cassi_future_RN

Finally after graduating in may, passing my nclex in june, working in 2 nursing homes(kinda miserable)... I got accepted into the nurse residency program in one of the bigger hospitals in my state! I am so excited especially because I will be able to be on orientation longer to gain experience, and take classes at the hospital to strengthen my skills! It almost seems to good to be true. And I can say that I got this myself, by gaining experience in the nursing homes, and spending countless hours prepping my apps and resume. Because a girl I know from nursing school that graduated with me really likes to brag about her full time ICU job, but its quite convenient to get that as a new grad if your grandma is the DON... It was just so discouraging listening to her talk about how great her job is. Any ways I just had to get that off my chest! There is hope!

Long story short: I graduated as a RN in May 2014, Passed my NCLEX June 2014, and then landed my first job in a long term care facility in July 2014. I've been reading forms, and googling tips but I start orientation next week and I am becoming really nervous. Just wondering what are some tips you have to make a shift go more smoothly, any med passing tips? and anything I should review before I starting. I feel that I am at a disadvantage because I choose not to work as an aide during nursing school so I really have no idea how a day in the nursing home works for a nurse. Thanks!

I would move it up. My qbanks were in the low 60's and i passed on friday!

I have been on AN for awhile now, and just wanted to announce that on Friday the 13th I took my NCLEX and got 265 questions. I really never thought it was going to end, and got angrier which each question I received. I thought for sure I failed. I did the Pearson Vue trick and recieved the "good pop up" but was still not convinced that it worked, I was on edge all weekend long and finally tonight it is official I PASSED my NCLEX. I would also like to add that I did the KAPLAN reveiw course and the course, along with the qbanks and qtrainers are defiantly a big reason of why I passed my NCLEX. Good luck everyone who will be taking theirs!

Thank you everyone. I've decided just for my own confidence I am going to take the class. I think in the long run it will help me feel more comfortable going into the NCLEX.

I am having a really hard time deciding if I should invest in taking the KAPLAN Class before I take my NCLEX... which I am hoping to take in June. It's just a lot of money, but If I am being honest I do not feel prepared to take the NCLEX(I don't know if anyone ever does?). I would just appreciate any thoughts or opinions on KAPLAN or anything else someone has used to prepare for the NCLEX. Thank You in advance.

I have a binder with my printed off paperwork I have to complete. My nursing care plan book, drug book and lab book. Sometimes my med surg book if the clinical instructor says we will have down time to study. Stethoscope, pen light, watch, lots of pens. I keep a post-it note pad in my pocket for VS and report. I have a clipboard that I carry with me with my pt. info and any paperwork I will need to fill out during the shift. I always like to bring more, because you never know when you will need it. I have always had a place to put my stuff during clinical.

^^^sorry for the typo's Im on my tablet[: lol

1st Semester: Med Surg 1- I had taken pharm and fundamentals, but didn't really have to study for those. Once I got to med surg was when I started refining my study skills. I used note cards and would write all of my notes out on this, so I could read them where ever I would go. I would record lecture and listen to it and retype my notes out the day after class. And I would spend a lot of time quizzing back and forth with my study partner. I also read the book when ever I wasn't clear about something. 2nd Semester: OB- Teach taught completely different and I have no experience with babies/pregnancy. So for this class I would make up questions about each section then quiz myself over them and also listen to lecture. 3rd Semester: PEDS! this class is by far the hardest class I have ever taken. I had to double my study time and still wasn't pulling the grades that I wanted too. But this is the semester that I lost my study partner because she got a boyfriend...and long story. So to study I would listen to lecture and retype my notes the day after class, then a few days later I would write my notes out on note cards while reading the book and add information to my notes as needed. and then I would have my mom quiz my after doing all of that. After doing poorly on my first test, I decided to try using ear plugs and I think that helped me focus on myself while test taking.

1) Note cards and highlighters 2) My recorder 3) my best friend/study buddy.

my was ridiculously difficult also with tons of information and a very short amount of time. I took my final today and went in with a 79% needing a 78% to pass. This is the first class I have been on the edge with through out the whole program. Now just waiting for her to add grades so I can see how I did. I'm so nervous.

Role Transition is the one class I haven;t heard much if anything about? So I'm just curious what to expect... I'm getting excited to head back for my 2nd year, even though I know all of the work that will come with it.

Two of my good "friends" from nursing school found out they are not going to pass med surg 2. I know my education is most important. But i cannot help but feel sad about it. Fellow students become like family. Just a little vent

This is how my whole clinical experience at the nursing home for my 1st semester of nursing school was. My CNA clinical were at the same place and I had a totally different experience, the staff gave us stuff to do and let us follow them around and help them, I never sat down once. Now my nursing school clinicals we sat there and worked on paperwork almost the whole time, unless our pt. needed a bath etc. Another student and Iseriously would bug the staff asking for ANYTHING( changes beds, do showers etc) to do and they acted like we were bothering them so we gave up. I just wanted pt. care experience, I didnt care what or how "unimportant" it was- but the staff did not want us there. My 2nd round of clinicals at the hospital were alot better.

