grpman

I've noticed that most adn programs have many prereq's that cause a considerable wait. Most require micro, a/p 1 and 2, and a few others before you can apply. The problem is that the a/p 1 and 2 have to be taken one after the other. That can take nearly a year to finish. Once these classes are taken you can expect a 6 month wait to get into the next nursing class. Then you take 2 more years of classes to complete the degree. This tends to make the adn program take 3 to 3 1/2 years to finish. The plus side is that night classes are usually offered and that the tuition is far less. The drawbacks are that you spend more time than what you originally expect from a "2 year" adn program and that bsn's are growing increasingly more desirable.

First, not knowing your normal ranges is an easy fix. I won't waste your time with telling you how. But do remember that most nurses don't know all of these ranges by heart unless it applies to their area of practice. Also remember that experience often masquerades as genious. There is no way to have the understanding or clinical skills that a 10 year veteran nurse does. Is that 10 year nurse a genius? Probably not. However, he/she is very experienced. You can't study enough to make that happen. So relax. Your clinical instructor should be the best gauge as to where you are. They see students daily and have a good estimate as to where you rank in the mix. If you are really curious and brave, ask them. I also think your feelings are relatively normal for an overachiever. By no means are you the only one feeling this way.

I've had some instructors that ran their clinicals paramilitary style. That can be obnoxious, but life changes when you get that one instructor with a gift for explaining. That clinical for me wasn't easier, (heck, I was reprimanded by him a few times) but more meaningful. I think many of us have been where you are. I've been there several times, but I couldn't imagine wasting the money or effort without seeing a return. Nursing is a big field that you aren't privy to in clinicals or lecture. I would say you either need to get out now (to stop wasting time and money) or put feelings aside and press on.

Sorry you had to deal with that. However, I guess my point still stands. It seems like staff didn't like dealing with the sick needy people. It also seems like you didn't like dealing with extra sick needy people (I'm sure there are several legitimate reasons why you didn't). I just don't think his issue is worth the OP being berated. Especially when down deep I'm sure most of us can relate, even if it is just a little.

You are right. It would be wrong to fire someone for being obese (wow...can we say lawsuit for bad terminology). However, if obesity interferes with being able to do the minimum requirements of a job then you would be wrong. I responded to one point of a post. I never said or implied it was okay to fire someone for not getting vaccinated. Although I understand the point, I thought it was a stretch to relate nicotine and obesity to vaccination requirements. My mind isn't made up on the vaccination debate, I'm still googling for a few more answers. But, it is fun to read, learn, and debate with you until I figure it out. In the meantime, I'm getting my flu shot.

Your post could be seen with a fair amount of irony. Your reason for being sarcastic is due to spending a lot of time (shift from H E L L) with the same people the OP is tired of dealing with. I think you might be able to relate to him, although just a little, if you tried to forget your horrible shift filled with needy people.

So, would you expect a nurse manager to hire someone who can't bend over to tie their own shoes and asks for extra breaks to smoke?

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope your life is happier now that you are away from him. I might would have typed the same response had I been in your shoes.

Respectfully, I think I'd like more info before giving this advice.

I know nothing about your husband other than what you wrote, but if your biggest problem is him being a hypocrite and desiring a return on an education investment...then all men are a-holes, jerks, expletive, expletive. Anything else I write would just seem trivial without more facts concerning your situation. However, hope is a powerful force and I hope you find it.

I think I would handle this like any male rejected by a female patient. I'd respect their wishes and go on. Sexual orientation shouldn't make this a harder question than it is. If a female nurse is rejected by a male patient then simply respect his wishes. I'm not understanding why this is difficult.

Although I'm an advocate for formulas, I am writing this in case you can't remember one for a test or quiz. Remember that dosages always uses simple math, always. There are no tricks and it can usually be answered without formulas if you forget them. So, if I forgot which formula to use I could still answer this question. I would first start by figuring out how much time I'm infusing. That is the easy one. 0800 to 1500 is 7 hours. Subtract one hour for a break and you infuse for 6 hours total (or 360 min). Next, I'd figure how many total drops fall during that period of 360 min. So, if 25 drops fall every minute then multiply 25 times 360 min which equals 9000 drops. Simple so far and no need to sweat. Finally, it is important to understand what a drop factor is to keep going. It simply means that 15 drops equals 1 mL. It was given to you as 15drops/mL. So, if you divide 9000 drops by 15drops/mL you are left with 600mL. Once again, I'm not advocating that you do this. My point is that this is simple math that can be used without any formulas if you forget them. In fact, the formulas really just do what I did above in a clear and concise way (I could argue that some formulas used are harder than what I just wrote.) If I have time, I check my formulas vs. simple math just to verify I chose the right formula.

Now that is the attitude of someone that will probably graduate nursing school.

I'm being slightly sarcastic, but only slightly. Go to the right school that gives more A's than other competing schools. Not all nursing schools or instructors are created equal. I have seen classes where no one has made an A in the last 5 years....I don't expect to get one in those classes either.

I hope you aren't worrying too much about this. There will be several rn-bsn bridges that you can do that won't care about a few C's in core nursing classes. Try to make up for them with A's in prereq's and sciences. I would say that 99% of hospitals could care less if you have a few C's in the nursing classes. It's probable that the one interviewing you for a job has a couple as well. If no C students(on core nursing classes) got jobs, the hospital would be a lonely place. Happy Holidays