ForeverLearner2010

Everyone, thank you SO much for the support! I talked to our class president today, and basically told her everything you all have mentioned. She backed down. :)

Hello all! I'll be graduating with my ADN in only 6 weeks!!! Our class president has been very... shall we say... authoritarian in planning our ceremony, and I'm having a little difficulty with one aspect in general. My grandmother graduated from nursing school in 1938, and was only able to practice for a year and a half before she got married and started a family. I'm the only one out of the entire family that chose to pursue nursing as a career. Grandma passed away three years ago, before she could see my acceptance into the program. I received her nursing graduation pin as an heirloom, and want to use it as my own pin during the pinning ceremony. I'm honestly not too pleased with my nursing school, and have no real desire to purchase the (VERY) overpriced pins they offered. However, I'm getting a lot of negativity from our class leader and a few others. Has anyone else ever been pinned using a family member's graduation pin? :) Thanks in advance for advice!

We're heading into our final semester, and the loudmouth student in the back STILL thinks you can swallow your tongue during a seizure!!! UGH! PLEASE don't ever be my nurse! >.

I work as a CNA in a Geriatric Psych ward, and one night, my male nurse and I were trying to help a rather difficult patient to the bedside commode. Our patient was known to be combative at times, so we were on our guards. As we sat her down, she looked up scathingly at me and said, "you're the devil, girl!" Then, she looked equally scathingly towards my nurse and stated, "You're the devil, too! But you do have nice hair." We laughed for hours!!!

What kind of pain meds is this guy on? If they are narcotic pain meds, you could do "risk for constipation," or even "Risk for Falls." Also, is he eating/peeing/pooping? Any problems with "Risk for Impaired body image?" or "Spiritual distress?" Even though he's on pain meds, he's still technically at risk for acute pain, too. Don't get caught up on just once facet of his care! That's a pretty common danger I found myself doing pretty often when I first started doing these care plans. :) Good luck!!!

I guess I'm a bit late for the original posting, but hope I can offer a bit as well. :) I'm 33 years old, about to start my last semester of nursing school (ADN), and also work full time. No kids, thankfully, but my husband is a full time student as well, with only a part time job to help float the bills. It works for us, though. I'm making A's and B's in Nursing school, so I'm not just squeaking by, either. My advice is this: Yes, you can work full time though nursing school, and succeed. Yes, it is a bit more challenging than not working at all, BUT, as I learned during my first college experience, sometimes working is what forces you to make time for study. Its all about time management. I'm lucky enough to work full time as a CNA in a Geriatric Psych unit, and all the nurses I work with are wonderful people who constantly call me over to "listen to this," "what do you think about this," or, "see this -insert skin impairment thingy here-?" Working in the right place can bring your schooling together into the real world. I listen in on reports, my nurses quiz me on my psych and other drugs, and they help me think beyond the text book. Its amazing how different real nursing is from school! Seriously, good luck to you. Nursing school isn't easy, but it is a wonderful experience.

To our "class president" who is supposed to represent our semester... I can't believe you had the nerve to ask our professor why we were learning the pathophysiology of lower respiratory problems. I can't believe you had the nerve to tell her that she had "previously told us" that we wouldn't have any A&P on our tests, since we had obviously already learned it, and since it wouldn't be on the test, shouldn't be reviewed in class. I'm terribly sorry your diet is making you grumpy, but if you're going to act like that with our very hard working instructors, eat a #*&@^$ granola bar, or something before opening your mouth!

I was lucky enough to participate in a code in the ER, where the person was revived, albeit placed on a vent and sent to ICU. The code itself was exhilarating, but it was an older lady. Not sure how I would feel about a kiddo. Before I was a student nurse, I was a 911 Police, Fire, EMS dispatcher for several years. Whenever we had a tramatic call, and there were plenty, we had the opportunity to participate in a CISD, or Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. The same thing applies to nursing. Its not shameful in any way to be bothered by a code. If you find yourself distracted, bothered, or even upset over a traumatic event like that, please go talk to a supervisor or a nursing instructer. Those kinds of calls or codes can be extremely stressful, and have a way of affecting a person days, weeks, even months afterwards. Don't be afraid or ashamed to seek that debriefing.

oh, gawd, I remember my first experience... 300 lb quadripeligic who could barely move himself. Couldn't get the scent out of my nostrils for hours. Even with some Vicks vapor rub over my lip! YEECH!!!!

-When you realize you can't watch most of the medical drama shows on tv without exclaiming at least once, "That's not the way you're supposed to do that!" And then explaining in depth to whoever is around exactly WHY what they did was wrong! -When you realize that white tennis shoes pretty much can go with your entire wardrobe, even when you aren't at school or in a clinical!

i am absolutely grinning like an idiot right now! these posts are hilarious!!! here's mine! i was doing a round of clinicals at our local ltc, and got to interview a wonderful lady who was 103 years old, and completely with it. when my instructer asked our lady what her secret for long life was, she replied with a twinkle in her eye, "only have one man!"

My ADN program has Pharm in the last three semesters. I'm currently in the second semester, first pharm class, and it is flat out evil. The information is so vital to both the NCLEX and to patient safety, and there is SO much of it to learn! I'm making 100s on my classwork, but 60s/70s on my quizzes. Thankfully, I'm in a small department, and our professors are very kind, and more than willing to help a student who wants to learn. We don't "weed out" per se, but this program definately isn't for everyone. At this point, I'm about ready to set up a tent outside my Pharm professor's office door!

Dear ill classmate, Its terribly distracting hearing you cough horribly every 5 seconds. I'm sorry you're feeling badly. GO HOME. -Me.

Soooooo??? How's it go, kgheen09???

You're welcome. :) And like I said, just relax! And eat a good breakfast the day of the test. Its a LOOOONG day. I forgot to give you this hint, too... Take the list from the link I gave you, and go line by line, copy/pasting each item into the youtube search engine. Add the school house rock to the search, and voila! I actually did that with the math portion of the test, too. Google-ed some GREAT 4th and 5th grade math sites that really helped me remember those basics. (Wish they had those sites when I was a kid! lol!) Good luck!!

To my fellow classmate in the back row: PLEASE turn your stupid cell phones OFF during class, or at least silence them if they start vibrating! The vibration in your backpack has got to be the most annoying sound EVER! To my Nursing class president: I really don't appreciate when you hold class up for 20 minutes (four days in a ROW) just to try and decide what our class t-shirt should be. I worked all night, got off after a 12 hour shift RIGHT before class, and am really looking forward to going to bed before my next shift... that night. To my nursing instructors, my clinical advisers, and to every nurse I work with that pulls me aside to "see/hear/touch something 'cool," thank you for your support. I want to be that kind of nurse when I earn my RN, ladies and gents. Thank you for being mentors, and thank you for being patient with me when I ask a million questions during clinicals and at work. I love you guys.

Don't worry, hon, you aren't screwed. :) The HESI uses basic grammar rules. I didn't even buy a guide, and still ended up with a 93 for that section! My secret? Use Youtube to find old SchoolHouse Rock videos! School House Rock was a childrens short learning program during saturday morning cartoons years ago. (Conjunction junction! What's your function!) Those cute, easy little songs REALLY help you remember grade school grammar. And that's really all the HESI tests on you. You'll be FINE! Just relax, and focus. Review those grammar songs, and you'll dominate that test! Good luck!!! This website has a pretty good list of stuff that will be covered on the test. Don't buy the guide, just go by the list near the bottom of the page. HESI A2 Test Study Guide Reviews HESI A2 Exam Practice Tips