Nikki819

hello all, had my 1st day of ob rotation and i find myself scared of babies. we had orientation for most of the shift than about a half hour practice assessment with a well baby newborn. this was a prefect time to practice since it was not in front of the family and it was just the clinical group, instructor and baby in a quiet room. I was petrified, to put it mildly. babies are so tiny and fragile, that having to perform a newborn assessment has me on edge. i'm hesitant and unsure of myself when usually i am very confident. the rest of my classmates seem to be doing just fine and don't seem intimidated at all. i've always skirted around having to hold babies, and when i have, im sitting and have someone just plop the kid in my arms, so this was technically my first time picking up and holding a baby. i was very uncomfortable. my instructor commented that babies can sense that you're scared/uncomfortable/etc and i need to be more confident. well yea obviously, but how the heck do i fake it till i make it?? i am an over achiever, and i already feel like i am doing less than what is expected of me and what i expect of myself; partially because i was so unprofessional with the fear clearly written all over my face, and my classmates breezing through the assessment without hesitation and full of confidence. it also does not help that our lecturing instructor has mentioned numerous times that ob is the most litigious form of nursing, and we better perform 100% in front of the family. talk about pressure! any suggestions??

congrats!

Err on the side of caution and register for any non-nursing courses you can take. At orientation we found out there are ALOT of things we have to take care of before the program starts with certain deadlines. There may be a few people who do not meet those deadlines, and a few spots may open up. In the meantime your best bet is to make an action plan as if you were and were not accepted. Speak to the school and inquire what needs to be done assuming a spot opens up (i.e. meeting the same deadlines); so when the call comes you are ready and eligible. On the other hand have a backup plan in place to ensure you have something to do until you can re-apply. Can you take another non-nursing course and get it out of the way before you reapply? Can you re-take a course to boost your GPA? Best of luck!

you're welcome glad i could help :)

go with your gut instinct. if you want to be a nurse do everything in your power to become one. have you thought about being a PA? you could apply to those programs. or how about in the meantime get your phelbotomy, PCT, CNA or work as an EMT? if you already are thinking about waiting a year to re-apply then in the meantime make the most of your time and work a job or build on a skill that you will need for nursing. volunteer at a hospital. if you dont want to do xray or resp then don't do it. you'll waste your time, money and if you think you will be miserable doing it now you will when you start the program. as for your boyfriend if this man truly loves you and wants to be with you he will wait until you are done with school, however long that takes. don't put aside your dreams,goals and career desires for someone else or years down the road you will use him as a scapegoat and resent him for it (seen it happen many times with people i know!) besides if you decide to get married now would you have children right away? do you want that added stress of juggling a husband, marriage, kids and a family on top of school? do whatever you feel is right and trust your gut instinct. if all else fails write a pros cons list for everything you want to do and look at it from that angle.

where else can we register besides Capital? The 1st is full and the 16th I'm unavailable! I know we need it by July 1st...

Besides Capital where else are there healthcare provider cpr courses offered??

do all the community colleges assign weekend clinicals? i work weekends so i can go to school during the week! there is no way i can change my shift nor quit my job.

thank you everyone so much for your advice! I really appreciate it :) I have the "math for nurses" book (bought it when i started my pre-reqs a few years ago and forgot i had it) and recently picked up a Saunders "student nurse planner" to help with organizing my time. I have looked at the "made easy" series while at the bookstore and have found them cheaper on half.com but they are older versions. I'm assuming there hasn't been too much of a change in the material since 2004 for a $2 copy of dosage calc and 2005 version of nursing student success for $10! I have been debating purchasing them and will probably hold off until orientation (which is in May). Thanks again for all your advice!

