maggiechan

This is a really interesting topic. I agree 100% with other posters that terminal patients receive their pain meds without question. However, I'm a new grad, and in four weeks on the floor, I've encountered at least one bonafide drug seeker on average each week. This can be evidenced by the fact that they watch the clock, and call me in for pain meds, usually prior to the allotted time. "I must be due now, drool, drool." WHen I ask them to tell me about their pain. " Oh, it's not too bad just now.", or " I can offer you some Tylenol?" " No, don't bother." I so believe in pain meds, but I do not believe in blindly feeding an addiction. We need to assess the patient's pain, and explore all avenues of pain relief including non-narcotic and relaxation techniques, and I'm not talking in the case of fresh surgical or chronic cases. Just the obvious ones, that are more totally anxious and nothing but the full dose of narcotic is going to do them. That sounds worse than I mean it to sound, but I've had them regularly since graduation, and these patients just don't compare!

I have just finished an ADN program, which for the most part has given me good experience. As for my wish list: 1) Decent testing - well-written tests that truly test my knowledge, and don't just satisfy the whims and/or idiosyncrasies of my instructors. 2)Do Basic Assessment in the first semester - a whole seminar class would be appropriate. As another poster said, if I have to spend 1 or 2 semesters perfecting my bed-bath skills, then it would be a great idea to teach me really well how to assess. 3) Progressive build-up in clinical skills on the ward- progress within a time frame from ADLs to PO meds to IV/parenteral meds to procedures ( dressing changes/ foley insertion/ trach care/ ostomy care) ( whatever is available) culminating in 4 patient assignments and management of UAPs or LPNs, whichever is appropriate. Have a prescribed clinical blueprint so that each student knows what their goals are for that particular rotation - nursing students are typically so well-motivated that they will make sure of their own learning. 4) Care plans are a great idea if taught and used appopriately. Why not teach the principles first and then split students into groups and do case studies on certain often-encountered disease processes? It would be interactive and really encourage learning. addendum - the first time I went into a patient's room I had NO idea what I was to do, nor what my goals were for the day. I'm not stupid, I tried to clarify this matter, but was shut down by my instructor and ridiculed for not paying attention in class. ( As an adjunct instructor at that time, she had no idea what went on in our lectures). I graduated with a 4.0. I am still furious about that experience. EVery person in 2 clinical groups (and probably more than that) complained about that adjunct instructor. She was promoted and made senior 1st year instructor the next semester. My experience in Nursing school was that the faculty did not respect the students. It has been the most frustrating experience of my life. I also hate it when certain instructors pretend to know science when in fact they are clueless. People should not try to teach stuff they don't understand - if nursing instructors don't understand something they should research what is important to the lecture and, more importantly impart the knowledge requisite to being a good nurse, and then refer students to an alternative source as necessary. Sorry to rant, but this was from the heart.

Once the board of nursing approved our applications - about 2-3 weeks after graduation ( can be quicker if the transcripts and all are sent expeditiously), it took Pearson one week to send me my ATT. Make sure Pearson have your e-mail address, and do all your registrations and stuff online as this is by far the quickest way. Also if you don't get as early date as you would like, go ahead and schedule, but keep checking back under reschedule because cancellations come up all the time. I think many people get scared and change their dates. Once I got my ATT I was able to schedule within a week, and then I rescheduled to even earlier. Hope that helps.

What, was that too close to home for you? This anecdote was very poignant. As you stated in your "people in glass houses post", people should strive for honest perfection in their own lives, prior to denegrading the practices of others - in this instance,via religious propaganda.

I am in kind of a similar situation. I have just graduated from an ADN program and have a prior advanced degree. The thing I see about nursing is that it seems to be imperative to have knowledge from the ground up. Your ADN will train you up to be a great acute care nurse; probably more focussed towards this than the BSN. The BSN seems to incorporate more management and community health training. I didn't know this prior to starting the ADN, but I'm very glad to have made the choice I did. If you are more interested in clinical vs. managerial or administrative nursing, ADN is great, and you can progress to the MSN, without a BSN. MSN opens many doors to you. I firmly believe that it's better to have some time on the floor before doing MSN. I'm sure this is the best preparation for upper level clinicians, even if it's only 1-2 years (on the floor). I'm heading in that direction too and I will know more once I'm full-time on the floor... from July, and looking forward to it :stone .

Hi there, graduated May 10th, and have not received ATT. I would also love to know how long other recent grads have had to wait. Oh well, I guess all will be revealed soon enough. Make sure they have your e-mail address because you'll find out first by e-mail, at least that is the case with Pearson vue. Congratulations, I hope you're enjoying the break as I am....

That's interesting - as far as I understood it here, we have to graduate and get all our transcripts approved by the BON before we can receive our ATT. Anyway, I'm just hoping the process isn't too slow so I can test before I forget everything (my brain is tired :stone)

Good luck to you too! Maybe I'll be testing right beside you! Maggiechan

Thanks I'm feeling very satisfied to finish a gruelling two years! State is Virginia, and all the papers were submitted about 5 weeks ago with only transcripts pending. Our head instructor promised she'd be sending them in as soon as the transcripts were ready. I'm guessing they'd be sent by May 10th.

I have a question for people who have recently taken the NCLEX or received their ATT. How long did you have to wait after graduation before you received your authorization to test? I just graduated and would love to take the NCLEX during May. Perhaps I'm too optimistic? Thanks. Maggiechan

Nicely put. It's tough going and a lot of mumbo-jumbo. What they seem to be doing in nursing is taking a lot of hands-on practical material and turning it into a college ed. Unfortunately, historically the background of nursing is not intrinsically academic, and the educators on whom we rely have no background in education and sound testing procedures. I have some wonderful and natural intuitive instructors who support common sense, but the system overwhelms and overrides them. I never accept factual inconsistencies on tests and so far I've been successful in getting questions thrown out. It just irks me that i have to spend so much time and effort on this, instead of spending the time learning important stuff. Can anyone disagree?

Roland, I know nothing about your personal life or relationship with your family. I'm currently in my last semester of nursing, having several prior years of higher education, including my degree from the UK. I have to concur with everything that you have written - I have never been subjected to such an incompetent system of testing in my life. Many test questions are based on incorrect factual information, typos, grammatical errors - you name it we've had it. The instructors only throw out a question if the vast majority get it wrong - regardless of whether it's a valid question or just plain wrong. I have complained and won individual points on several occasions. If I hadn't complained, the questions wouldn't even have been questioned - some people fail because of one or two points - how can this be right? The only reason people could possibly condone this kind of system is because they have never experienced education the way it should be. If it is so important to test critical thinking, then they'd better get rid of invalid black-and-white multiple-choice testing and institute essay questions, where you can easily evaluate a student's knowledge. To the best of my knowledge that's the way nursing school is in the UK. Peeps McArthur, I'm with you as well!

I don't have any nursing school phrases off the tip of my tongue, but scores of anecdotes concerning *****y lecturing and factless testing, masquerading as science. I'll be listening with a critical ear during my last ADN semester. Peeps Macarthur I'm also very interested to find out what your solution for escaping this madness was....my sanity is barely intact...