midnight*sky

Hi everyone, I am having a bit of a dilemma here. I am very unhappy with my school and its instructors, and one in particular who is a large part of the nursing program is causing me to have second thoughts about nursing altogether. She makes me want to give up my dream of becoming a nurse. Currently, I have a 4.0 in NS. However, that does not in any way help me in my decision to push forward and continue at this school. Or, thanks to this instructor, even want to continue in nursing AT ALL. Let me tell you about her: She does NOT teach at all, the second you walk into the classroom she immediately banters on about how nursing basically sucks, tells us these horror stories every day, makes it clear that she was/is a bully to nursing students, new grads, and that ALL but 1 nurse she ever met is incompetent, yells at us - call us stupid...I could go on and on Right now, I have her for Pharmacology. We are 1/3 through the class/semester now and we have done NOTHING. We had one test on the history of pharmacology 3 weeks ago and that's it. Last class and the class before, the entire 4 hour class, she talked to us about how hard pharm is - She kept saying we need to begin lecture, but she just kept talking about nothing related. Then, during one class, she said for us to have a 5 minute break. So we did, and we came back and she never came back to class. She popped in at the end and said "OMG, are you guys still here?! You can leave now!" I WANT To learn. I NEED To learn to pass HESI and NCLEX of course. I've been reading our book anyway, but there's a lot of material I need help with. I asked her a few questions but she never answers. She attempts to, but she always goes off into another subject - She is one of those people that when they start talking, they can't stop. And it goes from one thing to another to another to another for hours until she doesn't even remember what she began talking about in the first place. Never the subject matter. :angryfire With her permission, I've been recording the 'lectures' and so has one of my friends. (Why she agreed I'll never know...She knows she is in hot water already with the DON.) Needless to say, this week we are heading over to the DON to have a little word about the situation. I am never one to do such, I usually keep to myself - but I've HAD IT! It's not just her, though....The entrie nursing program is terrible. There is one instructor whom I adore. Thankfully I do have her this semester. I've been talking to her personally about what's been going on and how I'm thinking about leaving nursing for good, and she's advising me against it and trying to help me out. Though she said if I'd like to go to another NS, she will send me with a letter of recommendation. She is well known in this state, actually and has taught at many schools in the area and has worked in the best hospitals in the country. (She's very well known and highly respected.) She is the only thing going for this school and they know it and flaunt it :icon_roll It seems like many nurses I know also hate their job, are miserable and depressed, have no time for family/holidays, etc. That also makes me have second thoughts. I've always had a strong passion for nursing and feel it's best for me. I'm doing very well and enjoy clinicals. However, all of these stories I hear...........I don't know anymore.....I am severely lacking in self-confidence and self-esteem and struggle with depression and anxiety myself so it'll be hard enough as it is. I'm not sure I can emotionally handle it and I'll end up miserable. I have a BS in Healthcare Administration, so that is my 'back up plan' so to speak. Not that I'd be happy in ANY job relating to it either.... I feel like I just won't/can't be happy in any way.......

I would have gone with A personally, but it may also be C. What is it?

I searched online for some 'fake' medication administration record examples, but I can't find any. My instructor is NOT helping us with teaching us how to fill one out (long story, not going to go there...) and said we need to figure it out ourselves and gave us no resources at all. We are having a 'test' next week in which she will give us orders and we need to transcribe it onto the MAR in

He got his GED, which means he didn't finish high school, so it makes sense.

Sometimes I think I study TOO much. I'm thinking that maybe it is because my study habits are poor. What I find that I end up doing is reading the same material over and over and over and over - Is that what studying is really about? That is a stupid question, but I want an honest answer. One of my instructors said that that was the way to do it - To expose yourself to the information over and over until it "sticks". The problem I have with this is it is making studying a real drag. I used to love it, but with NS, I am finding myself having to read the same things over and over x100+ to make it stick. It becomes torturous sometimes, but I still force myself to do it. This week, I have FOUR major tests on top of clinicals and I am studying all day/most of the night, but it consists of reading the same material many, many times over and over. I mentioned this to one of my NS friends in class and she laughed and said she'd go crazy doing that, but she still spends the same amount of time as I do studying - So it got me thinking about HOW she studied, but I felt stupid to ask. :icon_roll On a typical week, I study about 4-5 hours/night, but on Sundays I do about 7-8+ since my husband is home to watch the kids that day. I do take off Friday night from studying. When I tell people this they think I am nuts, even other nursing students...Is that really a lot? Am I over doing it? Would love for some feedback on studying tips/habits!! Thanks! Oh, and I do recieve all A's doing it this way, forgot to mention...

