Karmatism

I agree with the PP. I get how you feel but you struck gold with a man like that. Even if you got your way, chances are he'd grow resentful of never having time to himself - and rightfully so. That being said, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for a date night a few times a month. You should also try and peel yourself away from your work from time to time as hard as it is and go out with him.I made that mistake in the beginning of school. Don't let your relationship suffer anymore than it has to.

You are going to drive yourself insane. You are essentially trying to teach yourself nursing curriculum. It doesn't work that way. You are just scratching the surface with your questions here. There is a reason schools require pre-req's. They lay the foundational knowledge you need to understand what comes next. You are doing yourself a disservice by jumping so far ahead. You also aren't listening to the feedback others are trying to give you. There are no shortcuts. You have to go through the whole program just like everyone else, one step at a time. Your time would be much better spent registering for the classes you need NOW and diving into those.

That's an interesting point HouTX; I hadn't considered that. Do you have any other tips to share?

I agree with the PP. I'd also like to add that the type of professor you have on the floor with you makes a huge difference. I had 2 professors like that - the ones who only mention everything you're not doing, or doing wrong. It's so discouraging. Also, chances are that the other students are making mistakes too. People don't typically call attention to it or make it public knowledge. I bet if you talked one-on-one with someone you trust, you'd hear the same thing. It's funny you mention ADHD. I've never been diagnosed, but I'm certain I have it. If you want to be treated, then find another doctor who will really listen to you and help you decide on the best medication. I personally don't want to take meds, so I've been working on ways to compensate. My best 2 pieces of advice are to write yourself reminders so everything isn't floating around in your head, and to break your work into smaller, more manageable steps when possible. When I only have to focus for small chunks of time, I'm much more effective - and less overwhelmed. You are so close to being done, it wouldn't make sense to quit now. Finish school, get a job and see how you do. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to get comfortable and then reevaluate the situation. You aren't married to it if it ultimately isn't for you. But you can at least know that you did everything you could. You don't want to look back with regret and always wonder 'what if....'

I don't have any cute tricks to remember but I memorized mine by putting them all on a hot pink index card and keeping it in my car. It catches my attention all the time when I'm sitting in traffic or something. It only takes a minute or two to read the whole thing and I've done it do many times, they finally just stuck.

The quickest way to find out is to check Panther Web where they show your point total. They post there first.

I feel you. I heard the same thing in the beginning and was shocked. I absolutely hate that mentality and I don't agree with at all if you're planning on advancing your education. Many of the future programs are highly competitive; go look up some of the requirements for MSN bridge programs. On the other hand, there is a point that most students reach where despite your best efforts, the A's (and B's for that matter) don't come nearly as easy, if at all. It's hard not to fall into thinking, "forget it, so long as I pass." The solution for me personally was to become ok with carrying a slightly lower GPA. At one point I was driving myself crazy to hold a 4.0 and it was making me nuts. I ended up having no motivation and being miserable. I told myself I didn't care anymore, but deep down I did. It sounds like you do too. Taking off the pressure to be perfect, but still holding myself to the standard of what I knew I was capable of helped me tremendously. Taking a break when I felt myself starting to get burnt and putting the books down when I could feel I hit my limit instead of pushing and pushing gave me the energy to keep going. Take it easy on yourself. Decide what works for you and you'll find your groove. Best of luck!!

You were rude. She said something stupid. Put it to bed.

It may get better because there is a new director now. This semester wasn't nearly as bad as the first 3. As far as nursing itself, it was a big reality check being at all the different hospitals and seeing how things really are. It's hard work. The days are long, it's gross, and you see people at their worst. At the same it's deeply rewarding. I feel like what I do matters. My love is ER. I love the fast pace, the intensity, thinking on my feet... Everyone is different. You won't know what moves you until you do it. Keep an open mind about all the rotations because you just never know what you will fall in love with. I don't regret my decision. It's just soooo much different than I imagined. You chose to pursue this for a reason. Hang onto that when things get crazy.

My best advice is to get your head in the right place. The program is pure insanity. It's nothing like pre-reqs. I'm not saying any of this to scare you, but I think the hardest thing for everyone was being completely taken off guard by the lack of organization and disrespect of the professors. Information is not well distributed, many links to critical information are broken, some professors are so slow to respond to email that by the time they get back to you a deadline has passed. You will receive PIP's (performance improvement plans) for anything and everything. Don't let them stress you out or get you down. You will essentially be treated like a child, with constant lectures about professionalism, while no professionalism is demonstrated by them. Dates and times for things will change at the drop of a hat and you will be expected to comply without complaint. There is no such thing as a legitimate reason to them. Everything is an excuse that you should have made arrangements for, including being sick or getting a phone call from your child's school. All that being said, here is what has helped me the most: 1) Be as prepared as possible. Have everything printed out and organized in a binder before the semester begins. Some information won't be available, but at least cover the basics like the syllabus, handbook, etc. 2) Print your weekly skills list as soon as possible and glance over them for a few minutes every day. Skills are the easiest thing to push off until the last minute and then you end up cramming them into the last minute. 3) Expect constant change and inconsistent answers from different people. I don't have any solid advice in terms of what to do about it, because it never got any better despite my efforts, but so long as you have your head in the right place and don't anticipate this wonderful, caring, organized staff to support you and realize up front that you are on your own - you should be just fine. I went into the program so excited and eager only to feel totally disillusioned. I wish I would have had someone to tell me upfront so I could have dealt with it better.

Hi ladies, I graduate the FT LW program in December, so I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. I saw all your posts and totally relate to what you're going through. It can be so hard to get straight answers from anyone! Good luck!!

I think it's a bit lengthy. I'd condense it down. You want to hit only the highlights. Remember how many applicants they have to go through. You want to get your point across, not lost in a sea of words. Good luck!!

Why not become a Nurse Practitioner? It's just an extension of the educational track you're on now, rather than starting over. You can still have your own practice and its only a few additional years so the loans won't be nearly as expensive.

Awwww, big hugs babe :) I know exactly how you feel. I almost didn't go to nursing school because I couldn't even look when they drew my blood. Watching my first PICC line insertion, my knees were shaking - literally. I almost puked on a patient who was vomiting. The more you're around it, the less it bothers you. Pretty soon you won't think twice. It all becomes second nature. As far as the skills, it's totally normal to feel like you don't know anything sometimes. You will have other days when you nail it and come home feeling reenergized. It's a ton of new material and totally different in skills lab than it is on the floor. You will pick up on the differences and get a feel for a live person instead of a mannequin. I couldn't find a pedal pulse to save my life in the beginning and now I can be having a conversation with someone and find it without even looking. I'm such a perfectionist, I hated being a beginner and thought I'd somehow be immune to the steep learning curve that exists in nursing. Nope. Be kind to yourself. Keep going and it will all fall into place, I promise. P.S. Everyone goes through this whether they are open and verbal about it or not. You're not alone.

I feel the same way about chewing gum as I do tattoos and piercings. There will always be a group who classifies these as "unprofessional." The truth is that who you are as a person and nurse speaks VOLUMES over any body adornments or gum chewing behavior. I have a nose ring, a tattoo on the back of my neck and, yes, I chew gum regularly. And in spite of this so-called disgusting unprofessionalism, I am routinely praised by my patients and their families for my excellence as a nurse. I've even won awards on my unit because of this. I'm articulate, compassionate, and I know my stuff! THAT is what others take notice of. Being so openly judgmental about things of minor importance is far more unprofessional. Pick your battles in life, seriously.