WV-RN

I graduated NP school at 44 after years of being an RN. My advice-- do it now, don't wait.

I used to get asked too frequently if I were pregnant... Even though I was 5'6" and about 140# when I was in my early thirties. I think it was because I was a 36DD cup. Hahaha. Now that I'm older and plumper all over I don't get asked that question anymore. Oh well.....

May be meralgia parasthetica. A numbness and tingling in the outer thigh sometimes caused by wearing a tight belt like a heavy tool belt around the waist.

Mammiogram. Usually an LOL that says it.

Twozer, when I applied for my NP grad school, yes I was aware that we were required to find our own preceptors but I never realized how hard it would be. We had an assignment to shadow an area of interest for one day during our second semester and I was turned down by several OB/GYN docs for just one day of shadowing. At the time I was not reading postings on this forum and really had no clue that it would be hard to get someone to precept me. I found out fast that I would have to work hard to find preceptors and that I would have to "settle" for a couple of sub-par ones, but my education was MINE and I made it great in spite of the situation. Adult learning is self directed and you get out of it what you put into it.

Hi all nurses! I just passed my ANCC FNP exam! I promised to let you know what helped me the most from what I studied and I have to say the Exam Edge practice tests were most helpful and most like the real test. The Leik book was slightly helpful with the test, but I think it is very helpful with general knowledge for practice. Thanks for all the support from everyone throughout this process. Good luck to everyone else testing soon!

Very difficult. NPs are supposed to be "advanced" practitioners but the more advanced I have become, the further away from my basic education I have become. I have been in mostly specialty areas and it's true that if you don't use it you lose it. Some of the things taught in my masters program were completely different than what I learned 25 years ago. There are many questions on all nurses about how long to wait after becoming an RN to start the NP process. I say don't wait more than 5 years to keep current in practice.

Anyone have any experience with coolsculpting?

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Clean your house very very good because you will not have time to clean once you start the clinical portion of your program. Also start saving money now because it is almost impossible (for me anyway) to continue working very many hours when doing clinicals. ( especially if you are older or have family responsibilities). Please don't slam me for insinuating older students can't do it. I am speaking about myself being in my early 40's. Comparing my energy level from when I was in my 20's when I went through my RN program I can definitely tell a difference. It's a lot of work but worth it in the end. I am glad to finally be done!!

I have not taken my cert exam yet but plan to in January 2016. I am going to take ANCC instead of the AANP. I am studying the Leik book which I think is easy to follow and I have scored about 85% on the questions in the back of the book by taking 100 at a time. I also took the APEA predictor test, can't remember exact score but it was in the 70's which the test says I would predictably pass my cert exam. I also ordered the ten pack of exam edge questions. I have only done four tests so far and have passed all of them but found them to have a lot of theory and non clinical questions. I don't know how many questions on ANCC are theory but I feel this is my weak area so they might be helpful for that. I'll let you all know if exam edge was helpful after take my cert test. [emoji4]

Turtle in scrubs, I wish I had heard of this a year ago. My husband had a temporary ileostomy and it was very frustrating to change his wafer while fighting constant draining stool. Would have saved us a lot of time and frustration. I think it's a great idea.

I think it depends on your personal situation. If you are motivated, not married and don't have kids yet, I say go for it. If you have to devote time to a relationship or children it will probably be too much especially when you start clinicals. Good luck in whatever you decide!

It's better than inpatient nursing but I think it depends on what job you end up getting. I have worked for a doc that was very needy and had a patient load that was needy as well. I was swamped all the time. In comparison I have worked for docs that do everything for themselves and the phone hardly rings. Expect the worst and hope for the best.

Try Proliability. I had to get private insurance as an RN and it was only about $120 for the whole year. Covers me as NP student as well.

Hey wait a minute! That crusty old bat got a tuft of cool whip on her red jello! I'm going to have to file a grievance about this.......this is sooooooo not fair!

I like Brooks sneakers. I have a high arch and cannot just wear anything. I went to a nursing shoe store and Tried on an Algeria and Dansko shoes and couldn't believe how uncomfortable they were. It seems like everyone raves about these shoes but I thought it felt like walking in stiff wooden shoes. I need a more cushy shoe that pads my feet.

