cccormier

I agree with most of what the others have mentioned in their replies to your post so far. I was once in your shoes, and had to make the decision between choosing a career in nursing or as a radiation (ultrasound) tech. Initially, I was leaning toward U/S Tech because I liked the idea of the high chances of working "normal" hours (Mon-Fri, 9-5), which is not true in all cases, and I was always fascinated with physics, radiology, technology... it just made sense. Then I came across a college brochure with all the health science programs offered. Once I read about Registered Nursing and all the details involved, I knew I had to do more research to get a better idea. After speaking to some nurses I really "got" the profession. I understood what it meant and why I should be one. It was my calling. There are SO many opportunities in nursing; many areas, disciplines, specializations. You can be a bedside nurse, work in community care, be a travel nurse, work in research, public health... the opportunities are endless. Sorry if this is all sounding so biased, but I wanted to share with you how I feel, and hopefully you this can help you with your journey to choosing the right career path for you. Good luck!

Hello, I am hoping someone can help me with some questions some of my peers and I have regarding finding part-time work in Ontario. Since PSWs (Personal Support Workers) are not regulated (my professor told us the other day), can a first year nursing student potentially work as a nurse's aide if the employer would allow? Do you know of any nursing students that have been hired as a nurse's aide without a certificate or diploma? Is it common? Any relevant advice or information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi there, I'm a first year BScN student, and in a week's time we are expected to show (to the professor) our skills and abilities to assess vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations, BP and pulse oximetry). I am the type of person who tends to get very nervous and sometimes I blank out and forget everything before a big evaluation... especially if it is done in public, or under supervision. I am reviewing all my notes, but not one-hundred percent confident in my abilities, and not sure if I will forget to do something and get penalized for it. Would anyone have any suggestions regarding assessing vital sign? Or any tricks to remembering the process for each? Any advice is truly appreciated!!!! :)

Hi Smartway, Don't worry... I was in the same boat as you once. My high school marks were not high enough and I had some missing requisite courses, therefore pre-health science was my only way in (aside from taking up many upgrading courses, which would have taken more than a year I believe). With my final pre-health grades, I was accepted into the nursing program I am currently in. My final GPA average was 3.91. Some people I know who got accepted scored higher than me, and others had a lower average. But I believe the cut-off point from our program might have been something like 3.8 out of 4.0 GPA. (Pretty high, I know!!!!) But just to let you know, I applied to a University where the nursing program has, if not the highest, one amongst the highest cut-off averages out there - I don't know anyone in my program that got accepted with anything lower than a 87 or 88%.... but don't worry... unless you're aiming to apply to the same university as mine, chances are the acceptance average will be more reasonable. Just work hard, keep up with the homework, studies, etc... and I'm sure you will do fine. :)

Glad to hear you're having a good experience with it so far! I will be starting my first clinical very shortly, and I don't know what to expect!!! If you don't mind me asking, do you know (as a group) what you are expected to do? Do you follow a clinical instructor and perform tasks as a group, or as an individual at first?!?

I am very lucky because I am in a program that just started 2 weeks ago (BSN), and all my professors are EXCELLENT! Maybe one I would say is a little "snobbish" or a little "pretentious" here and there, but a great teacher none the less. The rest of my profs are so enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable, it's great!!!! The content is getting more and more clear as we go and I'm starting to understand the "style" of teaching and testing that will be going on, and what is expected of us. I'm learning quicker than I thought too. No feelings of "pulling out hair" as of yet. Though the content and concepts are relatively easy to start, there is still a LOT of content to absorb, and so I would suggest that from day one, you try and focus your energy on planning out the week ahead (social life, work), do all the readings and make sure to take notes in class (even though the first week may seem like nothing important is being taught). Things will spin out of control pretty fast and you want to make sure that you will be prepared to handle the insane amount of work you will encounter when the time comes. Best piece of advice I could offer: Time management. If you master this skill early on, you'll be set for life! lol Good luck to you on your first day! Let us know how it went, and make sure to enjoy it! Cheers!

