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I think you will still have a great learning experience. Definitely don't postpone graduation just because you didn't get your preferred placement. But I would definitely inquire as to why you did not get one of your top three choices. Can't hurt to ask.

Kudos for following your dream and pursuing such a noble profession, but... I hate to say it, but I would encourage you to strongly re-evaluate your decision. You will definitely be taking a paycut as a new RN (I'm just ballparking something around 45-50k/year), and without further education you probably won't ever make more than what you make now. I quit my low paying full-time job a year ago to pursue nursing. I'm in my twenties, I love nursing, and when it comes to quality of life and income my family stands to gain from my career switch (assuming I will find work after graduation). What you are doing is definitely risky. I find myself wondering what your current quality of life is and what you expect to gain by going into nursing. Is there another way you could achieve your goals without taking such a big risk? What is your biggest problem with your current job? The hours, the stress, everything? Could you find a way to transition to a different job without going back to school? I'm sure you have already considered other options, but I strongly recommend making sure that you've thought of everything and asking yourself what it is that could lead you to a happy, fulfilled life! If nothing but nursing will help make that happen for you, then by all means, go for it! Good luck!

Just want to share my experience w/ NPs and PAs: when I worked on a hospital unit this summer for an externship, the NPs and PAs were equals--they had the exact same job responsibilities as a mid-level provider. That said, an NP would also be suited for advanced nursing roles in a clinic/primary care or another outpatient specialty, whereas I believe PAs are not always utilized in those settings.

The CDs are a mixed bag: sometimes the CD content is identical to Evolve, sometimes it is not as useful as Evolve, and sometimes it is way better than Evolve. I utilize all the "extras" as much as I can, especially any sort of practice questions, and I've done well in all my classes. So I'd recommend getting the books w/ CDs anyway, just in case it helps. Or you could try and find out what kind of stuff the CD has on it before you decide to get it.

Is there a smaller local airport you can fly in/out of? They typically don't experience as much delays as major hubs simply because the traffic is lighter. Personally I would just get a used car that can take the mileage: namely, a Toyota, Honda, or VW. They can easily get up to 400,000 miles. Plus they typically get great gas mileage. I would just get a simple sedan like a Corolla, Civic or Jetta.

It is possible, but I'm willing to bet that it is possible for few. If you are not at all interested in working as a nurse after your degree, get your bachelors in something else. If you are interested but are also still considering med school as another possibility, then go for it! Also, in order to apply to med school, at least in the US you would have to take additional courses that aren't generally required in nursing school (physics, more chemistry, etc.).

It sounds like you were in general ill prepared for this class, especially if you failed by missing just a few points. Usually when people fail a class it is not due to one assignment or one exam, it is the cumulative effect of poor work throughout the semester.

You just need to be honest with your employer: tell them you are applying for externships, but also tell them you want to keep working there and ask them if there is a possibility they would hire you back after the externship. If they value you as an employee, chances are it won't be a problem. Although I would not worry about this or mention this to your employer until after you have sent in your applications.

I use an expandable file folder. It has way more pockets than classes, so I break it down with a pocket for each class's syllabus, a pocket for lecture notes, and a pocket for homework or handouts for each class, etc. It makes things really easy to find and I never have to search for a three-hole punch. When I used to use binders I would inevitably get lazy and just stuff everything in the two pockets on the side of the binder anyway. This saves room and work.

I drink coffee, but I did that way before nursing school. But I love it for its taste and its effect. I also love Diet Coke. I hate energy drinks. When I need a boost of energy if I'm feeling fatigued I will make a fruit smoothie with soy milk and yogurt. It helps a ton!

I'm in nursing school and I currently work 13-16 hours a week. I personally can't do more than that in order to stay sane. My husband and I mostly live off his income. The main reason we have been able to stay afloat is that we rent our basement to my little brother. The key for us has been to minimize our expenses. You said you have a car payment. Any way you can pay it off before school begins? Or sell it for a cheaper one that you can just get by in during school? Do as much as you can to minimize your debts and financial obligations. Get a roommate, or two. If you have to find a cheaper place to live, do it. Ditch your cable, don't eat out, don't buy anything you don't need. It's hard to do, but it works.

For supplies, your school will probably provide you a list of what you need. As for reading ahead, the main thing I would recommend is getting an NCLEX book (I like Saunders) and learning the test-taking style. The NCLEX-style test questions are very unique, and it would be good to learn some of the test taking methods they recommend. Another thing I did that helped me was to watch a bunch of You Tube videos for fundamental skills: transfers, how to do a bed bath, etc. Just so I had an idea of what to expect and wouldn't be clueless in clinical. For shoes, I found a pair of nice, all white leather Sketchers at a shoe store in the mall for $30. I even tried on a few pairs at Payless that would have been fine for school clinicals (I only have clinicals once a week). Other than that, just find a way to streamline the rest of your life--because you may not have time for much else. Cleaning, cooking, and daily responsibilities were the hardest things for me to stay on top of. So anything you can do now to prepare yourself for that would be good.

I would either find a way to wear it up so it won't be too noticeable for the interview, or wait until you have a job. When it comes to interviews, Conservative=Professional. Don't give your potential employer a single reason to think that you're not professional, even if it is something as trivial as hair color.

I understand that you feel you are different from your classmates. I feel the same way. I am a second degree student with several years of career experience, where most of my classmates are traditional college juniors. So there is definitely a maturity gap. I have to keep that in mind when I'm at school or clinical--their behaviors may be immature and irritating to me, but that's really more MY problem (what they are doing bothers ME) than their problem. Also, you might try thinking further about some of the issues that bother you, or talking to a therapist. Some of the statements you made, particularly "I truly hate prudes," make me think that there is more to explore here. Another way to think about it that might help you deal with people who bother you is to not define the person as a whole. Say you think Susan is a "prude." But maybe it's just one certain, repeated, frustrating (to you) behavior that she is exhibiting that is prudish. Maybe Susan is actually a nice person, despite that one behavior. So instead of defining Susan as a "Prude," maybe you can just recognize that "What Susan is doing right now is irritating to me." There is no way you can change other people's behavior. And if you write off everyone who displays an annoying quality or behavior, you will probably not find many people you can get along with, because nobody's perfect. But you can control how you react to other people's annoying qualities. I would focus on that.

I let my diet fall to the wayside pretty bad last semester, so this semester I've been working on it. For breakfast I actually have a pretty good routine--I have a small single serving blender that has a "drinkable" lid, so every morning I make a smoothie out of plain nonfat yogurt, vanilla soymilk, half a banana, and half a cup or so of frozen blueberries. I've even added a handful of spinach in them to make it even healthier--you can't taste the spinach, I swear! I drink my coffee while I'm getting ready and then I drink the smoothie in the car on my way to school, or vice versa depending on my mood.