NewStu

I think the required button wearing is a insult. Just another way for administrators to slam nurses. It's sickening.

Personally I only used the NET study guide and reinforced my math skills with http://www.math.com, looking on that website for extra math problems similar to the study guide practice problems. That way I studied for the NET test in the format in which the test was presented. The study guide practice tests are so similar to the actual test it was unreal. Some of the actual test questions (for math) were used in the study guide. My way of looking at it is this: I didn't want to confuse myself with any other preparation that might not be on point with the test I was taking. Others are free to disagree, but it worked for me. Good luck - hope you end up in the 99 percentile! - NewStu

CRNA: I've taken the NET, and your description of it is pretty close. It is a standardized national test, so the test is the same everywhere. The only exception is that some schools will tack on an essay-type test to the English portion. ERI is the company that writes the test and produces the study guide - I don't have their web address, but you might want to google it for more info. Hope that helps.

Melanie: Your dilemma reminds me of a similar situation that good friend of mine went through. She was a very intelligent person, but when she had to take a test (especially in math and sciences) she struggled. After speaking with the counselors at school about her issue, it was learned that she had a form of test anxiety. After her test anxiety was diagnosed (through the school) she was allowed to take tests in a quiet room, separate from the rest of the class, and allowed an unstructured amount of time to complete the tests. Once that was put in place, her test grades were excellent. Don't know if this helps, but it may be something you would want to consider/explore.

thanks! you put a smile on my face re: the thermometer! first day wasn't so bad after all -- guess it's mostly the fear of the unknown!

Okay everyone, please say a prayer for me. Tomorrow is my first day of NS! Just hope tomorrow is also not my last day of NS! Yikes!!

The next lifestyle choice to be banned just might be your own!

I stand corrected on My Dear Aunt Sally! Thanks JKCMom for pointing that out!

Your post made made me get a little teary-eyed! I love happy endings! Congratulations and best wishes!

When I began to study for the NET, it was suggested to me to use the official NET study guide (by ERI) as the best foundation in studying for the test. The study guide pre-tests are really close to the actual test, so I recommend you start there. I also suggest you read the entire NET study guide, as there are lots of test-taking tips and other valuable information regarding the test itself that can give you an edge. As far as the math portion of the test, if you need reinforcement, try http://www.math.com. It's a site that offers tutorials and practice tests that will help refresh your math skills. -- I was okay with basic math, but needed to re-learn conversions (decimals to fractions, percentages to decimals, etc.) and some algebra, as I haven't used those forms of math much in the 'real world'. One thing that helped was to make flash cards to re-teach myself the conversion formulas. For the sequence of math operations in algebra, there's always the trusty My Dear Aunt Sally (multiply, divide, add and subtract in that order) to keep you on the right track. I agree with the poster above that said the reading portion of the test goes by quickly. I'm a fast reader with good reading comprehension, and I wasn't able to finish the test completely. That really shocked me! So remember to keep that in mind when studying for the NET. If your school is like mine, you'll need to score much higher than the passing score of 60 (I think that's the minimum). Personally, I don't know anyone scoring less that 79 that was admitted to my school. So you may want to consider that as a factor, as well. Good luck to you. I'm sure with a little studying you will do great!

Welcome, Nikki. Congrats on getting accepted to NS. Jeez, they really expect you to do alot in such a short time! We had months to get our stuff prepared, and most students still didn't have it done in time for orientation. Good luck on that, I can see how that would be stressful. Loved your comment on the scrubs sounds like a great motivator. You are not alone in the "what am I getting myself into" feeling. I think that's something we all ask ourselves - just like many other life changing decisions: marriage, starting a family, buying a house, etc. -- It will change out lives, but, hopefully, it will only be for the better. Good Luck and Best Wishes to you, too!

I don't know the laws in Tennessee, but the BON and the TN Workforce Commission do. I would ask them - they should be able to advise you as to your rights under the law and your license.

.....any darn thing I please. Get up late, stay up late. Just whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it. Work on my tan, get ready for a vacation to Mexico, life is good.........................until the last Monday of the month when I start NS. Then my life will change (ya think?) :rotfl:

Not sure this is exactly what you are looking for, but here's a few sugggestions of books and publications that I have found helpful. For a good all-around viewpoint on nursing school I suggest Stressed Out About Nursing School by Stephanie Thibeault, published by Bandido Books. She discusses just about every aspect of nursing school (pre-, during, and post-) that you can think of, and many you don't know about yet! FYI: someone mentioned in another thread that the author posts to this site from time to time. For more specific subject reading, I found the Incredibly Easy Series by Springhouse to be useful. They offer titles specific to most nursing classes and/or duties, such as Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology, Fluids & Electrolytes, Drug Calculations, Assesments, Charting, Patient Teaching (lots more titles; too many to name). The books are written on the level a new student can understand and provide some pretty decent reference to augment course study later on. Also, Springhouse produces a Nursing Made Incredibly Easy magazine that is good and you might find useful. That's all that comes to mind right now. Hope this helps. Good luck with your reading and studies!

I couldn't believe in pre-reqs how many times I heard somebody say they didn't study or even skim over a chapter before a major exam. I also heard the same kind of comments while waiting to take the entrance exam for nursing school. Really, how good of a grade can you hope to make without some serious studying? Didn't they get the 'memo' that entrance to nursing schools has become extremely competitive? (400 for 40 places at my college) Were these people pushed into applying for nursing school, or were they just incredibly lazy? Why did they waste their time and, at the same time, take up a spot for somebody that is sincere in improving their life? Don't know the answers to those questions, but I didn't see many of their faces at orientation!