UGAmomX3

Sheri, As far as reading..you can start at the front and see how far you get..Suprisingly, you will end up reading almost all of that Fundementals book by the end of the semester (gasp!). That book will become your friend (or enemy) because you may want to carry it wherever you go just in case you have 5 minutes to read. We were given 20, I think, drugs to learn. And by learn, I mean the class, catagory, adult dosage, action, side effects (general and life threatening), and a reason why you would give a patient the drug. We had to be able to "perform" on this when we did our medication checkoff. I don't know if it would help to give you the list(if I can find it) because they may change it. You don't have to know them until mid to late October, I think. I keep saying I think because I tried very hard to forget it all when I left, before I decided to go back. Have you got your CPR cert. and your health record done? I've got my CPR left over and all I need is another TB test and I'm done with that stuff. and I already have my lovely uniforms and shoes and such. So I'm pretty much ready to go...Glad to answer any other questions you might have. Mary

Hi Sheri! Glad to hear you'll be with me at Clarkston. About the calc problems..actually the last 5 questions of the tests, starting with the second or third one are always dosage ones. The teachers refer to them as "a free 10 points"..that's how well versed they feel we should be. And the questions start out really easy and progressively get harder. I don't think I missed but one question (I've been there before, remember) and that was because I forgot the part about "divided doses", which is extremely important if it had been a real patient! So don't fret, it's not calculus. See you on Aug.4th and 5th for orientation. Feel free to ask me any other questions either here or PM me. Mary

I'll be at Clarkston. It's an easier drive than to the Lawrenceville campus. That really sounds rediculous, knowing the Atlanta traffic, but I'm sure you can relate. Have you read any of your assignment yet, or taken a look at that word list? Most of it will take you back to A&P I, body parts and areas anyway. Well, good luck and have fun, that's part of it, right? Mary

I start Aug. 23 at Georgia Perimeter College. I know what you mean about being nervous. We've all done well up to this time or we wouldn't have gotten accepted, but I think we may find out this is a whole different ballgame. I had orientation last week and we already have an assignment to read the first three chapters of the Fundementals book and a long list of terms to define. So I guess my three-week summer vacation is over. We'll do fine. From what I hear, never get behind and you'll be OK. Good luck and keep in touch! Mary

Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta start ADN program in August! Veeerrry excited and Veeeerrrry anxious!!!

Thanks so much for the moral support. As it turns out, the guy from DFAC came, took one look at my mom sleeping peacefully in her blue room, with the blue wallpaper, all clean and happy, heard my story, which was far more believable than the claim and said I should not worry, I would not see him again, I was doing a good job and had a good backup support system. So there!!! I had fretted about this for nothing. That doesn't change the situation with my mom, but at least I have her home and I don't care what anybody says, I am the best caregiver for her! Her course of ill health, both physical and mental, and the fact that I have been able to care for her, is most of the reason why I decided to go to nursing school. I'm no spring ckicken..I have grown kids..but I can still make a difference. Mary

I could really use some advice. I am a nursing student, but I'm here on the other side as a family member. My mother is 87. She has lived with my family for 8 years. I have always cared for her, from the time she was ambulatory and fairly alert, though very confused and forgetful, until now when she is totally bedridden and doesn't communicate at all. I will say now that she has never had a bedsore under my watch. We put her in respite care in a reputable, and very expensive, I might add, NH for a week because we had to go out of town. When we got back, I went to see her. She had a bedsore on her saccrum, wounds on her toes and a bruise the size of a dinner plate on the back of her knee, which even in her state was obviously very painful. Well, I became probably the family member from h**l, because I called the nurse's attention to the bruise and she shrugged and she she had seen it. And the admit notes said that all those wounds were there on admit. I noticed that the notes were written over 4 hours after we left her there. I'm sure she had been left in that wheelchair the whole time, even after my warnings that she was not used to being in the wheelchair very long ( I was told that the residents were not allowed to be in the bad during the day) Now what am I to do? Oh, BTW, the bruise was a consequence of a femur fracture above her artificial knee that yes, they knew about. She was transported to the hospital to figure out why her blood count dropped out the bottom...well, duhh... one can bleed out from a femur fracture. I finally got her home and now DFCS is investigating ME! I may be female and I may be blond but I'm not stupid. If she was in that state because of my care, would I have left her for all to see?? I think not. I have cried, prayed, lost sleep, lost weight(that part's not so bad) over this. I know that I can't prove anything as far as the NH is concerned because I'm sure they have covered their..saccrums. Please give me a little advice!!