mickey_RN

All of my teachers and clinical instructors have been amazing! I feel like Ive taken something away from each class or clinical....:redbeathe

I am going into my 4th semester of nursing school (ADN), and it is very hard to work and go to school. What I have done is to get a Part-time job in a nursing home (I work every Friday and every other Saturday and Sunday) I take out extra student loans to make up the difference. My BF works, and I am lucky because he pays most of the big bills (rent, and groceries.) but every month I make $400 less than what we need to make up the difference. When I decided to go to nursing school, I prepared beforehand, we have no car payments, we do not take vacations, my kids get things for their birthdays and christmas, and thats pretty much it. We live cheap, we go without new things, we drive older cars, and I work pretty much full time between semesters. Its not an easy way to live, and I am frequently jealous of my classmates that do not work, drive new cars, go on vacation, and have endless time to study. But that really only gets you so far and how I handle it is up to me...:) You are capable of much more than you think you are! Oh, and the song "Better Life" by Keith Urban has become my theme song! lol "Oh now there's a place for you and me Where we can dream as big as the sky I know it's hard to see it now But baby someday we're gonna fly This road we're on, you know it might be long But my faith is strong It's all that really matters"

I have many of the same problems as the OP, you just described my night!!! lol Had a bad night at work and found this thread, just feeling a little discouraged, and this does help....:) I am going to try some of these suggestions. I have also found that if you get to know your resident, you can make the experience enjoyable for them. A massaging shower head on an aching back helps, as well as a good scrubbing on an itchy one. Just small things that actually make the shower a good thing. Of course, sometimes they will be mad no matter what, so make it quick!!

I have a friend who decided that she wanted to be a nurse because she wanted to make good money. Wanted to be an LPN because she didnt want to be a "real" nurse. Wanted out of her factory job because she didnt like to work the occasional weekend. All of this she shared with her college recruiter, and did he set her straight on any points? NOPE!!!! He didnt tell her that nursing school is hard work, or that so many nurses leave the profeswsion because at the very least, you have to be good under pressure, be able to make decisions and be responsible for your actions no matter what!!! Its not just a job where you can scrape by with the minimum amount of effort. He didnt tell her that MOST nurses are required to work some weekends and holidays, or that LPNs ARE real nurses and they have the same capacity to help and harm their patients as RNs do. A lot of the misconceptions about this profession need to be addressed by the colleges, but they arent because the more nursing students a college has, the more $$$$$$ they make!!!! There is no nursing shortage where I live, but these places still throw these statistics at new applicants, encouraging them to go to nursing school. I dont think that it has to be in your soul, but your expectations need to be realistic, this is hard schooling and a hard job, and so many dont see this!!!

thank you so much, that makes me feel a lot better about what to expect. :) Let me just say too, I have even more respect for the CNAs that do this everyday, quickly, efficiently, yet still with compassion.

Hello, this is my first thread on allnurses, and I just wanted some feedback. I just finished my clinicals for CNA certification. I am a nursing stufdent, and I want to get my hands dirty, so to speak, before I do my nursing clinicals. My clinical for CNA went well, I enjoyed the residents, and (most) :) of the work. I keep questioning myself though, I thought I did well, but I am slow at some of the tasks, not very organized and hesitant at times about what to do next. I also wanted to know how much training you got before you were on your own? In my past jobs, after some time, I am very efficient, and can really get things done. Maybe it is the human care aspect that is making me nervous.. I really think that I could like the job and I feel that I need experience before I start my nursing clinicals. Just thought maybe if anybody on here felt the same way, you could give me some pointers?

Same here! "Old People" scared the crap out of me, but I actually am looking forward to working in a nursing home. Not because of the work, but because of the residents...

Maybe the charge nurse felt that you thought she couldnt handle the situation? I also have a tendency to be very sensitive about handling my own problems, even when I am drowning and I need a flotation device...

You have a point...what I should have said was that in the publics eye, it can seem worse because she is a nurse I just wish that she hadnt been a nurse I guess... Or that when she adopted a child, she would have been smart enough to realize that it wouldnt be all sunshine and roses...

This woman makes nurses, adoptive parents and Americans look bad...There are many adoptive families who have invested themselves emotionally and financially to adopt Russian children that cant do it now.. From what I understand, it was the grandmother who put the boty on the plane at the request of the mother, theres one family member there that could have helped her, did she?

