Backwardo

Please study your specialty areas!! The dean of my college of nursing sat in with us one afternoon and told us to focus on pharmacology and delegation. She actually said, "Do not focus on specialty areas, they aren't going to be the majority of your test." I used UWorld to prepare. I did all of the specialty questions (mental health, peds, OB) and I'm so glad I did. The majority of my test (at least 75%) consisted of these three subjects. I was blown away. I had one infection control question. I had two "who would you see first" questions. I had two delegation question for UAP and LVN. I had four pharmacology questions and 3 of those were related to mental health. If I hadn't practiced with the Uworld questions and reviewed the content, I do not think I would have passed. On June 21, I passed in 30 minutes with 75 questions! I know most people leave feeling like they failed, but I walked out knowing I had passed. I had every intention of doing the "trick," but decided I really didn't need to. I just waited for my quick results. So if you're preparing for boards, make sure you do a little review. It made all the difference for me. And for what it's worth, I highly recommend UWorld!

I tested yesterday. About half of my exam was SATA. I didn't get any other alternate format questions. I passed in 75 questions, took about half an hour. It really wasn't that bad, it was very easy to go through them and "true/false" the answers.

I took A&P I with nursing fundamentals and A&P II with med-surg. I finished A&P II with a high B and med-surg with an A. Totally doable! Will you be tired and a little jealous of your classmates who only have to focus on nursing? Sure. But I will say, nursing 3 feels much less stressful in comparison to the previous semester. :)

Well, here's the awesome part - you have already seen the test and now have an idea of what to expect! Don't let it bother you or make you feel bad, just think of it as a practice run. I wish I could give all tests a practice run... I scored in the 86th percentile on my first try. Look at your scores and see if there are any subjects you really don't need much help with. I used the ATI book to study and noticed I was knocking the math portion out with no problem. I stopped studying it because other things (SCIENCE) needed my attention more. Math ended up being my highest score on the test, so have confidence in the stuff you already know. Don't waste your time on it. Science is not and will never be my favorite or best subject. I hadn't taken A&P prior to the TEAS, so I felt really disadvantaged. I read the science section in the book and I also read Anatomy and Physiology made incredibly easy. When I took the practice tests in the book, I would just check to see if my answers were right or not. I didn't look at the correct answers because I wanted to be able to retest and see if I had learned what the true answers were. Science still ended up being my lowest score, but it was much higher than it would have been if I hadn't utilized those books. Good luck!

I just finished up my first semester. Maybe it's because I'm a newbie to nursing school, but the most difficult thing for me was the volume of work. I had 6ish hours of clinical look up on Sundays (including filling out 15 pages of information on my patient, going home and creating two care plans, and preparing a proper SBAR report to give to my instructor), on top of my medication and diagnostic worksheets I had to do for clinical (usually takes at least 3 hours). I had an exam every Wednesday morning at 0800 (and only 4 hours total of lecture to prepare us for the exam, the rest was up to us). We had 1-2 case studies due Wednesday morning. ATI videos to watch weekly (long, LONG ATI videos)... Math packets due every week. It was just a lot of busywork. Important busywork, but busywork nonetheless. I had to make time to study and I also took A&P at the same time, so the fall semester was a little overwhelming. I didn't struggle much with exams. My lowest grade was an 80 and I received that when I had a lecture and lab exam in A&P that same week. I practiced out of three different NCLEX books to prepare me for the tests and maybe I was more adjusted to the style of questions... It's also entirely possibly that all the busywork forced some knowledge into my brain and made me more prepared.

Fingers crossed for you! First semester was exciting! The first few weeks I felt like I was consumed with stress 24/7. I would wake up feeling stressed. But I found my groove and ended up with a 90% in Fundamentals (it is just one class that incorporates pharmacology). The class was fairly easy for me, overall. I didn't struggle too much to get that grade. The most challenging part was keeping up with the busywork. I know it has it's purpose and I'm learning from it, but there were sooo many case studies and care plans. I spent many nights up working on those rather than studying for exams. I also took A&P along with my nursing class. Now THAT was a challenge. It was so much more consuming than nursing, hands down. I got a low B. :***: But I made it and I'm onto my next semester. I wish I had purchased my NCLEX books at the beginning. I bought Saunders, which was required, and eventually throughout the semester I added two more. My grades started climbing and really helped me out when I was preparing for my final. I never read assigned chapters fully. There just wasn't enough time. My NCLEX books did a really nice job breaking down the need-to-know information for me. My biggest worry was that I wouldn't get enough quality time with my family. I seriously dislike the warning I got about saying goodbye to my kids, my spouse, my mother, etc. Time with my husband did decrease because we work around each other's schedules so our children don't have to go to daycare, but we had a date night every week. Time with my children did decrease because I was gone more during the day than I ever have been. But it made our time together so sweet. I was there every night to tuck them into bed. We had dinner each night at the table. We still hugged and kissed just as much. Husband and kids were more than willing to let me "practice" my skills on them. I didn't say "goodbye" to them and I would advise all nursing students to remember we need our families to help us succeed.