Did the course credit transfer for the CT community colleges, and did they accept it as a legit class?

thanks spachild for all the great info! :)

Your welcome Jennifer14 :) JBMmommy thanks for the info..would the program consider these clogs? http://www.zappos.com/timberland-pro-renova-professional-white they look like they have a closed back (but i'm not sure how deep the heel fits in them)

I have no idea but i'm assuming sneakers are allowed as long as they are all leather with no mesh or airholes. Think of it this way, if you get "spooge" on your shoe it shouldn't leak into it and soak your socks. It would make sense you should also be able to clean it with approved bloodborne pathogen killer chemicals without it leaking into the shoe as well (or damaging the material). 2nd biggest concern is if you accidently drop a sharp you won't stick your toe. I think keeping those two in mind you can't go wrong with looking for a shoe but I would wait until your school clarifies with what they approve you wearing.

thank you JBMmommy

What did Capital suggest for dosage calc prep?

Any suggestions on securing student nurse liability insurance? waste of money or worth it? How about from a company such as NSO?

I want to get a head start for classes; are there any books you can recommend (or remember what was on the reading list provided at orientation)? Was there something the majority of your class struggled with that you wish you had more time to dedicate working on? (that i will come across my first semester?) I noticed alot of students ask for help with care plans and drug calculations on this site. Any study aide/guide books you can recommend? I read the name "Saunders" and "...Made Easy" book titles suggested fairly frequently on this site as well.. but again what sort of topics will i encounter/need to know, my first semester? Thanks again!

JBMommy- any advice is helpful so thank you! I spoke with a professor who teaches a hybrid course but she said i would still miss a lot of work and wouldn't recommend me registering for the course. I emailed another professor whose course runs july to august but it is full, and i am waiting to hear if i can be placed on a waiting list. I looked into uconn and their state school branches near me but no luck there. Worse case scenario i'll be taking it in the fall, which i assumed would be managable (otherwise why not make it a pre-req?) but now i'm not so sure after looking into how time consuming one nursing class is.:uhoh21: katiedid7- i think it lasts only 1 or 2 years

I spoke with the nursing dept clerk for NVCC today and she said we will be mailed all our health forms and information shortly.

I don't think there is an option to defer my start from fall to spring at NVCC so i can complete micro.

Awesome thank you!

Thank you! I have to take micro this fall semester on top of my nursing courses; did you have to do the same? If so, was it managable? (I was unable to register this summer because the only classes available near me conflicted with a summer academic research project i'm participating in). In regards to the reading list you received at orientation (which yes mine is in may), are they the text books that are assigned? If so do they release your fin aid to be able to purchase them? Other wise how much money am I looking to invest for the materials? Do you recommend any websites that sell the nursing materials we need for low prices? (i'm concerned about income because i work part time and rely soley on fin aid to take care of my school expenses and i don't have any savings to fall back on) I'm planning on picking up extra hours at work this summer if possible and looking for scholarships, grants, etc for school. Random tangent aside I'm willing to do the leg work, i'm just looking for a head start. I don't want to be blind sided with having to purchase a thousand dollars worth of items when i only have a hundred dollars to my name!

Hello everyone, I received my acceptance letter today to start my two year RN program in the fall 2011. I was wondering if you had any advice or tips you can provide me to help me get ready. Where are the best places to shop for cheap nursing supplies, and what supplies should I get? What are the best study tips, books or items you use that have helped you in your nursing courses? Are there any books I can study now to get a head start? Also I'm fairly certain I need white shoes for clinicals, where can I purchase a pair? (honestly i have not seen them in stores). Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions I really appreciate it!

hey everyone! i started a new thread called: current ct community college rn students advice for newly accepted i'm hoping we can get alot of advice and tips from current or former students!

Hello! Current or previous students who have experience in the CT Community Colleges RN program! I am starting this thread looking for advice you can give all of us newly accepted students who will start our first semester as nursing students in the fall! Are there things you wish you knew before you went to orientation? How much money should we save up? What expenses will we incur? What "insider" bits of information have you learned, that you wish you knew on your first day? In particular are there any things we can get out of the way or take care of while we await our semester to begin? For example get a physical, CPR cert, stock up on whatever color scrubs we need? Start the search for all-white shoes? Please share your suggestions, thoughts, ideas, and advice! Thank you in advance to all those who will contribute! WE THANK YOU!