The only thing that I ever HAD to complete during clinical was a complete physical assessment of my pt. and my clinical paper work. Other wise my instructor would tell me things she would want me to work on, or the expected stuff to do on whatever shift I was on. like 1st shift we had to do all the AM care, and help the nurse pass meds, help pt. with breakfast etc. and for 2nd shift we had to do bathes, help with dinner, pm care, and get pt. into bed etc.

There is only one student (my best friend) that I share my excate grade with, because people tend to get irritated with you if you do better then them. Last semester I had med surg 1 and most of the class was on the edge of failing or passing, and ppl get really annoyed because in order to pass the class I would have had to gotten like a 72% while most people need to get atleast an 88%, ever since that class I dont tell anyone besides my best friend, I just say "i did good" or "my studying paid off"

oh my goodness thank you! Totally didn't think of that aspect. I have a hard time with the case studies because I am not there were my patient and have to go off the information they give me!

Ok- I have this case study and I have all of te answers but there is one section that I am un-sure if I am goin in the right direction. Any feedback would be great, I've read the book and googled it but Im just not sure if its enough! Nita plans to breastfeed her twins. She successfully breastfed her othertwo children; however, she says "I want to breastfeed, but I really have a lot ofcramping when I nurse, I don't remember having that with the other two children" **all of her vitial signs are within expected parameters) What is the nurse's best response? Because with your first children your uterus had better uterine tone, and when it contracted it tended to stay contracted rather thanintermittently contract and relax as it is doing now. You feel the crampsbecause breast feeding brings on or intensifies the them, this is because thebaby nursing is stimulating the release of oxytocin which is what causes thecontractions. The cramping will be most severe the first 2 days, then if shouldstart to fade away by day 3. 2) What is Nita having more crampingthen with her other two infants?Because she is a multipara so she has less uterine tone, soher uterus does not contract and stay contracted as it did with the firstinfants, her uterus is more likely to contract and relax which is why she isfeeling the cramps. 3) What intervention can help thisproblem? She should void when she feels the urge- because a fullbladder can displace the uterus so it wont contract as well. Ibuprofen- will help relieve after pains. She should makesure she informs the nurse if they don't. Massage her lower abdomen when the cramps are occurring.]

Thank you everyone! Im looking forward to the experience, just stepping out of my comfy level is nerve wracking! lol

We were told that it is "highly recommended" to keep all of our books, and a few are required for us to keep.

Just wondering if I'm the only one? It was bad my first semester, to the point where is would cut into lab practice time because they didn't have the assignments prepared, or all the professors were not on the same page(disagreeing about how to do certain skills). Then my 2nd clinical roataion I got the times/days 1 1/2 week before they started. Good thing I have an undrstanding boss! They are also very good at pushing responabilities off on other teachers, "oh well, so and so was suppose to get you that paper" We got our physical assessment expectations a week(also the same week as our pharm final and med surg final) before check off because no one knew who had it, or what was expected. How can you expect us to be good at our skills if we don't have time to pactice them? I start my 2nd semester next week and Im just hopeing things go a little smoother, I don't need everything to be cut and dry but to know what I will be doing the next week would be nice so I can prepare and become a good nurse instead of stressing and doing everything last minute.

Clinicals;; It will melt your heart the first time that little old lady tells you that you're her favorite student nurse she's had. Then every week your there she finds you just to talk. I think as a student it is the time to take time to talk to the pt. and actually listen, ill have time to run around and worry about passing meds next semester/when im a RN. Pt. can teach you more about things then some professors can. Also never turn down an opportunity to watch anything!! Also some of the time you spend with fellow students it irreplacable! **I just completed my 1st semester.

I will be starting my 2nd semester in about 10 days, so im starting to get the pre-semester jitters. Just wondering if anyone out there has any tips,heads up or stories you wanna share for PEDs/OB? Kids really are not my thing, I dont have any and really don't have any experience with them. Im not too worried about the marterial, Im more worried about clinical. Thanks!

Med Surg 1- I ended up with an A-. and the only way I did that was hours and hours of studying, I did prep sheets, printed powerpoints, highlight important things in the book, recorded lectures and would retake notes from it and the nights before tests a friend and I would stay at eachothers houses and do nothing but reveiw!

Check off's! seriously I have freaked out since day 1(handwashing). Otherwise theory class was easy for me, just alot of studying. And when you are studying- always ask yourself WHY is this the reason.