nik415

I barely passed my Fundamentals course. Anything below an 80 is failing, I had an 81 at the end of the semester. Our professor warned us that no one ever passes the make up exam. They are notoriously hard and consist of 5 open-ended essay style questions. Fast forward to my 3rd semester and I had to withdraw because I was not going to pass clinical which is the over riding factor to our grade. I'm still kind of devastated about it. I'm hoping to get back in for the fall.

My first semester (Jan. 2012) it was never really explained what the lab was for. We had to figure it out ourselves, and then we heard from upper classmen that faculty was concerned that our class wasn't practicing enough. I guess they forgot that we're in the night program, and the majority of the class can't get to the few morning hours offered. This semester is even worse. Most days there are only 10-12 in the morning, and 4-7 at night which doesn't leave much time when lecture is from 4-6. The hours are so incompatible with most of our schedules that I want to speak to someone about it, but I'm not sure who or that it would do any good. Plus that lab assistant isn't the nicest person. Luckily, we only have 2 practicums this semester and we just had our first one. I guess you probably want an answer to your question. When preparing for a practicum I spend as much time as I can in the lab. For our most recent, I was only able to spend 3 hours the day before the practicum to practice. Our next one is on physical assessment at the end of the semester. I plan on trying to get in there at least once a week to practice.

There are several ways a patient could respond to you educating them about healthier choices. "Why should I listen to you? You're just as overweight as me?" But even if you were at the ideal weight, the patient could say: "What do you know about it? You're skinny! You don't know what it's like to be fat!" So either way you're in a difficult situation, but ultimately it's part of your job to educate patients about healthier lifestyle choices. They'll either listen or they won't so just do it and move on. On a personal note, if you are looking to lose weight and change your lifestyle I recommend checking out the book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. I've found it to be very helpful. Good luck!

I don't want to sound callous but talk is cheap. Everyone's saying I'll quit after school, but then that becomes I'll quit after I pass NCLEX, I'll quit once I find a job, I'll quit once I get handle on being a new nurse. I've begged my mom for years to quit smoking but she hasn't and she won't. She watched her mother die of lung cancer, and my grandfather is slowly wasting away from emphysema and COPD. I have resigned myself to the fact that my mother will most likely die far too young. Perhaps, before I have children. It breaks my heart knowing that she might not get to see my children or that my children won't get to know her. My grandmother died when I was 12, and wish all the time that she could have been here to see me grow up and that I could have gotten to know her as a person. I don't have nearly enough memories of her. I wish everyone all the best in quitting and hope you actually do.

During the semester I kept handing over a knob on my dressing. During clinical it was either around my neck or in my giant smock pocket. Over the summer it was in my bag I took to clinical. So excited to be going back in two days!

I don't think we read the entire book but most of it. Reading is what works best for me so I read every single assigned chapter at least once. Then when I study the slides I refer to the text to clear anything up. Even though all the reading was tedious, I was reading the same info 3 different ways then usually seeing on the DVD and step by step in the clinical skills book. This semester I'm going to try outlining. Info from the texts will be in black, info from slides in blue, important lab values/test info in green, etc.

That is very frustrating, but I've learned to not let what others do or don't do bother me. I don't have to time to care what other's do. I do everything to the best of my ability, and do exactly what I think should be done for the time I'm there. I will always treat patients like they are a family member, and do what I would want done for myself. That being said, I think it's completely unacceptable to ever say you are above doing something.

That's ashame (sp?) about your friend, but going through nursing school is very different than pre-reqs. You might you feel very comfortable telling others about your personal life, or may not. It really depends on the people in your class. I'm in an ADN program so there is wide range of people from age to lifestyle to money needs. No one has been rude to me because I live at home and my mom supports me. I would never look down upon someone else for doing what they needed to do to get through nursing school. Good luck!

Mine's ok. I have no idea who decided that white scrub pants and snap-button top was a good idea, though. I'm always worried that Mother Nature will show up unexpectedly; not to mention the fact that there's the very high possibility of getting bodily fluids on us. Then I worry if I ever have to deal with an unruly patient that they could potentially rip open my top. But I know it could always be worse...

