Jivane

I feel your pain! I have patellar subluxation--basically, my knee caps are constantly dislocating. In my case, surgery was recommended, but not required. Due to sports and school, I declined. I can usually work mine back in to place--practice makes perfect! In regards to passing CPR and a physical.. I think it will depend on your personal situation. If surgery is needed, you might have several weeks recovery time. If you can work this out with your nursing advisor--great! Sometimes clinical doesn't start for a month of so in to the school year. But they may not work with you, in which case you would need to post pone. If surgery is not required, a physical and CPR classes are definitely doable. I just wear a very supportive knee brace--it gives my knees the support they need, and no one asks questions. Basically, communication with your nursing advisor and physician are key! Best of luck to you!

I'm currently in nursing, and have had anxiety all my life. Unfortunately, my nursing program 'strongly discourages' (AKA: Doesn't allow) any kind of prescription medication that 'alters the state of mind,' during school/clinical, so any anxiety medications were out for me. However, I found healthy ways to deal with my anxiety--LOTS of time on a treadmill, yoga, and healthy relationships. It seems like your anxiety is much more deeply rooted. I would strongly recommend seeing a therapist. If you make it very clear that you are not interested in medications, they should be able to set you up a 'coping plan,' to help you work through your anxiety. You need to have a healthy way of dealing with your own emotions and actions, before trusting yourself with other peoples' lives. If you cannot work through these issues, then I would recommend going in to an alternative field. Teaching, Social Work, and Therapy can both be fulfilling positions of 'helping people,' without having to be involved in some of your anxiety triggers.

I used Hole's Human Anatomy and Physiology. It's our textbook and workbook, but I found it to be amazing! The text and workbook coordinate well, and give a lot of practice. You can find these online for not horrible expensive.

Your college should have a list of requirements for admission, as well as 'general studies' classes to take. Although my school does not usually accept high school graduates directly in to the nursing program, it is recommended that students enroll in the college to take their prereqs first. Ours include College Algebra, Psychology, Sociology, Composition I & II, Anatomy and Physiology, Human Lifespan Development, and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head. Chemistry and Biology are also recommended. Again, your school should have a list somewhere on either their website, or in the guidance office.

Maybe I'm a little naive, but I'm completely shocked they would allow a (non-service) animal in the facility! Personally, I am highly allergic to cats--Asthma, Hives, etc etc. Even if a cat is in the same house as me, I have a horrible allergic reaction. I had to be around them for a few years (insensitive roommates) and used allergy shots and Zyrtec to cope. It certainly helped with some symptoms, but it was still an uncomfortable environment. With concerns of talking to the manager.. I would definitely bring up key points (possible allergic reactions by both staff and residents, Who's job it is to take care of pets, costs, etc.) Maybe not to make it overly personal, but address the concerns. Some people simply don't think things through. Good Luck!!

I would definitely brush up on basic math, and review the metric system!! Surprisingly, this is what most people in my program are struggling with. We had several people already fail the first exam

Regardless, if you post, you should be open to all constructive criticism. You couldn't have possibly expected everyone in the world to agree with you, and pat your hand.. Sometimes tough love really is best. People need to hear other opinions frequently, in order to get a broader perspective, and therefore grow. I hope you learn this in time, if you plan on being a successful nurse.

I strongly agree with THIS PART of what they said. The job market is not simple, or 'easy going.' Everyone makes mistakes, but in this job field, it is important to own up to those mistakes, and take what comes with them. If you quit, or go as far to change your number, just because administration wants to discuss this with you.. Well, I'm sorry, but that seems to be a strong mark of immaturity.

I have always bought my textbooks online, and never had an issue. Just make sure you have the correct ISBN, Title, AND edition. Make sure you check all three. Otherwise, no issues, just money saved! I think they just reccomend you buy them from the bookstore on campus to 1) Insure there's no mix-ups and 2) Make LOTS of money.

This is not the case with my school. I am currently re-taking a pre-req, simply because I wanted an A. No one has ever said anything about it at our school :)

Well, there is one thing to address here.. Do you want to be a nurse? If the answer is yes, then you need to keep trying, and keep looking. There are other Nursing schools out there. I had a 'rough' undergraduate semester (I was in and out of the hospital, resulting in a very low semester,) meaning that my GPA suffered down to a 2.7. Our schools has a minimum GPA of 2.5; I was accepted the first time I applied, despite not being an LPN/CNA. This was actually the case for a LOT of people in my program. Surprisingly, they take a lot of people on first-come first-serve basis. Also, you could apply for an LPN program, or even a CNA. Try working at an assisted living facility, or LTC. Even volunteering at a hospital on weekends is a wonderful foot in the door. If Nursing is not something you are die-hard about, I would not pursue it any further. I have changed my major, oh, three times I'd say. Nursing pre-reqs can be used as "Elective" credits for a lot of majors. I would recommend trying to take a semester to simply try a VARIETY of classes--just see where your interest is pulled. Even an aptitude test might help--you might be surprised by the results.

WHOA!! I have never heard of that before.. I just don't see how that's legal, with the whole "Duty to Act" thing.. I work in an ALF, and we have to be current on ALL med certifications, CPR/AED, etc., or we are automatically suspended.

I haven't done their program online, but I did do a large portion of my undergrad online. I have to say... I am a very good student, but the online classes I found MUCH harder than in person. Especially with things such as math and sciences. I did a lot more work, and got very little out of it. However, this may just be the way I learn; I find it easier to learn Nursing hands-on. I don't have any suggestions as to whether this is a good program, but I would encourage you to look into your career. I have to work full-time to support myself also, so finding time for school was difficult. What I did was take on a night-time shift at an assisted-living facility. This gives me full-time hours/benefits, but also gave me my days/weekends for school work. Very tiring, but it worked for me.

Maybe Teaching?

I wouldn't start worrying yet. There are a lot of people who do not think they will do well until they apply themselves! However, it is very important to 'make the grades,' AND understand what it is you're learning. After all, Nursing has a lot of math and science involved in all practicality. I do some tutoring for the classes (Math and A&P) and would highly recommend finding a tutor. A lot of schools have upperclassmen that do tutoring for free, or a very small fee. If Nursing is something you truly care about, you'll find a way to make it work.