Sue7573

Went to WKCTCS, graduated in Dec 2007 working in Murray as RN in nursing home. LOVE IT!

IMO, I was a nurse aide for 16 years before I went to NS. I was in class with several students that had been unit clerks. Although my experience was priceless, I think that the UC positions prepared the students more for NS. I can't count the times that the UC's would be able to rattle off something, ie. Doc's preference, protocol, procedures...on some technique that I had absolutely no clue about. In fact I have posted before that all though the experience was great, many times I missed out on something because I did what I knew (being a nurse aide) and missed seeing a procedure because I was already busy or what have you. Do what you think is best. I was lucky enough to have an excellent facility that worked around my schedule and was able to let me work when I could and change my schedule at the drop of a hat. I don't know how flexible a UC schedule could be. Good luck to you.... and you can do it. It is hard and tiring but the rewards are great!!!!

I do three 12's 7a -7p on sat and sun and then 7p-7a on mon. Most of the time I sleep untill noon or later on monday, on purpose. My husband gets the kids on the bus monday morning. I am wore out by about 5a on tuesday morning but I make it and I sleep until the kids get home tuesday afternoon. Then I go back to bed when they do on Tues night. It works pretty good. But I have asked if they can take me down to 7-3 on weekends and just add another shift. I don't know if they will or not they were not acting to happy about the request. But if you can't do it you can't and make sure they know that and while you are in school it is going to be hard if not impossible to do that change in shifts.

I would want to say YES but thinking back on MICRO in college and reading the "HOT ZONE". Honestly I believe I would not go back in. Something like that my family would have to come first.

Oh that is depressing. That does really bother me. I don't intend to sit here and say I would be the first one there but I would go. YES! I would. I don't know if it is the new nurse that is speaking or what. I have been a CNA or volunteer for the last 20 years, and I still say yes. And I would go for disaster or STAY for that matter. Recently we had a scare. BAD storms rolling in threats of tornados what have you. Half the staff saying they would go home if a something happened. First of all though. It is our policy to stay or come in whatever the situation merits. I would be there.

I don't know where you are but in Ky you have to work to keep your certification. I don't remember the actual amount of hours but it does go for two years. Every two years you have to prove that you have worked as a CNA. Hope this helps

I am a new RN now for six months, I normally work midnight shift in LTC, on occassion the RN's have to take turns covering the weekend day shift. This past weekend was my turn, usually it means we are scheduling (rescheduling) to cover call ins. I like doing it because it is a bit more of a challenge than night shift. Anyway Saturday is going good, until a family comes in mad from the door, she insists on talking to the RN on the floor, I come in and she is standing beside her mothers bed. She starts off with "I want to know what is going on around here" she states all that is wrong and what am I going to do about it. :banghead:Every time I try to speak she shuts me up either with the hand or by saying that was yesterday or what is that going to do now. Which I really felt like I was going to cry over, from frustration. :sniff:I finally got out of there and took care of the things I could decipher. In all honesty I could not see anything wrong with the care that was given. Bath was being done when she come in and dismissed cna's. Oral care after breakfast had been done, positioning had been done etc. So I made it the whole day and didn't cry. Anyway on Sunday the floor nurse had already made sure that everything complained about had been done, pt looked good and when daughter got there we didn't hear anything out of her until it was time to get her up. I dreaded the call, RN needed in so and so room. :no:Crap I knew I was going to get it again, and didn't know if I would be able to hold the tears back this time. Daughter was concerned because LLE was colder that RLE, I checked pedal pulses and asked for the doppler, the left pedal pulse was weaker than right and cap refill was relatively longer on left than right. Now keep in mind that this family member has been stating with accuracy nursing terms like, cva, g-tube, mls/hour, minor stuff but kind of impressed me. So when she asked me what would listening to "feetal" pulses mean in relation to moms condition. I about lost it. Not because she mispronounced the word but because I realized then that allthough she was being a brute about all of this in reality she was scared, nervous, loss of controll, all of that and using bullying tactics to deal with it. She did apologize to me the best she could. I did not point out that she called it feetal pulse. I just kept working and took care of it. I am just glad that I was so into checking the pulses with my head down she didn't see me smile.

