aussiemom

What a blessing to have found this today. I too was at the top of my class, Dean's list, aced clinicals, second degree student. Didn't sleep for about three years between work and class. I passed NCLEX-RN last week (yay!) and have been working as a g...

Take one day at a time and celebrate your small accomplishments. Keep a good planner and stay organized, but know that despite your best plans things will change. Gives you good practice for what's to come. :) You'll have periodic freakouts throughou...

Tackle this on two fronts: academic and work. Regarding academics, do well but more importantly make sure you truly understand the material you are learning. You will be using it on the floor in clinicals and in practice. In clinicals, work your tail...

If you have a previous bachelor's, you can also consider an accelerated BSN, where you can be finished in approximately one year! :-) This can also be stretched out to meet your needs, depending on your school.

Hung over? That's not so hot.

Laptops are very helpful for all the group work you will be doing. You and your group members can look up information on your library's system from your favorite coffee shop, pull video clips off various sites, and all kinds of useful things. You can...

I definitely understand what you are talking about in regards to not wanting to bother patients. I'm not sure how far along in your program "Block 2" is, or how many other clinical experiences you have had, but this feeling does pass as you start to ...

Remember also to look up proper positioning for post-surgical patients. Depending on the surgery and type of anesthesia used, he should be instructed and encouraged in the use of an incentive spirometer. This will help to reduce the likelihood of pne...

northwest PA, near NY southern tier, is $22/hr before shift differential.

Woohoo!!! Pinning/recognition ceremony Saturday...start work June 21. This deal's been three years in the making...counting all the preparation that led to the program plus the program itself. So relieved to have it over...on to Kaplan review class ...

When I was teaching (college, no less), one of my students spelled the male gender "mail". Priceless.

When you know we have a meeting scheduled, please try to have the majority of your portion done beforehand so we don't have to spend 5 hours talking about pointless things while you get your pictures together, and then try to pawn off your work on th...

Ours, for accelerated BSN, was required, but it was online. The traditional students sat in on the live lectures. Several of us commented that despite decent grades, no one really retained much that semester. It would have been much more helpful to b...

First of all, I am very sorry you had such a negative experience in an area in which many people are uncomfortable. Now, here's a bit of insight into their world. Much of it is not that different from ER experience (where I had to hold a combative pe...

Check the prices at the bookstore and online. I love amazon.com! I got a brand new book there for exactly 1/3 the price of the same book at Barnes and Noble. No joke. There are also sites that compare textbook prices all over the internet, but amazon...

In clinicals, I've observed excellent nurses who sanitized their hands before and after working with pts. And in the OR, it's a must! Some actually have very strong preferences whether they like to sanitize or use soap and water to wash. I got major ...

I had a nurse in the OR the other day share with me that the best piece of advice she got when she was just starting out was just to "just keep showing up" and eventually she would feel comfortable. I thought this was wise!

Being a CNA gives you a leg up on your peers when it comes to interacting with patients, basic skills and being comfortable in a hospital/health care environment. However, being a CNA or tech does not provide you will necessary assessment skills. Our...

...when you're at the hospital for your husband's procedure, and during the admission paperwork when the RN asks him about his ambulation- and he says "what?" you and the nurse say "walking" at the same time. Keep in mind, I had my last clinical in a...

Or when you find said supplies strewn about your car!

When I had my transcript evaluated by my program for my pre-req needs, the advisor actually helped me locate appropriate online courses I could take that would fulfill the requirements. Bottom line is to make sure that the online courses you are cons...

Stressful situations can bring out the best or the worst in people, whether young, older, or otherwise. Many people are feeling insecure and unsure of themselves during school, and are looking for some form of validation that they're "okay" after str...

Once I start working...ahh...! A beautiful, frivolous Coach purse, just for me because I earned it. All those sleepless nights prepping for clinical, and days spent with my nose in the books and/or laptop...it's time to party! Some paint so I can re...

With your background, accelerated BSN or BS in nursing, definitely. Check with the college/university in which you're interested- they may have a part time option in addition to full-time, if you will be working in addition to school. I'm attending a...

Here goes... No, the sometimes odd behaviors of the patients on the psych unit are not funny or there to supply you with amusement. The people who are there definitely have a mental illness and possibly a developmental disability. They have little co...