KSnow2332

"Someone should tell the new guy that's not how you check rectal tone..."

I work in MICU at my hospital. The main differences between our units are that SI tends to get more of the neuro patients. Bolts, ICP, Brain stem injuries, CVA, etc. In MI we get, as others have said, the exacerbation of the chronic illness patients. COPD, CHF, DKA, etc. That is not to say there is no overflow. SI does get some ODs or Resp Failure every now and again, and we can get some surgery patients. Although if it is a neuro patient, critical like CVA on a mannitol drip, SI will always get them. I think a unit job for a new grad can be either a good or a bad thing. It really depends on your unit, your hospital, and your confidence in your skills. I have seen new nurses come into the unit since I started and some have done very well. I have seen others who have struggled with some basic things I learned when working on the floor, like time management. We have a 2:1 ratio here most of the time. Rarely will we get a 3:1, and on those times when you get that triple, time management is your best friend. It is easy to get caught up in caring for your patients in the unit. They are critical, need a lot of one on one time, and I even find myself in a room sometimes an hour or so caring for just one. When you have a vent and drips that need titrated is where your skills come into play. Nursing skills, learned skills, and just the skills you pick up over time of taking care of people. It is easy to feel like you have too much to do sometimes, and not enough time. And like I said, I worked on a floor where our ratio was on a good night 6:1 but more often than not 7:1. I still feel sometimes with my 2 patients like there just isn't enough time, and that's normal. Although I am not an SI nurse I do love my ICU job. I wouldn't trade it or the experience I have gotten for anything. We do float to SI a lot, our units are run by one manager and we are one floor apart, and every time I have floated there I have loved it too. So if you think SI is for you I say go for it. The experience you will learn is great and you will always be learning new things. Just remember you need to have confidence in yourself, your skills, and your team members....and never be afraid to ask a question. If you don't ask, you can never learn the answer! Good Luck!

I graduated on 12/10/09 in Florida and got my ATT letter before Christmas. Have you tried calling or in any way contacting the BON?

When I was in school and starting out trying to decide what I wanted to do, everything seemed like it was going to take forever. The waiting list to get into the nursing program at the university I was at was about the same length of wait. After I looked into that option I set out a plan and had my options A and B set into motion. While I finished up my pre-nursing classes and got everything together I needed, I looked at what the other university in town required as well as the community college, since all provided the same RN education. Once I was done with my pre-nursing classes I applied to all of the schools in town. In the mean time I was able to get my minor in Psychology at the university I was at, which has helped me a lot throughout school and in the clinical area. I wasn't able to get into the universities in town because of the waiting list but I was able to get into the community college, which like I said, was the same RN education. My point is, be calm, all good things come to those who wait, and have a back-up plan for your back-up plan. When I was choosing what I wanted to do in school I picked 2 areas of study, nursing and psychology. While taking my nursing pre-reqs I would take one other class for psychology. I had many friends take classes for things like child care, teaching, sociology, things like that, which were their back-up plans. Nursing school is a long and tough road, as many others have told you already, but if it is truly what you want then there is nothing like it in the world. You will do great and have faith, your time for nursing school will come soon enough.

I took the NCLEX last week and passed. I graduated in December which basically gave me less than a month to take it from graduation day. Now throw in Christmas and New Years and I had about 2 weeks to study, off and on because I am moving. My school does not require us to pass the HESI only that we take the HESI exit to graduate. I did not pass the HESI, according to HESI standards. I honestly thought the questions on the HESI were harder than my NCLEX exam questions. I studied by using an exam book with a disc which had about 7 or so different NCLEX style tests on it. The tests were about 160 questions each. I have no experience with Kaplan but have heard good things about it. I honestly think, after having taken the exam, the best thing one could do to prepare is to take tests with questions like you will see on the NCLEX. If you think Kaplan is working for you, I say go for it. But what you are doing so far sounds sufficient for passing the test. Good Luck!

