aramis2121

Thank you for such a well thought out response! The points you brought up and answered are fantastic. I'm very excited to start on this path. I just had surgery recently and I really thought about the Pacu nurses and their jobs pre and post. I tried to put myself in their place. My new manager explained to me that post surgery patients need some TLC and more babying than what I'm used to at my LTC. This will be a change for me. But I've always been fair and caring to all my patients no matter what so I'm no worried about that too much. I'll look into the Aspan like you recommended. That seems like a great source of knowledge and I want to make sure I can impress from day one!

Hi everyone! Guess who finally got hired as a PACU nurse? Me! That's who! I'm so excited! This will be my first job outside of the LTC area and I'm excited to get my RN career moving. Considering how hard I worked to pass my boards (check my blog/article if your curious). So fellow PACU nurses, what are some good tips for a new PACU nurse? According to my hiring manager I will be cross training in pre-op and recovery as well. What are some things I should look out for? What about this malignant hyperthermia and so on? is this a good path in order to become an ER nurse? Should I be a babying nurse or a stand firm nurse? I'm used to being a little tough on some of my patients, but I do it out of love. I would appreciate anything even stories! So Nurses please take it away!

Congrats! You got through it!

70484 i believe but it could be different now.

If anything is missing or if you sent your stuff before your institution sent your transcripts you'll recieve a letter saying you have this much time to get it all in (basically one year). If your good to go you won't get anything until your ATT (permission to test) arrives in your email (first) or by letter. That period of time between when you sent your info to when they (the state) gets it can be a variable range. Average in FL is 3 to 4 weeks.

To oki_bebot: Try to give yourself enough time to cover everything but not too much time to slack off. I give myself the 2-3 weeks to give myself that little anxiety push to study. A little stress is ok! Cover the weak points for example mine is maternity. So I attacked that area first. Know your decelerations and etc that came up on my test. Good luck!

Thank you you have plenty of time. Just focus on your weaknesses! Good luck!

Answer: You shouldn't be there.

Hey guys here's that cheat sheet i was talking about in my post. It's from another fellow nurse peer on this site.squiddlepost: NCLEX cheat sheetf the link doesn't work I can email it to you. No big Good luck and thank you for the replies!

someone told me to go and introduce yourself to people who head the depts, sometimes that may open up some doors in the location your seeking.

Tricky topic. I think you did well in switching preceptors. Find one that you can look up to. You have the ability to be any kind of nurse whether she's a drug stealing *bleep* or a compassionate nurse advocate. Good luck in your practice.

That's wonderful news! I hope this applies everywhere!

Just pointing out: I noticed that I would get an answer and depending on what I answered whether it be wrong or right would determine the questions style. For example, after I got a hard one right I'd get a select all questions (which is very good! That's usually a hard one) if i missed that one then i'd drop back to a multiple choice. Sometimes id get two select alls in a row so I knew i was doing ok. There's a pattern, if you watch it carefully you'll notice it. Just take your time and focus on what the question is asking and only answer that, remember Nclex wants to distract you with other more familiar and alluring answers.

Congrats! The pearson vue trick worked for me twice now! I'm pretty confident you did it!!!

This bouncing back and forth from your school seems unprofessional. Have you considered another option concerning the program? Also studying is a difficult word to process sometimes. It's not just opening the book for a while and hoping you remember what you read; it's about understanding it which is where it gets tricky. It used to take me a couple of tries and a few you tube videos to REALLY understand the content. Supplement your studies with other forms of learning maybe an audio book or a you tube explanation can really help you on your path to success! Good Luck! Never give up!

Congrats! Be prepared this program is tough! Study Study Study!