In regards to what to say just tell them exactly what happened. I was raised to always tell the truth, and that has never steered me wrong.

At my program, and I believe this is likely to be how it is at all programs, once you are accepted into the nursing program you must submit a background check and drug test. When I went to get my packet of information I was told that if anything came back on the background check or drug I would not be allowed to attend. So the issue as I see it, is not "will you get licensed" but can you even get to the point of being able to get licensed - ie: get into nursing school. Every program and every state is different. Speak to the director of the program you are interested in applying for, and contact your state board of nursing. I know nothing about the law, but if you can get it expunged I don't see why you wouldn't eventually be able to get into a nursing program.

Just wanted to add something quickly, that I found to be very helpful. I color coded my text books on the reading list. Every time it was Fundamentals, I highlighted it yellow, Lab text, Skills book, and DVD all got another color. So every time I wrote the assignment in my planner/agenda/calendar it got the corresponding highlighter color. So instead of having to read what I wrote I could just see I needed the yellow text book, and then I focused on completing whatever the assignment was for the book. Once it was done I crossed it out. Then I went to green book assignment, then pink, and so on.

I, too, know the feeling of absolute panic that sets in once nursing school starts. I have had to retake more pre-reqs that I'd ever want to admit, and I still passed my 1st semester of nursing school. It was not easy, and for awhile I was on the fence worrying I would not get the required 80 or better needed to pass. The best thing you can do is stay on top or ahead of your assignments. Reading is the best study method for me; so figure out what works best for you if haven't already. Then make a list of all the readings you have to do and when you want to have them done by. Do the same for all other assignments, such as drug cards, care plans, or papers. If your readings list says, read: Chapters 1-3; watch DVD module 1-4, Skills workbook 1-6 (demonstrates how to do skills like insert a catheter) - do ALL of it. All the information will be the same, presented 3 different ways for you to retain the info which you will be tested on eventually. Also (this will vary depending on your school) but we had quizzes every week in lab, and there were at least 4 quizzes I could have gotten hundreds on had I just triple checked my answers. Even though I did check twice, it wasn't until we were going over the answers that I realized I didn't fully answer the question, or the answer was wrong and I just didn't realize it. My quiz grades are what saved me at the end of the semester; so do as well as you can on those - they are relatively easy. (Ours were 10 questions with varying question types; such as fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, 2 parts, etc). I had to retake my medication practicum 3x before I passed! But I'm glad I had to do it that many times because I learned something new each time; something that I will remember forever now. Our practicums were pass/fail - how do they grade you on your practicums? Before I started, someone a semester ahead told me they lost about 20 students out of 60. When I told my uncle this he said: "Well, there's still more people in than out." (My class ended up losing about 20 people after the end of the semester, but judging by the pictures from previous graduating classes only about half of us will graduate. At least when we were supposed to, you can repeat and only end up a semester behind, but you can only repeat twice before being dropped from the program) The people who aren't going to make it are the ones who just don't do the work; others will have unexpected life events that force them to drop. It doesn't mean they won't eventually become nurses. I have a learning disability, if I can do this - you can do this. Even if you don't make it the first time around, you'll get there eventually. Good luck!

First day back is on Wednesday I start with Peds then we'll switch to OB later. I was excited, but I'm getting more nervous the closer it gets. Not all that excited about watching ladies have babies honestly, but knowing how long that can take I might not even seen a single baby be born.

In my program to pass you must have an 80 or better which is a C. A 90-100, B+ 87-89, B 85-86, C+ 82-84, C 80-81. I don't think anyone strives for a C. I know everyone in my program worked really hard, and those that did not do the work didn't pass. I have a learning disability and worked just hard, if not harder, than others and still only managed to get a C. Just because I get a C doesn't mean I'll be any less of a nurse.

