jhopper

To pull a heavy load at school and work you have to have it together. You have to be able to multi task, manage time efficiently, and maintain a family. Imagine what you'll be able to do when you graduate and you can focus you're time on a nursing career! Good luck to you as well, stay focused.

FDW630 I am listening. Here are some of the words you used to describe your situation: "shell shocked" "wanted to cry" "lost sleep" "depressed" "nervous" "terrified" "overwhelmed" "questioning my ability" "scared" "swamped" "defeated" "nobody has advice" "nobodoy understands" "pointless" Some of these feelings a normal feeling while in nursing school, but experiencing loss of sleep and feelings of isolation are concerning. When you deal with a problem think like a nurse - use ADPIE. Assess it. Determine what the problem is. Plan and intervention. Implement it and then evaluate to make changes. Start with an assessment first: Culd the anxiety your experiencing be compounding your stress levels? Do you have a support system of friends and family? Have you prepared yourself to dedicate your time to the program? Can you draw on other experiences where you have succeded? YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE if you were accepted to a nursing program! If you feel this is pointless it's important to remember your goals. Why did you start on this road, what motivated you in the beginning?

In my school Fundamentals focused on basic nursing skills and functional health patterns. Beside learning new things expect to learn how to do old things differently. You'll learn to take tests differntly, to study differently, to study in groups, and how to think like a nurse. In regard to nursing skills we learned how to make a bed, how to ambulate a patient, how to move a patient safely, infection control, and at the end of the semester we got to learn how to run pumps. As far as functional health patterns go you may be taught Gordon's Functional Health Patterns. Functional health patterns break organ systems into functional, or normal, patterns much the same way you broke them down in A&P. So for example when you cover elimination, sleeping, respiration, or exercise you will learn how much urine is normally passed in a day, how much sleep a baby needs, normal respiratory rates, and the importance of exercise after surgery. Nurse educators feel it's better to teach how to diagnose based on functional health patterns rather than learning a million disease processes. Studying will also be very different from your sciences. Many of your sciences may have required learning at the retention level. In other words you memorize the material, you pass the test. In nursing school memorization is only the first level. This is blooms taxonomy, bascially it shows the different levels of learning. Your science classes may have taken learning to the first or second level. Fundamentals will take it to the application level and higher. One thing you will notice that's different from your science classes will be the test format. Nursing school instructors base their test questions on the NCLEX test. You may find these frustrating at first because all the answers seem correct. You will have to put your critical thinking cap on. I remember this test question on our second test: "your patient has bright red stool. What would you suspect? a) upper gi bleed b) lower gi bleed c) patient has hemmorhoids d) patient has a stomach ulcer." Doh! All the answers could be correct here. I knew ulcers bleed, but is it passed in the stool? I remembered from A&P that most stuff is digested in the upper gi, so it may be hard to see blood from an ulcer in the stool. Hemmorhoids seemed right. Upper gi bleed sounded right, but so did lower gi... I later learned that lower gi bleeds appear bright red as the blood is fresh. Upper gi bleeds tend to clot and turn brown. The hemmorhoids will deposit blood on the stool but not in the stool. I wish you all the best.

Update. I finished first semester while working 48 hours every week. I finished Pharmacology with an A, and fundamentals with a B. I passed every clicnial skill return the first time with no repeats. Our school also holds a math test to pass Pharmacology. A 90% is required to progress to the next semester. I passed this the first time as well. I will work this schedule next semester as well. It is very doable.

I waited for my letter, and waited. When all the other students had theirs I was still waiting. Nearly a week later I made a trip to the ASN director and found out my name had been pulled from the canidates list! I couldn't believe it. Thankfully my advisor was able to get everything worked out, and 30 minutes later I had my packet in hand with the acceptance letter. I told my advisor I wanted to hug her, but I refrained. After getting my letter I walked into my Chem class and announced my acceptance to the class. Was an awesome moment.

Like we've discussed before, in my opinion kids thrive at home with mom and dad mixed with plenty of peer interaction. Nursing school will always be there. Kids need mommy and daddy.

I made a career change back in 2010 and earned my EMT license in Spring of 2011. I only took the NREMT and skills one time. It'a been one of the best decisions I've made in my adult life. After the NREMT I got a job at a county service and I've been there for 2 years now, and although the EMT scope of practice is limited here I have a couple of partners who allow me to make first patient contact and take patient care. The experience on the ambulance has been good, even the bad experiences. Working with other professionals has taught me new things and reinforcedwhat I already knew like how to perform an assessment, making use of a slide board, head injuries in semi-fowler's, treat the patient not the monitor. More than anything I've learned the importance of professionalism. I just wrapped up my pre-reqs and was accepted into the ADN program this Fall. As a family man working 48 hours a week I'm counting on a rough ride. Got my wife on my side though. She supports me and I'm certainly encouraged by the posts I've read from others here.

Well said Quarterlife88, well said.

I wonder what the proper plural form for "thermos" is? Thermosis Thermice Thermoseses

My buddy finished school a few months back, failed his NCLEX, and already had a job in the ER. Hand slaps forehead! After school I'll take the NCLEX, just once, and go get a job. I've been through a similar situation as an EMT. I passed the EMT practicals and written test first time. I had a job a few weeks later. I guess getting a job will be the crowning acheivment. A beer may be involved.