Wow.... you've just described me in a nutshell! I also share the same fears/anxieties as you regarding if I am the "right fit" for this profession because of my introverted nature, and anxiety while dealing with people in a high-stressed environment. There is always the option of working in a medical or doctor's clinic (community) or home health... and if you're open to it, possibly continuing your education and getting a MSN or NP degree. Good luck to you, and know that we are here for you if you need help. :)

I'm not sure about having your 2-step read by an other facility. But when I had to get my reading for the first shot, I got a different RN to do it for me. In fact, every shot and reading (all four) were administered by a different nurse each time. Hopefully you can get your reading done on Friday, because it cannot exceed 72 hours after the time of the skin test. A suggestion I could offer is to wait to have your second shot either friday or monday instead. Sorry for not being much help... hopefully someone else can jump in and help you with the rest!

I also lost most of my immunization records form when I was younger. I have since moved from my hometown, and my mother could only find a few of them. I was scared to think that I would have to get a lot of these shots/tests all over again (and some of them are in primary series of 3 doses, first one, second a month later, then third several months later...). But thanks to Titer testing and getting my TB done in time, it went by surprisingly fast! I'm sure you will get everything done in a matter of a few months at the most. No need to get anything done a year in advance... I would suggest 2 or 3 months prior to your school start date. But better yet, I would contact your doctor or local health unit and tell them your situation. They should be able to let you know a better timeline or procedure that would work for you. Good Luck!!!!

I'm not sure if this is a serious post or not, and the main reason I think this is because I saw that your profile information states the following: Interests I was below average Years Exp. doesn't make a difference If this is serious, and you really do feel like you are a "bad nurse", I am terribly sorry you feel this way. It must be hard feeling like this after years of educating yourself and the hard work you put into it. If you feel that you don't fit in, or aren't being a "good nurse", maybe you could consider looking elsewhere for an area of nursing where you feel more at ease, and CAN use your skills, as a person, as a worker. There are lots of choices out there for you to choose from. Please don't give up; give it a shot and try something new instead! But try not to think that you have to "quit" nursing all together. Good luck in the future. I'm sure you will find something that works for you. Take care. :)

:ancong!: I'm glad to hear someone can survive Pharm... that's the part i'm dreading the most (not looking forward to) about nursing school. Yikes! Congrats again, and keep up the good work! :yelclap:

OMG! I would have cried my eyes out seeing those unborn kittens... I'm a cat lady myself, have two of them at home with me. I sincerely hope my school won't use cats... I think I'd much prefer dissecting a cadaver (no to sound so harsh)!

Our first actual class starts on Thursday, September 8. That's in like, 3 days!!!!!!! I can feel the nerves kicking in more and more as the days roll by. :uhoh21: How did everyone's first few days go so far???!!! I'm wondering if it's anything close to what we assumed it would be...?

It really all depends on what you're really passionate about and what aspect of Nursing appeals to you (i.e the medical field, helping people, learning sciences, nursing schedules, the amount of options to choose from in terms of units/specializations you can work in, etc..). I, thankfully, was accepted to my first choice which was a BSN degree, at my local university - and I'll be starting the program next week! But, when I was finishing up my pre-reqs, I knew that if I didn't get into any of the nursing schools I applied to, I definitely wanted to stay in the medical/health care field, and wanted something that would be hands-on like nursing and where I could help patients in a similar setting. so I came up with the idea that pursuing MRT (Medical Radiation Technology) as an X-ray Tech would be a good "back up plan". I'm happy to hear that I'm not the only one who thought of having a back-up option incase of not being admitted. Just know that if you don't get in right away, there's nothing wrong with waiting and re-applying next year. Also, try applying to several schools in your area that offer the program of choice (if possible). Good luck!!!!

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!! :w00t: You worked hard to get here, and thanks to your patience and dedication... you got in!! I'm glad I never gave up either. :yeah:

Hey, I'm also a student nurse and I have to say that I feel the same way. Thinking about the future scares me sometimes! What I tend to see in many area is that there is the illusion of a "shortage" because you see all kinds of ads and job postings for new grads or experienced, but nursing schools are now more competitive than ever, and there are more programs opening up and the student bodies are increasing - that being said, more new grads looking for jobs in their area = employers receive many resumes and applications to choose from, and hence lots of new nurses feel like there are "no jobs" or no one will hire them. You are left competing with 100s of other applicants, even some you may have graduated with. The economy may be rough, but after constantly keeping an eye out and applying for jobs every day (even those that are not as appealing or farther away), eventually most people find something and a door opens up. We (as new future nurses) just need to put the effort in when the time comes. I'm willing to work hard, network and take some risks. I'm sure it will get me somewhere.

