bellarosa

Check out UT-Houston. My previous grades were similar to yours- low for my past degree, All As for my nursing pre-reqs. I attended the accelerated BSN program there. The school looked at the grades in my pre-reqs in calculating my gpa. They didn't even ask me about my previous grades in the 2 interviews. I graduated 2 years ago. There were 10 people in my class chosen from hundreds of applications. I think they accept 40 students now. The program is 12 months long.

If you think you might like your new job, you might want to give it a year. You will meet nurses and get to see firsthand what they do. You might decide then that you really want to go for it or decide it isn't for you. You will have been able to build up a little savings and get some experience in a hospital setting to get you on your way too. I have two pieces of advice for you: 1. You are young and will be working for a long time. Don't feel pressured to find the career that will lead you to retirement. So many people (myself included) switch careers. 2. Nursing school is hard and not fun. You probably won't like it. So, get out there and talk to nurses about what they do. Maybe try to imagine what kind of nursing interests you the most. Then talk to one of those nurses to give you a better idea. Good luck. You will figure it out.

Here's the way I see it. If you are asking if you should do it, you probably shouldn't. If money is what is important to you (you mentioned your salary), you are making great money now. If, on the other hand, you long for more autonomy, a higher level of practice, and are passionate about the idea of practicing anesthesia, would you really be asking if you should do it? The road toward CRNA is full of sacrifices, some big and some small. The real question is whether it is worth it to you.

Hi Rachel, Patients have many different views of what a nurse is. Some will think you are the best thing ever while others will think you are their own personal waitress. As nurses we all must try to strenghten the reputation of nursing. Some of the things we can do are taking the educating aspect of our job seriously. Patients need to know a lot of things and we should try to really teach among all the other tasks we do. Also, joining organizations and becoming involved will help the profession. Mentoring is very important. This forum is very beneficial to the profession with all the useful info. Take care.

I faint when I'm nervous and standing in one place- like during clinicals. Some things that help me a little are making sure I'm hydrated, keeping snacks w/me like pb crackers or 1/2 a sandwich, and thinking about my breathing when I think I'm in a potential fainting situation. Also, if the situation is something I can avoid, I avoid it. Hope you find a resolution. Good luck.

Here's a few answers. #3- yes, you can run an antibiotic by itself w/o fluids. #4- yes, you can do this if the drugs are compatible that are attached together. #6- Yes, attach the secondary high (above the pump). Remember to hang the secondary bag higher than the primary bag too.

that is the graduate record exam. it is a standardized test for some graduate schools. it is kinda like the sat. is the ms program in nursing?

paula, those programs that require an rn are called rn to bsn programs and most are about a year long. that is what you would go to if you already had your adn. some universities will have many different programs such as rn to bsn programs as well as regular bsn programs and accelerated bsn programs. have you asked around at the communtiy college to see where the pre-nursing students are applying? i took pre-reqs at a community college and many of those students were applying to the community college for the nursing program and bsn programs too.

Paula, I too have a previous BS in Business with a large amount of debt from private school education. I took the accelerated BSN route b/c for me it was quicker and cheaper. The accelerated program gave us scholarships and a great deal of support. The program accepted only a small group (10) so the professors really wanted us to succeed. The students really bonded and helped each other out. I finished in May and now I'm in my first nursing job in the ICU. This route has worked great for me. If I had gone the ADN route I would still be in school for another year. There is a nurse on my unit who is doing what you talked about. He has his ADN and probably 6 years of ICU experience. He is now working toward his BSN for CRNA school. There are so many routes so just look at it as different paths to where you want to be. Don't worry about the best path. Just look for the one that is the best for you and your situation. You can do it!

If you are a good student you can do it. Just don't get behind. Take advantage of tutors. Overstudy for the first test. Then, see how you do and reevaluate if necessary.

Speaking as someone who started her first nursing job a whole 10 days before you I can tell you this: Time Management is a big part of nursing. I used to run around all day like a chicken w/ no head. My preceptor explained that as I go along I will find better ways to manage my time- such as think of 3 things to do when you go in to a patient's room, not just one. Also, if the patient has 7am meds and 8am meds, give them all at 7:30 if they are compatible. Don't go in to just turn the patient- check their back side out, listen to breath sounds, do some skin care, and throw in some oral care. I have found that this has helped me a little. I still get a very fast lunch while the older nurses are able to take a lot longer, but I can see improvement. Keep trying. You WILL get better. Also, I consider this first job an internship/school that I just happen to be getting paid for. This helps me keep my cool and look at it as a learning experience that will not last forever. Compared to nursing school, this school allows me more free time and comes w/monetary compensation.

You may find that it loses its effectiveness after a while. I try to limit the number of does per week b/c it just stops working for me after a while. Also, if you feel you don't want to take the acetaminophen you can just take benadryl. That is the sleep aid in Tylenol PM anyway. Happy dreams!

I work in a med/surg icu at St. Luke's. Texas Heart Institute is part of St. Luke's. I think it is one of the best hospitals to work at. High quality care and nice people. I'm a new grad so I don't have experience anywhere else, but all the employees tell me I started at the best.

Congratulations! Way to go!

