jackometer

Is every nursing program this tough? My school has a reputation for being extremely difficult. I'm wondering if I should just switch to a different program... Or switch to a different career, but still in the medical field...

Thank you everyone for the motivation and kind words :) To NurseLoveJoy88, our instructors want us to do everything for our patient this semester. We can ask the other members of the health care team for assistance, but as for delegating... we take over the NA's responsibilities for our patients. So the real world isn't like nursing school?

Our assessments have to be done and charted by 0900. By the time all of us finish going over our pt's background and our priorities with the instructor, it's 0830. I've been practicing my head to toe assessments, but I just feel overwhelmed and then I get anxious when I think about taking on two pts.

Hi Everyone, I am in my second semester of nursing school and I am seriously thinking about throwing in the towel. This semester our instructors expect us to be able to handle two patients, doing total care. I still have only had one patient at a time so far, and I am bewildered with that just one. By the time we finish meeting with our instructor and getting report, I have 30 min to get in my assessment, do vitals, do ADLs, and then document everything. I am feeling like I can barely handle one patient, let alone two. I keep telling myself I will get better with experience, and I keep reminding myself why I wanted to become a nurse in the first place, but I still find myself so stressed before, during, and after clinicals that I can't eat or sleep. It's starting to really impact my studying as well. I would really appreciate any advice on anything (time management, prep sheets, how to assess quickly, how to document, seriously I mean anything). Thank you all very much :)

To add to ScottE's fantastic post... make sure the patient is laying on their side with the top leg bent. This way the greater trochanter really sticks out and is easily palpable. And once you locate where you want to inject the med, be sure to palpate to make sure there's muscle. I know it doesn't feel like a lot of muscle, but it's there! Good luck :)

Thank you for your responses. I'm doing my peds rotation this semester so I just wanted to be sure about the concept of piggybacks. I will continue to go to the skills lab and get even more comfortable with IVs. Thanks again!

Situation: I have a primary bag of NS infusing through a pump at 125mL/hr and I need to attach a secondary bag which has a medication in 50mL of solution needing to be infused at 100mL/hr. The piggybacks don't have lines of measurements so I can't verify if the bag has 50mL or more in it. I understand that when programming the IV pump, I program the settings for the primary line (rate and amount to be infused) and then I program the secondary line with the medication, mg of medication, mL of solution, and so on, and I double check to make sure the dose and rate match my calculations. I understand that the pump will count backwards from 50mL and once it hits 50mL it will go back to the primary line settings (in this case, 125mL/h). But what if the pharmacy DID send me a secondary bag with >50mL? Now medication will be administered at a different rate than what was ordered once the pump has infused 50mL. Should I automatically assume the pharmacy will send me the right amount of solution? Or should I assume the pharmacy sent me more than the ordered amount and should I set the amount to be infused of the secondary line higher? Thanks everyone for your responses.

Definitely know your physiology and anatomy, it helps when it comes to understanding your pathophysiology. When you're in the program, adopt a "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to grades (if you don't already). Get ready to devote 80-90% of your time to reading/studying. Study groups help immensely! Congratulations to you starting the program and I wish you the best of luck!

During a tough day at clinicals I tell myself: "All of these nurses have been where I am today and if they can do it, I can too." "I am not alone." "If this was easy then everyone would be doing it." "I have been chosen for this program because I am able to do it." "One day I will be that nurse the doctor trusts when I say 'Something doesn't feel right' at 2am and the doctor actually comes to see the patient." I just recently had the most horrible clinical experience I have ever had and was feeling such an intense anxiety attack I went to the bathroom to calm myself down for a minute until my stomach settled back down into my abdomen. I later talked to my clinical instructor about what happened. She was very helpful in that she understood my rationale and told me alternate ways to have handled the situation. Our clinical instructors are there for us and their number one concern is the safety of the patient. They will not let you harm your patient.

When you miss taking 15 units at the college where you took your pre-reqs.

Thanks everyone for your input, I appreciate all the comments :) I won't say anything to my CI but I will remember that is what a nurse should NOT do.

Hello All, I am a first semester nursing student in a 2 year program to become an RN. Yesterday during clinicals I was with my patient when his nurse came in to give him medications (our instructor passes meds with half of us one week and the other half the following week). The nurse, who is the charge nurse of the ward, was tossing the pills into the patient's mouth like he was playing basketball. One of the meds bounced out of the patient's mouth and onto his gown and the nurse picked it up and placed it back in his mouth. The patient was joking around with him saying that he shouldn't go for basketball. Should I say something or is this acceptable? By the way, the patient was on contact isolation.

Hello, I am a first semester nursing student so I don't have much experience to give any of my own personal advice, but my teachers tell us that 2 years in a med-surg ward is recommended before entering your specialty. Which ever your decision is, I hope everything goes well for you and I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you very much for the advice :)

Hi everyone, this is my first post here at allnurses.com and I just want to say thank you to all the wonderful people helping out us nursing students. I am a first semester nursing student in a 2 year R.N. program. I've done a few care plans based on patients on a diabetic ward and we have now moved to a stroke ward. I am having a little difficulty researching treatments for a basal ganglia bleed. Everything I have found says "treatment based on cause." Below I have listed my pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and common complications. Thank you so much for helping! Basal Ganglia Bleed: The function of the basal ganglia is to control voluntary, learned, emotional, and autonomic movements of muscles like swinging the arms while walking, swallowing saliva, and blinking. When there is a bleed, which can happen with a stroke, it can affect body movement and sensation, vision, judgment, motivation, personality, and speech. Basal Ganglia Bleed: Signs and symptoms: A headache that starts suddenly and is severe and worsens when changing positions, bending, straining or coughing. Changes in alertness, hearing or taste. Clumsiness, confusion, dizziness, loss of balance and coordination, muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing. Numbness or tingling on one side of the body, decreased vision, difficulty speaking, difficulty walking. Also, sensation changes that affect feelings of pain, pressure and temperature. Common complications: Cardiac complications, pneumonias, venous thrombosis, fever, pain, dysphagia, incontinence and depression.There can be medical complications during recovery due to comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Other complications include the disabilities that arise due to the damage of the bleed like involuntary and slowed movements, increased muscle tone, muscle spasms, muscle rigidity, memory loss, problems finding words, tremors, uncontrollable repeated movements, speech or cries, and difficulty walking.