tnicnat

There was a press release from ITT, they are officially closing all campuses and programs, offering no teach out to other programs and not starting the new semester. I went to ITT for 3 quarters and saw the writing on the wall, left and transferred to an accredited institution. No nursing credits will transfer anywhere, so I had to retake a few classes but all is good, I have 3 semesters left, I'll have my BSN. I know people at the ITT where I am, going into their last semester and now won't graduate, credits mean nothing, have a high tuition bill and will have to retake everything at another school.

Know your normals, your abnormals will jump out at you. Health Assessment is A and P on steroids....you have to know your landmarks and now what normals are for each body system. Respiratory, normal breath sounds, you know how to listen to that your abnormal breath sounds will show. Same for other body systems. What I always do and others in my class ask me, I get out of the gate with high test scores, then your not scrambling and cramming at the end. Study the same throughout the semester and you'll not stress as much. I see people in my class score horribly on the first 2 and 3 tests and then cry at the end cause they have to get an A on the final to barely pass the class.

If you want it you will make it happen. I have to work full time and take a 17 credit load for the next two semesters. TV? Sure it's on but I don't pay attention....social life? Haven't had one since I started nursing school....holidays? Good study time....lunches, breaks between classes? Study time....lunch break at work? Study time.....and like others...reading for fun, how I miss that, I still get books put them in tubs and collect series, I will be a reading monster when I'm done with school and the NCLEX! I'm either in class or clinical, studying, sleeping or working, that's just how it rolls right now, it's not forever.

I outline chapters from my text, I get rid of the fluff and extra stuff. I make sure I outline the boxes, and tips. I do it all in different color gel pens, I use sparkle, metallic, etc. Makes it fun, colorful and I remember it. You need to find out what works for you, it took me awhile but this way works for me, I pass all my tests and quizzes and get high B's and A's in my classes. Is it a lot of work? Yes, it's worth it in the end. I'll need a wrist brace for this next semester, I am in the home stretch with the hardest classes.

I'm in the same boat as most of you....3 days of classes, 2 clinical days per week starting 2nd week of the semester....I'm excited and scared too, I'm a tech now and when something happens I can say I'll get the nurse....now I'll be the nurse, yikes! Lives in my hands....I'm ready, scared, excited....All I know is that I will study as much as I did the first semester, best advise I can give is not to slack.....in the home stretch Good luck to all and let's keep everyone abreast of our successes and failures to help each other...that's if we have time to post! 5 more days until the semester starts!

Invest in a pressure cooker - I got one, it's the electric one and I've been able to cook quick, healthy meals. Granted I don't have small children anymore, mine are grown and moved out, still, in nursing school we tend to eat what we can when we can. I've been in a program for a year, in my last semesters and all I do is sleep, study, school and work. I'm on a two week break and feel so spoiled that I can sleep in a few days, actually have coffee from a real mug, have a breakfast that isn't in my car, and I plan on making some huge meals this last week to last me in the first week or so of my next semester. I have a crock pot and pressure cooker - winter time I cook soups, stews and will have sandwiches and soup, or I'll make a pot roast and lots of winter veggies. My little dog and two cats love it when I cook these meals cause they eat so well! Be careful with lots of fruits and veggies, they spoil quick and it will just frustrate you which you don't need right now. I just say buy in moderation, buy what's in season and use yummly! It's a life saver

My instructors use both books and lecture - anything and everything is fair game on tests. First I recommend to learn how to pick apart questions, learn positive and negative inquiries and how to knock out answers that aren't right and decide between the two that are left. It took me a semester but I learned what worked for me and have kept it up.

This is exactly what I do, I outline the chapter in the book and then make sure I hit all points off the syllabus. I do it in colors, I bought a ton of pens all different colors and styles and I have colorful notes and it stays with me. Since I've started doing this I've gotten A's and high B's on all tests. It's a lot of work and time, but I figure if it works for me I'll keep doing it. I have no life in nursing school, I work full time and go to school full time, all extra time is either sleeping or studying. It's just how it is. I have three semesters left and then NCLEX, there is light and it's shining bright!

I think I was in this class too LOL - Lets not forget the one person who has either had every disease we talk about, or every procedure and has first hand knowledge of everything we talk about OR their family member has gone through every procedure. I left this cohort and enrolled in another program, helped immensely. Granted there is some of the same complaining in my program now, too many tests, or it's not fair we have 2 tests in the morning and then 2 more in the afternoon, the complaining ensues. But my program now, no one is out to get anyone or is rude, and we all study together, which is nice

An extern is a tech....your not getting any different exposure, your not doing a capstone where you work directly with a nurse, your not an intern where your being precepted for a floor, your not a grad nurse. Extern is basically there to work with your school schedule, your not required to work the hours as a tech. At the hospital I work for it's basically a filler position, when there aren't enough techs for the floor. Externs aren't there for nurse clinical experiences. I was going to take an extern position and my floor director told me not to, I'll go from tech to grad nurse to residency starting my last semester in school.

I've been blessed, got my PCT job on a med surg floor, while doing clinicals....I told the director I appreciated the opportunity to learn so much and I would like to work there. I got an interview the last day of clinicals, which I thought I bombed, got offered the job a week later.....now my director told me to apply for grad nurse and to tutor with our UBE for the Nclex, and I have my first rn job...I have to sign a contract for two yrs, orientation and precepting is 16 weeks.

Most places, that I've researched, and at the place I work, have a pay scale....if you only have your Adn you are lowest on the pay scale, and you have two years to get your bsn or you've lost your job...a bsn. Gets paid much more at least 10 to 15 more than an adn, and your able to specialize easier. I left an unaccredited school (who fibbed greatly about accreditation) for an adn, added 1 semester in an accredited school for my bsn. Don't want to stress....adns do the same job as a bsn on most floors but get paid a lot less.

This is exactly what I do...I break it into chunks for exams, reading for preparing for class, assignments, etc. if you don't you will go crazy.

Yes, I left an unaccredited program (a lot of falsehoods there) and a program that was impossible, and I remember this program was recommended when I was doing phlebotomy a couple years ago, don't know why I didn't go here first, oh well, I think I was worried about pre-reqs, so I finished all of them except for 2 that I need to take for the BSN and move to the core nursing classes. I got my classes I'll be taking a couple weeks ago I just don't have times/days - I got my acceptance letter with all the clinical documents last week. I just want to start, I'm not used to not being in classes, feel like I'm wasting time! LOL Probably won't feel that way next month

It is overwhelming, especially coming from a nursing program of only 2 classes to one with 4 or 5 classes! At least this program is in the basic cohort with NM nursing programs statewide. I had to look at my acceptance letter again, mine says 9 to 4PM for orientation. I got clinical information and paperwork too, did you? Thats why I was wondering if maybe orientation was 9 to 4 cause of the clinical portions? Maybe my schedule was changed, hmmmm