Kelly, I am assuming you want to earn your RN license. I don't know of any specific law(s) that would prevent you from becoming a nurse with a history of prescription drug abuse. However, all of this will depend on the state you are in and the age at which it happened. Additionally it would be a matter of whether or not the drug abuse was reflected on your criminal record. If this is limited to a medical history I doubt any organization or person could even see it due to HIPPA. Here is what I know from my school. They will likely perform a background check before acceptance. At my school medical history is limited to immunization titers. Drug tests are standard. Nursing schools don't like law suits. They are going to mitigate any possibility of negligence on thier part by selecting students judiciously. As for the anxiety. If it is a disorder, disturbing normal daily acitivity, you need to consider a few things. As a nusre you will be required to meet deadlines, follow detailed directions, memorize information, and analyze data. You will interact with angry, intoxicated, or violent people. You will be required to make important, possibly life changing, decisions in stressful enviroments. Think of situations you have been in requiring you to carry out similar tasks, how did you do? Shadow a nurse in the ER or at a clinic, depending on what you want to specialize in. Talk to other nurses and students. Chances are spending some time with us will either turn you off or on. Cheers.

Yes, I need a big cup as well.

How did this all get taken out of context so quickly? Since when was it wrong for a guy to have wholesome values? Apparently a gentleman is no longer allowed to be a gentleman. Years ago our culture embraced the stay at home mother, and the hardworking and upstanding father figure. Opinions aside. We are taught to understand and educat our patients through the lens of cultural relativism. That the family and community play a key role in one's health. Day care (community) can be a good enviroment under the right circumstances, but it is not a replacement for an absent (family) mother and father.

That may be a bit of a blanket statement. I know a lot of Mexican stay at home moms who read People Magazine and use a cook book. I'm not advocating ignorance, illiteracy, or bigotry. I simply believe it is healthy for a mom and dad to provide a wholesome home enviroment for their children, with plenty of one on one time as opposed to the kids being in an institution all day. I simply believe in healthy families where mom and dad are involved with their kids for more than breakfast and dinner.

I know other students who have had to do the same. You are working your way up - social mobility. Someday you will be making 65k a year or more and will have paid more than your share of food stamp benefits.

Miiki, I am enjoying your thoughtful questions and curiosity. I'm not sure what we would have done if my wife wanted to go to college, although she had already gone to college and I had not. As for sacraficing, I guess my wife looks at going to work and college as a sacrafice on my part, because she loves being at home with our children. I guess its' all a matter of prospective. My wife and I live in our own home. I am the only income. It is true that Asians tend to send their children to school for long hours, however this is still recently new in Korean and Japanese cultures. Women tend to stay at home, esp in the traditional Japanese culture. But for the most part the traditional culture of Mexico, Asia, and Pacific Islands revolve around dad at work and mom at home. Obviously there are expcetions to every rule. The effectiveness of a parents decisions... that will be decided when the kids are adults. We'll know in about 12 years.

@ Stephalump Did I mention your name when I made any of the above statements? Why are you making this personal? My beef with daycare has nothing to do with you, nor do any of my statements. My problem with daycare stems from the generally unhealthy enviroment. They often have an unproportional adult to child ratio, expose children to negative behaviors illness and abuse from caregivers and other children. I only want what is best for my children which is why my wife has chosen to stay at home. However I recognize some use day cares out of neccessity rather than privilege. Like I said - your milage may vary.

It would be impractical for me to leave school right now for my wife to take classes. Doing so would cause a financial set back. Nor would my work schedule allow it. However, after I finish nursing school she will have both options available to her.

I'm just expressing my opinion. I guess it makes me feel good telling others what I think. Again, you're welcome to disagree and tell me what you think. I may not agree but I'll respect your opinion.

My wife aspires to be a wonderful mother. She has been to college, and will return when I finish. Yes, I will care for our children when she does. Will she pursue a career: doubtfull. She likes being a mom. We believe in gender equality with an emphasis on the male bringing home the bacon so mom can be mom. Someone once asked: "is a feminist any better than a male chauvinist"? Just sharing my opinions. You are always welcome to disagree.

Working 48 hours a week with a family and a 3.4 GPA. Agreed, brutal but possible.

Nothing personal, nor is there any abdicating of responsibilites. I work extra hard in order to allow my wife to stay at home. Your milage, and opinions, will vary. Cheerio.

Watch this first: Moral 4: there are no shortcuts in life. Moral 5: if you're mother were sick in the hospital would you want the RN from the fast track program caring for her or the RN who went to the accredited 3 year ADN college? Moral 6: well there is no moral 6. go to a better college...

I am a male nursing student, father of 3. We are priviledged, because my wife is able to stay at home with the kids. I have my own opinions about this subject. I have traveled into Mexico, Asia, and the Pacific Islands interacting with families from other cultures. It's my impression that we Americans have an upside down concept of parenting. Because we are driven by matieralism we tend to pursue our careers at the expense of spending time with our children. We pay another person to watch the kids for 8 hours a day while we go to work or school. This sort of parenting is found in other cultures, but is reserved to the upper echelon of society. Usually this is in the form of a nanny or in home care giver providing one on one care. In america we have developed the daycare system involving a few care givers and many children. At the end of the day all I am saying is that there is no better day care than home. I'm sure glad we made it work...

Titers are expensive. I started the round of shots again. You might be able to get them for free at the local health department as a nursing student.