kizeemimi

Nope. That's another one of my usuals.

Sing it sister!!

I am in my last semester and have been having those dreams all throughout school. In mine, I am usually running late to class for a test, naked with hairy legs, and then of course I don't recognize any of the content on the test.

Ok, yea, you're right. I forgot they just changed all of the requirements for admission. My class only had to take the math test, which was nice. But hopefully it will make it easier to get in now.

What is this? Ive never heard of it.

Can you? Yes. You can do anything you have to. Should you? Work as little as you are able. I am finishing up my 1st year of the program at OCC and have been working fulltime as a PCA at a hospital. I was really worried about working during the program and even asked people in the class ahead of mine if it was doable beforehand. I was told that everyone in that class who continued to work fulltime ended up dropping out. Well....I have been working fulltime and have maintained a 4.0! BUT I am TIRED! I am getting burned out! We have 10 more weeks until summer vacation and I am counting down the days. I need a break. I am in either class/clinical 4 days and I work 12-hour shifts the remaining 3 days. I am studying/doing homework when Im not doing either of those things. I am going all day, everyday of the week. Its exhausting. I do it because I have no choice. I have bills and a mortgage plus I like to eat. I bought a house last summer before I started the program. For me it was a better option than renting because I found a great deal and only pay half of what I did in rent. I am extremely lucky because my husband is super supportive and we do not have kids. So, my personal advice is: if you have to work then do it, especially if its in a hospital, etc, so that you 'll have a foot in the door. But seriously work as little as you can. You'll just be better off mentally, because nursing school takes a LOT out of you. Good luck!

Write them down as you're doing them. Or are we not allowed to? When I do vitals at work, I always write them down or I'll forget by the time I do each part.

Whosurdaddy & Quarterlife, We are always hearing how mean/hard on us the instructors can be so I am kind of scared of them, though most of them seem nice so far (its only been a week, lol.) Anyway, we were in lab the other day in mini groups with an instructor who was just going over some general info, asking us questions, etc. No real work yet. Anyway, the instructor asked my group if any of us have worked in health care and I said that I was a PCA (the only one in the group.) Now Im paranoid that maybe I made a mistake and that it might be better to keep this to myself. I dont want to give them any reason to have it out for me. Im not one of those know-it-all types but Im afraid they will think that or expect me to do things perfectly right off. Have you seen this happen with any of your classmates? P.s. Congrats and Gook luck in the job, Whosurdaddy! :w00t:

I am honestly surprised (and a little confused) about how easy Pharm was! I kept hearing how hard it was but I found it very easy. I am wondering if it was the teacher. (I had -----------.) She gave us powerpoints and basically told us what to know for the test. Maybe the other teachers were harder? Those stats are horrifying! Do you have any idea what it was that people seemed to have the most trouble with or what led to so many failing? Good luck in your job search!!! Keep us posted! :)

Can you tell me anything about missing days? I absolutely do NOT want to or plan on it but Im just wondering what happens if you do? I looked at the Nursing Handbook, but its kind of general. My sister is getting married in FL on a Thurdsay in November. I assume Im just going to have to miss it but I wondered if I was able to go for 1 day only, what would happen if I missed a day?

Thanks!!

100%!!!!!!!!!!! :w00t:How about you?

I have noticed that SOME people in general, whether or not they are a patient in a health care setting, have to have it be all about them. They have to be the boss, call the shots, etc. When I have these people as patients, I let them do just that. I am friendly, receptive and listen to what they want. If I let them "be the boss" they usually become easy patients and prefer me over other PCAs. Its not a matter of letting them walk over me, or not doing my job, etc, its learning how to communicate with different personality types. Whether this will work or not once I finish school and become an RN, I do not know! lol

All this back & forth arguing aside, you know what I was thinking? How in the world does a vet tech (animal nurse, etc, etc) start an IV on a furry animal??? Seeing how hard it is to start IVs on some people, can you imagine having to find a decent vein an a being covered in fur???

Whosurdaddy, This is off the subject but do the teachers give many powerpoints? What is their teaching/testing style as far as book, powerpoints, etc? Are they all different? Im just trying to get an idea. Also, I know a Schoolcraft NS who says they don''t have any homework. (???!?!) What I'm assuming she meant was that they do have projects, papers, etc, but they aren't officially graded on them; their grades come down to test points. I havent had a chance to ask her to clarify. I realize that is a different school, but how is OCC as far as that stuff goes? Thanks for all your insight, as always!

