adnstudent44

use the book "straight A's in nursing" saved me when i was having trouble in pharm, im like a broken record on here always praising it.

definitely buy off amazon! the school bookstores always charge too much and if you end up without the access code, the book's website often lets you buy the access code by itself; I've done this for pearson multiple times and it still ends up cheaper than if I bought from the school bookstore new or used.

Thank you for the advice! I really appreciate it!

Hello! I am about to start my last year of my ADN program at a community college in VA this fall. If all goes well I will graduate Spring of 2015. This summer I am researching BSN programs for ADNs as well as hopefully starting a doula certification. My question: While looking up different ADN to BSN programs in Virginia, I found the ADN to CNM program at Shenandoah University. Is it a good idea to go straight from an ADN program into a program like this? I have talked to one of my professors and she thinks that ADN students should be in the work force first before they pursue specialties. However, if my research is correct, the website says I would first get my BSN with them, and then go on to get a Masters as a CNM. Your opinions on whether this is a good idea would really be appreciated, or any information on this program would be great too! I am hopefully going to open houses for this program as well as the other ADN-BSN programs this summer during break. Oh! Also, if it helps, I intend on working as an RN while obtaining my BSN or CNM. I think most ADN to BSN programs want you to have a certain amount of experience or to be working while in the program anyway. Thank you so much for any input you could give me!

lol! well I bombed my first pharm test, so it was close to impossible getting an A after that, but the book definitely helped me slavage myself in that class. I have used it since for my other classes as well. I often chose to use it over a lot of drug books because it has a lot of the same information.

This! I totally agree that if there is a grievance, it is usually deemed the students fault, justly or unjustly. I just try and be quiet. There was an issue at our program and one of our "better students" who was also the class rep, thought that she could say something since the professors new her well from being the class rep. Well, she is no longer one of our "better" students, and just barely passed because her clinical grade was lowered a whole letter grade because of not being "professional," which was referring to the problem she brought up. This sent the administrations message loud and clear to the rest of us: "Be quiet!"

I am currently in an ADN program, and although I am doing very well, and have a few great teachers, I do not think ADN programs are exempt from the same issues that BSN programs have. My county college has the same ATI challenges as the rest, as well as other problems. I'm just glad I have some professors who at least try to advocate for us students! I try my best to "advocate" for our professors, but the administration makes it difficult for us to be able to.

Let me just add, that yes I know there are "newbies" out there who are rude or disrespectful and yes sometimes when they say something, I cringe. I am not talking about that. I was more referring to when people try to talk about policy change and others say well I got through it so its fine. When in reality, yes you got through it, but that doesn't mean we can't try and make it better. (and no better doesn't mean easier) I apoloigize if that all came out wrong.

I think part of the problem with nursing education is that those that are qualified to teach nursing school often have to take a pay cut to pursue teaching. As a result, many stay working in the hospitals or other facilities. I am very lucky to have some great instructors, but they told me themselves that they could be making much more out in the field but are teaching because it is their passion and/or because it gave them a flexible schedule to be with their kids more. It's unfortunate that nursing educators aren't valued enough to be payed as such. I think we are all suffering because of it, educators and students alike. As for the "nursing-prep industry?" I think its crazy, we were given a long list of expensive textbooks to buy, then when students were having difficulty in my class, some profs looked at them aghast and said "Well no wonder?!?! how could you possibly think that you could get by without purchasing extra books by so and so even though we don't cover it in class, mention it at all, etc. ATI is a total joke in my opinion, and I get so confused when professors I respect and have learned from stand by it, or say, " Sorry we cannot see the ATI tests because their content would be compromised so we cannot answer your questions about them." Or worse, tell me behind closed doors they too dislike ATI but can't do anything about it because their hands are tied. I have been doing fairly well so far with one more year to go, but I can't help but feel sorry for my fellow classmates who have been struggling. Then when our dean tried to use me and the few others who passed our tests first try as examples of why ATI works....well lets just say I had to bite my lip. I''ve been slowly noticing, though, that to some people when us "newbies" point out flaws we see or issues, other more veteran nurses take on the defensive and think we are attacking them. If they could do it why shouldn't you be able to? I don't disagree there, and I do believe I will be able to do it. I will graduate and hopefully with honors too through my schools honors program. However, that doesn't mean I don't think the system is flawed, or that things could and should be changed. One thing that I love about nursing is the creativity and adaptability that the profession yields, but even as I write this I felt like I had to "defend" myself by throwing in that I am doing well in school because I feel like other people in these forums will assume I am doing poorly because I think there are problems in nursing education. That fear that I have and acted on is the problem. If changes are going to be made to better nursing education's future its going to take the new graduates and the educators already out there to do it. Meanwhile though, any of the students out there with a decent head on their shoulder like me are just learning to keep your head down and get your degree, which really saddens me. I'm not dense though, so, that is what I am going to do.

thanks! this is great!

i used "Straight A's in Pharmacy" its a book I got from barnes and noble. I didn't get an A but I got a B for the class.

here* ugh typo, sorry thats just embarrassing.

Yes. The only thing that keeps those fears at bay is reading posts on hear from veteran nurses talking about how you don't really learn anything until you get your first job. I'm going to make sure during my first interviews to ask about what kind of training/orientation the employers provide too! I definitely take my clinical grades more seriously than my test grades, though, because hearing from my instructors how I am doing gives me more confidence in my ability as a future nurse. 1 more year!

We had all of our skills checked off before we started our first clinical, otherwise we were not allowed to start clinical. I think it depends on the program, because I definitely had to be prepared to do anything starting my first week, which my instructor explained and stressed with us. @ellaballet its okay to be nervous, its impossible not to be, just try and not show it to the patient and if you have any questions about a skill you are about to do for the first time on a patient make sure to ask your instructor first and not in front of your patient. Don't feel embarrassed, just ask something like, "This is my first time and I just want to run through all the steps with you..." Don't straight up ask/say you don't know what to do (because well you should know it if you were checked off), but just talk through it with your instructor. Also, I don't know what you have had in your program, but we had a CD for our computer that played videos of the skills we learned in fundamentals. I made sure to rewatch everything before clinical, just as a refresher. It helped a little bit with my nerves and gave me some confidence. Hope I've helped a little bit! Good Luck!

I did mostly CNA duties but I also did give my first shot and pass meds for my first clinical. As for tips? I agree with the first responder who said don't ask questions while the RN is pulling meds for your patient. Our instructor actually told us that directly as a rule. Bring everything they tell you to bring, but at the same time bring as little as possible. We had girls in our group who had their pockets full to brim and it made them bulky and hard to move patients when they needed to. After 1-2 weeks their pockets lightened up quick. Definitely develop a rapport with the nurses, but also develop one with the CNAs too. Depending on your facility or the department you are in, sometimes the nurses won't have time that moment to help you or answer right away, but the CNA might be able to (as long as its not something that only an RN can answer) which brings me to the last tip I have, one thing you should really try to memorize if you haven't already is know what RNs, LPNs, and CNAs, can and can't do. It might sound like common sense, and maybe it is, but sometimes you are in a situation where someone asks you to do something you think you can't do, or you see someone doing something you think they can't do but they ask for your help. Make sure you know all of those protocols for the facility and for your school, because sometimes your facility might allow something your school doesn't because its stricter. If you know it well, then when something like that comes up you won't have to second guess yourself.