I'm an EMT, gone LPN, and now and finally an RN! I knew healthcare was my calling and I loved the excitement of each license, but I needed something more. I attended Miami Dade College for both my LPN and the transitional program to RN (which was brutal). I will also put it out there, I suffer from major test anxiety. The cramps, the palpitations, the sweats you name it I got it. But I've learned it's all in your head. So there's hope! Now just so we're clear, Miami Dade College uses the ATI program. And I'll be frank, I hated it! It was so hard. I always felt stupid after a practice test or proctored exam. They considered 60% good? "I was like that's stupid, I just failed." In the end, it was definitely worth it. (By the end of the program you should be scoring in the high 60's into the mid 70's range to pass). ATI is where you get the foundation to take NCLEX, it's more like an either you-know-it or you-don't-game. My recommendation, take good notes in class, go online and find some NCLEX study guides made by nursing students, those are the best! I found one on this site that I used to supplement my studies; I'm glad I did or I might not have passed. I used ATI both for LPN school and RN and it's made a difference. (Use the books too! the CD's are not too useful) The next thing I did, was the second I knew I was going to pass RN school, as in I passed my final exam I began the application process to take the exam. Get on that early! It takes an entire month (more or less) for the entire process. Pearson Vue NCSBN Background check (with photo now). I graduated officially August 2, I applied July 20th more or less. I didn't get my ATT until August 23. This also depends on how long your school waits to release your information. I did zero studying when I graduated. Some of you must be like, "she's crazy". Here's why I'm not crazy! TAKE A BREAK! You did it! celebrate and leave all this nursing stuff alone for a little bit. Catch up on some TV shows, Dexter in my case, take that vacation you've been waiting for etc. You earned it! When you get back get ready to work! But remember you'll come back refreshed and ready to absorb the necessary. **I did not use Kaplan, or Hurst or any timed preparation program post-graduation. I have passed all of my boards; remember, three of them (EMT, LPN, RN) without them. I also have never passed any of my boards as the minimum amount of questions either. So that just shows I'm not the smartest or most skilled test taker, just a savvy one. So far my method has not changed. I just panicked a little more on this one than the others. ^_^** Here's what I did. I set up to take my test in approximately 4 weeks. I gave myself one week to gather my books and mentally prepare myself aka. finish my seasons of Dexter without getting distracted. *note* I can get easily distracted/obsessed with either a tv show or art project very easily. You can't tear me away unless I complete it, so I have zero regrets or yearnings to go back to it. I know that I'm not the only one so don't judge. Once you've got it all out of your system we get down to business! 1. I used Saunders 5th edition, flipped through the book did mostly the questions from the CD. That's probably the best thing you can do after you've gone over a subject area. QUESTIONS! QUESTIONS! QUESTIONS! Great Alt format questions resource. 2. Did some ATI but it's really not necessary since this info should be in your brain by now most nursing schools have some programs now. Obvious stuff like this: Ex. Patient is post surgery tonsillectomy what should the nurse watch out for first? Answer: continuous swallowing (may indicate hemorrhage) Just in case you didn't know. I bring that one up because something similar showed up on my NCLEX yesterday. 3. I searched the internet for NCLEX reviews in an audio format since I missed my ATI review. Good news, I found one! I torrented it, it's called NCLEX review Feuer. This review was done in 2010, but it's fantastic. When I was on the road or walking my dogs, I was listening to these awesome women. They really knew their stuff and taught you what you needed to know on the schematics of this test. Kaplan I believe does something similar, their methods of answering the questions with trees and other stuff, that's extra nonsense that you might not have time for. These women really go deep into the reasons why NCLEX asks you these questions and what they're looking for. Plus they give you awesome tips on how to answer the questions if you're stuck. And trust me if you're doing well you will get stuck on a few. The review covers: maternity, peds, med-surg, and psych. Fundamentals is thrown in their a bit. I listened to my