Sounds like its just a job to you...But I have a grandmother who was a nurse for 35 years and an aunt who is a DON of a cardiac transplant unit both tell me you shouldnt be a nurse if it is just a job to you

Here in Ohio, Brown Mackie only offers LPN certificates and NOTHING transfers, There are websites that you can go to to see if your credits will transfer...cant remeber the name of any right now but if you do a google search on college credit transfers, you might find something. A lot of people around here have gotten LPN degrees from B.M. and are now finding that to get an RN they have to start all over ...Could happen with RN to BSN also...Good Luck

Let me tell you...Dont have experience in the nursing feild yet, from factory experience, I would take a man to work with over a woman any day of the week! Men are either open about what their reactions and/or thoughts are and most of the time they are not sneaky and conniving to a woamn they dont want to sleep with. Working with women is the thing that makes me the most nervous about the nursing field. PS i still think that Women are the most amazing creatures on earth. :)

I dont have a comment for the OP because Im still a student. I must admit these kind of stories send a shiver down my spine, but this site is wonderful, all of you guys provide a sounding board, and advice, and I am sure I will need some in the future, Thank you for helping all nurses, new and veteran. :)

My scores were taken from all applicants to all ADN programs and there were over 22,000 of them! Didnt really do that well on science but let me tell you, that is the hardest test I have taken to date! Better start preparing now for the HESI and NCLEX_RN test! lol But like I said, there were many smart people who didnt do it because my school requires you be ABOVE the 50% to be accepted. Still have a long wait for clinicals, but thats one thing I dont have to worry about anymore.

Just wanted to give all you ladys an update...took the NLNPAX-RN today and...I PASSED!?!? Got a 96% composite but I feel bad because a lot of very smart, dedicated students didnt pass today. Thank for all the advice and support, this site is so helpful, and you guys are great too.!!!

pandorasbox, Congratulations on your acceptance! Can I ask though what your scores on the NLN PAX were? Just wanted to know what your % was by category so I have some kind of idea. My practice scores have been mid 80s for the most part with a little higher for the science and verbal. Any info would be sooo appreciated. Thank you and good luck everybody else!

Prior to the NLN PAX_RN we had no ebtrance testing...I understand the reasoning but they sprung it all on us pretty fast. I will let you know how we all do. Thanx so much for the info, its not gonna affect my studying but it does help my anxiety level....lol

There are many nursing homes that will let you work p/t like one or two days per week. I think it would probably be beneficial because that way you can get comfortable with personal care issues before you start your clinicals. Plus, many programs require CNA cert before you start your clinicals anyway.I just quit a good job to do CNA classes and to work as an aide before I start my clinicals, to get accustoimed to the work and to make sure that this is what i want to do... Good Luck

Hi all you guys...was just readind your thread here and let me tell you I am in the same boat! They just sprung the NLN test on us in February, the first class of nurses that will have to take it at our CC. When you guys get more info would love to hear everything about it! lol Mine and some friends' test date is April 2 and let me tell you we are freaking out! Ours school says that we have to score in the top 50th % and they dont even have any numbers for what you will need to pass, they dont seem to know anything! sooo... let us know guys thanx so much

I also come from the northwest ohio area (Archbold) and I know the school that you are talking about, Northwest State Community College. It is along wait...2 year clinical wait for RN a little shorter for LPN but they are instituting new testing that you have to pass(NLN PAX). Both programs are very hard. Northwest has a very high NCLEX pass rate, because they put their students through the ringer before they graduate. If you are not interested in nursing because of the work, it will be very hard to complete your classes and be prepared, you will compete for clinical seats with people who have wanted to do this all their lives, myself included. Make sure that this is what you want, because it will consume your life for the next few years. Good Luck

In my experience,(I am a white female) certain people will always find a way to exclude SOMEONE, for whatever reason they can find (the reason for exclusion was poverty for me). I am from a neighborhood predominantly Mexican American, so I can talk to just about anybody. But there are some who have never really been around people of other races and dont know how to deal with these situations. TheCommuter is ABSOLUTELY right, even when you have your degree with a high GPA, they will find a way to treat you like crap. YOu know who YOU are thats all that matters. These kind of people are idiots and they really dont matter in the scheme of things. Good Luck.

:eek::eek::crying2: just imagine! OMG!

As a nursing student and parent of 8 years, thank you to the paramedics that came to my house when my daughter aspirated on her vomit at 1 week. You knew I was scared out of my mind even though I was using a bulb syringe to suck phlegm out of her mouth. You took over, but you still let me ride with you to the hospital, and I saw your professionalism, dedication and kindness. You are one of the reasons that I know no matter what the downside of nursing is, this is what I was meant to do. You save lives, and in my case, when I saw how competent you were, you saved a peice of my sanity. Thank You

chillchick, Even if you dont contact her, its obcvious that you showed her kindness and understandind while you cared for her, nurses like you are a credit to your profession. Good Luck.