Oh jeez, wrong thread.

LOL! Love it! I have resorted to putting my kids' clothes in baskets, rather than folding them and putting them in their dressers. My husband and I's just goes in a big pile on my file cabinet, I don't even bother with the basket. We eat picnic style most nights because my books cover the table 9 times out of 10. Kids love it, though! I've started wearing my six year old's socks because they fit and mine are often really gross because I'm constantly on the go. I'm only in my first semester, give me one or two more and I may be stealing your ideas!

I guess I just don't understand your mentality, here. I'm 11 weeks into my program, so far I've been checked off all basic CNA skills (though I am a certified CNA, we all had to get checked off in the beginning), physical assessment, injections, medications, urinary catheter, and NG tubes. I had clinical on Monday where I had the opportunity to give meds and injections to my nurse's entire hallway, it would have been awesome... However, my patients desperately needed baths. They hadn't had an aid on the floor for 2 days... I went in, spent nearly an hour with each patient, cleaning them up, getting them in fresh clothes, helping one female fix her hair. It's why I'm here - to help. Just think to yourself why you wanted to become a nurse. It's not because you were dying to perform physical assessments, I'm sure, it's because we all want to help. And believe me, for a patient who can't get themselves cleaned up, they truly appreciate your help.

I am 11 weeks into my first semester. Sunday: -Clinical look up (depends on how fast you work) Monday: -Clinical 0600-1200 -Lab 1200-1330 Wednesday: -Class 0800-1100 Thursday: -Class 0800-1100 We're split into three clinical groups, so the other two have clinical on Tuesday and then have lab on Wednesday or Thursday.

It really wouldn't bother me. Knit, snack, type....whatever. Just don't try chatting with me while I'm in my I-must-absorb-everything-the-instructor-is-saying zone and it's cool. And honestly, if your instructor hasn't said anything, I don't think it bothers her. Maybe just bring up that someone mentioned that it might be seen as rude, that it's not your intention, and ask for permission.

You're still new - it takes time for some to be able to let that go when you walk out of the room. My little guy is in diapers and the smell of urine or feces don't bother me (unless we're talking C-Diff - nothing in the world will ever make me be OK with the smell of C-Diff). Blood doesn't have any kind of effect on me. But mucus and phlegm still make my stomach turn. We all have our quirks, but eventually we get a little desensitized and it gets easier.

I'm getting ready to start week 7 and you will definitely find your own routine. I realized around week 4 that I wasn't running around constantly in a panic that I wasn't going to get XYZ done. I have a lot of weekly assignments due on certain days of the week, so I have scheduled days that I'll do them. My medications and diagnostic test sheets (usually 3-5 each) are due at clinical at 0600 on Monday, they get done on Friday. I spend my Sundays working on my care plans for Monday clinical. My case study that is due every Thursday morning at 0800, I typically do Wednesday afternoons (last minute because I have an exam every Wednesday morning and I'd rather focus on that). ATI videos....I do one a night until they are done (this week I have 6, ugh!) I am also taking A&P simultaneously, so I squeeze in that whenever I can. I see a nursing tutor every Monday afternoon. I highly, highly recommend this if your school has one. My grades aren't in trouble, I've had some pretty good tests thus far, it's just great to have someone there to walk you through certain concepts or to quiz you on the stuff you need a little more help with. If your class hasn't done so, it's really nice to have a private facebook group just for you guys -- no teachers. You can help each other with assignments or ask, "Hey, when xyz due?" It can help break the ice with your classmates, too.

What?? No! You absolutely cannot do that. No, no, no.

I'm currently drinking a beer/watching a movie/browsing this forum. Yesterday I spent an hour shopping for my brand new baby nephew and then 3 hours afterwards holding said nephew. Some days studying will be top priority, other days kicking back and relaxing will be #1. You'll figure it out!