scrlet

I'm a mature student as well and honestly, I think it is an advantage. Common sense isn't so common and critical thinking as well. You need those two things. I don't know how many times I've heard people tell me answered they put on a test and didn't get it right, just because common sense was lacking or they couldn't critical think. Honestly, I don't do all my readings, I don't have enough hours in the day. BUT I don't just memorize what I know, I learn it. Learn the details, the why's, the why nots and how it all works and comes together. There was one question on an exam I had, I didn't know the answer AT ALL, but I went through how it all worked in my head and why and then I was able to come to the right answer. Ask your teacher questions. When I want to know something more in depth, I email my teacher after class (I know not everyone wants to know what I want to know) and theres always a glass of wine to destress LOL good luck, If you work hard you will get the there !

We are allowed calculators, but we have to show all of our work for every question. So they are more for us to check our work.

I have really good notes to and good grades and people know this about me. Do I hand out my stuff left right and center, NO WAY!! People really tick me off that are lazy and just skate by in classes and if they can't put it a little effort to do their work or try for that matter, then I am not going to help them. I've seen way too many people mooch and barely get by because people give in. That being said, if it's someone I know who is just honestly having a hard time, or missed maybe one class (but not always missing class), I have no problem helping them. I had a girl come to me and ask me to help her study for finals last semester and I did, no problem. I personally just tell them no. I'm not rude about it, but I'm also not there to make friends, I'm there to learn! I get I have to work with these people, but they aren't going to pass me and they aren't my references to get a job either. Just my personal opinion on it. Lazy people bother me and it scares me that they may make it through to be a nurse!

My first semester I didn't work. I am a mother of 2 kids who play sports 3 times a week and my fiance is also in school full time. I couldn't imagine working full time and going to school. I had to study or do projects every night in school. The last semester near the end of it I started working on campus. This year I will be working 3 different jobs, all on campus. At least I am already at school and my work has to do with the college or nursing. I couldn't work a job outside of that though. On campus lets me choose what I want, when and how much I want to work. I know it's doable, but I couldn't

You are going to be doing a lot of studying! I started year on sitting on the floor bent over my coffee table studying and my back killed me and I didn't have enough room. So I went out and bought one of those 6 foot fold up tables and out that in my back room. I swear some days I still didn't have enough room for all my stuff. If I didn't have a good chair, I would of bought one!! My biggest purchase was a laptop! But it has been worth it. All our assignments HAVE to be typed out and I didn't feel like trying to fight with my kids to use the family computer! I usually take all my bills in a month and make sure I have enough to cover that and then I think about how much I will really need for groceries a week and gas. Then I try to stick to that $$ number even though I have more available to me. And what I don't use carries over to the next week. Good Luck Budgeting sucks lol

I usually bring a few things! Strawberries in yogurt with granola, hard boiled eggs, tuna or egg salad sandwich, some other fruit of some sort. Maybe a cheese string or some other snack food. Just depends on what I have at home, but usually a lot of little things and a sandwich of some sort! I bring a travel mug of tea and it stays hot, but I usually break down at some point and buy a coffee. I will buy soup too some days! LOL ok I sound like all I do is eat while I'm at clinical! It's more I can't eat when I first wake up at 5am, so I pack enough because I will get hungry.

I really want ER, but who knows that may change after this year and being on different rotations. I absolutely never want to work in PEDS. I couldn't handle that! Sick kids make me to upset since I've had kids. I know I will see them in the ER, but at least all my pts wont be kids and long term. Plus I work really well under pressure and high stress!

