tcgirl

It may depend on what part of the state you're moving to. I know that Dyersburg State Community College (in west TN) does not require any experience. A lot of people go the online route, throug Excelsior, and I don't think that they require any work experience either.

It's going to vary depending on your program, but it will most likely be basic math like "Dr. orders 0.5 mg of drug x. You have drug x available in 250 mcg tablets. How much would you give your patient?" I wouldn't think they would get into iv calculations unless you've all been taught how to do that previously. So, work on basic math and conversions within the metric system.

Thank you for your quick reply. I'm going to go with that for now, and double check it with my teacher tomorrow.

I'm having trouble with an assignment for my nutrition class. I'm supposed to list the phosphate content in a renal menu I'm working on, but all I can find is the phosphorus content. I can't even find references to phosphates in my nutrition book, but I do have a big chart on phosphorus. I've tried using google, but the articles I'm finding are way over my head - they look like in-depth chem stuff, which is nowhere near where I am right now. I'm beginning to think that they're sort of interchangeable... Can someone please steer me in the right direction?

My school only allows us to have black steths, so you might want to check with your instructor to make sure they don't care about the color before you buy one...

This is something that you need to fix NOW. Don't expect to be taught that kind of basic math once you're in nursing school - it's hard enough without the added pressure of trying to catch up and learn something you "should" have learned in high school. Nursing math is important, and it will be necessary for you to have a good grasp on basic math for the admissions test into nursing school. I would suggest that you meet with an academic adviser, figure out what your weaknesses are, and discuss what classes you should take to help. It's not hopeless for you, especially since you're still in high school. This is the time to be proactive and take care of the problem. Take some evaluation tests to pinpoint your deficiencies, find a tutor, take a extra class or two... You can do it! Kudos to you for realizing now that you have a problem. Now go out there, be proactive, and do what it takes to make your dreams reality!

I had to have a tetanus booster, as well as most of the others mentioned above.

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my father recently, and I kind of understand what you mean. I am not very far into nursing school, but I have come to realize that it's different when it's not your loved one in that situation. It is easier to remain somewhat detached. There have been moments where the emotion comes flooding back. For me, it was during a lecture/discussion on directives, end-of-life decisions, etc. It felt fresh again, and I found myself analyzing every decision we made and wondering if we could have done anything differently, and breaking down and crying some. I am sure that there will be other times during clinicals when I am affected again, but it's not going to be all the time, or every day. As time passes, it will become easier and easier. Give yourself time to grieve for your grandmother, and don't worry too much about how it will affect you long-term. See a counselor or spiritual adviser if you feel it would help you, talk to your nursing instructor if you need to, and just do what you have to do. You can do this!

Honestly, your best bet is going to be to do some research for yourself. First off, you will need to find Wyoming's Board of Nursing website and see which schools are approved to teach LPNs. Then, you'll want to look into prerequisites, program rates and lengths, pass rates, etc. There are so many different options, you'll get better help if you have a couple of specific schools you're interested in and know what their requirements are. So, start with your state's BON website and go from there.

You're going to find that there's a lot of uncertainty. One teacher wants things done one way, your textbook another, and whoever you get for clinicals will have totally different method. The same holds true for testing. In your example, we were taught that the GI tract is from the mouth to the anus, so I read your question and was wondering where the "all of the above" option was! Basically, all you can do is grin and bear it. Figure out if your teacher tests based on what she lectures on, or by what the book says, and stick with that. Learn the methods of each individual instructor, and try to keep them straight. It's not "fair" and its certainly not easy, but its about the only way to keep your head above water. My nursing instructor tries to keep it to a minimum, thankfully, but even she will admit that sometimes we just have to deal with it because as she says, "Nursing is all about being flexible". Don't be afraid to ask questions, but in the end, smile and hold your head up high. You've come this far - you can do it!

Honestly, that's a huge debt load to take on. No matter who you get it from, it's going to be very hard to pay it back. Is there any way you can go to a school that DOES accept federal funding? If you're single and not working, they would probably pay for nearly everything. Other options to consider are: getting your CNA and working part-time (I know it's not easy, but it can be done), postponing school a year or two while living like a pauper and saving every penny, going to school for a year to get your LPN and then working toward your RN part-time while working a job, or going to school part-time while working. My first choice, personally, would be to find a different school...

I'm not a mom, but there are a couple of things that I did that have helped our household run much more smoothly. 1. I began planning our meals a month in advance, and making a general shopping list for each week/two weeks. It's not as hard to do as it sounds, once you've done it once or twice you'll get the hang of it. I'm pretty flexible with it and don't adhere to it exactly, but it helps so much. I can look at my menu on a regular basis and know what has to be thawed, cooked, thrown in the crockpot, etc. and don't have to worry about what to feed the family if I'm in the middle of a major test, etc. 2. I cooked/prepped a bunch of meals and froze them, and I began making double batches of other meals (casseroles and soups). One we'd eat, and one I'd freeze. These meals are lifesavers during really stressful periods. 3. Buy a crockpot cookbook or two, if you don't have any. My crockpot is my best friend. 4. My husband and I talked, and he took over some of the household chores. No, he doesn't do them the way I would like for him to, and sometimes they don't get done at all, but I simply remind him if he forgets, and then ignore it. I have kept basic sanitation-type things, like cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, but he is now in charge of the floors 3 days a week, loading/unloading the dishwasher, taking out the trash, and helping with laundry. Even having a few fewer responsibilities really helped decrease my stress levels. 5. Accept the fact that your household will not run as smoothly. It. Just. Won't. End of story. It doesn't mean that you're a bad mom, a bad housekeeper, or a failure as a woman/person. It simply means that you're in nursing school. NS is temporary, not permanent. It will end, and things will get back to a semblance of "normal" again. You can do it!

We use Rosdahl's "Textbook of Basic Nursing", also by Lippincott. I actually like it, for the most part. It tends to break things down and uncomplicate them, which is nice for people like me with little to no medical background. On the flip side, Memmler's "Structure and Function of the Human Body" (also published by Lippincott) seemed to overcomplicate the issues at times. There are still sections that I read through and don't understand... Sorry you're not happy with your book. Can you supplement it with something a little deeper?

My combined score was 197 out of 200. 99 in math, 98 in English.

I wouldn't call it extremely easy to get in, nor is it easy once you are in, but it certainly can be done - I started in September. Your number one priority should be scoring as high as possible on the COMPASS exam. It appears that most of the admissions weight is given to your COMPASS score. Having medical background could help, but there are plenty of us in the class with no medical experience at all. For my class, around 150 people applied (I think...), about 50 were interviewed (the top COMPASS scores), and 24 were admitted. So, study hard for the COMPASS!