weakest subjects first then the stronger ones, supplementing with questions on the audio and in my Saunders CD. When I got into my last week I finished the audio and started doing questions. Saunders CD, someone lent me an NCLEX 4000 disc and I started munching on those. Then I searched the internet some more for free NCLEX style questions, I tried every style and source available to me. I did some Kaplan questions, NCSBN questions, trial questions on quizzlet. I wanted to make sure that I had seen as many different kinds of questions by the time I faced the real deal. On my last study night (Friday for me, and Saturday was my day off) I did 50 ATI Comprehensive questions and called it quits. On Saturday I read through my nursing student cheat sheets to remind myself of the fundamentals and the little sayings "Cold and clammy need some candy", (don't forget your labs). Then spent the rest of the day relaxing. (yeah right, I was panicking, I went to a bridal show instead.) It worked, it kept my mind off my impending test. So To Summarize Prep time 4 weeks Study time 3 weeks Study periods every day Monday thru Sunday 1-3 hrs of reading/questions AM 50 questions PM 50 questions total 100 per day *remember study weaknesses to strength* 5% ATI 75% Saunders 20% online questions and student nurse cheat sheet*** Give yourself a day off then choose the time your most awake or better at testing. I'm a PM kinda girl, so I went with the 1 PM appointment, I chose Monday so I would have an equal amount of weeks to study and count off on my calendar. Also, I could get my results sooner. Important Tips 1. Choose the least invasive intervention first remember ADPIE (Assess Diagnose Plan Intervention Evaluate) 2. Also, narrow your answers down to two if you can. Then dissect them closely before choosing your final answer. When you get to this point. Reread the question and look at what it's asking for. I saw some NCLEX answers that looked straight from the book "the-always-safe-types" NCLEX knows that you know they're safe and unfortunately that's not what they're asking. This is done on purpose to confuse you. 3. Use your ABC's and Maslow. If your airway is compromised in any way then it's probably going to be that answer. 4. When priority questions appear don't expect the "LPN can't give blood so you should stop her!" you'll get something that will force you to think about each situation. Choose the one that will become critical unless you do something right now. 5. Alt. Format questions means your doing well, study those ---> Saunders. (I got about 22 of them, my friend got 30) 6. If you get a question that you have no idea about, read it carefully. Reread it. Then try to see if you can get any idea what it's asking for. If you can't look at the options and select the one that meets the safety criteria. Remember, NCLEX wants safe nurses. 7. If you hit 75 and it keeps going. Take a break, you'll be panicking by then. (I went to the bathroom freshened up then ran up and down the hallway doing jumping jacks to get pumped up again. Drank some water, and had my snack (take one of those Nature Valley bar, protein in case you have to take the whole test) Take a breath and finish up that sucker! 8. I know this sounds cheesy and I've read it on all of the threads but... BE CONFIDENT! BE BOLD! I blanked out on question 1!! Which was a math question. (I for the life of me hate math!) Just calm down work it through and move on to the other 74 or 274 no big deal. If you get past 75 that just means the computer is having a hard time gauging your progress. So this means you've got a better opportunity to pass! Yes! Take it as a good omen! I took my NCLEX on a Monday, I started at 12:45 pm. I finished around 3:50 PM I had 128 questions total I had 22 Select All that Apply 2 images 3 calculation 3 Exhibit 0 audio 0 hot spot Rest were multiple choice At least 6 questions were about meds A good portion were nurses' conference and safety questions A good portion were Priority A number of maternity a few peds 5 at the most psych A good portion was med-surg My honest opinion: The test didn't feel hard at all. It felt like a cheap scam (especially the meds I had never heard of in my life!) Study the fundamentals, the ABC's, the SAFETY and you'll be fine. Get a good night's rest and kickbutt! Post Test: You will feel depressed, stupid, worthless and many other things. Drive yourself home go online and do the Pvue trick and get going with your life. It's one of the many tests of our lives, tomorrow is full of new possibilities whether you pass or fail. Best of luck my fellow peers. *I hope this helps whoever needs some other study alternatives. Sincerely, Aramis2121