I googled scholarships honestly and found a ton that way. I'm going into my last year of PN too and we are in school until July. I get OSAP $$, but it's never enough. I found one website Free Scholarship Search | Studentawards.com â€" Find Canadian scholarships, grants, bursaries and money for school . It will bring up scholarships from all over the US & Canada and it updates regularly! Good Luck

My first semester in clinical a girl in my group was in a room with me and another student and she right in front of the patient said she couldn't deal with "cleaning poop" and couldn't handle the smell and I had to step in and take care of her pt. I couldn't believe she did/said that and in front of the pt. She is as everyone on here says "the younger generation" fresh out of high school. I took her aside after and told her she needs to get over herself and smarten up because "cleaning poop" is part of our job. Also told her never to say that in front of a pt again, very unprofessional. I don't know why people coming into nursing think they are so above the basics of care for pts. It's like they think they are going to finish school and go right into management or something!!

This is the one I bought and I love mine. I got it engraved and I keep it on me. Plus if you have your own, you get to pick your colour ! And like someone else said ALWAYS clean it after each patient. That's just best practice, even if it's yours or not!

I would like to say that being a student myself I know how scary clinical can be and how even scarier the nurses can be to work under. From what you said, it all does seem a bit excessive, but I will say that "but it was not my patient" I don't think is ever a good excuse. Don't take that the wrong way, but you sign for meds that YOU give no matter who's patient it is! In my program I give meds to patients that aren't mine, but I would never do it, let alone would my instructor let me do it, without looking at the pts chart before, plus the 3-4 checks with the MAR from the time of pulling all the way to the bed side. One day you wont have your instructors there and it will be your license on the line, so best practice is to start acting like its already on the line now and do things the way they are suppose to be done. Just my take on it. I don't think you will be kicked out of the program. Nurses don't get fired for honest med errors and there is a lot of fault on your instructor for not following procedure from what it sounds like. Good luck :)

I finished my first year of nursing at the end of April :) Now I'm bored at home with nothing to do, especially while my kids are still in school. So I have decided that through the summer I was going to review things that I know are my weak areas. I absolutely love nursing and I hate not understanding things and I want to make sure I fully and properly understand everything. (Is that possible lol) So I was wondering if anyone knew any good sites that explains DM or if you have any tricks in explaining/understanding/remembering it. I know the very basics, enough that I did fine on my test for it and my final, but it's still a hard area for me. For some reason my brain doesn't like to wrap itself fully around it. We also only covered it in 2 classes all year, so we didn't go super in depth on it yet. Any help/advice would be great! Thanks :)

I have a rollie bag too. I started my year out with a normal bag and nursing books are ridiculous so i quickly went and bought a new one on wheels and saved my back. One of my med-surg books is 11lbs by itself!!! You need your back, don't ruin it before you even graduate lol I think I paid $50 for mine at a store in the mall on sale, it's leather though and still looks brand new after one year of nursing school :)

I just finished my first year of nursing last week. I have a 4.0. I was just talking with my friend the other day about how many people in our program are doing so bad. you have to have a 60% min to pass and there are a lot of people just hovering that. For one thing, common sense isn't so common and you need that. Critical thinking is huge and I just find people can't do that well. I have also noticed a lack of life experience and being able to apply it has some baring on it, but not in all cases obviously. For some reason too, when taking tests people forget their English first and just don't read the questions right or pick up on key word. So I always circle and highlight. Also, they forget your ABC's when picking the BEST possible answer. Nursing school is a lot of work and like others have said, you can't just memorize it, you have to know it and be able to apply it. Just put the work in and you wil get the results. Good Luck :)

There are lots of us with you. I don't think nursing school is nursing school if someone hasn't broken down and cried at some point (me incl). You will make it through and when your done your family and friends will still be there waiting patiently. I'm lucky enough one of my best friends is same year as me, so one of us is usually calling the other crying or venting or freaking out and stressed. It's rough, I gave up on my house being perfect throughout the week (not happening), but I did make a chore board for my kids as more of a reminder that, hey mom can't do everything and it helps. My bf has felt the wrath of my stress, lol poor guy, but they understand. I thought my friend was going to quit this week because she was stressed out about all the same things you said, but I told her she needs a vaca, march break is in a week and then 8 weeks of school and then we're off and then we only have 1 yr left. It's really not that long when you look big picture and the outcome from it out ways it all. You can do it, we all can :)