beginning of this semester. Then I realized I'm almost done and have made it this far, I must be doing something right. Well, that and I just don't have the energy to be as stressed as I was. I haven't cried in at least a month, maybe more because I can't even remember. I just let everything from clinical and classes buildup and at the end of every week I would just let it all out by crying. I always did that in my room though. Never at clinical or in front of classmates. I came into nursing so blindly, everything is/was new to me, and that's very overwhelming. Maybe a lot of it is an overreaction, for me, but that's okay. It's how I deal with things and it's not bothering anyone else. I tell my classmates to cry, sometimes you just need to.

Umm...wow. I'm sorry. lol Why would anyone insist on nurses wearing dresses? We work, and we work hard.

Our uniforms are navy blue, top and bottom. For our peds rotation we can where whatever scrubs we want. Shoes are to be white, but as long as they're closed-toe and look clean the faculty doesn't pay much attention.

My physical was similar to shrimpchips. However, we did have a urine test the first week of school, but I think that was more hospital policy for clinical than for actual admission into the program.

I hate nursing school, but I love clinical. Just when I'm ready to throw in the towel I think of how great it feels to be in the hospital working with patients. 7 more months to go.

I come up with a new diagnosis for myself every week. I know a lot of other students who are the same way. We get many laughs from everyone's self-diagnoses.

I loved OB and hope to be doing my practicum in that area. I'm in peds right now, and absolutely hating it. I'm not sure what it is though. The lectures are boring, the professors talk to us like grade school children, and the clinicals are ridiculous. We're basically babysitting. I only get 3 days in an actual pediatric unit this semester; one more day left there and all I've done is vitals and given one med. Mother/Baby care is my favorite.

Thank you all for your responses. I've considered the options mentioned. Money is an issue for both my family and me. I give what cash I can for gas and free food with my waste of a meal pan. These clinicals I've mentioned, we are completely on our own. I was just having a rough time this past weekend. I am feeling much better today and more clear-headed (with a severe lack of sleep, who knew!). It will be tough, but I will and can find a way to do this. Thanks again everyone!

Also, thank you both for your posts. :]

Everyone keeps saying I should see someone, but I really don't see how that would help. I think I will anyway, just to at least give it a try. There still lies the issue of getting to required clinicals though, and not having the means to do so.

My family is an hour away and have busy work schedules. I don't know of anyone who would be able to (or just not want to) drive me an hour away from campus at 5:30 am. There may be someone around here, but I have yet to meet them. Transportation around here is pretty lousy. There are many nearby clinical sites, but not even a bus system to get to them. I also find it hard to believe I'm the only nursing student on this campus without a car, but that's the way it seems.

I've always been somewhat of an anxious person, but when I started nursing school it's gotten progressively worse. I can't seem to cope with the stress like I use to be able to. I'm in my senior year, and have 2 semesters left before graduation. The source of all my anxiety seems to be the fact that I don't have a car. This semester is especially difficult because we have clinicals at various locations, and quite a few where we're on our own. I've been able to carpool, but there are about 3-5 clinicals I have no clue how I'm going to get to. Physically, I feel sick all of the time. My heart and mind races, I shake, my stomach feels like it's eating itself. I'm kind of scared. I feel like I could have a heart attack at any given moment. I've discussed this issue of transportation with my professors and the head of the program, but all they've told me is "the handbook says you need to provide your own transportation." So I can't be a nurse because I don't have a car? It just feels very unfair, and I don't know what to do anymore. I believe the best solution would be to withdraw from the program and work as a CNA until I can afford my own vehicle and start where I left off. However, after all of this work I've put in I would feel like such a failure, and my family is so excited for graduation in May. I really would hate to "take a break" (quit, in my mind) after all that I've done. I just don't see any other way at this point. I'd like to know what perspective others may have on this situation.

Oh, one thing I am trying to do this summer is getting in the hospital and working alongside a nurse in the CCU. Whether that be a job or just shadowing, I'm sure it will help.

Thank you for asking this question. I am also hoping to get myself prepared for critical care, in hopes of not having another stressful semester that med-surg brought on. Looking forward to suggestions. :]

Congratulations, good luck, and thank you! :)

I always just take my scrubs from the dryer to the hanger, and they're never wrinkled or sloppy looking. I've never ironed anything in my life. :/

I finished my first year of this program about a week ago, and today I'll be going back to school for a 3-week cultural anthropology class (last gen. ed., woo hoo). After that I plan on either getting a job at the hospital or shadowing, and doing a lot of reviewing. I doubt I'll be bored. I've been out hiking, and enjoying this week off. :) Hopefully you won't find yourself too bored.

I'm almost about done with 2nd semester, and it's pretty tough. We have an OB and Med-Surg clinical back to back (12 hours and then 8). We also have pharmacology, which I personally find to be the easiest of all the classes we have this semester, but trying to find time to study for the tests can be a challenge. Next semester we have Critical Care, Pediatrics, and Gerontology. So we'll have 3 clinicals each week. Some say 3rd semester is harder and some feel that 2nd semester is harder. I guess it depends on what you can deal with.

If you're able to help without it getting in the way of your own learning needs and experiences I would do it. I love helping others because sometimes a different view point is all they need to make it click in their minds, and it also helps me to practice and challenge what I know. Usually I will only help when asked, or if I can see a fellow classmate really struggling, and it's generally received well. You're not a bad person if you choose not to help this student. It's not your responsibility to make sure he gets to where he needs to be. This is your choice. If you feel too uncomfortable let your professor know.

Where were you thinking of applying to? I know Radford University's nursing program accepts transfers, and two of them are actually in my clinical group. Here's a link to the application process: http://nurs-web.asp.radford.edu/prospective_undergraduate/application.htm Maybe it'll help? Of course, it will all depend on the school you choose to attend. Talk to an admission officer from the school you're interested in and see what's required and what you'll need to do. Good luck! :]