Hi! I'm a very unhappy MDC LPN student. I'm going to finish this awful program in October hopefully (we'll see if they lie about that too) and continue into an RN bridge program. MDC has lied to my peers and myself countless times over the entire course of this program first telling us we'd be done in August, now October. That we would have priority into the next program if we applied on time (that's out the window). That we would have a definite schedule. It's been so bad that I rarely know when my next ATI exam is. The people running this program are rude and just don't seem to give a rat's ass about any of their potential future students (money bags). Well done MDC, way to go on making yourselves a better program. So back to the point fellow nursing comrades, here are my options and I hope you can fill me in on the pros and cons as well as anything that could possibly help me make the right decision. Option 1: Get into the RN bridge and STAY at MDC Option 2: Go to Barry and hopefully get into their LPN-BSN program (debt is inevitable) Option 3: Go to MERCY Hospital and do their LPN-RN program Is anyone in any of those programs? Are they satisfied with them? Are they organized? Likes dislikes? What do I need to make sure I get in? Are there any hidden secrets I need to know when I'm applying to either Barry or Mercy? Scholarships I can apply for? Hints and tips are most welcome. A sense of security and hope is well needed. Thanks!

I'm currently in the last stretch of my LPN program at Miami Dade. My goal there was to get my BSN and move on with working and getting my Masters later on. But here's the catch. Miami Dade has been going through some personnel change or something under the table has been going on. I was promised at the beginning of the year that bc the program was extended w/out my peers or myself knowing that I could apply for the RN bridge starting in January of 2012 (without my LPN license since it would be processing). The head of the LPN department supposedly got escorted out on a mandatory leave of absence and the head of the department is refusing to uphold that promise. I don't really know if I should stay with a school that's lying to me or keeping me in the dark. I want to get done as soon as I can and be done with them. If I wait I'll be wasting en entire year before I can apply again for the RN bridge. What other options do I have in Florida? Barry's LPN-BSN is way too expensive. Help!

It's going well so far. MDC is really going through changes and the LPN program was one of them. I'm kind of the new generation class setting up the stage for new LPN's. They've incorporated more hours since they weren't meeting regulation. I've also been granted priority into the RN bridge because of this extension. The program has 50 students and they hope to have a year program coming in 2012-2013. Only two professors are teaching 50 students and soon due to the incoming class will be one. Lectures are lectures, and clinicals are either done at JMH or the JMH nursing home and occasionally Aventura or Coral gables. What's most attractive to MDC is the price tag more or less $8,000. It's not mandatory but I'd recommend doing your sciences before you enter so you don't have to be taking anything else while completing this program. Plus it helps when you know what your learning about. I have an EMT background and it's a walk in the park for me so far. Good luck, I hope this is insightful.

Thanks a lot for the comments. It's super helpful and reassuring. I know I seem like I'm getting ahead of myself but I suppose it goes with my personality. I'm very calculating and I need to stick to a plan to make things work. Miami Dade College offers an LPN vocational program as well as an ASN program and a Bridge ASN. The ASN program is highly competitive and my 3.6 GPA didn't cut it. I figured I'd take my chances and apply for the LPN then bridge into the ASN followed by their BSN and hopefully start working. Currently Miami Dade is talking about making a RN-BSN program but their chances of having it ready when I need to enroll are highly doubtful. So far I'm doing well in the program to point where I'm ready to pull my hair out from the extreme boredom. I've completed all of my pre-reqs and my time in class feels like it's being wasted since most of the courses are repeats of my pre-reqs for the ASN program. Other than that my hopes are high and goals are a long way down the road. I appreciate everyone's input. Thanks for the fantastic advice and clarifications they've really reinforced my careful planning. ^_^

Hi everyone! I've just started LPN school at Miami Dade College this past August and I'll be done in December of 2011. My final goal is to be Nurse Practioner/CRNA but I'd like to have a set plan. What would be the fastest way to get my degrees? Should I stick with MDC for the long haul(lpn-rn-bsn- "msn somewhere else")? Or should I consider an online option? Any advice is welcome.

The test is not that hard if you studied the Pax-Pn entrance book. I did and I scored exceptionally well. The questions are really similar and if you know basic science and math you'll do fine. Best of luck.