dancehallradio

Took the NCLEX, 75 questions in 30 minutes and passed! Very exciting. Thought for sure I bombed, just because I went so fast and only had 75.

I understand all of these things, but I still do not think it is necessary for someone who is renewing their license to have to take the whole course over again. Especially if they are in the healthcare field, where they are already doing these things on a daily basis. Just my opinion.

Even if said person has been a nurse for x amount of years, and is up to date with their certification? What does doing compressions in front of an instructor demonstrate? You are going to break ribs, regardless of doing this hands on training..

Really? I think by the 5th time renewing my certification, I have demonstrated I have the skills to perform cpr and other bls, that taking a test online to keep up to date on current recommendations, should suffice.

like everyone said, depends on the state. I live in MA, and in my school we have to complete our degree, and receive a stamped paper from our school, that we then send to the state board to begin the application process. There is absolutely no working as an RN until you have your license in this state. I know some places allow you to work as a new grad, with just your degree and not your license, but it really varies.

quite a change from the last post where you said people will think we are freaks.

excuse me. I have tattoos, and I worked hard to get my diploma like everyone else! I am completley offended that you have decided that because I have tattoos I am someone you need to 'figure out', and am a 'freak.' I am a nurse just like YOU. My tattoos don't get in the way of me giving the BEST care to my patients. Maybe you need to reevaluate how you judge other people that you don't know--and the fact that you are JUSTIFYING this opinion still, tells me that despite working in the profession you'd likely still do the same thing all over again today. How close minded. I am an 'ordinary' person.

like everyone said, you start off mostly just learning baths, and toileting. you continue to do that, but add skills. i gave meds with my instructor. we did assessments and vital signs on everyone. Then, depending on the patient you will do everything the nurse would do (with your instructor!). If they have a trach, you'll do trach care. if they have chest tubes, you'll monitor those, if they have a wound you'll change the dressing. insert foleys/straight caths, hang iv, ng tubes, etc. if your patient is having a procedure done, at my school we go down and watch. So i've gotten to see various surgeries, spinal blocks, dialysis many times, cardiac caths, echocardiograms, etc. its great!

take the course 2-3 times?! in my school failing a class is frowned upon and you are OUT.

Boston, MA. I had a 3.0 in highschool. Was accepted into the school but not into the program right away. Got a 4.0 on nursing prereqs. Finishing school with a 3.5.. funny how quickly it drops when you start taking nursing courses. haha.

wow, must be nice. I will graduate 100,000 in debt. and I am the only person in school.

I worked part time while in school, but I did a traditional 4 year program. But I also know people in the accelerated programs that worked full time the whole way through. I think it is very much possible, the only problem is scheduling work. I never had a problem working and going to school, but I'm kind of crazy and like being busy. (going to work, then going to clinical straight from work, waking up and going to class the next morning... long days!)

I'd say getting your LPN now is a poor decision, like others have said. The future of nursing is BSN degrees, which many places are now requiring their nurses to have. I agree with taking your prereqs at a CC and then transferring to a BSN program. Just make sure you talk to the school prior to assure they will transfer.

I also did flashcards(so...so many flashcards), but I have always found it is the only way to drill information into my brain because it is a constant quiz, just reading information/writing it down doesn't work for myself. After I went through a chapter making flash cards/then reviewing the flash cards, I'd take practice nclex quizzes. However many I felt I needed to do, to be confident! It worked for me.. planning on keeping to it for the nclex this summer.

navy blue scrubs with the school logo embroidered on the top.