PrnAdnST

I just finished my ADN a week ago and I will be 50 in June. I started at 46. I will be starting my BSN in February 2018. This will be my second career. First one is a Surgical Technologist, I went to school at 23. I have always wanted to be a nurse and can't believe I got the change to make my dream come true. I am so happy I did it. Now I'm off to study for that NCLEX... "It's not the years hon, it's the milage..." Harrison Ford.

I just took my Advanced Med/Surg ATI this past Wednesday. We are converting to ATI from HESI at my college. I have taken both. I would say if you are doing well in the class you should do well on the exam. I was passing my Advanced Med/Surg course and had our final exam on Tuesday before the ATI. My brain wouldn't let me study before ATI on Tuesday night, I had been hitting my Iggy Med/Surg book pretty hard for the past 3 weeks for the final. I also made flashcards with Patho, signs/symptoms, diagnosis & lab tests, & nursing interventions on them for diseases. I only use one side of the card. I used the larger flashcards, small ones don't have the room for all that info, I like the fact you could take flash cards anywhere and if your board you can just look at them and you can even take pics for your phone to look at. I looked over some of the conditions/diseases I thought were harder for me to understand, I also watched videos (YouTube) on the subjects that I couldn't grasp so well. I would make a note of what medications your ATI book has listed, they seemed to be different than our class book, the names were different but the drug classes weren't. Look over your syllabus to see what you should cover and be sure to know about everything thing in your syllabus because usually they don't test on subjects not covered. I only read the ATI Med/Surg book to study for the ATI exam & I used Iggy, our recommended Adv. Med/Surg & Med/Surg book for our class exams because our instructor read out of the book in class, & she would read the book for our test questions when we reviewed our exams. In my class, we had to have a passing grade to be able to take our ATI a second time & we had to have a level 2 to pass the class. I am happy to say I passed my class & ATI on the first try with a level 2. Good Luck to you!

I am in an exelerated ADN program. I work part-time (I am PRN) and go to school full time. I have done it for the last year. I am fortunate that my boss understands me being in school, she's a nurse. I couldn't have done it in my first year because I carried 12-15 credit hours. I am entering Advanced Med/Surg in July and will cut my work hours to 15-20 per week. I work in an outpatient surgery center as a Surgical Technologist. I only work M-F and I take afternoon classes and don't work on my 1 clinical day (10 hrs) & I have class & lab 3 days a week. Most days I work 4 hrs and one day I work 8-10 or whenever we are done. I need to have another outlet to make my brain rest from all the studying & reading. I think it helps me to work because my brain will get rest.

Don't contemplate, do it!

kerri76 Hi! I am 41 and contemplating going back to school to become an RN. Kerri 76, don't contemplate, do it!

I just turned 49 in June & I (hopefully) will be graduating in December this year! Advanced Med/Surg & Transitions... the struggle is real... are the only 2 (really 6 with theory, lab & clinicals) classes I have left in my ADN program... This will be my second career. I presently work in the O.R. as a Surgical Technologist and I have dreamed of becoming a nurse for the past 25 years. We have several other grads who are older then me, a good friend of mine just graduated, she's 60 & one, a Valedictorian, was in his 70's. It has been a long, tired road and it has taken longer than I would have liked, but the key is to finish. You can do it! Life experience (critical thinking) helps in clinicals and really everywhere. Figure out how you learn, form a study group, & read your butt off! Good luck!

Don't forget where you came from

Everyone has a first day

See one, do one, teach one.

Love this post! Thanks to all who posted!

At present I am a full time nursing student. I am in an execrated program, ADN. I carry 12 credit hours & will continue until I graduate. At work I'm a Surgical Technologist. I work as much as possible. I have the luxury of having a great boss who can usually help with my schedule. Some weeks I work 4-20 hours a week. My Outpatient surgical facility is only open M-F, no weekends or holidays. I get up most mornings at 4:30 am no matter where I'm going school/work/clinicals. This Quarter's schedule: Monday: *Exam Days, No work. Up at 6:30, School 8:00. Meet with Study Group at 10:00 until 1:00* Up 4:30 Work: 6:30-10:30 10:30-1:30 study/lunch/exercise/travel time Nurse Theory Class: 1:30-5 Home 5:30-11:00 Study/Dinner/chores 11:30 sleep Tuesday: Up 4:30 Nurse Lab/Nurse Theory Class 8:00- 5:00 Home: 5:30-11:00 Study/Dinner/chores 11:30 sleep Wednesday: Up: 4:30 Work: 6:30-? (3:30-5:30) Home: whatever time Study/Dinner/Chores 11:30 sleep Thursday: Up:4:30 Clinical: 6:30- 3:30 Home 4:30-11:00 Study/Dinner/Chores 11:30 sleep Friday: Up: 4:30 Clinical 6:30-4 Home: 4:30-11:00 Study/Dinner/Chores May/June Friday's Up:430 Work 6:30-? (3:30-5:30) Home: whenever... Study/dinner/chores Saturday: Up: 7:00-9:00 Exercise 9:00-10:00 10:00 Shower 10:30a-11:00 Study/Assignments/Chores/dinner... Sunday: Up: 7:00-9:00 Exercise 9:00-10:00 10:00 Shower 10:30a -11:00 Study/Assignments/Chores/dinner... That's my life for the next 12 weeks.... Hope this helps.

