ChickaBoom

Good luck, everyone! We should hear between September 9th to 23rd, right? Not that I'm counting.

I applied to the Acute Care Program - both Master's and Doctorate, post-BSN. I'm from Florida.

Hi there! I'm just about finished with my application for the Summer 2018 AGAC-NP program at USA. Nice to meet you!

Hi everyone! Just looking for input on managing multiple interviews. If one interview goes well and they send you an offer, how long a time period can you request for your response? Someone told me a week wasn't too much to ask for?... Since there are never any sure things until you sign on, it makes the most sense to go to all interviews offered, so is that something you can express to the hiring team? I mean to say, if you're offered Job A and have an interview for Job B a few days later, should you give Job A the courtesy of letting them know, or will that cause Job A to rescind your offer? Side question - is it a bad idea to ask the hiring team what step of their interview process you're on? Most places now have multiple interview steps, and each place is different, so it's hard to know where you're at...

I know there is a lot of focus on the job market in your area, etc, which is always good to think about when pursuing higher education, but I really want to tell you that 55 is not old and you can do anything you want to at any age you want to. :) I wish you all the luck in the world - more people need to follow their dreams!

I will have about $65k in debt once I finish my BSN next month. That being said - I went from working a job I dreaded and cried while driving to to a job that I can't wait to get to and hate to leave. Will paying back loans suck? Yup. Will it suck as much as hating where I am and what I'm doing for a large percentage of my waking hours? No way. Of course, I should have followed my dreams when first out of high school and was covered by scholarships and blah - BUT I'm following my dreams now and it feels better than I could have imagined. (Probably, ironically, because of that job I hated so much in the meantime.) If nursing is your dream - go for it. People spend money on useless things that don't validate them in any way all the time. This would be so much different and better than that because it's what your heart is telling you to do. Good luck. :)

"No, you cannot call him Hogar!"

I don't mind emesis at all. The sight, sound, or smell really have no effect on me. My superpower ends there though - I lose it all at the sight of hair or sputum caught in the drain. And needles. How can I be a nurse and have a fear of needles, you ask? I play on the side of very cautious and explain to my patients why I'm so cautious (so they don't take it personally). Most patients are receptive and agree that they are also afraid of needles. Same with the nauseous patient - they definitely don't want to be vomiting and also don't like the sight, smell, or sound, so they appreciate that it probably can get to other people, too. We're all human and I think they find comfort in nurses that show that. :)

To direw0lf: I decided to go back to school because my previous job as an accountant / collector put me in touch with people in various stages of the healthcare spectrum and it really sparked an interest in healthcare overall. That, and as a previous corporate / desk- and cubicle-based worker, I was tired of sitting down and being overlooked because I would rather help a person than make a difference in the overall profit margins of the company. I was told I felt too much, so I found a career where this will be a benefit. And scrubs and nursing shoes are so much more comfortable than suits and heels.

I love this and I can't even express why.

I'm also starting the final semester of my BSN on August 24th and I'm so excited! I can't wait to get back into school and the everyday hustle and bustle... 40 days off is nice, but when you're still trying to save up tuition and have nothing to do but sit at home, you go a little stir crazy. Luckily, I invested in two NCLEX books and have been studying my notes, so I'm leisurely getting prepared.

I can't bear to read any more of these today, but I think you guys are amazing for everything you've experienced. I'm trying not to cry as i read these, since I have a reputation for being the crier... that's OK, I have sensitive heartstrings. But these are helping me to get ready to control myself on the floor, so thank you for sharing!

I'm a nontraditional student going in to finish my final semester of a BSN program. 33, married, but no kids. Still very hard to balance out home and family life - especially when i compare my routine to everyone else's in my class (all but one are not married, first time in school, and under 23 or so...). Completely different life perspectives but I still try to be social and make friends... But then I get tired and go home to get some sleep. Lol, so it'd be nice to know of other students like me. :)

I have learned that: 1) I do not know how to relax, like, at all. On summer break before my next semester of school and I'm writing my resume and studying NCLEX questions for fun. 2) I love baking way too much. And putting veggies into baked goods can be very easy and the are well-hidden! 3) My husband will (most likely) never change his habits into healthier ones and will (most likely) always choose an easier / quicker fix over a permanent / harder one. ("Yes, I'm overweight with severe apnea, but I won't eat ANY vegetables at all or start a walking / exercise program, just get me a CPAP machine like my friend has." "Ok, do you want his other health issues, too?") 4) I'm a lonely person and I don't have many friends aside from my parents / sisters / husband. I just don't know how to keep people around. 5) I love going out to breakfast with my dad and I'm thankful every day that he's still with us. 6) I may have been lying to myself about not having a motherly yearning. 7) I'm very passionate about being proactive about one's health. (But I still don't nag my husband...)

I love this whole thing! I am a student and I often get (nicely) teased about being a germaphobe by fellow students because I insist on wearing gloves and following hygiene protocols to a tee. But the germs are seriously something that needs to be considered - especially when they have the ability to affect those we love at home. I already keep my hospital shoes out of the house, but this article has pointed out how much better I could protect my home. I will definitely be doing the trunk thing from this point on. It only takes a second, after all, to change your shoes. I've also been thinking about getting some eye covers / goggles to go over my glasses for irrigations and dressing changes since there is always the possibility of splashback, especially when using the little saline flushes. In the OR, those are readily available and encouraged, but they seem to get a bad rap on the floor...