Soida

Do it! I joined the heart team a year ago and I like it. The person who discouraged you won't be much help, but if your're already studying on your own then you'll be fine. He/She won't help much but being a self starter like you are you can do a lot on your own. Also, if the doc is as nice as you say, ask him/her. Usually they like to teach and can give you a better depth of understanding that can help you in case things go bad during the case. My heart doc isn't helpful AT ALL unless you are an attractive young female, so me being a guy I'm SOL :) But i went on youtube and our online databases to find out info, as well as asked fellow heart nurses. It's tough to go it alone, but you'll be stronger for it and be battle ready :)

I'm a JW and I work in the OR. I'm not sure how it works everywhere, but when I am doing an Open Heart case, the Dr has standing orders for things like ABX, beta blocker, blood etc. The pre-op nurse might have just went along with the order to get a type and screen and type and cross because they were just following orders. Also, our blood tubes are pink and blood bands are blue with stickers on them and honestly, with all the pre-op labs being drawn, ECG, being performed, Cath lab tests, etc, a little pink tube can get lost in the mix of everything that is going on. Every hospital is different, so it's not like there can be a blanket statement of "beware of pink/red/blood tubes being drawn". There is enough stress of the surgery itself, added to by the stress of our belief not being honored while we are under anesthesia. I don't always fault the pt for not knowing, especially since they signed the refusal on the blood consent. I can see why the pre-op nurse would follow the order though. As stated before, even if the pt is a JW, they can change their mind and decide to accept. I love the fact that so many here are true advocates for their pt's, even if they don't agree with our stand on blood. I applaud and thank you all.. If in fact you sign a refusal and are given blood, that opens the door for malpractice and/or battery. In the case of children, I agree with the statement about court orders...

I had 108 hours of call on my last check (2 weeks). We take a lot of call as well. I'm on the CVOR team with the same 2 nurse req. So that translates into 28 shifts a week, X2 nurses, divided by about 5 or 6 nurses. I usually do about 7 on/ 7 off call.

I'm a male nurse and yes, you get treated differently at times. I will be asked to a different pod to help lift or move many times. A few patients will ask for a female nurse for some intimate care so I let our PCA do it, who is usually female. Many co-workers say they prefer working with men because of less drama. My managers treat me like everyone else as they should. Personally I think Murse is a dumb word but I couldn't care less if people use it. I highly doubt you'll get hired solely on the fact of being male, and I hope you don't get hired for that fact. But yes, you will be treated different at times because you ARE different. That is a good thing. Diversity is a great thing. Some of the women I work with are "tougher" than some men and a lot less drama. I'd rather work with them then some of the guys at my place. Bottom line, go to work, be the best nurse you can and get over the fact that some people are treated different. This is the real world :)

