koko2002

HelloI'm trying to get through the last semester of the RNprogram but my anxiety is out of control. I have severe performance anxiety andpanic about having to do a presentation or even class introductions weeksbefore they even happen. I talked to my doctor recently and he suggested that Itake Inderal (propanolol) and hour before I have to talk in class or beevaluated by my clinical instructor. Has anyone ever used Propanolol for mysimilar situation? If so, does it work? Sometimes if I'm put on the spot toanswer a question or speak in class my heart starts beating so fast that I can'tcatch my breath and I can't focus on anything but how embarrassed I am thatthis is happening and want to run out of the room. I also wonder if an SSRIlike Zoloft would be helpful Any help would be appreciated.

Things that would be helpful before school starts in January: Nursing dosage calculation math problems. You will have a math test on dosage/calculation during the 1st semester that you must get 100% on. During semester one they are basic calculations but if you're not use to doing them they can be tricky. Here is a great site for you to get you started. http://www.lahc.edu/classes/nursing/PRACTICE%20MATH%20FOR%20NURSING%20333.pdf If you have the text books, the only reading that would be helpful before starting would be your Fundamentals of Nursing book reviewing how to write care plans. Most everything else (pharmacology, skills and fundamentals) you really need to learn from the instructors. Because as you will see once you start nursing school, you have to learn it they way they teach it. As a side note, before school starts, I think it's a great idea to find some de-stressing activities that you enjoy like walking, gym or yoga and think about ways to incorporate them into your schedule. Nursing school for most people is incredibly stressful and having an outlet to de-stress is REALLY important. Also, I know it's harder for students who have kids or have to work but in order to be successful and graduate you really have to make school your primary focus. I also think it's really important to meet a group of students who you can study well with. This will most likely happen naturally because everyone is looking for a study group right from the beginning.

I took 101 online and passed but it does require a lot of reading, 3 exams and in the beginning we still had to be in class to learn how to write care plans. So about 1/3 of the online class was still in person. For clinical I think Berte, Thomas, Harrison and if you get Allison Nicol she is by far the best. Good luck!

hello, for most, it's a shock because of the amount of studying you have to do in order to be successful. most people do well with their pre req's (anatomy, bio and chem) but nursing classes are very different and most people (75% or more) don't get a's regularly. so for most it can be frustrating and shocking because you study your tail off to just barely get by. 1st semester isn't too bad but again, if you're not totally dedicated to your studies you won't succeed. so just know, it is hard but doable with a lot of hard work, dedication and time management. i'm going into the 4th semester in january and i can say, by far, the 3rd semester is the most challenging. you do get to pick your clinical site and instructor each semester. i can send you a private message about instructors. 101: fundamental is a lot of reading and it seems like most people who fail a class in 1st semester, fail 101. 102: skills class is where you learn all the basic nursing skills like passing meds, taking blood pressures, starting an iv and sterile dressings. in this class you will perform all these skills in front of a clinical instructor and it's a pass or fail. 103: pharmacology is good but don't take this one online. it's pretty cut and dry and a lot of memorizing and both instructors at the downtown campus are great 104: clinical starts after complete and pass 101, in the middle of the semester. so your first semester clinical doesn't start until march. good luck! oh yeah, one thing that is nice about matc is that after you finish the first two semesters you can take the lpn boards and work as an lpn until you graduate.

Don't quit. Let them kick you out and try as hard as you can until they do.

