daetor2012

As long as you can convey important things with patients/co-workers you're fine, it's something you have to learn how to do in the nursing field, you don't have to be the stereotypical extrovert. I'm an introvert myself, but I know that there are pros to being introverted, as well as cons. You will be fine.

I believe I'm ready, but until you can say you've been through nursing school you can never be 100% prepared I guess. Being a male will probably help me out in the physical aspect of nursing as far as lifting patients/boxes, but I'm not counting on it being easy at all.

Yeah, I understand the need for a BSN nowadays. I am really thinking about taking a RN to BSN option online, but from what I've read so far online programs aren't taken very seriously compared to tradition on-campus ones.

What other areas do you consider less physically taxing? I've heard LTC facilities and clinics aren't as demanding as hospitals.

So, basically the summary of this thread is that a lot of online colleges are shady and allow you to get a degree in less time compared to commuting to a campus? I mean, I understand that a lot of RNs go to work right after their ADN because they want experience and the chance to pay down their student loans, so if online education for your BSN is really just a joke, that's sad.

Wow, amazing job! I'm really happy you're getting in a lot sooner than originally planned, I wish that was the case with me. Also, don't think twice about Speech class, it's so easy. You get used to the speeches after a while. The other courses.. well.. those are probably going to be pretty hard. Do you have lab with any of them? Also, good job on paying for your own college, it'll be nice graduating with no debt.

As a future Nursing student these posts have been very helpful, thank you for the thread. I'd love to be able to chime in with something useful, but I'm just as new to nursing as you are. General advice would be just to not worry and take things as they come, because one day you'll look back and laugh at the things you felt and experienced as a nursing student, from what I've been told. It'll all work out.

As far as actual paying jobs I'm not sure, but I know volunteering is a great way to get your foot in the door at a major hospital that you're thinking of applying at once you graduate.

That's pretty awesome, because like you mentioned a BSN is becoming more of a requirement in the Nursing field. I wish I could just get my ADN and easily land a nursing job after graduating, but even applicants with their BSN are struggling to land employment.

For pre-reqs my semester looks like this: Elementary Chemistry English Comp 1 Anatomy and Physiology Lecture w/ Lab Mathematics and it's applications 13 credit hours altogether, I find it's hard to get that balance of pre-reqs and reqs to graduate, because if you end up taking and passing all of your non-nursing courses you'll struggle to maintain full time status.

It's more or less just a habit, that unfortunately makes you look bad. It's something you have to actively work on, which can be draining in certain situations.

Is there any way I can speak with you about your experiences as a nurse without flooding the thread? I really want an experienced nurse's opinion/views on things.

Does anyone else here have previous college credits for another major? I've switched my major three times already, first I was Pre-Dentistry, then I switched to Computer Networking, and lastly Biomedical Technology. I've been in college for 2 years already, and I'm going to take two semesters to get my pre-reqs done for Nursing School, so it's going to be another 3 years before I graduate with my ADN. Does anyone else wish they would have started earlier in Nursing? I hope I'm not alone.

I use a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, it's big enough for me to read yet it isn't as large as the tablets, I can't imagine having to carry those around all of the time. If the situations allows I would get a cheaper tablet than an iPad, maybe a Barnes and Noble Nook HD, it's around 180 dollars and has decent specs.

What is your planned route to becoming a Registered Nurse? Are you going into an ADN plan, or going straight into a BSN degree? I'm thinking about going for the associate degree and getting my BSN while working as a nurse, but I've been reading that you pretty much have to have a BSN to get a job as an RN. Do you think it'll be easier to just go straight for the BSN before starting work or working as you get the BSN, maybe online?