SNjamie

we were taught to wear it up, but some students don't and i've never seen them be told to put it up. personally, i do for comfort when working and hygenic reasons, wouldn't want a stray hair to fall in an open wound while doing dressing changes or something. just seems like the professional thing to do with long hair.

one of my instructors is an RNAO chapter member and suggests that the students join. I did receive a best practice guidelines cd with my membership, which I have used for numerous assignments. They also have local chapter dinners in my area which are really great for networking, and last year a military nurse who served in Afganistan did a presentation, and in May a nurse who went to Haiti is doing a slide show for us. I still don't know exactly what RNAO does, I know they are very politically involved. So far my $20 membership is still good :)

low ponytail with one of those thin elastic sports headbands $5 for a pack at walmart. quick, easy, and out of your face.

thanks for all of your input. i meant i would stop to see if what i saw was actually an accident (it was nighttime!) and call 911 and reassure people that help was on the way (i wouldn't feel competent doing much else yet!). thank you for opening my eyes about the potential dangers. so would you recommend nurses getting car emergency first aid kits or just leave it to the EMTs? the good news is the accident was in a field almost directly across from a fire hall! and i have yet to hear anything about anyone getting injured.

Thanks so much. I needed to tell someone, but not anyone in my nursing class! Love this site! but hate all the what ifs in nursing! next time I'm stopping!

I JUST drove my boyfriend to work and on the way there I swore I saw a car upside down in the ditch (it's nighttime). I even said to him "did you see that?" to which he said "what? I had my eyes closed" and I said "I swear I saw a car in the ditch" and he didn't really say anything. For whatever reason, I just kept on driving him to work. Of course, on the way back home, tons of flashing lights and fire trucks everywhere. I'm a nursing student and I feel terrible and started bawling after I saw the lights. WHY DID I KEEP GOING?! and what makes it worse is not only am I ashamed of myself, I can't help but blame him too....

i would say don't bite off more than you can chew because it's your liscense on the line, but i'm still a student.

ugh chemistry. I did mine in highschool, got a 52, then went to summer school to re-do it and got a 72. (i needed a minimum 70% for my program) i remember a guidance counselor told me that I shouldn't be a nurse if I can't do chemistry, which makes me mad to this day because I've barely used anything I learned in that class except basic things like the periodic table (potassium is K!) I don't even understand why we need chem, it's not like we're making the drugs, we just need to know the action and doses etc. as long as you've met the requirements, don't do it a third time! good luck!

breaking into your first medical job is tough... i'm a second year rn student and last summer the most I got was an interview as a nurse's aid in a nursing home. i got a temp job as an H1N1 screener at the hospital, best job i've ever had (i'm stuck working in a kitchen until I can get a real job!) i sat at a desk behind a shield and told people that entered the ER to wash their hands and wear a mask if they had a fever/cough. i basically got paid to study, and it's a start for my resume. check out the temp agencies! good luck

i'm stuck with moving on to 3rd year having to move 3 hours away to a school I don't want to go to, or move 1 hour away to a school i do want to go to, but be in second year. hm.

good points. yes, my parents have been helping me financially, and I have another family member that gives me money for school each year, but I've been doing as much as I can to help. I worked and saved all through highschool and stayed an extra year of highschool to work and get my prereqs and I paid for my first year tuition/books alone. I chose to attend a local school for the first two years so I could live at home to save money, and I work my butt off all summer in a kitchen. So I'm not a brat, I promise! lol and I really, really plan on finishing. I like school, and I'd want to go full time, even if some classes overlap. I want to learn as much as I can. So if money wasn't an issue, do you think it would be a good idea for the experience? would it look bad to employers that it took me five years to get my RN? or would it be good because I'd have a few more clinical experiences to add to my resume, or would it even matter to an employer because they just want to see that I have my liscense? I just want to be a safe, competent nurse, and I think the extra experience would make my first year out in the real working world a little less stressful, therefore safer for my future patients!

we've given gift certificates. one to the school spa, one for a massage, one for a nice restaurant.

I'm currently looking into switching programs because the last two years of my BScN are at a far away school, so I'd rather finish closer to home. Since all nursing programs are not the same, some of my credits won't match up and I might be put back into second year. The thing is, would it be such a bad thing to go back into second year? I'm young (20), have no children, and am fortunate to not have any student debt/loans (yet). My parents think it's stupid, but I'd feel that much more prepared. They don't seem to get that nursing can be scary and has such a big learning curve. I do well in school, but sometimes it feels so rushed, and good grades don't necessarily make you a good nurse. Personally, I would like the extra time to hone my nursing skills and gain more experience under an instructor's guidance. So what do you think? Good idea or bad? Thanks Jamie

I just started an RRSP last year, I'm 20. I only put the minimum amount in ($50/month in ontario) but its a start!

don't feel bad. last semester I thought my patient was having a stroke infront of me (she got scared and couldn't tell me what was wrong and that she couldn't work her tongue) i grabbed the first nurse I saw, got out of the patient's room and started crying. although i was upset and thought i should have handled the situation better, my clinical teacher praised me for recognising a potential emergency and the nurse helped me document what happened. they thought it might have been a TIA.