I am a new RN now for six months, I normally work midnight shift in LTC, on occassion the RN's have to take turns covering the weekend day shift. This past weekend was my turn, usually it means we are scheduling (rescheduling) to cover call ins. I like doing it because it is a bit more of a challenge than night shift. Anyway Saturday is going good, until a family comes in mad from the door, she insists on talking to the RN on the floor, I come in and she is standing beside her mothers bed. She starts off with "I want to know what is going on around here" she states all that is wrong and what am I going to do about it. Every time I try to speak she shuts me up either with the hand or by saying that was yesterday or what is that going to do now. I finally got out of there and took care of the things I could decipher. In all honesty I could not see anything wrong with the care that was given. Bath was being done when she come in and dismissed cna's. Oral care after breakfast had been done, positioning had been done etc. Anyway on Sunday the floor nurse had already made sure that everything complained about had been done, pt looked good and when daughter got there we didn't hear anything out of her until it was time to get her up. I dreaded the call, RN needed in so and so room. Crap I knew I was going to get it again. Daughter was concerned because LLE was colder that RLE, I checked pedal pulses and asked for the doppler, the left pedal pulse was weaker than right and cap refill was relatively longer on left than right. Now keep in mind that this family member has been stating with accuracy nursing terms like, cva, g-tube, mls/hour, minor stuff but kind of impressed me. So when she asked me what would listening to "feetal" pulses mean in relation to moms condition. I about lost it. Not because she mispronounced the word but because I realized then that allthough she was being a brute about all of this in reality she was scared, nervous, loss of controll, all of that and using bullying tactics to deal with it. She did apologized to me the best she could. I did not point out that she called it feetal pulse. I just kept working and took care of it. I am just glad that I was so into checking the pulses with my head down she didn't see me smile.

I have found that less is more. A little notebook, is invaluable period. A good mechanical pencil (or two) with good eraser, retractable, pens with black ink are good too (get at least one blue one or vice versa depending on your clinical policy on ink color) . A hole punch that fits in a big binder with pockets. I am in third semester and have found after getting every little thing in the world that will help, after all they only got in the way.

I say go for it!!! I have heard that at the community college (which is accredited) that I go to, there is a program that allows students over a certain age (and I can't remember what age) can take so many hours a semester for free.... So that would help in not adding to a big bill. GO FOR IT

I was so excited to see this forum started. I just finished my first year of a 2 year program. In our school it is the second semester that is DREADED. The MED SURG semester. I loved it, love school and love the whole experience. First of all (except for clinical days) school doesn't start till 9 so I am able to get my kids to school and have enough time to get ready before I have to be there. Plus I live an hour away from the school and (except for the gas prices these days) love that hour to myself to think about whatever. I am able to leave home at home and school at school during those hours coming and going. Everything that has been posted so far is right on the way I feel about school. One thing I would like to add though is: do allow yourself a pity party here and there. In my first semester I failed my third test. Up until that point it didn't matter what went on I insisted on staying positive, no matter what. In clinicals I got a but chewing for something over a care plan. Well I didn't let it get me down, things like that I let go and didn't allow myself to get down. When I failed that test that I studied hard for, I cried and cried and wollowed and basically acted a fool over it. Not that I didn't deserve that but I think that if I allowed myself to be disappointed on other aspects (like the but chewing) then I wouldn't have been so discourged over the failed test. I actually had thoughts of quiting. Now I am not the quiting type, I really thought about it. Low and behold I only just barely passed the next test. I wasn't as dissappointed because I had not studied like I should have but I was in danger of not having a choice. So I buckled down and set everything straight and got out of 101, with a hair to spare. Then in 202 I passed the first test with flying colors and CLINICALS were great I loved every minute of it, even OR observation. Second test was awesome, the class average was 84 (this test is supposed to have a curse on it and one that no one can pass). Then the third test I failed and the 4th test I failed. Things were looking grim. I cried and had my pity parties after each test. Then all was well I was doing well in clinicals and every other aspect of class. So I stood up and felt strong. NO THOUGHTS OF QUITTING this time. I made B's on my last 2 tests and passed my final. I was very excited. I just think the difference was allowing my self to feel bad when I did feel bad made all the difference. I have to inject here though that I had the most wonderful teacher and clinical instructor in the WORLD. I feel bad because I tried to get out of her clinicals in the beginning. I had heard from numerous older students that this instructor was a monster and if there was any way at all to get out of her clinicals to do it. I tried, it didn't work. I got her and moaned and groaned about it all the way to the hospital. Turns out I learned so much from her. I don't believe I would have gotten any where near as much from any of the other instructors. SHE WAS AWESOME. I fully believe that she made all the difference in the world for me in this semester. I love nursing school and as much as I am excited to be a nurse, I am going to miss school just the same. And as much as I needed a break, (summer vacation is here) I also dreaded summer coming I mean almost 3 months of no school is going to kill me. Have a good day!!!

