soontobe_RN

Congrats!!!:balloons: Work hard, don't give up no matter what, and always remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

i don't know how christiana is to work for, however it is a great teaching hospital!!!! the thing is b/c it is so big i felt a bit overwelmed. which is one of the reasons why i went to union. the other reason is b/c union payed their student nurse externs a few dollars more then christiana, but now that i am a nurse, they pay their nurses a few dollars less. ragardless, i want to specialize in cardiology so i will eventually try coming to christiana since they have one of the best cardiac centers around.

CCHS pays more then Union Hospital in Elkton and at Union we start out at 24$/hour (RN). GN gets 22$/hour. I'm not sure about LPN, but I know it is a little less. Benefits used to be great at Union but they recently changed and now, if you don't live in MD or have physicians in another state, it is horrible!!!!! In fact, it is pointless for me to even have insurance through that hospital since I live in DE. I don't know about CCHS benefits.

well, i finally finished nursing school. now, i need to take nclex. i am preparing for the exam by doing kaplan complete online. my problem is that every pre-exam i have taken to see how i will do on nclex i have done really bad on. i am very discouraged at this point. i have always done well in school and somehow whenever i was faced with questions i was unsure about i was able to figure out the correct answer. now, it is like i have forgotten everything that i learned in nursing school. i don't know if it is b/c i am freaking out with these exams or just that i really have forgotten the information. the college i went to is very good and they did pretty well with preparing us for nclex. some students are having the same problem as me but then there are others who are doing amazing! so, now i am scared out of my mind thinking that i will never be able to pass nclex. i even caught myself imagining going back through nursing school again. has anyone felt like this before? am i really as lost as i think i am? as i said i am doing kaplan as soon as it arrives at my home, but will it be enough?? please help!!!!!

congrats on the up coming graduation!!!!:balloons: my graduation in next wens (5/16). i am so excited that i have finished dtcc nursing program. my 1st two semesters were a breeze compared to the last two. i took the hesi exam today and didn't do too good, however, no one really did well except a friend of mine and he got 92% (1,025 points). he has already started studying for nclex, though. i am going to do kaplan online which from what i hear, will really help prepare me for boards:idea: . anyway, since classes ended on mon, i don't know what to do with myself. i have been busy during the day preparing for graduation, and everything else, but at night when i used to do the majority of my studying, i feel lost. my nursing advisor at dtcc, whom i have become very close too, told me today that some students even get somewhat depressed b/c school was such a big part of our life for so long. i have actually felt a little down about here and there b/c of the fact that it is over. don't get me wrong, it is a huge releif that i have actually made it through the nursing program, and i do plan to continue my education b/c eventually i want to be a ped np specializing in cardiology, but i am going to take some time off to meet my family again:lol2: , and get my life back in order. plus, i am 18 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child so, she is going to need a lot of my time. my sons are excited for me (7yo and 4yo). now, i can actually sit down and spend time with them without having to cut our time together short b/c of studying. my husband, who has been doing most of the house work, including fixing all dinners and getting our boys fed and bathed, is so releived himself. anyway, good luck with nclex, and your future endevors. we did it!!!!!!!!!:monkeydance:

Sometimes the things we want are not the things we should have, (or do in this matter). I am glad that you are refusing to give up, and I never meant for you to take what I wrote in that way. If I had I given up close to 10 years ago, I would not have my wonderful husband, children, or even my life. I agree that when people say for us not to do something it makes us strive even harder. In my opinion,(what you asked in your 1st post), is that nursing is not for you. The reason I feel this way is because you have so much going on and need to work through a lot of issues before you can care for anyone. Try for a moment to consider if I was you and you are a family memeber of a patient I am caring for. Now,....knowing what wrong choices I have made, do you really feel safe leaving your loved one with me?? This is the way that I am looking at it. The most important part of nursing is our patients. To be a nurse when we are continually making wrong decisions unconsiously is a very dangerous situation. This is all I am saying. Now, you are right, if you can get your life together and get help for your issues, then what's to say you can't return to nursing then. I have a feeling that if and when you decide to get help, you will understand what many of us are saying.

