birdinflight

Truth be told, I would have loved to get a book on stress management techniques, or something along those lines. I knew NS was going to require lots of study time and mental investment but I had no idea how emotionally taxing it was going to be. So that's what I would want.

I wouldn't recommend choosing nursing simply for job opportunities. The schooling and the jobs are too emotionally and mentally challenging to simply say "well, at least I'll always have a job." You can say that in several different fields. A computer technician will always have a job, for example, and with a lot less emotional/mental/time investment. Tip: Try to list at least 7 reasons why you want to be a Rad Tech or an RN. If the reasons are predominately money or security related, rethink it. That's my opinion, anyway. As for the priority status... the status is for getting into the program. The better your GPA and PAX (is this like an entrance exam score??) scores are the better your chances of being accepted into the program. As for the community college you are going to... yes, there are more prestigious nursing schools out there. But, as long as it's accredited you should be alright. But, look into that further... get some comparisons within your area. Maybe call up some potential future employers and ask their opinions. Take care!

I'm in NS and have been in a fairly low slump myself. So I can relate. That being said... yes, it is worth it. And yes, it is temporary. It's hard to see that right now... it's hard for me to see that too, on an almost daily basis. Somehow NS gives us all tunnel vision and we forget that it's a means to an end... to what we really want. NS will not be our lives forever. All the pain, effort, trials and error are so, so worth it. You decided on nursing for a reason... remember that reason, keep it in the front of your mind. Maybe you could have a little family conference. Tell them what a day in your NS life looks like. Tell them what you need from them to get through this.... ask if they can do that for you. Tell them that your success is, in a way, their success too, and they need to rally around you. This is important to you, so it should be important to them that you succeed. This will not be the first time in life or in nursing that you will need to ask for what you need/want. Take a breath and dig deep. :)

Hi there. I'm currently in nursing school and have a lot coming up with the end of semester exams and finals, as I'm sure you do, too. I've been on Thanksgiving break that started this past Wednesday, and I will tell you, I have been taking complete advantage of it. I haven't done a single thing for nursing school this week. Tonight I'm going to finish up any homework for Monday so that I don't have to stress about it Sunday night, but other than that, I've taken a break from school. I may not be getting a 4.0 anymore because I'm not devoting every waking moment to school, but I'm at least keeping myself somewhat sane, too. I'm also going to be taking at least an afternoon to go gift shopping with my husband. So I say... celebrate!! It will renew and energize you! As long as you don't make your holiday too complicated or stressful. This year, my husband and I are scaling Christmas waaaay back, financially and time-wise because I'm in school. School is still the priority. But, we all need to take mini-breaks and have a little family time, too.

Thank you so much to all of you! I wish I could respond to you all personally, but, please know that I appreciate every single word everyone wrote. I agree with what everyone said. There have been other women who have cried in my program and I don't think any less of them. I need to use that kindness and compassion on myself, I think! I will keep pushing forward. Even before I got accepted into nursing school I told myself, no matter how hard it gets or how bad I want to fold, I won't quit. They will literally have to push me out. I also agree that this experience will make me a much stronger person. Sometimes it takes strength to show weakness, too. Thank you, again. I wish you all success in your own nursing journey! -L

Hi everyone, and thanks for reading. I need some advice. I am a first semester (associate's degree) nursing student. This past Tuesday (11/22/11) we had a lab eval covering wound care, ie dressings, and caths. I passed the cath. I didn't pass the wound dressing. I knew while I was doing it that I wasn't going to. My instructor said, "how do you think you did? Do you think you should pass?" I told her I didn't think I should because I made a few really stupid mistakes. No big deal. I expected that. Problem is... I started to tear up and start crying. What the heck?! I'm not a crying-in-public kind of person! I've worked in healthcare and have dealt with some very stressful situations... why did a lab eval make me cry? Anyway... so all I know is at one point I'm sobbing and saying, "I don't think this is for me. I'm crumbling under the pressure." My instructor reassured me and told me she wasn't going to let me give up, which is nice of her to say. Should I be mortified? Did I cry because I'm just completely overwhelmed/stressed and, not to mention, having my hormone meds messed with (endometriosis)? Does this crying thing make me weak? Does this mean I shouldn't be a nurse because I can't handle the pressure? I'm completely questioning everything right now. It's just so uncharacteristic of me. Anyone have the same or similar experience?

Hi everyone! I'm new here.... this is my first post. I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with a question about the HESI A2 test that I'm taking this Friday. (1/14/11) The chemistry section... how many questions are related to moles?? I understand what a mole is in relation to the elements , but it's been a long time since I've done any equations with them. And, when we did equations with them in Chemistry class, it was all with calculators, which we can't use during the HESI A2 test. Any advice would be great! Thank you! Laney