Stever01

Music is what keeps me awake during any long drive at night when I'm exhausted, but I'm not just talking about loud music. You have to find the CD/mixtape that gets you going, if that makes sense. I generally listen to whatever is on mainstream radio when I'm driving, but if I'm exhausted on a long commute, I put in a CD that has all sorts of rock on it that my brother made for me, from AC/DC to Three Days Grace. It's the one CD that makes me want to sing, it brings back memories, it engages me in a way, and it wakens me almost instantly. It's the only thing that has ever worked for me, it's just difficult to find the music that gets you going.

I did several searches on this and the most recent threads I found were from 2009, so if I missed a recent topic addressing this issue, I'm sorry :) Is anyone's anatomy lab class cadaver based? If so, how did you handle it? I'm currently in a class similar to A&P I. The other day I was given the option of a) killing a mouse with C02 and dissecting it fast enough to still see the heart beating or b) study a cadaver! I thought I would be able to handle the cadaver, no problem. After studying all of the organ systems, I completed my assignment and left. It was amazing experience and gave me an idea of what to look forward to in Anatomy class. However, I CAN NOT get the smell out of my head, I can't hardly eat any meat, and it's over been a week! What got to me the most was that this cadaver's hands were perfectly preserved, while the rest of his body was all muscle. I know I'm being ridiculous, but I surely can't be the only one! Any advice?

Anybody with medical experience, as far as I know, is needed! I've heard from CNAs who've been assisting at temporary medical centers.

Also, several organizations are urging people to donate blood at their local banks. From my understading, they've issued a statement that o neg is needed desperately, there is less than a days supply left. There are several emergency donation sites that have been set up all over Kansas and Missouri. Go donate! Go to http://www.koamtv.com, all of the information regarding volunteers is updated regularly.

I live in Joplin, I feel so helpless, everything is gone. I helped load three bodies in the back of a truck last night. I can't sleep, search and rescue will be going on for days. I can't get a hold of many friends, but luckily my family is okay. If ANYONE lives in the Joplin, MO region, please help if you can. We are in desperate need of nurses, doctors, ems, supplies, everything. Shelters are overwhellmed, triage centers are being set up and the only other hospital in town will not take patients. Sorry for going off topic, I just need some place to vent.

Ive been keeping up with open positions in my hometown of Springfield, MO even though I'm a pre-nursing student. CoxHealth has recently announced it's hiring 250 new positions, from nonclincal to clinical, so I'm not for sure how many are nursing positions. Integrity Health has also announced it's hiring 30 LPN and RN positions. Don't know if this helps you or not, but it seems this area is relatively nice to new grads. Sorry for not exactly answering your question, I can't speak for all of Missouri.

Thanks for the replies! I live in Missouri, I've looked into the requirements and I do not have to have to be a CNA. This is a part of the reason why I'm so conflicted. The only reason why I'm considering this is because of the huge financial burden of nursing school. I could return to my former job at Subway, save money, and save myself the $1600 in tuition/fees. However, if I couldn't get into anatomy, I'd still be waiting. If I'm going to wait, I might as well do something to help me in the long run. Get my feet wet, start networking! The pay might not be much of a difference between a CNA and a sandwich "artist", but it's the experience I would be after. As for attending the class, I could wait for someone to drop. Getting into a lab section that wouldn't conflict with my shedule as well, which is required, would be a whole different story. Such a nightmare! Ah, sorry for all of the whining/venting/long posts. It helps me think and weigh my options!

Ah, sorry I don't have any advice, I'm struggling with the financial aspect of school as well. I was just wondering, are you sure that your credits haven't 'expired'? I know it varies by institution, in my area some nursing schools won't accept science pre-reqs that are more than 5 years old. Again, I was just wondering! :)

So here's the dilemma: In order to apply to my university's nursing program on time, I need to take Anatomy in the fall (i'll be taking a pre-req for that class this summer). However, anatomy is already closed. After looking into taking the class at a local cc, I found out that you can only receive federal financial aid for one school. This would completely leave me financially screwed, as I wouldn't receive my whole aid package at my university (i'd be considered part time, even though I'm not!) and would then have to pay out of pocket at the other college. My dwindling savings won't even begin to cover what I will need. If I don't do this, however, I will have to wait an additional year to apply (graduation would be May 2015 instead of May 2014). It may seem stupid, but that extra year seems painful with all of the time off. This has also has me wondering: HOW IN THE BLOODY (@#* WILL I BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE COST OF NURSING SCHOOL?! A ton of student loans?! No thanks. That question lead me to looking into CNA classes this summer. If I do enroll in a CNA class, I will not be able to take the pre-req needed for anatomy due to conflicting schedules. So, in the event a spot did open up in anatomy and I was lucky, I wouldn't be able to enroll in that class. BUT, I would be in a better stance to finanically support myself for the next two years before nursing school, and I would gain experience. What would you guys do? Take out more student loans in order to meet the next deadline? Wait until the first semester/fundamentals of nursing was completed before working as a CNA? (I will HAVE to work, no choice.) OR Take the CNA class this summer, bite the bullet, wait an extra year, and work/save to be more finanically stable? I apologize for the novel. I've just been stressing out!

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I guess I've just been feeling pressured to plan out my whole entire life by both family and friends. I'm going to look into all of the suggestions that were mentioned, I'd never even heard of ambulatory nursing. Again, thanks for all of the much needed advice :)

I'm an 18 year old pre-nursing student going after a BSN. I can see myself being a nurse, I've thought about it ever since I was a little kid. However, I just recently declared. I tried to stay away from it because there are so many "what if" type questions. I just need some advice and a place to vent. My current GPA is 3.89, and that is the primary factor for admission into the BSN program at my school. There are no waitlists or anything that are carried over year to year, so I'm somewhat confident. But what if I don't get in? What if I get in and the expenses are more than I can handle? When I graduate (May 2014), what happens if there are no jobs available due to the poor economy? It's all so frustrating. I fear that this isn't what I want, it's what my family wants, and I'm just trying to convince myself it's my dream too. I want to be a paramedic so incredibly bad, but I want a college degree. All of the programs in my area are certificate programs for both emt-b and emt-p. My family will be so dissapointed, they'll see it like if I'm dropping out of school all together. Any words of encouragement? Advice?