Not to be intrusive or nosy, but did you end up telling the "potential" employer anything relating to the truth? Or did you lie around it? So sorry to hear that you did not get the position... what happened to you certainly isn't fair, and surely hard to get around when seeking new employment.

You mean: ? Your title and post made me laugh a little and made me remember that I felt the very same way when I first started Anatomy/Physiology courses.... But on a serious note, with Anat there is a lot of stuff to learn, and memorizing everything can take time and definitely be overwhelming!!! It will come with time and practice. Try cue cards, or teaching someone else like a classmate. These little tips worked wonders for me! You'll be fine, just remember that bashing your head won't help you remember anything (unless you're studying head trauma)

Yes, I'm starting my BScN program in 1 week from now! Though I'm scared as all heck , I'm also very excited and proud to have made it this far (especially after putting the time and effort toward this life-long dream, including my choice to take up the pre-health program)! I found the pre-health program fairly easy (at least the material itself was easy), but there was a LOT of content and so time management and organizing your time to study and reading texts are the best skills to adopt while in this program. It might all seem like a lot at first, and overwhelming at times, but keep up with your work and study as much as you can, and you will do just fine! Sooner than you can imagine, you will be on your way to nursing school.

Congrats on getting into a Pre-health program SM1031! Its nice to hear back from you and how you're doing. Since completing my pre-health program last year, I've realized how much it actually helped me and that I would not have gotten into nursing without it. Good luck! Work hard, and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Where I live, all the nearby hospitals can only take up to a certain amount of adult or student volunteers per year. It is due to a very high amount of submitted applications (thankfully for them)! I would love nothing but to volunteer at any community hospital while pursuing my studies in the nursing program, but I may never "get in" so to speak. At least we get good clinical time included in our program!

Wow Iridescent Orchid, that's great!!! Happy everything looks good for you, and that you're getting a good "vibe" about the professors and such. That's definitely one of my biggest worries/concerns: profs, teaching style, and well... if I can do this (because I know this ride will be a tough one)! My first nursing class begins in 2 weeks... and I'm trying to not rip many hairs out thinking about it all! I'm sure I'll be okay. But thank you for your nice update on how it went; it surely helped ease some of my anxieties!

Don't be afraid to be an "older nurse" once you graduate... I know you're 20 now, and when I was 19-20 I thought 26 or 27 years of age was OLD. It's really not!! Ask anyone (about half of any nursing program nowadays) who is over 30 or 40, and they will laugh and tell you 25-28 is still very young to get started as a registered nurse. I would suggest first and foremost that you do what you truly feel is "right" for you ad the right decision for your home situation (mother, bills, car, etc..). IMO, if this were up to me, I would only work part-time if possible, and study full time or even part time. Working FT and part time schooling can be tough... I'm sure you can do it, but I wouldn't suggest it. It all depends on how good you are at dealing with stress and good time-management skills. As for tips for schooling/studying: Make sure you devote enough time to study at least 2-3 hours a day, and if you will be working only part time hours, remember that school is #1 priority, and studying is important. Make sure your boss knows that you can only work "x" amount of hours a week (so you can keep your sanity)!!! I'm sure you will find the right answer that works for you.. everyone is different. You're never too old to start your dream career! Good luck!

Hi there, I also, had a 6 year stretch between actual (high school) classes and college/university coursework. It was a big deal at the time (at least it felt like it was for me) and I was SO nervous and anxious a few weeks prior to starting my pre-reqs in a classroom. But to be honest, it was so liberating and exciting! I got to meet so many people (of all ages, background, etc) and made friends with people that were in the same boat as me. I really preferred studying in a classroom setting over online courses! SO much better. And I found the transition to be very easy to handle. I'm sure you'll do fine. Enjoy your first few days, meet new people, make friends and enjoy the new learning style! :) I'm starting to get nervous too, since I'll be starting my BSN program in 2 weeks!! YIKES! But I'm sure it won't be as bad as I'm imagining....

Hey guys! I got everything done (CPR, Police Check and TB), but need to go in for a physical and some titers done to prove immunity against a few things (varicella, Hep B). The problem is, I don't have a family doctor or any health insurance right now.... and I am so tight on cash! How expensive do you guys think it might be to visit a Walk-in Clinic and get a physical and titers done???? Anyone have to pay for everything out of pocket?