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I just wanted to make a comment on the multiple times I have read "you can't ever be late when you are in orientation". Why would you even want to work at a facility who has this short sighted approach? Nurses are human, we are not superheros who are immune to the circumstances of life...just because we are on orientation.

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Greater than 5ml is considered a large spill where I work.

I think she may have been confusing standard CVL ports and lines for dialysis. There is no reason to pull back standard 100u/ml heparin from ports. You do need to pull back the high dose heparin used in dialysis catheters first.

Yeah....its about like that at my school. The first year we were constantly preached at about being organized, being responsible, and being professional. I have no problems with these concepts but I felt like some of the facility could have used the speech instead of us. Just about every nursing class I took had the wrong dates on the syllabus, they recycled it from the previous quarter but failed to update it. Reading assignments were wrong; they corresponded with the previous edition of the book and not the current edition that was "required". The course outline, reading assignments, and lectures did not correspond correctly with exams. The required course materials packet usually contained old lecture notes, so we would have to throw the old one away and print the new notes. I was annoyed with it, but just did what I had to do to get through it. I think I am more independent because of it now so I guess I learned something in a strange twisted way.

sounds like they used the wong pain scale, flacc is probably what should have been used in the nicu.

I used the HESI NCLEX-RN study guide. It is short and sweet and has "HESI" hints throughout the book. It also comes with a CD that has a practice HESI test and practice question broken down by section. The questions are crazy hard, but even if you get them wrong, you learn from the rational. Also, for topics that I needed a more in depth review, I used Saunders Comprehensive review for the NCLEX. I started about 2-3 weeks before the HESI and read the HESI book cover to cover and consulted Saunders for subjects that I needed a bit more of a review on. Every day I did at least 200 NCLEX review question from various sources (NCLEX 3500, NCLEX 4000, and a couple others). I used different sources because some question was just too easy and others were just too hard. The easy questions reinforced my knowledge that I already had and the hard questions help me to learn to pick the best answer without really knowing 100% if it was right. This method worked for me and I smoked the HESI with an 1100+ on the first try.

http://198.146.4.5/nclexrn3500/mainMenu.do;jsessionid=78D87026BDB43AE42F8DEB0FC4F821C3 This is a bit old, but it will work.

Oh...I'm sorry. I must have misunderstood that part about "pick your battles", "resident tattler", "move on", "you really think the higher-ups don't know there's cheating". Then there is the slam about "get a life" and "and you can, PLEASE, let it go". I can see how you advised her to report it in a way that supports change in the system, that is, after you first admonish her for ever considering reporting it. For the record, I am inexperienced in nursing. See, this is the student forum and as such, I am a nursing student. In a few short weeks, I will be able to take the test that determines if I can add the initials RN behind my name. As far as it was only a written test argument goes, if someone is so ethically challenged to cheat on a written test, imagine what they would do under pressure. Falsify patient records, not follow written procedure, steal meds, steal property...who knows. It is not certainly a matter of "only a test". The cheaters moral compass is obviously skewed and they undermine the entire system. You however have a horrible attitude and it is clear that you have either cheated your way through nursing school, or have been report by "bad" coworkers for doing something wrong and you have a chip on your shoulder.

This sounds like advice from someone who cheats. If you saw someone cheating, you should report it, tactfully. If you see a child covered in bruises, do you report it? If you see a coworker allow a break in sterile technique, do you look the other way? If you see a coworker drop a narcotic into their pocket, do you report them?

There should not be any extra credit in nursing school...

I always double check every question on the exam before I hand it in and I have caught a few errors because I miss read something. I would say you are probably better off keeping your original answer unless you realize you misread the question.

My first move would be to drop my classes at this school and get a refund, and then I would enroll at a reputable school. No school worth its salt should let students grade their own exam!!

Wow--those are some high standards. 76 is passing in my program 76-83 = C 84-91 = B 92-100 = A

Another thing to do if you are having trouble hearing the sounds... Palpate the brachial artery and place the diaphragm or bell exactly over it. If you are using the bell, make sure you are not pressing down to hard. Try it with the diaphragm, see if you can hear it that way. The bell is for lower pitched sounds, but it makes no difference if you use the bell or diaphragm.

File the grievance. You have nothing to lose if you file it but you risk everything if you don't file it. By the way, what percentage do they consider a c and what was the min. passing percentage?

I have heard the Navy and Air force have huge signing bonuses for BSN nurses. I’m not sure how that would work out with trying to continue nursing education while being in the military though. I’m just about finished with a two year nursing degree from a community college and plan to transfer to a RN-BSN program afterward. I have about $8500 in the CC and the RN-BSN program is 12 months long and is just under $6,000 (Ohio University). You could always look at something like this in your area and apply the 45,000 you would be saving toward grad school.

Why, because instead of offering a pity "hang in there, they were unfair", I offered a look at reality. Breaks rules and there will be consequences. An appeal based on "everyone else broke rules" will hold no weight. As a nurse, you must be responsible for your actions. As a nurse, you must be prepared. As a nurse, you must be organized. The whole shoe thing would have been avoided if the shoes were simply looked at beforehand. How can your shoes be in such bad shape, yet you have no idea until it is time to go to clinical? I hope they show mercy and let her back in. I also hope she learns from this experience and never lets something like this happen again.

No, you are allowed to have your own beliefs. You just can not let your views interfere with patient care. You will need to be able to give information about abortion to patients but you will never be expected to participate in one.

Again with the excuses! Does the program director have a phone, voice mail, or e-mail? You could have called and left a message when she was not in the office. A ten minute window by policy or not should never have to be used. Just think if you planned on getting there 30 minutes early and something came up, like it did, you still would have been on time. You are just not getting it, the only reason you were dismissed was because of you. Not because you were being picked on and you could not track down the program director.

Not to be mean or anything...BUT...you sure do have a lot of excuse! I was only five minutes late I would have appealed, but she was never in her office It was my first dress code violation Everyone else violates the dress code I IMMEDIATELY changed shoes after she told me they were not acceptable There is no way you will win your appeal with these excuses! Take it like a big girl and repeat the course or go to another school. Whatever you decide, be accountable for your actions. Get to clinical at least 30 minutes early and follow the dress code.

Okay...I have to ask. What was the low grade fever she failed to report? If it was less than 100.4F, it wasn't a fever and it wasn't that important to report. She should have monitored the temp if it was a raise in baseline and recheck in an hour or so.

Yep...most schools have you do the skill in lab on a mannequin and get checked off. However, I think using the mannequins is not helpful. I hate playing pretend in the lab so I have never been to an open lab to practice anything above getting checked off.

i am set to graduate from columbus state in a few short months. i can tell you that it is a good school, provide you put your nose to the grindstone, study, and keep up with readings. if you don't put the hard work in, you will not make it through the program. i would not want to go to any other school for an adn nor would i want to pay the high tuition rates of other schools. as far as advising goes. you do not need to talk to an advisor!! go to the cscc nursing website, all information is on there. application period, requirements, and curriculum plan. read the requirements and follow them. keep up to date on application periods and apply the day it open the first minutes it opens up. i never talked to an advisor before i applied!!

i'm at columbus state and can tell you if it took 3 years for you to start...you were not doing something right. i don't see how they could make it any easier for you...log on to the website...see the requirements for applying...complete those requirements...applying during the application period. i can say that since you didn't even notice that the op was referring to the accelerated second degree program and not the regular degree program and said you know quite a few student that are in the program and work, then you reading skills are not up the snuff!!