speedykicks

I am doing one with the VA Valor Program. I am in a psych unit, but a fellow classmate is in the ICU and she is getting to do a ton. We are paid well, too.

It isn't correct to say the cops won't press charges. It is the DA who decides whether to file charges against someone, not the cops. I think you mean the police won't make an arrest or write up a report. Most police HAVE to take a report if you ask them to. Tell them you want them to write up an incident report if they refuse.

I have shaky hands. I have a tremmor almost all the time, but espicially when I try to do a fine motor skill. My hand shakes when I sign a check, it shakes when I put toothpaste on my toothbrush, and it espicially shakes when I am nervous about doing a new skill. So, I do use the trick of resting my wrist or fore-arm on a patient. I also just try and chat up the patient so they aren't just staring at my hand while I do the task. I also got a Rx from my doc for a beta blocker. I find my Xanex doesn't help with the shaking as much as the beta blocker does. I also ALWAYS take a time out at around 10 a.m. to eat a snack and drink some juice or I REALLY shake around lunch time.

I don't know about websites, but what really helped me with the endocrine system was making a concept map. I had hypothal. as my center square, the anterior and post. pit under it and went from there. It *really* made a difference.

I am getting ready to start the second semester of nursing school - and I've heard that it is the hardest of the four. It will include Peds and OB and our first Med/Surg rotation, as well as pathopharm II. While I know we all have different programs, I wonderd if others who were in a four-semester BSN program had thoughts on which semester is the toughest and why?

thanks for the encouragement. next semester we have three short clinicals - OB, peds and med-surg. I am looking forward to them - espicially peds.

Ok - I feel like a bad person who shouldn't be a nurse, but man am I really hating my clinical in the LTC facility. I am keeping that to myself and am really positive-appearing while I am there and trying to learn, but I am counting off the days. I really focus on the care and dignity of the folks there, but it is not an area of nursing I will want to pursue. I feel guilty about it and luckily, the sheer enthusiasim I have about nursing school and our first clinicals has carried me through the first few weeks, but I know I will be super happy when it is over.

yeah - eating out isn't the same. When that $50-$70 tab comes, you can't help but think "there is a medical dictionary for my PDA" "There goes two days I sacrificed working instead of studying and I ate it in one hour" "There goes five - seven pizzas on nights I am too tired to cook something" "There goes 65 cans of spaghetti -os" ok - not really on the spaghetti-os, but you get the point. I actually crave beer now, never used to. But even though I could afford one or two a week, I never have the spare evening. If I drink a beer and try to study, I fall asleep. Poor poor me. However, I didn't take classes this summer, just worked full time. Still I was climbing the walls. You become conditioned to the pace of study, test, reward (good grade on test), study, test, reward. It gives life a certain cadence that is notable when it is not there. I didn't know what to do with myself on the weekends. I was glad when the semester started back up.

oh I know how you feel! I ordered some carry-out from my favorite Mexican food place on my way home, in anticipation of a long night of studying. I must have looked pathetic watching in envy as the server carried a tray of drinks to a table - man that cold beer looked good. I even thought to myself "you people do not appreciate what you have" as they nonchalantly lifted their beers to drink and chatted with friends at their tables. I miss: watching football playing the occasional video game taking my dog to the dog park sitting on the couch on a Friday night and doing absolutley nothing I will still find time to watch college basketball, though. Some how, some way.

Oh and one other thing - our instructor brought us treats this morning at our pre-conference - donuts. I know that sounds silly, but we were all so nervous and when she made that nurturing gesture, we were all so relieved. It really sent a message that this was going to be a caring, good experience, not scary.

I think letting them pair up the first time is ok. After my partner and I paired up today on a few things, we both felt more confident and, on our own initiative, went our separate ways. Nursing students know they have to learn this stuff. I wouldn't let them pair up past the second day of clinicals, though. I really don't think you should worry about chit chat. Chit chatting isn't something nervous people do while giving a bed bath - it is something jaded and bored people do while giving a bed bath. We are all so attentive to patients right now - I can't imagine us chit chatting over them - if anything we are getting on their nerves with checking in on them so much.

I agree on pairing up. I am a first semester student and did my first shower today. I was scared to death. I am *really* glad our instructor made us do it. After it was over I was 500 percent more confident then I had been. Pushing us out of our comfort zone was the best thing she could have done. I expect she will keep doing it :chair:

Read your school student handbook. I don't think alcohol is a problem unless you drink or are intoxicated at clinicals or at school. And drug addiction or alcohol addiction isn't an automatic boot in many schools. My school has a program where you can go to rehab and work a plan and remain in the program.

thanks - roman numerals - duh! I appreciate the help everyone.

First semester nursing student here - preparing for a med cals exam. I can't find the answer to this anywhere in my book - can someone please tell me the conversion of gr V and gr X into mg? Also, while you're at it - what does the code "SR" indicate?? thanks a ton!