Well said!!! (....I hope some of my instructors read this...)

I'm sorry you are experiencing this. I, myself, am an overweight LPN student - About 275 lbs. currently. Luckily, I have not experienced any remarks or discrimination by anyone or any instructor. In fact I've made many friends right off the bat, which is not something that EVER came easy to me growing up! I too have just about heard it all and have been beaten down by discrimination and hatred toward obesity. In nursing school (or any school) the most important thing is to focus on studies and just get through it, and like the poster above me said - kill 'em with kindness!! Don't stoop to their level, ever. Don't give them a reason to be unkind to you and maybe they will see how foolish they really are. I hope everything turns out okay :) Good luck hun!

Very well said! (I, too, am dealing with similar issues at the moment...)

First, are you sure the answer to #2 that you provided is correct? It doesn't seem so to me, but maybe I am wrong too!

BON = Board of Nursing (Can't find any investigative material against LT either! I go to Dover Business College, though.)

I swear we must be in the same school....in NJ...hmm...

I've always been a good student - I'm just one of those freaks that love school, lol. I graduated second in my class in HS (salutatorian) with a 4.1 GPA (due to AP classes being worth more). HOWEVER, I was completely direction-less and had NO idea what I really wanted to do after HS. I went through the motions undeclared in college and ended up graduating with a BS in Healthcare Administration. I had an interest in nursing, but never followed through until my twins were born extremely premature and now have numerous special needs....They were my inspiration to finally go for it and pursue NS. Now in NS, I am doing well but I have my issues with time management in caring for the twins and their special needs and going to classes, studying, etc. So far I have a 3.9 GPA, but we'll see after this semester ends, lol...I have a few more B's than usual

I'm glad to hear you turned around! I have been following your posts about this professor/course and was astounded at what you've been put through in an entry level course. Seriously. PLEASE don't let this one "teacher" ruin your dream!! I wish you the best of luck! :)

The poster above me is correct, but I found one more error. # 11 should be active transport (a). Na works to control fluid balance via the sodium potassium 'pump' which is a form of active transport. You chose osmosis, which is the movement of H20 thru a semi-permeable membrane, not Na. Good luck :) F & E balance can be a monster of a subject!

The type of math used most often in nursing ranges between basic math thru very basic algebra. Most often this includes decimals, ratios, proportions, fractions and the very basic division/multiplication/etc. It's nothing to panic over, really. Just review, review, and review and it'll become second nature after awhile. Being that you've never taken an algebra course, you may benefit from buying perhaps a Cliff's note pre-algebra book and taking a look at it. I have to say though that I mostly have used basic math more than pre-algebra. Don't let the math scare you away from nursing though! I see this a lot. You really do get the hang of it and like I said, it does become second nature VERY quickly :)

I would most likely choose to stay with the current program and commute. I wouldn't want to go through the application process again, getting acquainted to everything, etc. Many people in my class commute up to even 1.5 hours so it's not unheard of. It is a pain, but it won't be too long, you know? I also go to a private college too so I know how expensive it can be. However, being that you have already begun, you might as well just finish it. How long is the program?

