Jennybrie

In the dream all the rooms had toilets instead of patients...

I wish I knew in the beginning that studying the night before doesn't mean it'll be retained for the exams. That most study groups ended up being social gatherings and unproductive. That lateral violence starts in nursing school and should not be tolerated by anyone at anytime. Scores on a test or in a course are no reflection of how you will perform as a nurse. Friends chosen wisely can be your best asset....no one else besides your classmates knows what you are going through and you need that person sometimes to calm, support, and encourage you. If you have the time...volunteer as much as possible as soon as possible.

I was just thinking this very same thought the other day. Friends that I could talk to about anything two years ago are suddenly speaking another language....or is it me. I've gotten some negative comments but its "crabs in a barrel" more than directed to the nursing field itself. Maybe the comments are made out of jealousy more than actual disrespect of nurses. Sorry to hear that you have to put up with these comments. I think most people are misinformed when they watch Greys Anatomy, scrubs, House, etc.

At first it was some wine and TV on the weekends...as the intensity grew so did my need for escape. I worked out more (every day after class); baked cookies, cakes, etc.; played computer and video games, read fiction novels, took a bubble bath, complain to anyone and everyone that would listen. You'll find your own de-stressors and learn about some good ones while in the program. My best advice to anyone is to spend one day a week for yourself and not even think, look at, study anything related to school. Good luck!!!

When I hear people say things like this it makes me wonder what else is going on. Nursing school is not the reason to break off a relationship and sometimes the struggle through the program can make bonds stronger. I know a few people in my class that became separated or divorced but I also know several that got engaged. It really will depend on how strong your bond is prior to start of school. If it's a weak bond then the stresses of school might just break it. Good luck!!

I used a storage clipboard all through clinical and preceptorship and I really liked having everything in one place when I needed it. Always have extra sheets on hand just in case (water/coffee spill, etc.). Carry a "brain" of some sort...most nurses use shift sheets but until I developed my own style I used a little notebook to right everything in so I didn't have to take my clipboard into rooms. Always have a handful of pens (they tend to grow legs and walk away). This thread is also very helpful to new students https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/top-10-nursing-825460.html Good luck!!

Take a look at the statistics of your school, retention rate, placement rates, NCLEX passing, etc. If they can't provide you with this information then administration doesn't care about the results of its school. I'm sure you're just an exceptionally good student and are worrying over nothing .

Maybe I'm the naive one but I went into nursing knowing that I'll be dealing with bodily fluids on a regular basis. Human beings eat, sleep and :poop:. Our first rotation was in a LTC facility and I am so thankful that I learned the fundamentals of skin care, feeding, positioning etc. to the point that it becomes second nature. I agree with previous posts that the bronchial secretions are the worst and just hearing someone snort up a loogie gives me chills . I think too many people go into nursing thinking it's like scrubs or greys anatomy.

Well it all started when I visited this Shaman.....good news is that my migraine is gone.

ADN 30 3.27

This is going to sound so cliche but honestly it's true that the more you experience, the less squeamish you'll get. I used to work at a pool so I knew that poop and vomit doesn't bother me (unless it got on me but that's a different story). First time I saw a wound vac change I about fainted and had to step out of the room. You know when you've seen something you're not ready for when you get really hot, sweaty and light headed...in this event GO SIT DOWN!!! I waited till I started to get tunnel vision before I left the room and almost didn't make it to a chair. This was freshman year clinical and I have seen a lot since. Being hands on makes it easier because you have to focus on what you are doing. Try to gain the most experience as possible. Even if you're intimidated, still volunteer to observe/do hands on skills for anything that your nurse suggests. You are there to learn so take advantage of it and good luck!!

I expected nursing school to be hard because that is what everyone told me. Hard is such a vague word that doesn't describe any elements of nursing school. It is not like any other program that is out there and that is what surprised me the most. Everything I learned about learning in college was thrown out the window in the first month. There is a lot of information given to you all the time and the trick of keeping up with the material, staying organized and not panicking takes some skill and some time to master. At first study groups were informative but in the end they turned out to be a social hour and I ended up having better results on my own. You will fail!!! You got to this point because you are not a student that fails at anything but in nursing school you will fail at least one quiz or test but learn from it and move on. Do not let the test grade (or course grade) define the nurse you are going to be. Patients don't care if their nurse had straight As through school or not...they passed the NCLEX and a lot of the times the nurses who don't make straight As are better because they can incorporate real world (aka common sense) into their care. Remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Try not to get caught up in drama (it can be worse than high school) and stay professional. Most importantly....life throws curve balls. When your ship starts to sink don't hesitate to ask for help from classmates, instructors, administration, etc. Good luck!!!

My first degree is in biology. The only help towards nursing it gave me was a couple of basic pre-reqs that all Bachelor degrees require....I wouldn't waste the time or the money to attach it as a minor. It might be helpful to take an extra communications or english course to help with writing in APA format.

When I was doing research on the local schools as far as retention ratings, NCLEX passing and placement scores I found only one BSN program that was similar in statistics to the ADN program that I am currently enrolled in. In the end all that matters is that licensure and job placement after graduation. I think sometimes the non-accelerated BSN programs are at a disadvatange when preparing for NCLEX because the amount of time between learning the material and taking the test (eg. fundamentals freshman year and NCLEX 3.5 years later). I don't really hear good/bad things between ADN and BSN just differences between the nursing programs so this is an interesting insight into a controversy that I didn't even know existed. Thanks for the rant and good luck!!

Will another math course be offered in the program? I knew someone in my program that tested out of the math course but she took it anyway to be better familiar with med math formulas. If an actual course is offered within the nursing program I'd say to test now and focus on the material then but if not it would benefit you to take the course so that you have a strong math foundation for clinical and NCLEX. Good Luck!!