At my school we're supposed to only wear one pair of post back earrings - no cartilage piercings. No nail polish or fake nails. No visible tattoos, but I know married students can wear their rings (not sure about engagement rings). However, in my clinical group 2 people have visible tattoos, another wears large hoop plus 3 more studs in her lobes, another as cartilage, one girl continues to wear nail polish as does our clinical instructor. I don't wear earrings anymore because I have a nickle allergy, and even though I love doing my nails I don't because all I can think about is it chipping off into someone's wound or something like that. The uniform is strict because we are representing our school, but our professor has said in the real world many people have tattoos and piercings and gauges and all the other kind of stuff.

A guy in my clinical section called me on Sunday to complain about this very thing. He just kept saying how the teachers aren't teaching, that we're expected to teach ourselves, and how in paramedic school they told you everything blah blah blah. I don't understand why he was so upset over being told to read one chapter for 10 question quiz on Monday. I really didn't care to listen to him complain as I was studying at the time, and immediately felt pretty guilty for complaining to my mom all the time about the same thing. However, what he was complaining about is nothing like what you described. We are in class pretty much the whole time we're supposed to be there. In fact we stayed late today to make up for lost time last week. We have been getting out early in lab but that might change as we get further along. I hope things improve, or at the very least you don't have these instructors again.

Thank you everyone for your responses! I start on 1/23/12, and was hoping to pass the exam before I actually started nursing school. You must pass this test before you can start the 2nd semester, and on the first day of clinical you must pass a dosage calculation test with 100%.

I took my dosage calculation test today, and I'm fairly certain I didn't pass with the required 90%. I have two more opportunities to take the test. In order for me to learn math and how to do the problems I have to repeat the problems a million times over. This was just not possible in a class that only met 4 times. Once the semester starts I will get a tutor, but in the mean time can anyone offer any advice or tips on what helped them pass their dosage calculation test? Books with lots of problems, that type of thing? Thanks in advance!

At my test center, you can not have glasses on your head or a hat, or cell phone. If you have a cell phone it must be turned off and placed in an envelope that is then taped shut. It must remain on your desk while you take the test. You are allowed to leave after you've finished the exam. They do have cameras in the test center on the main campus, at the other campus they don't. (I go to a CC.) Your school seems to be taking it to the extreme. I understand the need for test security but seriously you can't leave until the time is up? That's just ridiculous. Obviously they've had some serious issues with cheating; so I wouldn't necessarily blame the staff but your fellow students. Although, the staff at my test centers (depending on who it is) can be total meanies as well. I don't get it - I'm not paying all this money to be treated rudely. And some of them talk too! Which frustrates me to no end because noise is VERY distracting to me. I hope things get better!

Hi dear! Don't be so hard on yourself! :) My first semester of college (Sept. 09) I would have failed 3 out of 4 classes. (Elementary Statistics, Psych 101, Intro to Chem) I was able to drop them with an X which gave me a year to retake the class. I made up statistics and psych, but failed chem again! I took it a third time and passed (I don't remember if I got a C or a B). I might not pass my microbiology lab - having just been accepting to my nursing program! I'm not going to let my learning disability (which greatly affects my math skills) stop from becoming a nurse. If test taking is your issue speak to professor about taking your exams in the test center which may be less distracting for you. You may also want to consider getting tested for a learning disability. Once you have been classified you can get accommodation from your school for extended time on tests. One thing that helped me when retaking the hard classes was to take them during the summer semester (I go to a community college) and I would only take one class so I could focus all my attention on that one subject. Even if you don't have a learning disability DON'T give up! All the best!

On Saturday (12/3/11) I got a letter saying I had been accepted for Spring 2012! I was so surprised because I had just given up on getting in. Has anyone else gotten in?

I got wait-listed too. I wasn't too bummed about it because after this semester I'll have all my prereqs done; and if I don't get in I'm gonna go be an EMT or volunteer at a hospital or something. I've already picked up the form for Fall so I'll be ready to go if I don't get in. Good luck to you!