RNROSER2011

I think I'd want to answer in a way that made it obvious to the speaker what a donkey's rear end he was. I'd follow this up with, "Our mission is to treat all patients with respect and our finest efforts...."

OH you are so not alone! All of the students in my class laughed about this. I think every one of us thought we had something we were studying. And yes we all laughed with/at each other and ourselves. I think its a way to connect with what we're reading about. In our case also, it was useful for someone who was looking for their own answers to health questions.

I'm 43 yrs old, and I'm a single mom. If I can do this, anyone can! Don't get bogged down with all the reading, go off of the powerpoints and then make sure you can answer the NCLEX questions that are applicable. The hardest thing for me was getting rid of my "gotta get an A" mindset. I've passed all my tests so far and I do get 8 hrs of sleep most of the time, I LOVE my sleep. I just don't do a lot other than school and my part time job. I'll never say its been easy, but its doable.

The students I know that had to work late on Thursday stayed up quite late to get their care plans done. I know there were a few all-nighters. Keep in mind though that clinicals aren't held during the entire semester. I'm in third block right now and we have class on Fri and Sat for the whole class time until mid-April, then we'll start clinicals and go all day Friday and Saturday. It also helps to develop your database of meds and patho's so you can save yourself some time. If you really want to do this, then don't let the logistics get in the way. I love my sleep but so far I've made it work.

I have a similar condition and I was worried about whether or not I'd have excessive absences. Add to that a daughter who has asthma and gets every cold virus known to medical science. Im more than halfway through getting my ADN. I think the schools like to scare you up front because they've seen the slacker students who skip class every time they have a case of the cocktail flu (a hangover). There's no doubt that attendance and focus on your tasks at hand is important, but my advice is go for it. I find that being in school, especially at clinicals functions as a distraction tool and actually helps me not to notice my pain so much. Think about getting an ADN. You can go into so many more types of nursing jobs, and the feedback I get from the seasoned professionals is the pay and conditions are often better. As an anecdotal side note on fertility, I was told after a lap that my ovaries were so scarred that it was "probably impossible" for me to get pregnant. I used birth control BUT nature had something else in mind. My daughter is 5 yrs old, and boy is she something else! I thank God every day for her. Don't give up on what you want. The only way you'll know if its possible is to try. Good luck. :heartbeat

YOU ROCK! Thx for the encouragement!

I understand you not wanting him to be sorry he confided in you but IMO you need to push this issue. You are a hero, as sure as if you'd given him CPR! I can't believe there are still school officials who don't take bullying seriously enough. My heart goes out to this boy. Please keep us posted. And pat yourself on the back.

....sometimes its who you know. I managed to get into the Navy Reserve with a history of adult asthma! And I wasn't going in as a medical professional, but an enlisted person in logistics. Be persistant, and ask if there are any medical tests they will accept to prove you can be fit for duty. In my case I happened to know a doctor in town that was also a Captain in the Navy Reserve and I asked him what was necessary to prove that I was fit enough for the military. My 8 yr enlistment is coming to a close this month, and I am glad I did it. I'm going to miss all my shipmates....

I just want to say, I'm so impressed by all the posts. I get so frustrated when I'm confronted with an attitude(by people who should know better) that antidepressants are some kind of crutch. I struggled with post-partum depression and once I started treatment for it, I realized I had been depressed for most of my adult life. I finally asked someone if they wouldn't tell a diabetic that insulin was a crutch, why would they tell a depressed person to just try a little harder to keep a positive attitude. My experiences in life have humbled me and given me a capacity for empathy.

Im in the 3rd block weekend now and I highly recommend the 104 review class. As someone else said, it wasn't essential for the 1st block, but as things got a lot more challenging in 2nd block it was very helpful.

Aren't you going to tell us what the motto is??? Sorry, couldn't resist, I feel your pain.

Obviously you have a lot on your plate. I would encourage you to retain your independance. Nursing is a good way to be able to support your children. Nursing school is the most stressful thing I've done in my life (and its not over for me yet). You're not alone in the world. Surely you've made friends with some of the other people in your class. I am so grateful for my classmates. We support and encourage each other every day. Not diagnosing in any way but just throwing this idea out there. I was feeling overwhelmed after the birth of my daughter, didn't want to get out of bed some days, it was a struggle to shower and make myself leave the house. When I was told I had post partum depression, it was such a relief. I felt much better after treatment. Take care of yourself and keep us updated on your situation.

I dont think you could find anyone that DIDNT have doubts in nursing school. Hang in there, you'll be glad you did. I'm halfway through an ADN program and have perfected my dialog for my self-peptalk. Hang in there.