what in the world what was that? I have never heard of anything like that. OMG yewh

My DH's idea of helping out around the house is not fussing at me for not having it done. Since I started school almost 2 years ago, he has helped with making of the meals, but I can count the times on my hands that he has done the dishes. I think I remember once when he cleaned the living room and I swear as I think about it I don't believe he has ever cleaned a bathroom or our bedroom. He does "encourage" the kids to clean their rooms by going in there with a trash bag, but they called his bluff once and that ended that. My 6yo wants to help with the adult stuff but refuses to do things she could do. My 10 yo will come and do just exactly what I tell him to do for instance. If I say "will you take the trash out" he will take the trash bag out of the can and leave the bag open in the middle of the floor. I say "didn't I ask you to take the trash out?" He will seriously look from me to the bag and say "I did" but on the other hand if I say will you tie the trash bag take it out of the can and take it outside he will do it right. I am not always sure that he isn't serious. I find myself mad, i mean FURIOUS when I am studying and husband comes in and says what is for supper? Does anyone else have that problem. I get mad when I am the only one cleaning, there are 79bazillion obvious things to get done, let alone the little stuff that is not so obvious and I am the only one cleaning. Husband on computer or asleep on couch and kids playing, or argueing. The longer this goes on the madder and louder I get and then one of them says mommy or honey depending on who's asking "what is wrong" GRRRRRRRR.... doesn't matter what I say or do or how mad I get no one offers to help for any reason. Just yesterday I had to wait to go to the hospital to get my assignment and I needed to study and get things ready for my pt. and DH says good now you have time to wash dishes as he was signing up for a play money tournament on poker host.......... When my aunt was in NS and her husband wouldn't help around the house she went thru the kitchen and completely shattered anything breakable and said there buddy now you don't have anything to wash so don't worry about it and went to bed.... He didn't miss another day without cleaning the whole house. HA HA I love her.

It's interesting to do a class case study in prioritizing. Given several situations, here are some responses: Students who were previously CNAs will provide a bedpan so that the patient will not be incontinent. The student without CNA experience will first see the patient who has a suspicious red drainage under the dressing so that the patient can be further assessed. I agree to that some what, as I said before I was running and doing what I knew. You are right about that. But Now at work I drive my Nurses bonkers reporting everything I see. I've even got to taking paper with me on my rounds to write down stuff. That serves two purposes I am practicing narrative charting and so I don't forget to tell the nurse anything. Plus I use it when I am doing the round with the next shift. You wont believe how much that helps with that round and to report to the next aide how each person is doing. Personally I think everyone should do that. There has been a couple of things I have found that had not been reported before. SO since I am an aide, yes I do have that kind of thinking but now that I have been in school I am :uhohbeginning to think like a nurse. (sort of long ways to go there)

Years ago we had a quadraplegic (sp) man that would turn his light on and then call the front desk on his phone (he had a stick that he held in his mouth to push the buttons) once he got an answer at the front desk he would breathe hard and tell them he was in distress could they get someone down here immediately. Of course the first 10-15 times that happened they would come running down the hall from the office in an uproar getting help down to his room, when we would get there he would ask one of us to either change his tape, or hit the record button on the vcr or to turn his stereo up or down. When asked about him being in distress he would say oh yeah that too. Grrr.... Just recently we had a man that turns his light on every three minutes after numerous times of asking how may we help you, he swears up and down he did not touch his light. Or he will turn his light on and wait till one of us comes in and acts like he is asleep when we ask what can we do for him he feins being woke up and wants to know why we keep waking him up at all hours of the night. I would buy that he was asleep and hit the light by accident if I hadn't seen him peeking up over his covers as I walk in the room many, many times. The last night I worked I had him and he would turn his light on and I would go in there and ask what can I do for you and he would say "nothing I didn't turn on my light." I would walk out and he would turn it on again before I got ten feet away I would turn around and go back in there ask what he needed and he would say "I forgot to tell you I can't go to sleep" Next 3-5 min he would do the same thing but then ask for a drink of water or his urinal or ask what time it was and so on. This went on from around 11:30 until about 2:00 finally I told him that I did not mind coming in and doing anything for him but that if I could do everything for him at once would be better and he could get to sleep. He got mad and said that he hadn't asked me to do one "dern" thing for him tonight and if I was going to be hateful to him then he just would not call for anymore help. :uhoh21: I just very politely said "ok if you need anything else you just let me know" he rolled over covered up and waited a whole ten minutes before he called again.