peas&carrots

I don't mean to be rude but what were you expecting. There has to be a reason why you want to be a nurse. The nursing home is very valuable experience. It taught me how to have respect for people when they are at their most vulnerable. How to have patience and understanding when I might not have all the time in the world. It showed me that I truly want people to be happy and well taken care of no matter what their situation. To say you don't want to be a nurse because you don't want to watch people die sounds horrible to me. Do you think it's all rainbows and puppies? It makes you sound like you are going into a profession you know nothing about.

In my program if you fail one class you are done. It doesn't matter if it was by one point there are no second chances. You have to wait a whole year till that class comes around again. Fail it a second time and you are done with the program period. Seems to me being able to fail one class and keep going was a gift.

It takes a shorter period of time to get your associates degree in nursing. It is one year of prereq's, 1 year to get your LPN, and 1 year your ADN. That is one year less than the 4 year programs and a lot cheaper at your local community college. I will sit for the same boards and will be a RN when I get done. So while the people that went the route of a 4 year university are in their senior year working on their BSN I will be working as an RN doing my BSN online. It kind of seems like a no brainer to me. I will have zero school debt and I will be working a whole year sooner.

I kept to myself and was friendly with absolutely everyone. I never became a part of a clique and didn't hang out with anyone from school on my off time. It was the smartest decision I ever made. The one time someone tried to pull me into drama I shut it down and said I wasn't getting in the middle. Don't make nursing school your life! I study a couple of hours for each test and that is it. I put most of my time enjoying my time off. I wouldn't do it any other way. Don't read anything until you start school. Relax and have fun until then. They will teach you exactly what you need to know. Actually,they will teach it to you over and over again. :S

Geometry is only really about triangles. Just know how to find different parts such as height or length of sides. There were a lot of fractions so definitely review how to add,subtract,mutiply,etc. For the science part I would review how to read the periodic chart and why they are arranged the way they are. Know how the row relates to how many electrons they have in the outer shell. Don't over analyze every sentence they ask about. Just read the underlined part before you look at the answers and think about how it should be worded. Then try to find an answer to match. Reading all the options first just gets confusing. Hope this helps a little bit. I just took it today and scored a 90.

I really feel like you should just relax and take it easy. Each program is different and there is really no way to prepare. If you try to take in all this info now you will just become overwhelmed. I think just reading about situations on here and just reading about interesting medical facts is the best way to go. Enjoy your friends and family while you can. :)

I was denied the whole time I was going for my associates in science. As soon as I changed to the nursing program I was approved. Something about changing programs allowed me to become eligible again. Then I got a scholarship so all my financial aid is extra so it's helps out a lot. I'm sure it will work out so good luck!

Personally,I would pick the job as a secretary. I think it would be less stressful during nursing school. I enjoy the residents but I know that I don't want to work in LTC. I would never take a job as a CNA in one just to get experience. Why make myself miserable when school is sometimes miserable enough? You will get some of those experiences in clinicals anyway. Sometimes it's more about the people you meet and make good impressions on than the work you do.

My weight is the same but definitely not my BP. I finally had to go to the doctor about it. I guess I don't handle stress well.

I had soreness in the arm that I received the shot in for about 3 days. I never get sore from flu shots but I did this year. Last year 2 girls I work with chose the live spray but I stuck with the shot. Neither had a bad reaction but said they could feel it go down the back of their throat a bit. I'm sure they would have chosen it again this year if it had been an option. At clinicals we are giving Fluvirin but at work where I got mine we have Afluria. I wonder if one is having more reactions than the other.

We have pharm for a the whole year so I guess you could consider it a 2 semester class. Our lpn program is 11 months and then you graduate. Then you apply to the adn program which is 10 months and I've been told there is no pharm classes there. You are just expected to know every drug that is introduced through the year. We just got through adrenergic and cholinergic drugs which they say are the hardest. Made it through pretty well so I'm hoping they aren't lying to me...lol.

We just did basic CNA stuff the first day but today was our second day. We got to give flu shots and a lot of showers. We are there from early morning until mid afternoon. By the time we give our showers and help with feeding we are almost done for the day. I am excited with the fact that I'm getting way more comfortable with the ltc patients. Dealing with the elderly was one of my big fears but once you help them you get that wonderful feeling of truly making someone's day better. :)

Honestly after feeding residents in the LTC I didn't have much of an appetite. I know that sounds horrible but if you are helping them eat their food probably doesn't look very appetizing. I would think legally you are entitled to breaks and lunches just like any other job. We aren't getting paid but we are still doing work.

We just got done with Growth & Development and Fundamentals I. That was for the first 8 weeks and now we are headed into Fund.II and Nutrition. We also have Pharm. the whole first semester. So a total of 5 different classes. :)

Do it! I wouldn't give up the feeling of not having to worry about tuition for anything. It's nice to have everything paid for and know that you will have a job when you get done. Honestly,as a new nurse,you are probably going to get the less desirable positions anyway. The only thing that I would do is kind of research the hospital a bit and make sure it's not a bad place to work all together. You don't want to be stuck working at a hospital where you won't learn how to do things correctly and safely.