I was doing my PED's and L&D rotation in school and the class had already had a bad week for parents. Our orientation day partly consisted of what parents do after a loss. They showed us photos, molds of babies' hands, feet, etc.. Many of my classmates were crying. Being one of the few men in the class, I just kept quiet to let them grieve. We had a turn in NICU where we would switch out half way through the shift, and I had the first shift. I talked to the nurse I was following that day, and as we walked in I saw a preemie who was in bad shape. She was born with genetic abnormalities, roller rocker feet, one lung, cognitive deficits. The worst part was that they were young parents and were completely unaware of any problems until the birth. I don't know what pre-natal care they were receiving but that didn't matter now. The baby was barely over a pound and was gray from the neck down. She was on an oscillating vent so when I assessed her it sounded like a jackhammer in her chest. It was a 4 bed NICU and all the other parents were aware that something bad was happening. It was near silent. She slowly declined during the day as family came in to grieve with the young couple. She had turned from gray to a purplish red by this time. They were in a daze. The young mom was crying, and could not be consoled. The young dad just stood there holding her, giving her the only support he could. The shift was over and my instructor came in to say that the next student would be relieving me. I told her that this baby was not going to make it much longer and that it wasn't a good idea for the next student ( a mom) to be in here, since she was having such a hard time during the orientation. She said ok, and the student later thanked me, it was a hard day for almost everyone that day. We were working on connecting her to a standard vent so the mom could hold her while she passed. Her heart rate continued to slow, pulse-ox slowly declined. Then finally asystole. Just the young mom, dad, me, and the RN there with them. They held her for a while then left the room. Respiratory came in and I helped remove the vent tubes. Another RN came in to perform post care. I asked if I could help and she said yes. We gave her a bath. I lifted this tiny little baby so we could put new bedding under her. She was by far the most delicate thing I have ever held in my life. A life that weighs so little... I put on a tiny diaper, and put on the smallest little pink footies on this little girl, hoping to give her all the love I could even though I never knew her, or loved her. We styled her curly hair and put on a pink matching cap. All tubes were gone, all lines removed, and there she lay. The RN left the room and I was all alone with her. I am not a very sentimental person in public ,but when I was alone with her, I simply told her that her mom and dad love her very much, and I'm sorry that you'll never get to know them. I wish there was more we could have done for you, and that wherever you are, I hope you feel the love that we are sending you. Goodbye. I don't have kids, but when I told my wife about that day, all I could do was imagine was her holding this baby and just being there to hold her up like this young dad was doing.

I guess it depends on which department you are hired in. I started last year as a new grad at Banner. They'll do a group orientation, and then do a department specific orientation. I am on a med/surg unit, so we had med/surg academy(think lab days and scenarios), as well as in class lectures. Then you will work as a preceptee for about 5-6 weeks and then move out on your own. What facility, department, shift did you get hired on at?

I get so tired of the double standard, even now that I'm out of school and practicing. During my L&D rotation I the nurse asked the Pt beforehand if they minded having a male student and EVERY one said no. It was by far the biggest waste of time as part of nursing school. There are some details we are missing but I would put a little bit of responsibility on the OP. It sounds like he didn't ask the director what the reasons were for the dismissal. I know if I were being kicked out I would not only know why but I would appeal. I mean it's not like nursing school is fun enough to repeat even one semester :) After the first few refusals I ended up sitting at the nurses station watching the nurse chart, and falling asleep in my chair. I hope the OP can keep his head down and just get that part of school over with. Good Luck!!

Banner University Medical Center Phoenix aka Good Samaritan has an Ortho floor. 7th floor.

I worked full time during nursing school so I couldn't do any of the review classes. I did just fine without them, but some other students were scared so they took the classes. The review class seemed to have some NCLEX style questions on CANVAS along with rationales. TBH, I found a lot of the same info on my Saunders NCLEX book. The math seemed to be a total waste of time in my opinion. The math is the same over and over and over. If you can do basic algebra then you'll be fine. I NEVER did the dimensional analysis because it took so long and there were too many chances for error, but if you are comfortable with it then KEEP doing it that way. You need to find a way that works for you. My math ALWAYS ended up with the same equation of ORDER/CONCENTRATION. An example is the order says 5mg and the concentration is 10mg per mL This means I set it up 5/10 =0.5mL. It may take a few steps to get to this point, but as long as my final equation was ORDER/CONCENTRATION it always worked out. Plus, it's the same math block after block with only little additions. I wish you the best !!!!

