ErinRN2B

ErinRN2B's Latest Activity

1. 

   Out of shape, how can I prep for clinicals??

   ErinRN2B replied to theantichick's topic in General Students

   Invest in a pair of well-made, comfortable shoes designed for nurses. They will save your feet. I'm not terribly out of shape physically, but I do have occasional back pain that's exacerbated by spending a lot of time on my feet. I take ibuprofen before my back starts hurting in the morning when I get to clinical, and usually that takes care of any pain. I'd LOVE to join a gym or something to get more in shape - I'm not overweight, but I'd love to be more toned and physically fit. But of course with nursing school, who has the time.
2. 

   Smokers in Nursing School--How Are You Treated?

   ErinRN2B replied to SarahMaria's topic in General Students

   I smoke socially and I would never smoke in my clinical uniform or around my nursing classmates - I'd rather not make an issue out of it. I don't have a problem going 8+ hours without a cigarette and even if I did, we're not allowed to smoke in our clinical uniforms. Having been a patient and an SN at several local healthcare facilities I am continuously surprised at how UNhealthy the food served in hospital cafeterias is. That's what I'd really like to see changed!
3. 

   Ivy Tech Nursing program scores for LPN/RN? Please Respond.

   ErinRN2B replied to Carla0912's topic in General Students

   I got into the RN program at the Lafayette campus with all As and an 85 on the TEAS. I think that gave me a 208 overall, because I had the region points. I know that this year the changed the points system somewhat, so I don't know what you would have. However I would say that it would definitely benefit you to retake a couple of your courses and try for As - Indianapolis is even more competitive than Lafayette.
4. 

   Anatomy & Physiology - Indianapolis, IN - urgent need help!

   ErinRN2B replied to missybell's topic in Pre-Nursing

   I'm in Ivy Tech's RN program. I took all of my pre-reqs there, so I'm not sure how transferring credits for A&P would work, exactly - if I were you I would talk with an academic adviser and then maybe look into IUPUI, since you're in the Indianapolis area.
5. 

   How hard is chemistry as compared to anatomy class?

   ErinRN2B replied to northmississippi's topic in Pre-Nursing

   I thought Chem was harder than A&P and Micro... I got an A in it, but just barely. My instructor wasn't very good, and I think if I'd had a good instructor it would have made a huge difference. It's a lot more math than either A&P or Micro, and I personally thought it had more memorization.
6. 

   ATI Pharmacology exam advice?

   ErinRN2B replied to melissa0's topic in General Students

   If you have the codes, definitely take the time to take the ATI practice pharmacology test on their website a couple of times. Depending on how you do, the review sheet will tell you which subjects and drug classes you did poorly on and then you can go back in the book and review those sections or drugs specifically. That's the only thing I did to review for my ATI pharm exam this semester, and I got a level 3. :)
7. 

   % of people failing your program?

   ErinRN2B replied to woahmelly's topic in General Students

   ^ Me too. Supposedly this semester a lot of second-semester students failed OB/Peds. I was really looking forward to that class, so I hope the instructor isn't as hard as people are saying...
8. 

   % of people failing your program?

   ErinRN2B replied to woahmelly's topic in General Students

   I just completed my first semester, and we didn't lose too many people. A couple of people left due to personal issues. Pharmacology was the big class that supposedly weeded people out this semester, and I know that a few people (less than 5, probably, in a class of over 30) didn't pass. Overall though, we've lost way less students than I lot of other programs I've heard about. We're though.
9. 

   What to expect for Med-Surg?

   ErinRN2B replied to nalaa83's topic in General Students

   I'm in a two-year ASN program, and just completed my first semester of Med/Surg. I thought it was very difficult - I got a B in it, and I'm usually an 'A student.' It wasn't as bad as some people say it is, though. We mostly learned about diseases (not treatments) of the different body systems. Some were pretty easy, I thought (digestive, respiratory) and others were REALLY tricky (acid/base imbalances). I have Med/Surg II next semester, which focuses more on treatments for different disorders. It's supposed to be much harder, so I hope I don't struggle too much. One thing that I thought was really helpful for studying for exams this semester was making charts for every body system that we studied. For each disorder I would list the patho, signs and symptoms, etiology, diagnostic tests, and any other notes I could think of.
10. 

    Forgetting CNA Skills... =(

    ErinRN2B replied to 2011NursingStudent's topic in Pre-Nursing

    Depending on what your nursing program is like, you may learn a lot of those CNA skills over again. I know in my program we had to take an 8-week "Fundamentals" lecture and lab where we learned how to make beds, give bed baths, and other skills that CNAs usually do. We had to pass the class before we could proceed to clinical. You could actually skip the lab if you were a CNA and provided proof, but our instructor encouraged CNAs to take the course if they had the means so that any bad habits could be corrected. Now both of the CNAs I know who opted out of the course say that they wished they would have taken it.
11. 

    Drug Testing for NS

    ErinRN2B replied to PhiladelphiaLove's topic in General Students

    I did. I think almost every school does drug testing. It's not for the school, per se, it's for the clinical institutions where you'll be working. Ours was just a urine test and we got the results in about 48 hours. We also had to have a background check. We did have to pay out of pocket for both, and all together it was about $80. If you're on a prescription drug (several classmates I know are for pain/anxiety/whatever) just tell the drug testing facility and they will call the pharmacy to verify your prescription. I don't believe that they can discriminate against you in any way if you have a legal prescription. As long as you aren't impaired when you're on the floor, you should be okay.
12. 

    I did it! I survived my first semester of NS!

    ErinRN2B posted a topic in General Students

    I passed all my finals - I officially did it! My grades weren't as great as I'd hoped they'd be - it was a pretty 50/50 mix of As and Bs. But I did get an A in Pharmacology, which was definitely our hardest class! I did well on all my finals and feel really good about my success overall this semester. Anyone else want to share their joy/relief after the first semester? :heartbeat
13. 

    Giving Thank you gifts

    ErinRN2B replied to Hopeful3's topic in General Students

    Our class made a really great gift for our instructor this semester. We got a big, fancy-looking shadow box on sale at a craft store and decorated the inside of it with a picture of all of is and some other little mementos. It looked really professional and well-made when we were done, but it hardly cost anything. We all signed the back in metallic marker, too. She loved it!
14. 

    Note-taking tips

    ErinRN2B replied to ErinRN2B's topic in General Students

    I like to keep my phone tucked away, otherwise I'm too tempted to reply if I get a text message. I got a digital recorder at my college's bookstore. I don't remember what kind it is off the top of my head, but it's very small and compact and I believe was about $50. I'm starting my Pharm class on Monday, too - I'm planning on making note cards for that class to try to memorize everything. From what I've heard from other RN students at my campus, Pharm is the hardest class for most people.
15. 

    Note-taking tips

    ErinRN2B replied to ErinRN2B's topic in General Students

    Thanks! I've never used a recorder before but I'm going to try to get in the habit of using it this semester. It's supposed to allow me to transfer the files onto my computer, which means hopefully I can sync them onto my iPhone and then listen to lectures while I work out, clean, etc.
16. 

    Ivy Tech 'Fall 2010' Applicants

    ErinRN2B replied to Emmi7's topic in Indiana

    I found a nice watch on this website: Nursemates.com - The Official Nurse Mates Shoes Website I think it was only $20 or $30. I'm bringing my Fundamentals book, and lots of paper to take notes on Monday. I haven't received any instructions to bring specific items, so I'm assuming we'll find out that day in class when we receive our syllabus and other paperwork.