I love it when the little old blue haired ladies tell me it's time for their MAMMIOgram and they need their quumullin (Coumadin) refilled. Also had a patient write on their history form once that they had a history of THROIDS. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what this was until I said it out loud. She meant she had "the 'roids'". Hemorrhoids!!!!!!! LOL

Wow sorry to hear your grandmother had such a bad experience. My husband was admitted from ER one night with severe abdominal pain. I left him for the night because I thought he would get care being in a hospital. He laid in agony all night with an rotten gallbladder that was so diseased the surgeon said it basically fell apart when he was removing it. Anyways, I called him that morning to check on him only to find he had been in pain all night and they just kept telling him they would call the doctor soon. He was in severe pain all night without meds. When I called the nurses desk that morning to ask what was going on the nurse actually laughed when I told her I was his wife. Like she thought it was funny that he was in pain all night. Nobody had tried to call the dr all night because I asked him when he came in at about 7:30am. The dr examined him and took him to surgery immediately. I made sure I told the dr he needed a PCA pump when he returned to room. It's sad that you have to monitor your own family member when they are in the hospital or they won't get adequate care. I don't expect the royal treatment but you don't even get appropriate care. I've been a nurse for a long time and just with my own family members I have probably twenty other stories just like this. Sad!

Go for it! When you retire you don't want to be saying "I wish I had........"

I think it sounds like she is showing passive aggressive behavior toward you. Maybe you just rub her the wrong way or maybe she just doesn't like the extra burden of precepting or perhaps she's jealous of you. Whatever it is she will deny that anythings wrong if you confront her. The best thing you can do is to quit trying so hard to make small talk and be friendly toward her. Just be professional and try not to let her behavior bother you. Since you said you are in your last semester take the nightshift down times to study and look up disease processes you're unfamiliar with. Don't let her see that she is getting to you. That's the positive reinforcement she wants.

Oceanside California. Was just there for a week and if I were twenty years younger I wouldn't have got on the plane to come home! Absolutely perfect weather and beautiful communities. I can't wait to go back. I came back to 90 degrees and enough sticky humidity to make me choke. Probably never going to happen but I would love to retire there. ?

I see you are from ohio. Have you looked into ohio university? The cost is similar (a little under 30,000) and is completely online except two visits to the college over two and a half years. I am finishing up my first year this summer and will start clinicals in August. I have been able to work full time so far by burning the candle at both ends but will go part time when doing clinicals. The classes are challenging and it is certainly not easy but will be worth it in the end. Good luck to you.

To the OP, I was in a job and had this exact same experience. I was actually warned before I took the position to "watch my back" by a nurse that knew the toxic environment. My response was " oh I can get along with anybody". Well I'll never say that again! I am not a new nurse by any means, and I have worked with some pretty rude people in the past, but this girl takes the cake and wins the blue ribbon for nastiest nurse ever. This job was great at first until group A figured out I was not a follower and would not be talking about group B behind their backs and making fun of everyone else behind their backs. My first clue should have been how the nurse talked about every other nurse that had been there since she had started two years ago and how they were all lazy and stupid. Hmmmm......she should have been asking herself why she has gone through about five nurse coworkers in two years and nobody wanted to stay working with her. I'm sure that since I have left that now I am in the group of lazy and stupid. Lol. I tried talking to her personally and then with our manager but nothing helped. It only made her nastier and when I started getting the cold shoulder from her friends and when I would come into an area and everyone would stop talking, well I knew it was time to go. I thought I had been teleported back to eighth grade!! I had to stay a year and a half until I finally got another job and I'm much happier where I'm at now. I work in a wonderful office with great people. I no longer dread going to work or have to worry about someone trying to get me fired. (Oh yeah-she of course was chummy with the manager). Sometimes it is best to try and stay and make the best of things but other times you just need to leave the toxic environment before it makes you physically and mentally sick. Good luck in whatever you do.

You did the right thing for the patient by calling 911 to get her to the ER. Don't worry about what other nurses say. If you didn't call 911 the same people probably would've said " well you should have called 911!" Sometimes you are darned if you do and darned if you don't.