First of all, let me say that I strongly feel you should find a new career, as well as get involved in some sort of mental health counseling. I know that this is not what you want to hear, however it is what you NEED to hear. I am sorry that you are in an abusive relationship, and I do not agree with the people who feel that staying in an abusive relationship is a choice. Some people do not have anywhere else to go. Unfortuantly, many of shelter are in a very bad part of town with very bad people doing unspeakable things. At least that is the case in state which I live. However, I do not feel that your abusive relationship is any excuse for the wrong choices you have made. First and foremost, what you did , whether it was an accident or not involving the false documentation is a matter of patient safety. As a nurse your 1st thought should have been this acu check that the aid fasified. Patients have died due to errors involving their diabetes and I am thankful that your patient was not harmed as a result. Now, the question that comes to mind when reading this situation is why your preceptor did not notice this error in your documentation, and why she/he was not penalized, as well? Next, lieing on you application shows where you stand morally and ethically. I know it can be a very scary situation when you have to admit your wrong doings to a possible employer. I myself have made wrong choices in the past, however, if I lie then I am still that same person and I don't deserve to be a nurse. Lastly, taking a perscription drug that is not yours is something that we as nurses are supposed to teach our patients not to do. So, considering you did the very thing we teach not to do is another reason why I feel nursing is not for you. Let me say that reading your post I could see the embarressment in your writing, but at no point in time did you truly take responsibility for your actions. With every mistake you discribed to us, you made an excuse for yourself by saying that it was b/c of this person or that person on why this happened, and I have a feeling there is more to your nightmare then you lead on. Regarless, you do need help. Before you decide on what you are going to do for your future, I would suggest for you to get yourself and your life in order, or else you will continue down this road.

Hello. I am a student nurse however, my question is more personal. I am 16 weeks pregnant. today I had a prenatal appointment and my Dr. did an ultrasound just to make sure everything is developing like it should be. It was a level one ultrasound. The baby was perfect! I'm not new at this. Infact, I have a 7yo boy and a 4yo boy. and in between my two boys I was pregnant with a girl but lost her. Anyway, the reason why i am writing is b/c I really want to have a girl. I will be happy either way as long as the baby is healthy but in my heart, considering this will probably be my last, I want to have a girl!! My Dr. (who is very experianced), felt 60% sure it is a girl. On the ultrasound we didn't see anything sticking out. However, my baby kept her ankles crossed so, my Dr. was unable to see the labia. When i was pregnant with my sons they both showed us they were boys right away (LOL). I would like to hear what you all think. Please share your opinions and experiances. thank you! sincerely, Jennifer

well, it is april 2007, and i am hopefully graduating in may. i just want to let those of you who are just starting or will be starting the clinical program at dtcc stanton campus, the 1st two semesters are a breeze compared to the last 2 semesters. med surge is no joke!! it takes a lot of studying. the thing that changes in 3rd semster is that the test questions are requiring you to use your critical thinking skills. know your labs and be sure to understand the human anatomy. in order to answer the questions you need to think the whole thing through. it is not cut and dry!! 4th semester is the same as third. although, some feel that it is a bit easier. i think that the reason for this is b/c by this point you have got an understanding of how to critically think. the best advice i can give is work hard but don't be consumed with getting a's and b's. if you worry about getting the highest grade you will burn out before you graduate. know that c equals degree!!! if you can pull off a's and b's great!!! however, if you are like me, with a young children, and a job, you probably won't see an a in med surge. now, the good thing is that if you are full time (both nurses courses) the other course that you take with 3rd and 4th med surge is pretty easy. you will still need to study but it won't take as much of your time, and best of all, the test questions are a heck of a lot easier!!! well, that's all i have for now. if anyone has any questions about the nursing courses or subject matter pm me. i will be happy to help if i can. good luck to all of you!!! there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!:balloons:

Thank you for the advice. Tomorrow is going to be my 1st day on the floor working for 12 hours. I am nervous and excited. I will take your advice and be sure to put myself out there to the nurses. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks again.

I am getting ready to start my 3rd semester of clinical in a week, and will be graduating this spring(2007) from an ADN program, hopefully!!! I have recently got a job at a hospital as a Student Nurse II / Advanced CNA. I will be on the PCU floor (Progressive Care Unit) mainly, but may float from time to time. I was wondering if anyone who has experiance in being a CNA or Student Nurse has any advice. I will be working 2 12 hour shifts a week ( weekend, more than likely). I will, also, be going to school about 5 days a week ( 2 days are 8hr clinical in hospitals). I need advice on managing time and anything else. I am excited but scared!! I have done plenty of clinical rotations for school but I have never had a job in this field:uhoh3: . So, I won't have my instructor there to help me or my peers to assist me. As I said, advice will be very appreciated!!!! Thanks!!

where are you attending nursing school?

