annewithane

I took out $14,000 for my nursing school so I didn't have to work during school. I wish I had just worked in school and done it debt free. However, I have no problem with my current job paying about double the minimum payment and unless something drastic happens I'll definitely pay them off in the next couple of years. I could pay more but until I kind of stabilize over the next half year or so in case something happens I wanted to be able to have financial reserves to rely on as well. That said, it did take me quite some time to find a job, I didn't graduate and have one waiting. So you should consider that as well, I wish I had been able to pay on them during the 6 month grace period but I just was not able to since I didn't have a job. edit to add: I have a BSN and a 1st degree which I did loan free. If only I had just gone nursing the first time since my state pays tuition, I'd be totally debt free. Oy vey.

I got the flu shot last year which caused my lips to swell up. Pretty pleasant lol, I guess if they require documentation, good thing I filed reports with the CDC and had several doctor's visit to try to treat it (I overheard them talking about me in the hallway: Angelina Jolie, with bad lip injections). For some reason, since getting the shot, and it could be coincidental even though I've had zero problems in 23 years until the time I got my flu shot, I've had a myriad of allergies that cause my lips to swell. Honestly, the flu vaccine isn't fool proof and I think a mask is probably better protection anyways. And if we could get people to wash their hands, cover their cough, and stay the hell at home if they aren't feeling well incidence reduction would be greatly reduced. I guess if I would be terminated if I didn't get it, I'd get it and they could sit and watch my lips swell up and have a shot of Kenalog ready to give me lol. Edit to add: As a vegan, I was forced by my school to get the vaccine, but I'm glad they at least have an egg free vaccine this year. Maybe it was the egg in the last one that did me over since I don't expose myself to that ever.

Very interesting, I always thought I would enjoy doing something like this, but had really didn't know the role a nurse could play. Thank you for opening my eyes :).

Hmm, here is my 2 cents, sleep is also on the first level of Maslow's, but I wouldn't prioritize, for example, insomnia, over risk for falls while using Maslow's, even though risk for falls is on the second level. Sex is too, yet I wouldn't prioritize ED above risk for falls either (say because they are on blood pressure meds which is causing them ED and making them dizzy when they stand up). Also, constipation isn't synonymous with bowel obstruction or being unable to pass any excrement at all. I would agree though that you have more time to catch complications with constipation than if a patient is at a risk for falling. But I suppose if you are purely going off Maslow's you could organize them that way. In our program though, I'm pretty sure we were taught to classify risk for falls as a big, big one since they are common and can be very dangerous. But as was mentioned, everywhere teaches a bit differently and without more information, it's really hard to say!

Hmm, I'm not sure how transferring nursing school works, but it might be difficult to transfer from an ADN to a BSN program. I went for actually a second degree nursing program (do you already have a bachelor's?) and the program originally was designed to go straight for an MSN though I opted to graduate with a BSN for a variety of reasons. Our community college had a HUGE fiasco where our BSN program actually ended up accepting over 100 new students in various semesters. Some people who were graduating that semester found that they had another 2 years left because the ADN and BSN prereqs and coursework were different. A 3.3 GPA is actually pretty good! Do be sure though to look at other options like the program I went to, because we were an accelerated degree it made us eligible to apply for the Robert Wood Johnson New Careers in Nursing grant which was substantial. We had 5 grants and only 7 people were eligible to apply for them, and many of us got other scholarships that were geared toward non traditional students. Also, kind of word of mouth and not official, but all of the men in our nursing program were LOADED with scholarships and opportunities, that might work to your advantage. The program I went to was at New Mexico State University and called the Roadrunner program if you are interested, as I understand it these programs are becoming more common around the US. Also, we had dirt cheap tuition for a university (less than

I second, third, fourth, fifth, the compression stockings! A friend of mine quit nursing school and I inherited her old scrubs and a couple new pairs of the stockings and wowwww... I still wear socks over them so if my scrubs come up I don't look like an old lady haha! Also, a good pair of insoles might be just the trick for you. We had to wear all leather, all white (why not all black, as literally those are EVERYWHERE with restaurant workers lol), and since I'm vegan and don't wear leather I was pretty limited by leather look a likes but a good pair of insoles actually made them very comfortable. I also found the more I just "stood" the worse it was. When I precepted, I did 1/2 half behavioral health and 1/2 ER, even though I walked/ran waaaaay more in the ER my feet never hurt as bad as when I had to just stand in behavioral health, so if you find you have to stand a lot in clinicals, be sure to try to move around. I also would take short breaks to stretch my calves and ankles and those seemed to help too or do it when I am charting. Good shoes make alllll the difference though (and if you aren't careful, can migrate to back pain! Ouch!).

