sierranic

Get one of those NCLEX-PN review books. Saunders is a really good one. This will really help you understand the format of some of the test questions you may get in class, as well as why that answer is correct. Nursing test questions are much more different than any other test you may take, try to remember that when you get a test question to pick the "best answer" not always what answer looks right, because most test questions may have all four answers that are correct to the given situation. My teachers used alot of questions that were really similar to the questions that were in our study guides and reviewing the material before a test really helps with your understanding on certain subjects.

Ummmm... I'm not ...... Yet! :) I took out max on student loans, and qualified for grants (which really helped) Alot of the Hospitals around my area will pay back some of your loans once your employed, so that will also cut back on my future payments. But as of right now, I'm not paying a cent...... In the future, well that's a different story

I'd have to say the 3 y/o boy

What did you do after graduation but prior to boards to prepare yourself for the exam? If you studied from the review books, on average how many questions did you do each day and for how long? Thanks

Our school required a physical and once I got into the office I got very upset. I assumed with this being a health care program that I would only have to answer some questions and possibly prove that I can lift, push, and pull heavy objects. However, I swear this was no normal physical and I voiced this to the NP that was doing my exam. She checked everything, reflexes, hearing, vision. The thing that upset me the most was that she said I also had to have a breast exam!! I was furious, I couldn't understand why I wouldn't be capable of being a nurse if I had a lump in my breast... I couldn't believe that this was required as part of the physicial, I told the NP that I felt like this was something my school did not need to know!! And the NP stated that they also wanted to do a pap test, but she somehow talked them out of requiring it!! WHAT IN THE HECK!!! It was unbelievable what they HAVE to know before you enter the program that I did! But I did it, and it still baffels me to this day... I'm just glad that I got through my course, and don't have to go through that again!!

I had one of those "weed em' out" teachers and most students lasted the first 10 weeks of this semester and then the teacher turned evil :angryfire We lost about 5 out of 25 students within a 2 week period, it was pretty rough. One student was dropped because she left the med cart unattended 10 feet away from her, with a staff of 10 watching it from other parts of the hall (I think it was just the point of leaving it unattended). Another student was dropped for not checking HR before administering a Beta-blocker, another student was dropped for giving meds to the wrong patient, another was (I'm not too sure) but it had something to do with "the pt bled alot". I thought I overheard someone say he was on a Heparin gtt and blood was in the foley, but the student didn't report it. And the last student I have no clue. I do know that my instructor bluntly told another student that "she was an incompetent nurse". But I THANK GOD that I made it though that semester, cause I really, really didn't want to go through that again!!! :balloons:

- By second semester you realize that the three alarm clocks you had are no longer waking you up, so you go out and buy two more! - Your dinnerware now consists of plastic silverware, plates, bowel, and cups! - You can't remember the color of your carpet.... cause you can't see it, you can't afford the 5 min it takes to vaccum - You seriously look into and apply at other colleges.... just in case you fail! - You no longer buy white socks with colored stripes for your spouse... you buy all white... because you don't have time to pick through the basket for their mate.... or you just leave them unmated and throw them in a drawer, or leave them in the basket - You start teaching your children at the age of 1, how to do the dishes, laundry and cleaning - After graduating, you finally get started on the spring cleaning from 2+ years ago. - You get a 78% on a test and scream with Joy!! - You leave clinical, sniffing yourself, wondering if you smell like the hospital

It sounds like you have yourself in the perfect position to make a move! My recommendation would be to see if it would be possible to shadow a nurse and see how you would like it. Over 50K a year is a big some of money to be giving up if you aren't 100% sure your ready to go into another field

You may be stressing yourself out. I once went through this after having two children, I was a day late and almost had a breakdown, I wasn't ready for #3 to come yet. I stressed myself out so much "Thinking I was". I went and bought two tests both came up negative, Still I was upset because it wasn't for another week till I started. I was on the patch and had quit a few months prior to this happening, and everything was fine those first few months, but for some reason the third and fourth month were really off the calender!! I would say that you may be stressing yourself out, hoping to be pregnant

Welcome Zigs!!! I'm here in Council Bluffs, hoping to get into the ADN program here at Iowa Western...... However, I have also applied to Southwestern in Creston and Iowa Tech in Denison just in case.... Still have to wait to see where for sure it is that I'm going (hopefully Fall 04') Nice to see you here!!

I took A&P I last semester and I loved it!!! I'm currently taking A&P II. All of our labs were taken at home on the computer with lab simulating software. We averaged 1 lab everyweek and 1 quiz every two weeks (which were timed). Our Midterm and Final had to be proctored, so I had to go to my local CC and take them there. But other than that I didn't seem to have any problems with the class. I love online classes - if I could do them all that way I would!! (I don't want to pay for daycare, and lectures and labs can sometimes be really boring IMO). As long as you read your book and study the most important information you should do fine!! Good luck!

Cb is right, And for your last response to my "Why go to college", I was refering to the fact that you can walk into quite a few businesses around my metro area with no college education and start out making more then a RN would.... Yes maybe in the long run.... years later you would come out on top, but then again, maybe you wouldn't... It's a gamble. That was just one hopital though, and I know there are many different locations where I could work and make more... I was just stating the fact that one of our major hospitals here doesn't pay nurses the wages they deserve.

I forgot to add this in the last post, but a hospital close to me offers the student nurse internship, which pays $10/hr and once you graduate you get $1/hr for every hour you worked as a student and your base pay as a GN goes to $11/hr...... Which I can't understand why they wouldn't pay you more than that.... It makes no sense... But I guess that's corporate America for ya!! This is what it says on the web site.... XXXX's are the Hospital's name!! Don't know if I should state which one it is!! ================================ Senior Student Nurse Tech Position Participants need to have completed their junior year in a qualified nursing curriculum. The Senior Student Nurse Tech will need to work a total of 48 hours per quarter to maintain their position. If they accept an RN position within xxxxxxxx upon graduation, they will be paid retroactively with passing state boards - $1.00 per hour worked as a Senior Student Nurse Tech. Starting Salary - $10/hour New Graduate Senior Student Nurse Tech Positions For Senior Student Nurse Tech who are employed with xxxxxxx post graduation, but prior to successful completion of the RN-NCLEX exam there is an increase in salary for the Senior Student Nurse Tech. Upon successful completion of the boards the Senior Student Nurse Tech will move into a new graduate RN position and salary of $11.00/ hour. ========================

No, it was RN, and to top that off the LPN's make only a few less than that.... Kinda makes you wonder why you would go to school longer for only a few $$.

I live in Iowa, so I can't answer for MD, however we are not offered free CNA classes here. In order to take one you need to pay out of pocket, or be employed by a nursing home or LTC facility (they pay the cost). Maybe you can look around and see if you can work at a LTC and get your classes paid for. Otherwise, here in IA you can challange the boards, if you already have CNA under your belt then you could do that and skip the class all together, would still cost you some money, but alot less then what you would pay with the class and state testing. Hope that helps you!!!