I graduated a couple months ago, passed NCLEX, and am completing my BSN in Oct. I live in Arizona and can tell you it is TOUGH here for new grads. As soon as I got my AZ license number I applied to anything and everything with no response. I called recruiters at almost every hospital, called staffing agencies; you name it, I tried it. Recruiters usually go straight to voicemail and never call you back, staffing agencies rarely work with new grads since everyone wants someone with experience, and applying online is almost worthless since I got instant rejection emails for some reason. The online application process is a joke. Out of my graduating class in May, the only ones that had jobs 8 weeks out were ones that worked as aids in hospitals and pretty much had an RN job waiting for them. What eventually worked for me was a combination of dumb luck and persistence. After work I came home and scoured each hospital website and applied for jobs. I viewed applying like it was a job of its own. I spent at least a couple hours everyday, applying, calling, searching, and researching. At work one day I called a recruiter and finally got a live person. She did a quick phone interview, called me in for an in person interview with a manager. I eventually was hired and start in a week. My advice is this: get your AZ license, get your resume tight, apply from your home state each and every day, and get phone numbers and names of recruiters for hospitals and call, call, call. Even after I was hired they still didn't call me back when I left messages so I basically just called every 30 minutes until I got a live person. Persistence is the key here. There is a glut of new grads pounding the pavement and we all look the same to recruiters. If you're looking for hospital work you can search Dignity Health, Banner Health, Scottsdale Health Care, John C. Lincoln, Mayo residency program (yes you get paid :) ), Abrazo hospitals, just to name a few. Phoenix is a big place with a lot of health care opportunities, but you'll just have to devote a LOT of time and energy. I hope this helps.

I just finished at SCC. I would recommend you put the schools that are the closest to your place, but make sure to fill in ALL 5. The wait list is long and you might lengthen your wait if you only try for the one closest to you. If you get in one that is far away just go to the first block and then see if you can transfer closer to your place for block 2-4. The attrition rate is high for block 1 so there are usually open spots for the other blocks. I have heard that SCC and CGCC battle for the highest NCLEX pass rates. Hope this helps.

Anyone going into block 3 or know someone who is???

I am starting my last semester and I can tell you that I rarely ever read the chapters. Our instructors lecture off of Powerpoints and those have been enough info. That being said, each person learns in a different way. What I suggest doing is taking your Powerpoints or lecture notes and go through the book and expand and clarify on what the lecutre notes say. This is especially true if you do not understand a concept. The sheer amount of material assigned to read is too much to retain, so I would recommend a focused study approach.

^ Good information!! I agree with everything said so far. Knowing the process will help in this class, and especially for nursing. So much of nursing school is applying concepts to real life situations and exams, that memorizing data simply isn't enough. I would learn a subject/disease and then explain it to anyone who would listen, even if it was my dog. Simply explaining it out loud helps cement it in your mind.

I guess it depends on whether you want to attend a private college or a community college. The community colleges are cheaper by FAR, but do have a wait list. I was on the wait list for 2 years, but that may have changed. You would have to look into it. The private colleges are much more expensive, but do not have the wait list. ASU is competitive, I'm not sure about others such as Grand Canyon University, Everest, or others. Check here http://www.azbn.gov/Documents/education/Nursing%20Programs/Nursing%20Programs%20List.09.12.11.pdf for a list of accredited nursing programs. The nursing program is four semesters called "blocks". I am starting my 2nd block in 3 weeks. MANY have done all of their pre-req's at community college even if they attend a private college for the nursing program. This saves a lot of money. I recommend checking a school in your area, finding out what pre-req's are required to apply, and take them at a community college to save money. Also, all of the community colleges in the phoenix area are under The Maricopa Community College district, so they are all sort of linked. I know that Estrella Mountain community college is out west, but Glendale Community college may be closer. GCC has a main campus and a north campus, but the nursing program is only offered at main. The community colleges have a wait list because they are not competitive, but they do offer a program that is linked with Northern Arizona University that is competitive, but you have to attend an info session, and apply. The good part about the NAU and community college program is that you bypass the wait list, and work on getting your BSN at the same time. I hope this helps. Let me know if I can do anything more. :)

Congrats everyone! I just finished Block 2 at SCC/NAU. I compare Block 1 to boot camp. It's busy, hectic, and takes up a lot of time. I think it's silly that they have tests on seperate days. Please just work through Block 1 everyone. Block 2 is better organized and concise. Going into Block 3, we have one day of class and one day of clinical per week. Just do something Nursing school related everyday, even if it's only going over lab values or abbreviations. Good luck all!!!