i live in newark which is not far from bear at all. bear is a decent area. i'd say one of the better areas in new castle county. depending on where you are moving to in bear, glassgow medical (not hospital, but is an emergancy care unit) is very close by. then of course, you have christiana care in newark off of route 4. that is our closest hospital, but it is approx. 10-15 minutes from bear. there are many many doctor offices in the area and the major highways are close by for quick and easy access to other hospitals or medical facilities in new castle county and wilmington. i have lived here all my life and it is a pretty good place to live and work. much luck to you!!:wink2:

Thank you! That was so beautifully put. I give you all the credit in the world to work on that unit. Today in clinical we toured the Special Care Nursery. Next Tuesday, I am scheduled to spend the day in there with one other student. After the tour the other student said she really doesn't want to go back. In a way I can understand. It brought tears to my eyes seeing all of these tiny sick babies. I think what really bothered me was that when my 2nd child was born he spent his 1st 13 days of his life in there. I saw the very same cubby area where he was. It brought back all of those memories, all of that pain and angiush of seeing my son with heart monitors, respiratory monitors, and even a feeding tube in his nose. I remembered how hard it was on both my husband and myself. How my oldest, who was 3 y.o. at the time, didn't understand why his baby brother wasn't coming home and why mommy spent so much time at the hospital. After I thought about all of this today, it then dawned on me that this is one of the reasons why I wanted to be in Peds, to help those babies families in their time of need. To top off my day, I watched a birth of a healthy baby girl. You are right, life is so precious. It is easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of daily life. We need to remember what is important to us, and for me, it is my family. As I am typing this my 3y.o(who spent the time in the special care nursery) is sleeping beside me. I am fortuante that he never had any serious complications that were long term, But for those babies that do, I want to be there for them and their familes. Again, thank you!

Thanks for the feedback. I hope it does get better. I don't want to have to put my children in a plastic bubble. :chuckle I been thinking that since I will have all the education when I graduate, going or not going into Peds really won't make that much of a difference when it comes to my anxiety. Unless, something happens that changes my mind, Peds is where I want to be. That is where my heart is. Thanks again! It's nice to know that I'm not alone.

I agree! It is the policy of the hospital, as well as, our instructors preferance that we do not get any children where abuse is suspected.Our instructors choose our patients ahead of time according to what they want us to experiance. We learn in the classroom setting on what to do in that situation, but not in the clinical setting. We also are not allowed by hospital policy to administer ANY medication to children. The reason is because med errors are much easier to make with pediatrics since you have to calculate more so than with adults. It doesn't matter what college you go to or how far along you are to your degree, if you administer a med to a child, that's the end of your clinical rotation there. I think the scariest aspect of pediatric nursing is that they have until they turn 21y.o. to sue for something that happened when they were a child. At least that is the law in my state. I can understand your anxiety about this area of nursing. For myself, this is where I have dreamed of working since I decided to be a nurse, however, it still can be scary when you are caring for a child. Good luck, I'm sure you will find that after about 2 days into this rotation the fear will be gone.

Ever since I started on this path to nursing, my dream has been to be a pediatric Nurse. In fact, it was a pediatric nurse who gave me the courage to start nursing in the first place. This was after I had my 1st child. He had pyloromyotomy for pyloric stenosis and she was a visiting nurse who came to my home to make sure he was healing well. Each day I would watch her interact with my son and was in awa about how great she was with what she did. We talked about how as a child I wanted to be a nurse but when I became a teen, my goals in life were pushed aside for a more destructive lifestyle. Obviously, I grew up and changed my ways, but I still didn't think I could be a nurse. This woman made me see that I could do anything I dreamed of. So, here I am in my 2nd semester of clinical, with only 2 more semesters to go. I have had many experiances so far. This semester I am doing peds and maternal-newborn care. I love it!!!! I love caring for these precious little lives. Now, here is my problem..... I have 2 young sons(6y.o. and 2 1/2y.o.). When I learn about these diseases and disabilities that affect children I worry about my own. Lately, everytime they cough or bump their head, I start to worry more than normal. I can't help but to think, "oh, no! does he have ....?". It has been so bad that I have got up in the middle of the night after hearing my 6 y.o cough, grabbed my stethoscope,and listened to his lungs, for fear he may have something more than just a cold. Is this normal? Do you nurses who are mothers go through this, too? Does it go away? Or am I going to have to give up my dream of pediatric nursing?? Please help!!! If you have any suggestions, I am all ears!! Thanks!