I'm so sorry to hear of your Mom's passing. Its okay (especially under the circumstances) to have mixed feelings. Try to set aside some time with a close friend or mentor to talk. I don't think anyone thinks you're heartless, you have done what you needed to emotionally-to survive. I am similar in age and my childhood circumstances were not pleasant. I can't believe how wonderful it was to become a mom myself (unexpectedly) and to have blessing of being able to decide to give my daughter the emotional support she needs. Its like having a second happier childhood. Its not easy going through nursing school and juggling parental, school and work responsibilities. I wish you well, try to take care of yourself. Your childhood has given you a perspective that others don't have. You may have unique insights because of it. After many years, I can finally see that some of the most difficult things I went through were blessings in disguise. Sending you hugs and prayers.

I waited about a year and a half.

Best advice I can come up with is do any and all NCLEX style questions from the books and workbooks. Block II is more about applying what you've learned. It can be tricky to study for, but the questions from the back of the med-surg chapters are more representative of what we saw last semester in block II. Hang in there, its a whole new ball game from block I but you can do it!!!

I'm halfway through an ADN program and I'm almost 43. What matters is your determination and study skills. And thanks for asking the question. Its nice to see others my age thinking about changing careers. I have an almost 5 yr old daughter, I guess I'm a late bloomer too!

Oh for goodness sake! Do whatever you have to do (work two jobs) to save money enough to pay for your own education. Nursing school is hard enough when you want it. And show your folks the many threads started by experienced nurses who are having trouble finding the jobs they want. You need to stand up for yourself and demonstrate the ability to be independant. Good luck!

You could look at the experience as a lesson in what not to do. I understand the feeling of being unwelcome in the clinical setting. My second semester was different, we were away from the SNF's in a med-surg setting. I found that a declaration of, "We're here to help you in any way" earned some good will. After a couple weeks, we got called for all the interesting cases and followed some of our patients to surgery, etc. Don't be too proud to do "CNA work", and you may be surprised at the results. There will always be the burned out individuals that don't wish to help the learning process, but don't stop trying to enhance your own experience.

Trust me, if you think you feel indecisive and low in confindence, wait til you're in nursing school. Okay, maybe that's a bit of a rough week speaking...No one else can decide if its for you. All those things you worry about are true of other occupations. I have already had some great role models who bring their own unique personalities and strengths to the job. It helps to pick your job carefully and decide that you're not going to tolerate being disrespected on the job. Sometimes being a good patient advocate includes being the squeaky wheel. Lastly, when you complain about a problem, have a possible solution in mind. That makes a difference in how others will perceive you. I was worried after I read the horror stories about jobs. I've already decided that there's a limit to how much dirt I will eat in order to have a job. My patients and I deserve respect.

Wow, great question! I'm thankful for my wonderful, strong willed little girl who chases the dog around with a stethoscope telling me, "Mommie, I'm doing my clinicals!" I'm thankful for a loving, supportive partner who cheers me up and believes in me when I'm down. I'm thankful for my part-time job that (almost) pays the bills, and the financial aid. I'm thankful to live in a free country, I been places where the people cannot make many of their own decisions. I'm thankful that I'm almost done with semester 2 out of 4 of my RN program! It hasn't been an easy life, but I'm grateful for it, and my loved ones and friends.:loveya:

You're not dense at all, there seems to be a lack of communication from the school about the specifics of the class schedule. I'm sure that times of day could change, but all the classes for the weekend block are on friday and saturday. You'll probably have to go to the hospital where your clinicals are on Thursday night to pick your patient during 2nd block like we do. I don't know how your class will be, but ours wraps up by 10:30 on Saturdays, so its kinda handy that way. A lot of my classmates take a 1/2 day off work on Thursdays to accomodate the time needed to do a care plan. I recommend it if you can.

What you don't know about the GCC weekend program going in is that in Block 2 (and possibly the other blocks) is you have to go to the hospital on Thursday afternoon/night to pick your patient and do your care plan. I'm luckier than most, I only work til 1300 on Thursdays....Its a time crunch for sure, I made sure my daughter is entertained on Thurs nite.

I'm in the 2nd block of the weekend program. I took the 104 class both semesters and I found it does help to cement the concepts that we were learning. More so in block 1 than block 2. I was glad I took it.

I took the NET about two years ago and bought the book our college bookstore sold. I found it very helpful, although overpriced. Since I work and I'm a single mom, I didn't have a whole lot of time to invest in looking for the perfect book. I honestly don't remember scores, but I did fine and I'm pulling a B (so far) in my second semester of nursing school so good enough!