I took MCO 220 through SCC, adn HUM 250 through PVCC. The 220 class was about culture and diversity in the media, and the 250 was something about culture and humanities and history or something. Neither was too hard. I know fulfilling the requirements for NAU is a pain. I think I ended up taking more HUM credits than I needed because of bad advice from advisors. I think you should make appointments at different schools and talk to multiple advisors, then compare notes. That has been the only way I get anywhere with MCCCD. They are so disorganized and fragmented it's a joke at times. I hope this helps.

Block 2 is better. I liken block 1 to a boot camp. The 100% competency on check offs were tough, but I understand why they do it. It's a little different in block 2. It's faster, but easier in some ways. It's a little less work load, but still challenging. Not all clinicals and clinical instructors are the same, but we are expected to build on what learned in block 1. You actually go over some of the same material, just more in depth. I like it because the tests are more focused, instead of an exam over 3-5 different systems or subjects. Let me know if you have any more questions.

I am in the NAU partnership program, but some of my classmates were the traditional program with me at SCC. Our block schedule was class on monday, clinical on tuesday, class on friday. Monday was 8-3,,,,friday was like 8-12. Our clinical was at Life care of Scottsdale,,,and Life care of PV. I'm in block 2,,,so it's still pretty fresh in mind. Block 1 is very, very full. I liken it to a military Boot camp. Make a schedule, do something nursing school related everyday, even if it's only looking over powerpoints. Books will run you about $1000, but they are for all four blocks so you won't have to buy many, if any, more books. Anything else??

Mine is simple, and has helped me through my whole life: It could be worse. I know it's simple, but it works.

My first semester was Tuesday lecture 8-3, Thursday lecture/lab 8-12, Wednesday clinical 530-200.

In our class we have a lab/lecture 8-12 on tuesday. This is mostly a lecture about a skill, then we go to the lab to practice. Sometimes we don't go to the lab, sometimes we do. It depends on the skill. We also have videos that we are supposed to watch, but I usually just check out the skill on Youtube. We do have a checklist that we are graded on, so we at least have an idea of what to expect. Our skill "check off" consists of a written quiz/test, and a demonstration of the skill. Last semester (Block 1) we had to have 100% on both written and demo. This semester (Block 2) our IV check off was a little more lenient. If you are having trouble, you could go to Youtube and check out the skill. Some videos are what NOT to do, but you can glean some good info and technique. But, as you are aware, nothing beats hands on learning. I would check to see if your school offers any open lab. Sometimes you have to sign up for it.

Those were hilarious! I passed them on as well.

It was sort of competitive. You have to have 2 letters of recommendation. I had those, but I didn't have any from a medical background. Plus I was the last group that was accepted that could be short any credits on the Pre req's. The big plus about this program is that we found out in less than 3 weeks if we got accepted or not. I did not get my first choice, but I figured that this was due to me being a few credits short of completing all the pre req's, and not having any nursing/medical background on my job or letters of recommendation. If you go to the application session, they should be able to tell you when to expect a response as to whether you get accepted or not. I think 3 or 4 MCCCD schools are doing the Concurrent program, so you might have a better chance as more schools link up with NAU. You might also want to check out the ASU concurrent program. I know it's more money, but it never hurts to explore all your possibilities. I had a 4.0 when I applied to the NAU concurrent program, and I can't remember what I got on the NET. I just hope they can tell you quickly whether you got accepted or not. NAU is also doing a partnership with University of Phoenix as well. Hope this helps...

Honestly I would worry about Patho much more than I would worry about Micro.. Micro does deal with all sorts of bacteria, and other microbes, but I think this was one of my favorite classes. We got to do a lot of interesting things in the Lab portion. The hands on activity was really neat. Patho was much more demanding because it dealt with much more diverse content. I thought that Micro was a lot like my early Bio class, so it wasn't completely foreign to me.