Actually, it's at least a 50 in the overall composite score and if you are to score lower than 50 in that, you still have a chance if you score a 60 or above in Reading. That is how it was when I took it Feb of 2004. They say you are competing against the other students but if you have 300 students take the NLN and 250 score 50 or above in the composite, then that 250 is considered as passing the NLN. That still doesn't mean your in, though:uhoh3: The rank is what gets you your seat. The good thing is, DTCC's wait is slowly diminishing. Last semester they accepted 80 students(my 1st semester in clinical) and since it worked out well, they said they are going to continue to accepting that many students.

As far as how many points you need, I don't know. What it is, the school will give you so many points if you pass the NLN(pre-entrance exam), no points if you don't, then for certain prereqs. they will give so many points for an A, so many for a B, and something for a C. Tehn they tally your points and out of all the students trying to get in, who ever has the highest points get in 1st. The pre-entrance exam is , as I said, the NLN. They give it once a year in Feb. To Take the NLN you have to have passed certain Prereqs. I hope I have helped.

They changed the admisson process b/c DTCC was losing students left and right. It is one of the only schools in the area that requires you to take the NLN, and their waiting list was causing people to re-consider going there, even if they are the best nursing school around. The other factor that played a role in chaning the admission process was that they were being critisized for their "hurry and wait" message they had been sending. A student had even writen something to the newsjournal about what was going on. Needless to say, DTCC ended up receiving money from either the state or the federal goverment to expand their nursing program. That is why this past semester they admitted 80 students instead of 62 or 63. With doing that, students who had taken the NLN last Feb. were able to get in this past Aug. I wouldn't worry as much about getting into the nursing program as I would about being weeded out. Going full time is no joke!!! There is a friend of mine who had a 4.0 up to clinical and now got a B 141 and a C in 142. Honestly, it isn't as hard as it is time consuming. Hang in there, and clinical will be here before you know it, then you will be wishing for a break!!:)

I am in my 1st semester of an ADN program. I should graduate spring of 2007, hopefully!!! In one of my 2 nursing classes for this semester we focus mostly on community-based nursing care. With that, we have learned a lot about where nursing will be in 5 years(2010). Even in the books(Fundamentals of Nursing by Taylor, Lillis, & LeMone and the other is Community-Based Nursing by Hunt), they are stating that the nursing shortage is only going to get worse and that we, as nurses, will move from the hospitals to community-based care. Don't worry, as a nurse, you will always have a job!!! :wink2: If you get a chance check out the community-based nursing book, chapter 1. it will give you a pretty good idea of where the nursing care will be in 5 to 10 years. I hope I have help.

I couldn't have put it better myself ?

Thank you so much!! After looking into this insurance NSO looks to be the cheapest way to go with what seems to be the most coverage. Now, my problem is, how do I know if it actually is the best coverage? The insurance company my school gave us the application for is MARSH Affinity Group Services. It is $33.00 for the 1,000,000 each incident and 3,000,000 for aggragate. That leads to my next question. What is aggragate?? I have to get this in within the next 2 days. I still am lost on what to do.

I am getting ready to start my 1st semester of clinical on Aug 22nd. The excitement and nervousness has been overwhelming. Yesterday, I wrote in my journal about how I was feeling and someone had mentioned to start a thread with what I had posted. This gave me an idea to start a thread of why we want to be nurses. Journal entry 8/15/05 "It's funny b/c I haven't felt this way since I was a small child. I know I have mentioned this before, but it is the best example I can give of how I feel.You know that feeling you feel as a child on x-mas eve, waiting for Santa to come so that in the morning you can open your gifts and stocking? Am I nuts for feeling this way?? I mean, does everyone feel like this before they start clinical??" "I don't know what it is about nursing that I love so much. I can sit here and say all the same stuff everyone says, but it is more than that. It goes beyond helping people. Don't get me wrong, I know I will have bad days and bad weeks. I know there will be times when I will want to find something else to do, but regardless, I still love it!" Why did/do you want to be a nurse??

Today I had my clinical orientation and we received a form for professional liability insurnance. I know I should have asked while there, but it was one of those things that you don't think of until your home :) . I have sent an e-mail to the nursing program coordinator with my questions. I have to sign up for either: $2,000,000 each incident/$4,000,000 aggregate or $1,000,000 each incident/$3,000,000 aggregate Which one do I sign up for? Money is definitly a factor considering I am barely working due to clinical and all of the other expenses there are with this coming semester. I want to be sure I am covered as much as possible, but also, not spending money needlessly. Please Help!! I am so confused!!!