I took it on Thursday and got my results on Saturday

I graduated on December 10th so a little less than a month and I took the exam and that was during Christmas and New Years and everything. I didn't want to take too long because I figured there wasn't much I could teach myself now that my teachers hadn't in 2 years. I just used books, I didn't do any other review systems. I used princeton review mainly. Their book had a disc with about 6 or 7 tests of about 160 questions each. That was the best review I did myself.

I took the NCLEX-RN for the first time on Thursday and just found out today that I passed and wanted to give some helpful advice to others who maybe had not taken it yet. First of all, go in with a clear head. I had to put a lot of stuff that was going on in my life out of my head for the few hours I took the test. Clear you mind the night before. I was worrying up until the night before the test. Then I prayed about it to God and asked him to take it into his hands, and at that moment I knew I had to just have faith in myself and I would do fine. So the night before the test I sat with my book and barely looked at it. I sat by the fireplace and was with my family, and just relaxed. I really think this relaxation helped a whole lot! Give yourself plenty of time to get to the testing site. I had to drive almost 2 hours out of town to get to the Pearson testing center, so I left almost 4 hours before my test to make sure I had plenty of driving, and getting lost time . Don't let the number of questions you answer get you down! I only had 75 questions and my computer turned off. I was completely sure I had failed with flying colors. I drove the entire way home in silence and tried to figure out how I was possibly going to be able to pay for another test. Now, that doesn't mean that if you end up answering 265 questions you failed either! There is a little disclaimer at the beginning of the test, it says something about how the odds of passing are identical whether you answer the minimum or the maximum, READ IT, BELIEVE IN IT, TRUST IT! Because its true, lol. The best advice I can give anyone though is to just breath, relax, and take your time. I cannot stress that enough! RELAX AND BREATH! Good Luck and do your best! You are all awesome and can totally pass!

I understand the distractions surrounding you right now. Although break-ups are terribly painful, look at this as a new step in your life. You are about to take the test for your future, and now your future is clear for you. When you go into the test just clear your mind. If you can, leave for your test early and take a slightly longer drive to get there. Let the drive help clear your mind, listen to your favorite song on the way, sing to it and just relax! I also had a lot of stuff going on in my life when I took mine, which was only a few days ago. When I sat for my test, I had just dropped my fiance off to work for a week, where I wouldn't get to see him, and to top that off, our cat ran away the same day, we are in the process of moving to a new city too. I had to clear my mind the best I could, singing to music down the road was the best thing I was able to do, also I wore my favorite sweater and jeans that day and had my favorite breakfast before I took the test. Also, if you can, try staying at a friends house the night before. That might help you relax a little more if you aren't around the source of your stress. You are going to rock it out, so just breath and relax. Go into that test with your head up knowing you are awesomely able to pass this test, heck you made it through nursing school right? Good Luck, you are going to do amazingly!

I used Princeton Review mainly. I had another book but didn't like it as much, I think it was a Mosby-Elsevier study guide or something like that. I LOVED the PR book. I have used them for years (for AP classes in highschool and such) and they are very easy to understand and the CD included was awesome. It had about 6 or 7 160 question NCLEX style tests to take and that was the best review I had.

I had a blue screen and passed with 75 questions on the first try, but I honestly don't think the color of the screen has anything to do with passing or failing.

First off, you need to think positive thoughts! Why are you thinking you failed? I just took my test on Thursday (01/07/10) and when I left the test I was almost certain I had failed because I only had 75 questions before the test turned off and I felt so uncertain about it. I was sure I had bombed the test after all of that. I got my results today and I had passed, even though I was more than certain I had done terrible. Have faith in yourself and just wait for the results. Chances are you did a lot better than you are giving yourself credit for. But if you are sure you want to go ahead and re-apply I believe you have to wait 3 months to take the test again. Each state is different. You can contact the testing center in your area and they can point you to the right places to get your answers. Good Luck though and have faith! You probably did amazingly well.