ChristyLL

During the 6 weeks in the summer you will have 4 check-offs that you must pass. 1. Sterile dressing change 2. Vitals signs (pulse, respirations, temperature, blood pressure) 3. Foley Catheter (need to know male and female but will only check off on one) 4. Medication administration (very detailed. Make sure you have down the landmarks for giving the different injections.) You will also have to take a medication calculations test on the computer. You have to make a 100% on it, but it is BASIC math. There are multiple times to take the test so no worries. You need to learn the patients 5 rights as part of the check offs too. There are also 6 medication rights that you will need to learn for the med administration check off. They will give you all the tools you need to pass... you just need to put in the time and effort to get your technique down. You will also have to buy a handbook for the course which has a TON of info in it. It includes step-by-step procedures for each check-off. You will also have to buy a SIM kit at the bookstore which will have all your practice and check-off supplies in it. Budget about $125 or so for the kit!

Bed baths are covered first semester in "orientation" type clinicals. We met with our clinical instructors in the SIM lab on campus and practiced on the "dummies". We also practiced physical "head-to-toe" assessments on each other. You will get a chance to do the bed baths in the nursing home and in the hospital, but that isn't something people should worry about... you don't get a grade for how you do a bed bath! The physical assessment is much more important to get down than a bed bath. I can't stress enough to make the most out of your time in SIM lab. It is the best way to get hands-on practice without worrying about working on a living person. Get your basic skills down and once you start practicing them in the hospital during clinicals you will be more confident. Gotta be able to do all that stuff quick because there's a LOT of paperwork to turn in for clinicals... most of which is your physical assessment. As far as IV's/blood draws, you don't hit on that until 3rd semester in OB. Liz and I haven't made it that far yet... we start that at the end of May. My understanding of the teaching though, is that again, it is done in the SIM lab setting. I have seen "dummy" arms up there that have blood bags attached to them. That is what they use to teach you on. Don't "sweat" the small stuff, but definately learn it. Those basic skills will be critical to your survival. Oh... and adaptability! You MUST be flexible during school or you won't survive. The schedule is crazy and things change all the time. Just know that whatever you start out expecting will happen, probably won't!

As far as the days each week, they will change each semester based on the availability of classrooms/instructors/clinical sites. First and second semester for me has been class Monday/Friday 9am-11:50am. Clinicals are all over the place. There are groups each day of the week. Some are morning and some are evening... it all depends on what is still open when you can register. There are a lot of people that work weekends, and a lot that work second shift. They will give you a tentative schedule of available classes/clinicals at the end of the N1300 program so you will have some idea of how your schedule will be. Good luck in the program! Make sure you have plenty of study time despite work!

The classes on BOSS are set up to where you sign up for a lecture class that is Monday, then you also will need to sign up for a skills lab for either Wednesday or Thursday. After lecture each week, you will go over to the ETAS building to sign up for a skills check-off time. Check-offs are done either Thursday or Friday. You aren't usually there very long at all for check-offs. Make the best of your time in skills lab in N1300... you will greatly regret it at check-off time if you slack off. It's a really stressful class. You will learn basic nursing skills and how to do the properly. Practice, practice, practice is the best advice I can give you on surviving N1300. Congratulations and good luck everyone!

You can get your TB skin test and Tetorifice at the Health Dpt for about $5. Hep B at UALR for $35 each x3 shots and the Chicken Pox shots are about $80 or so each x2 shots. You can always check with a primary care doc also to see if you can get the shots and it be covered under a copay. You can also check with the drs office to see how much it costs to run varicella titers (blood draw) if you have already had chicken pox. Sometimes it's cheaper than getting 2 shots. Good luck everyone! It's a pretty busy program, but the payoff will be great. I will graduate in December if all goes as planned. We are losing more and more people every semester since as Liz mentioned, you have to maintain a 78% in all your nursing classes to pass. There are no absences allowed in clinicals. The program is 4 days a week. Just keep up with your reading and you will do ok. Concentrate on passing the N1300 class... it is pretty stressful, but you will learn the PROPER way to do basic nursing procedures, so it is key that you practice, practice, practice those skills! The instructors are great about helping you as long as you show an interest in learning. DO NOT blow your clinical time off... you WILL regret it! Good luck again!