Go to one of the tech colleges if you can. Those other schools are WAY WAY too expensive and they just rip you off. In my opinion the best way to become a Registered Nurse is to get your ADN from a tech college and then if you decide you want to get your BSN, work some place that will help pay for it. If you go to one of those schools like Herzing, you will end up $30,000 in debt or more in some cases.

hey guys, i have been dealing with anxiety issues for many years but i've been able to avoid situations that cause them for the most part. years ago, i tried several different anti-anxiety drugs like paxil and sertraline but they either made me too tired to function normally or they didn't really help with my panic. so here i am, in my 3rd semester clinical, on a neuro unit and i have to do several graded performance tests with my instructor and i am a complete mess. my panic and anxiety really seem to hit me when i'm being observed by a clinical instructor during a skill performance test or if i have to give a presentation. i can't sleep at night because i'm worried about having to perform days or even weeks in advance. my confidence level is so low that i'm really afraid my instructor will think that i'm not competent and it's all my anxiety. i can practice at home doing a complete physical assessment and do everything just perfect. but if i'm being graded or observed by a nursing instructor i get so nervous with heart palpitations and shortness of breath that i almost can't even talk. and honestly, it's more embarrassing than anything. has anyone ever experienced this type of over whelming anxiety/panic? any suggestions on how to get through it would be so appreciated.

I'm a guy in my 40's and in the 3rd semester of an ADN program. You certainly won't feel out of place in school... Most 2-year RN programs are full of 30's, 40's and 50's folks. As far as job offers go, it seems like they want RN's with experience for most jobs so age I don't think makes a difference, just expereince in the field or a specialty.

I totally know what you went through! Going through it now with 8 months to graduate... My clinical instructor hates me for some reason and she makes me SO uncomfortable treating me like a complete moron. It makes me so anxious when i'm around her because she seems like she is just looking for something to run me into the ground about. I come home miserable and think about dropping out becaue I can't stand the bullying. BUT DAMN! I've come so far and I'm just going to try standing my ground and know my **** so if/when she does confront me on something I know what I'm talking about. Also, I have to be confident in what i"m doing. I think if you are not confident, a lot of clinical instructors see that as a weakness and pick with you about it. It's kinda sick but it happens all the time in Nursing school.

Hey, I started 3rd semester at MATC p/t... I only took 109 this past semester and did really well (much lower stress). This fall, I will be taking 110, 112 and clinical. I failed 106 and had to repeat it so i'm finishing up the program p/t because we all know what happens if we fail 2 classes. I took Henning and Gastrau for 109, it's not an easy course, probably the most challenging of them all but both instructors are great. This is one of those classes where you HAVE to study A LOT and really, really understand the units to do well on the exams. DO NOT TAKE 109 ONLINE. Many people I know took it online and said it was horrible. 110 use to be offered online but hasn't been the last few semesters which really sucks because I've heard from several people 110 should be taken online. I started the program with the students who just graduated in May but because I didn't pass 106 I was left behind. Most every one of them said that 3rd semester was by far the most challenging and 4th semester was much less stress. Good luck in 3rd semester! :)

OH Geesh! This makes me feel much better??

hey everyone, i'm currently a registered nursing student and in our program if you complete 2 semesters of clinicals you can take the lpn exam. well i did, passed and applied to a job posting for a lpn in a sub acute rehab floor in a nursing home and got the job. i'm very excited but also very nervous. i mean, this is my first nursing job and from my understanding of a rehab floor it's really like a med surg floor of a hospital meaning you will use/learn a ton of nursing skills. i'm sure all this will be very helpful in my nursing career but i haven't used them or mastered any of my skills yet because this is my first job. i have a preceptor for 5 days and then i'm on my own... my fears are the other nurses not being so nice and expecting me to know everything. i hear so many horror stories about nurses who eat their young and how mean they can be. i know i shouldn't worry about that now since i haven't even started officially but it's on my mind. does anyone have new nurse job experiences or advice on what to expect as a new nurse? thanks!

Thanks everyone! :heartbeat All the info was very helpful.

Hi, Does Digoxin increase K in cells and decrease Na and Ca? So does it move Na and Ca out of cells and keep potassium in the cell? It's kinda confusing! :) Thanks!

Hey everyone, I'm doing cardiac stuff now and this isn't coming easy like some other systems. So, in heart failure, you have more volume of blood in the ventricles at the end of diastole but less cardiac output? Can someone explain why this is? Also, do all the cardiac drugs that someone would take for heart failure cause a decrease in the afterload, preload and cardiac output? Thanks for you help!