Great information. Being a military lady was always my plan, but unfortunately I have keratoconus which I understand to be non waiver condition. But boy, did I have the all the right scores lol. /sigh.

In my experience, I thought the HESI was much easier. But, this is because the NCLEX questions will go up in difficulty if you are doing well on the test--the HESI will not. I think studying together is fine as the whole reason the HESI is used is because it predicts pass rates on the NCLEX, once you get to the 950 scores, I believe the statistics indicate that around 95% will go on to pass the NCLEX. I used HESI study because it was more convenient for me to take practice questions online and have them graded as opposed to doing them in a book. I used Reviews and Rationales to study for the NCLEX and I passed first time with 75 questions. I will say that I did notoriously HORRIBLE on the hesi study questions, as in, I scored usually between 60-70% on the practices tests, but passed my HESI with a 1183 in the 99.9th percentile. I will caution you, studying for the HESI or the NCLEX is *NOT* about studying content, if you don't know your content by that time it is too late. It is about studying how to take the questions and when you get them wrong, understanding why. I think that's why I did well on the actual tests but not the practices. It's about getting down to the two answers and knowing which one to pick and why. So, my advice is to do questions, questions, questions, and READ the rationales--even on the ones you got right so you know why each answer is correct. Statistically speaking though as most people will pass both: "The odds are ever in your favor!"

I'm pretty sure this is an insulin problem. At the hospitals I did clinicals in, two RNs had to check insulin dosages and sign off for each other. As in, if the needle came out of the vial without the other nurse seeing, the dose is discarded and you start over. I assumed this was the policy everywhere, but it sounds as though only you and a nurse draw up insulin? Not to beat a dead horse, but 30 vs 3 is a huge error. You do seem casual in that it was caught before it even left the med room---I believe this still counts as a "near miss" and a medication error. Data for near misses are very hard to obtain because people will usually not admit to them, so I do respect you for being able to admit the mistake. But it is still an error. I do think the nurse should have discussed with you her concerns before she called the school and probably should have brought up things as they came up throughout the day and definitely should not have let you continue to perform duties. If she felt whatever you were doing was bad enough to report you for, she should not have allowed that. As far as HIPAA is concerned, the nurse or his son (unless he had legal charge of the patient) cannot grant you that permission. Even the doctor can't! When doctors wanted us to see something interesting, they made us all line up like ducks in a row outside the room until the patient said we could come in. Unless you are directly involved in their care, it's basically a HIPAA violation. Either the legal authority or the patient themselves have to give consent, so I agree it was a violation pretty cut and dry. I mean, I've had to sign HIPAA release statements before to get paper copies of lab results from the doctor which were about me, to be used only by me. HIPAA violations are so common though, it drives me insane to see how lightly most nurses, doctors, and students take it. But, I also feel this isn't the reason you were told to sit out a semester. All in all, I think sitting out a semester is appropriate. We've had people kicked out of our program for less, and in our program if we had to sit out a semester, you could start the next semester ONLY if there was space available. Otherwise, you were way out of luck. So if it's really only a semester, consider it a good learning experience that you hopefully won't ever have to repeat. You are owning the experience online, but I hope you are owning it as much in real life as well and taking responsibility for it. If I had ever tried to weasel my way out of that insulin situation by saying another nurse caught it so it's all okay, even if it was in the form of a wrong test question or something, I'm pretty sure there were professors that would have smacked me and rightly so! Lol. While you may feel entitled to some sympathy, as I am sure everyone would in the situation, I think the extra time will help you to be an even better and safer nurse in the end--and ultimately that's what is most important! Best of luck!