Has anyone bought the Dosage Calculations book? I didn't because it said it wasn't required and Whosurdaddy said he never used it. But on the memo we got in our initial packets it says to bring it to the first class. I really don't want to spend the money if I don't have to, but Im worried I'll miss out on something by not having it or look "bad" to the teacher by not having it. (I'm scared of NS instuctors already!)

That's why I LOVE floating! Im a hopital PCA (nurse-to-be-in-2-years,) and I float to whatever unit needs me. I go everywhere just enough to get to know everyone but not enough to be involved in the politics of that unit. Everyone's always nice to me and appriciative of my help but they don't include me in their drama. I do not miss that!

Thanks so much for the info! I am lucky that in working FT, my work is paying for everything after this semester, including books. I doubt theyre paying for the stethoscope though but Ill be sure to get a good one anyway. I use this crappy one from work (the "disposable" ones we use for isolation patients) and I HATE it. I can't hear crap on it, but it serves the purpose since I only have to generally do 1-2 manual bps a shift.

Thank you again, Whosurdaddy & Wendyyvonne for the input. :) I definitely hear what you're saying and I WISH I didn't have to work fulltime while in NS but I have no choice. Even if I somehow go together the money to pay for school or got a loan, I still have bills, which is the main issue. Anyway, I am planning on working a 12 hr shift on both Sat's & Sun's and try to use PTO for the other 8-12 hrs one day a week. We'll see.... Wendyyvonne, with working, how are you doing gradewise? (If you don't mind me asking. If you do just tell me to mind my own business.) Also, is our Pharmacology book something we will ever use again after this semester? I was thinking about renting instead of buying it, but if there's any chance it will come in handy later I will buy it.

Princessim2003 and Brodygirl, Look for me in Pharm. :) My name is Christie and I have obnoxiously white-blonde hair and really pale skin (no, I am not an albino, but I have been mistaken for one by a psych patient at work once.) :icon_roll

Thank you for the advice, Whosurdaddy & Quarterlife. I was wondering about the above though. In one part you are saying not to work and the next you're saying to get a CNA job, which seems contradictory. Unless, you're suggesting that we work contingent as a CNA? I agree with you though; I work as a hospital PCA and have learned so much already. I really think it will help. I don't know what to think about the not working fulltime. This is something that has worried me for a long time. I have no choice because 1) my work is paying for 100% of NS as long as I work fulltime during and continue to work there for 2 years after graduation, and 2) I can't afford not to. I mean honestly! How do people NOT work??? Unless they are young and live at home or have spouses who make enough to support them. It scares me because I know PCAs who say they can only work a couple of days a month but at the same time I work with others who still work fulltime or almost fulltime. (One is even in the accelerated U of M program and manages to have somewhat of a social life. I don't know how she does it though.) Maybe it helps that we only do 3 12-hour shifts? Im going to try to do 2 12's and 1 4-hour shift and use 8 hours of PTO a week if possible. I really have no choice.

Thanks everyone, for the comments about me not being the only one a little freaked. I feel better now :) I am going to be in the Tuesday Pharm class, along with Princessim2003. Im getting excited. I havent gotten my books yet but think I will soon so I can start studying ahead of time. I found both books online for cheaper so I think thats what Ill do. I wonder whats in these syllabuses, which makes us have to buy them at the bookstore...

Is anyone else starting to freak out a little? Up until we got our packets, I was just excited but now I'm getting nervous. All of the things we already have to do are overwhelming (its probably just because Im also working fulltime and in the process of applying for a mortgage/looking for a house.) Anyway, I've already started having nursing school nightmares. I just had one where I couldn't grasp any of the material; it was literally in a foreign language and no one in the class liked me! I had these kind of "disaster" dreams the whole time I was planning my wedding and I see its starting up again. Eek! Is it just me?

When we find out when the orientation is, we should all get there a little early and meet somewhere outside the buiding or something and say hi :)

I am! My name is Christie and Im super excited! If you look at the other post about OCC right by this one, you will see a bunch of us on there.