JimmyMac

Here's one if you work in a busy ER or pre-hospital. But many physicians will order 1 liter of normal saline over an hour. And we will be short infusion pumps. Well, if you remember IV math, just use the roller clamp but make sure you remove all air out of the saline bag. Thus, your line won't go dry.

Academically, anything can change. In my nursing class, a few people that had 4.0 in the prereqs barely made it, or didn't make it. And some students that entered the program by the skin of their teeth made through just fine. It's different in a sense that you are studying to care and help people, it has a bigger meaning. This alone, helped me focus on understanding the content and thinking critically (get use to hearing critical thinking) to achieve my objective. Some tips: Know what and what not to study. You can't learn everything in nursing school, as much as you want to, you have your whole career to be filled with non-stop learning. Focus on what your professor/instructor is lecturing on, take brief notes while keeping full attention in class, and always read over what you talking about in class prior and after. Find a study buddy that will keep you committed. Bouncing ideas, thoughts, and questions back and forth helps fortify information. Sometimes if you understand something and teach another person it, you are able to recall is easier and vice versa. Stay organized. By no means am I the most organized person, but there are so many dates, write everything down so you can remember. Lastly, you will be nervous. We were all nervous to a point of anxiety and fear. But you will overcome it, it will get better. I would be worried if someone wasn't nervous! Best of luck!

Keep a well trimmed, professional looking beard. And there shouldn't be a problem. I have a beard, I keep it at a 3 on the clippers and clean up the edges, and I was hired on at the emergency department.

Agreed. For example I believe on Scrubs, there was an episode where Nurse Carla stated she never went to college to achieve an education. I don't care if she even has a diploma in nursing. It's something. And for that episode to be made in modern day and the writers really didn't think through that loopwhole. Nursing school ADN was much more difficult 10 fold than my computer science degree.