I will be starting clinicals for the first time in one week. I am excited, but extremely nervous.... My problem is that when I get very nervous, I get GI upset (specifically diarrhea...) I'm so afraid that this will occur during the time in the hospital and I won't have the opportunity to get to the bathroom. This is embarrassing, but I was wondering if there are any ways to prevent this from happening....Even certain herbs, etc. Anything. I've tried ginger in the past to no avail. It made it worse :zzzzz It doesn't always happen, but I want to be prepared. Hopefully I'll be okay. Am I the only one here in which this happens? :chair:

Great to hear!!! :heartbeat:D

An easy way to remember is using the acronym ROME. R - Respiratory O - Opposite M - Metabolic E - Equal Meaning, Resp. Acidosis (opposite - both 'arrows' going in the opposite direction) pH PCo2 > 45 Resp Alkalosis pH > 7.45 PCo2 Met Acidosis (equal - both "arrows" going in same direction) pH HCo3 (bicarb) Met Alkalosis pH > 7.45 HCo3 > 26 Normal Lab Values: pH - 7.35-7.45 PCo2 - 35-45 HCo3 - 22-26 And, remember PCo2 deals with respiratory and HCo3 (bicarb) deals with metabolic. Hope this helps!

I've always gotten straight A's in NS....Well, we just finished another quarter and one of my classes I had an 89.5....She gave me the B :zzzzz Ugh, it just ****** me off. Sorry. I had a great thing going. She said she would consider the A, but I know how strict she is. Grrr. If only I answered ONE more question right on the final....lol. Oh well. I guess it's time to move on!

YES! I hate the nervous system. I LOVE A&P, truly, but when it comes to the NS it really pi**es me off. So you are not alone. I HAD a 99.8 average in the class that dropped to a low A because of the NS. Not so bad, no, but it still makes me mad, lol

Hello I am just starting to construct care plans and am looking into some sort of care plan constructor CD to help me out a bit to better learn the process. I'm just looking for another resource to turn to check my work, give me ideas, learn, etc. Any good ones out there? I saw the Mosby's one, and the Lippincott as well. They seem outdated (2004,1999 respectively). Thanks in advance for any help

I'd have to say it's a combination of stress/pressure/amount of study time required/maintenance of grades. It is not easy, but with proper study techniques and time management, it is possible! I am in LPN school now, and about half the class is passing and we have a few dropouts who got so far behind they didn't even bother trying. Those students just plain old didn't put in the study time needed to pass. What's also important is test taking skills. Nursing classes/exams are very different than regular classes/exams. The exams require you to use knowledge in a different way, critical thinking. (Typically there is more than one right answer, you need to choose the BEST answer and this requires different reasoning. It can take awhile to get used to it.) Typical NCLEX questions. I was always a straight A student and graduated at the top of my HS class, but even nursing school trips me up sometimes. It took me awhile to get used to how it's done - I had to revise my test taking skills and learn a whole new way to study/take tests. What I did in HS and when I got my Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Admin, it was a lot different than what I am experiencing in nursing school! The stress and pressure for me came from having to do a lot of work in a short amount of time and having to understand the material very quickly the first time around. There's no time to go back to something because there's always something else to be learned at the time. There was a few times I needed to go back and review and I fell behind. You got to stay on top of your game at all times. I think this is where a lot of students have trouble, to be honest. Nurses need to always be on their toes and it is no different in nursing school with your studies. So yes there is a lot of pressure there too. It's all do-able though, truly. It's just important to maintain good study habits, and to not fall behind on the reading. And to never miss a class - That is a quick way to fall behind in NS. Especially in accelerated programs, which most LPN programs are. Good luck!! :)

I loved UOP Online! I got my BS in Healthcare Administration there years ago before I went into nursing. I've taken 25 online classes in total. All of the classes are a lot of work, but it was manageable. The other poster said it right: You get 1 major paper per week, have to write usually around 3-4 "substantive" posts 4/7 days of the week, answer 3-4 discussion questions in length on top of the other posts, do a group paper with "teams" (you are assigned your team in the first week of class)...No tests though. I never took any test in any of my 25 classes. All of the classes are 'designed' the same way, as in the parameters I mentioned above. The week always begin Tuesday and ends on Tuesday. (They call it the 'electronic week', lol) Overall, I loved my experience there. I highly recoommend!!!

Oh yes, I hear you. Especially the last sentence: As a student I may have a question and we're here to learn. 90% of my instructors throughout are so impatient and expect you to know everything upon walking in the door or on the first attempt. If you fumble once, or even ask a questiom, they seem to like to blow up. At least in my experience! NS instructors are just notorious for this. Never could figure it out. It's like they are all high and mighty on themselves since they've been through NS and worked as a nurse.