shrtygrlash

I'm so glad you had a wonderful experience! Well, Im a NICU RN but I know we love to get pictures and cards! It keeps us going! It's great to get good news, I'm sure the nurses would love to hear that you and your daughter are doing well and that they made your experience wonderful! We get pictures of children that are much older like 5 years old and many nurses remember the babies and moms! So I think it's a great idea to send them a card even if it's been a year and pictures are great!

how our instructor taught us to determine if it was respiratory or metabolic: if the ph goes down the paco2 goes up. if the ph goes up the paco2 goes down. like a see-saw its respiratory. if the ph goes down and the hco3 goes down. if the ph goes up and the hco3 goes up. like a elevator its metabolic. that was hard to put into words but i hoped it helped. otherwise you just have to learn the normals, sorry i don't have an easy way to remember them. just when i get to the test i write them down quickly first thing so i don't confuse myself later on.

I completely agree. The peds instructors were great at explaining a topic if asked a question directly. Reading ahead (if there is such a thing in nursing school with all those pages assigned!) definately helps! The tests are taken directly from lecture, especially if they highlight the topic. The peds learning groups did not help as much, good nclex review though. I found the OB learning groups very helpful though. YEAH!!! FOURTH SEMESTER :clpty:

Someone with a BSN can go on directly for their MSN and so on to nurse practitioner if they wanted. Someone with an RN would need to take more classes to first get their BSN then MSN. Although, they play the same role in patient care and medication administeration and paperwork in the hospital setting. Also a BSN can have managerial positions in the hospital. I believe there can also be pay differences, with the BSN making more. This website had a lot of info: http://www.medicalandnursing-training.com/nursing/rn-to-bsn/a/what-is-the-difference-between-an-rn-and-a-bsn.html

by the way...morning clinical isn't so bad. I know it early but you get a lot more opprotunities to do skills. I heard the night clinicals there is not as much to do since most medications and procedures are done in the AM. You might get the opprotunity to go to the OR or cat scan or cardiac cath lab and they don't do as many procedures in the PM after all the doctors are gone for the day.

I know the teachers have changed so maybe first semester online is better! thats good news to all the new incoming students! Unfortunately you do need all the books. I know there is a huge list of them. But the first semester you buy your nursing diagnosis books, drug book and lab book which you will use the whole time. so every semester isn't so expensive for books. For second and third semester you just need the new lecture book but the rest you reuse. I also recommend "reviews and rationales" for medsurg (second semester). the "reviews and rationales" books really summarizes ALL the information you need to know so its not so overwhelming! it really helped me on the final in second semester.

For everyone feeling very confused in first semester (im in third)...i understand it is SOOOO stressful at the beginning especially just getting yourself organized (with three different classes that correlate- I used to panic over "which folder do I put THIS in!")! haha I've calmed down luckily! Unfortunately in every semester there is a little confusion in the beginning especially with clinical placement and different dates and blackboard but it does get better! Just roll with the punches the first few weeks especially after frontloading (which I guess you are past now) you WILL feel better!!! The first semester is really overwhelming but once you get used to how the program works and get your own way of getting things done you will make it! Also you mentioned IPR if you go to the program director's page (sorry I cant say her name) under "find people" she has ALL of the syllabi listed under semester 2 there is a great example! About simulation...it really is a dummy that is programed to do all kinds of things that are scary (like respiratory arrest)! haha but it is a LEARNING experience so relax and just do what you know. if you really dont know something just ask. simulation is nothing to stress about. its a pass/fail and as long as you show up, put in some effort and do the paperwork you will pass. God bless and good luck!!!

Hi everyone! About taking lecture online...I heard lecture online for the first semester is terrible! since you miss alot of the annoucements that they say at the beginning of class you are lost. Since first semester is stressful enough as it is I do not recommend taking it online. I had to call my friend almost after every class to let her know what was going on since she was online. As for second semester I heard it was better than first semester! I also heard third semester online was going good. But for the first semester you really need lecture in class till you get the feel of the program because it is totally different than any classes you have taken before!

Hi everyone, I'm in my third semester of nursing school and I'm so excited to graduate in May 2010! Anyways...I have to fill out med forms for school (I'm sure you all have filled out many!) and I need the mechanism of action for Tucks pads (witch hazel). My professor is being picky about our homework and I can't find this online. I had "suppress inflammation and pain" but she wants more...any help?? Thanks alot!!!