student forever

After the first test I realized that very little actually had to do with the individual names of drugs, but more about the concepts. After that I did not bother with memorization of names of individual drugs, and just read the chapters very well to grasp the concepts of the drug classifications such as cancer, heart, etc... I got an A so far, so it has worked for me. If you have the kind of teacher that drills names, then that will not help on that score. Drugs can come and go, but the concepts of what drugs do to the body systems will never change. That is where I would place the most time and effort.

Hi! I am 60 and an lpn student, too. Oldest in my class and at the top, too. I worried about my age a lot more at 40 than I do now. Many 40-45 year olds worry about their ages. You do get over that! As long as we are alive we can learn and grow and become more tomorrow than we were today. I don't think anyone in my class knows my age. Once they guessed 47-48 but I just smiled and said: "I'll have to show you my driver's license 'cause you won't believe it!" and left it at that. It was actually a 70 year old lpn that convinced me I could do this!!!! She was working home health and planned on working til 75 at least!!!! If you want to be a nurse go for it. In 5 years you will be 55. You will be a 55 year old nurse or you won't. It is your choice!

PS another tip: if you have a final exam in a & p (most do) then, occasionally listen to an old lecture or review the old stack of flash cards to keep the brain in tune. You are going to need this info for your entire career, so might as well get the brain used to it now.

all of the above, esp youtube. And the flash cards- I take them to work with me in my pockets and review even one or two body parts while riding the elevator! I quiz myself while transporting a patient. I picture the body parts and functions while feeding, bathing, etc all the residents; driving I listen to the recorded key words and lectures. IOW, I got a 98% on the endocrine system because I made flash cards and quizzed the gland, hormone, target, action, stimulus over and over and over and over... did I say I made the flash cards and then FLASHED them over and over?

I got one at Wally World (walmart)

The NOC is not fun, that's for sure, but if you keep letting them know you'd like days, I am sure they'll sooner or later move you to more days. Doing both might really be a challenge!!! I would be very pleased with 20.00 an hour to start. You have raises at certain points I would imagine?

we purchase study guides that go along with the books, not all are required, but even the required ones have not been homework. The teachers just tell us what chapters the tests are on...all of them... and we read the whole chapter. There may be handouts and homework, but reading the whole chapter is essential because the questions for the test comes out of a test bank and so anything can be on the test. The study guides that have gone along with the chapters have helped some. I would not say they helped me to ace a test yet, but did perhaps help me to focus or think a different way about the material. I tend to skim over things I don't find very interesting and they force me to take a better look at the text.

Two students in the calss before us who just took their nclex stopped in to tell the teachers Hi and that they passed the test (one passed, one didn't) and they just told us that the nclex only gave drug trade/brand names, not chemical/generic names on the test. It made me very depressed because I have been learning drug classes and suffexes like lol, pril, pine, etc, and the trade names are all different- no way to get a grasp on that! Anyone know anything about this???

I agree with everyone else... stay focused on YOU and never mind about what "everyone else" is doing. You are the only one who can be a licensed LPN based on what YOU do!

I am in my second month also and have had clinical with a patient assigned to me. What are you confused about? Usually, the cna in charge of that person is the one you will work with and follow her lead as to showering and feeding the resident, etc. Have you been deserted by the cna? In that case, you will have to find out from your instructor or the lpn on that hallway is my guess.

Medical terminology is invaluable, because there will be many times where you can figure out the word by knowing the roots, etc. During tests, it might help you make the right choice! Also as has been said: a & P! Also intro to pharmacology, maybe some youtube videos to get familiar with the jargon if you've never had any of that before. Can you get any of your books early? That has helped me a lot.

I have also been studying for the nclex for a month or more and didn't start lpn school until Jan 7th. I found it has helped me to rationalize my way through test questions much better... helps me think like a nurse. My teacher says we'll be adequate nurses at graduation, good nurses after a year and excellent nurses after 7 years. It is a process to say the least, and critical thinking is numero uno according to my textbook. Good luck.

I miss going to daily Mass at church. It was one of my favorite things about retirement. Now that I am back into school Monday thru Friday, I no longer have that privilege.

Our first two sites are the VA and a long term care facility. After the summer break, we come back in the fall and the sites are at the hospital until the end of the course.

The time will come when you have a few days off and you find you are really missing them and thinking of them... it might seem impossible right now, but it does happen when you really love the elderly population. As others have said: you will gain speed as time goes by and find that you do have time for a chat here and there.