I'm currently in orientation at my first nursing job out of school. I'll be in the ICU shortly, but right now I'm still in the classroom component. I'm concerned about staying emotionally composed in sad situations. I have always been a sensitive person. I found myself tearing up when the palliative care group spoke with us today. I also teared up when the organ donation lady spoke as well. I would appreciate advice on how to stay composed when these sad stories are happening to my patients. I'm gonna feel like such a mush if I'm crying more than the families. I want to be there for my patients and their families. I want to be strong and able to be with them as they grieve. Will these situations get easier? Is it okay to cry or should I excuse myself? Any tips?

A friend of mine got a job in a PACU. We just graduated from a BSN program. The program was accelerated so we never worked in a hospital before. The PACU is at MD Anderson in Houston. They will train her. The manager was very enthusiastic about new grads.

Whether a program accepts another type of bachelors degree an applicant still needs to be an RN and have the ICU experience. You have 3 main options if this is what you want to do: 1. Attend an ADN program (associates degree), work in an ICU then apply to a school that allows other degrees 2. Attend a BSN program, work in an ICU, then apply 3. Attend an accelerated BSN program for people who already have a previous degree, work in an ICU, then apply You may not have all your pre-reqs for nursing school yet. They differ by school. Good luck to you. Here is the website for the AANA. They list all accredited schools. http://www.aana.com/coa/accreditedprograms.asp

This is a frustrating time for you. I was in similar shoes 2 years ago. I was worried about prereqs for nursing school, so I took Chemistry first. I gave it my all and came out with an A. I just graduated from an accelerated BSN program. I really think it was the best decision I ever made. No one can tell you if it is for you or not. But, it sounds like you would make an excellent nurse. Nursing is also a good job compared to waitressing. You already have a degree so you know what it takes to study and succeed. Have you talked with your family about this? They would be excellent resources for your questions. Have you thought about what kind of nursing you are interested in? You may want to follow a nurse for a day to keep you motivated. Reading posts on this forum can be motivating too. Good luck!

I'll graduate next week from this accelerated program. This is a joint program between UT-Houston and UTMB in Galveston. Yes, it was very challenging. What I liked best was that we took all the theory classes online. Tests and a seminar class are taken at the school. This really enabled us to schedule our own time. Our clinicals were sometimes 36 or more hours per week so adding lecture time on top of that would have been really hard. Just make sure you have the self discipline required in a program like this before you begin. Another plus of this program is that for some of the clinicals we were paired with a nurse preceptor- a nurse who asked for a student and has taken classes on working with students. We worked that nurse's schedule- sometimes nights and weekends- and got to build a relationship of trust with one nurse. I got much more out of these clincal experiences than the times 10 of us were in the hospital with one instructor and paired with some random nurse who wasn't expecting to have to work with a student that day. With the nurse preceptor experiences I really felt like a member of a team, and I felt really comfortable with all the nurses I had. I even got a job in one of the icus I was precepted on. The school went out of their way to help all 10 of us out during the year. We had a dedicated technical support person who would even come to our houses, we were given really nice PDAs that we got to keep if we finished the program, and we all earned scholarships. This was the first year of the program so some of it was a little rough, but the school listened to us and made helpful changes along the way.

I'm in an accelerated program right now at UT Houston. The program has 10 students at UT Houston and 10 at UTMB in Galveston. We are going to graduate in May. One person dropped out during the first 2 weeks. I recommend accelerated programs if you are motivated and can work at a fast pace. The program I am in has most of our classes online. We do not go to lecture. We do attend labs, seminars, and clinicals in the Texas Medical Center. I think it is a great way to become a nurse fast if you already have a degree.

I'm currently in nursing school and I have Harrington rods for scoliosis. I haven't found that lifting has been a problem because I can usually find someone to help. Everyone should be concerned about their back, not just those of us with scoliosis. What has been hard for me is being on my feet for 12 hours- but I'm determined. Good luck to you!

I think you should do exactly what you want to do. Many hospitals around me offer great internships/preceptorships for around 6 months or longer to get new grads ready for critical care. I want to do adult ICU so I haven't been looking for NICU internships. If you can't find a job that you feel comfortable with in what you want, then look at med/surg. Don't you think you will be a better learner in your area of interest? I do.

You can do it! In my accelerated bsn program, half of the class is over 40. Nursing is a second, third, or fourth career for many people. Your maturity, experience, and kind heart are needed in our profession. Good luck!

The North/Northwest side of Houston is nice too. I live in Spring, a little town just north of Houston. I attend school downtown and the drive isn't terrible. Other nice places are the woodlands and the Cy-Fair area. Both have very good school districts.

Give yourself a day to freak out and then get focused. One C is not the end of the world. Chemistry as a freshman is rough. If CRNA is your goal, then keep looking forward and don't give up. As you know, that road is a difficult, competitive one. However, if it is YOUR road then make it happen. Maybe in a few semesters you can take the class over. Did you feel like you learned the material and then choked on the tests, were the tests a good relflection of the material? Look at the semester and try to figure out where the problem was. I can tell you that I'm on my second bachelors degree to become a CRNA. I'm in an accelerated program. It is really rough, but I know where I want to be. No one is going to deter me. At this early point on your journey no one can tell you that you won't make it except yourself, so tell yourself you will make it and try your best this upcoming semester.