1. What is your age? 45 to 54 2. What is your gender? Female 3. Are you satisfied with your chosen career choice? Sometimes 4. Do you think you are valued at work? No 5. Do you think attaining higher education will help you advance in your job? Yes, personally I will be able to work as 2 individuals, a circulating nurse & a scrub tech. I would also like to maybe choose another avenue to pursue in nursing. 6. Do you feel you are using your education in your work? Yes 7. Do you think a Bachelors is necessary to advance in Nursing? Other (please specify) I don't think you can work in a hospital these days without signing an agreement to finish your BSN within an allotted amount of time.

Being in nursing school since 2014, I am also looking for tips and working on ways I can keep my exacerbations in check. I suffer from IBS, & anxiety, and now HTN, that have gotten worse since I started school. I am so out of shape... 2016 was a tough year for me, and I am looking forward to incorporating new healthy ways to adapt to while working a PRN job and being a full-time student. I will be trying to plan how to have more effective ways to study, incorporating exercise, and eating right for 2017. I am thinking of using my treadmill time for listening to my recorded lectures from class. I would love to see if I can incorporate more small meals into my daily plan and even adding a bit of weight training ( I'm over 40, & working on my dream 2nd career) to this plan. I will be following this thread. Happy 2017 everyone!

Can I get a copy of the 34 p NCLEX review? [email protected]

I am not an O.R. RN yet 1 year to go for that... I am a Surgical Technologist, I can scrub everything but open hearts & robotic cases. I love, love, love, being able to scrub most everything. I am working PRN at an outpatient center while being a full-time nursing student. My love is Orthopedics, especially trauma ortho. I will be returning to the O.R. full time when I'm done with nursing school.

Been in the O.R. for 24 yrs, worked in 5 hospitals, been thrown out twice. Once because I'd never scrubbed the case and asked a question. Second time, because my boss had me leave a new person with a crazy doc, he hated new people (she held her own). Worked my way back into the docs rooms both times and made them want me there... MAhaha, my revenge! Watch everything they do, learn what they like, remember, they are people too, I repeat, they are people too. I was hugged by the crazy doc because he knows I care about my patients. The questioned Docs never wanted me to leave their cases. I was told by 2 great instructors, Most important: Be yourself, introduce yourself to the doctor, pay attention to the surgery, read the preference cards (it's not social hour), and learn not to take everything personal. Have a backbone. One day you will be there on call and they won't have a choice. It doesn't matter at 3 a.m. who's in the room. Learn as much as you can! Sometimes we all have a bad day.

I would say recruit a good friend who knows you. One who will hold you accountable, maybe even a school friend that knows your weaknesses. Meet with them weekly to discuss things you might want to go over. You may want to connect with some instructors you had while in school as well. I am writing this as if I had to take the NCLEX. These are things I would consider. Figure out a new way to learn the material. I am personally working on concept maps this time for my Med/Surg re-take. I will also be looking into how to use ADPIE to solve patient problems. Hope this helps!

Please don't be upset! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep trying! I haven't finished nursing school yet but I can understand your frustration. On Thursday this week, I will be repeating my Med/Surg 1 class for the third time... yes 3 times I will take Med/Surg 1. This last time I missed passing by less than 1- 2 point question. The times I have failed I had to sit out for 3 months. Besides re-taking classes and sitting out this has put me behind a year. I will be starting my 3rd year on a 2-year program. I have seen people I have started with graduating who were enrolled in a class after me. I personally know a friend who took 10 years to get through a 4-year program, he's such a great nurse! Keep trying! Keep studying! Find someone to teach and that may help you! Good Luck!!

1.Use an app on your cell phone to record lectures so you can listen to them anywhere. Some app's let you save to online file websites. Be sure to ask for permission first. 2. Buy a smartpen and notebook set that will record audio during lectures, as you write, and you can go back at any time and relisten to it. Especially awesome to use for math class and A&P. Best money I ever spent was for that Smartpen and notebook set.

Great article. I am in awe of these nurses and hope if something happens like this around me, I will be able to react like these nurses did.

I used a smart pen too, listened to it over and over. I still use my pen for my nursing classes. Best thing I ever bought for school. I was also lucky to have my instructors have video online lectures and I would listen and follow in my book with my highlighter at least 3 times to understand some of the content they were trying to explain. I printed out the slides they had for our A&P Lab class and bought page protectors and a dry erase pen and used those to learn. We also had models in Lab and our library to learn with. We would work in a study group to learn the models they tested us on. I made concept maps and drew pictures and used colored paper, pens, made flashcards, an app for flashcards on my phone. Repetition, repetition, repetition... The better you study in A&P, the more you will understand your nursing classes. Good luck!

Hello, I have a couple thoughts... I bought a Zuca rolling bag for Nursing school. I love it! It holds a lot kinda like a mini locker. It's really easy to move around and t's very sturdy too! Yeah, It's a bit pricey, but I have used it for 3 years now and will continue to use it until I graduate with my BSN. It was worth every penny! The wheels even light up! I have gotten so many complements on it! I have put 6 large nursing books in it at the same time. If you don't like the lighted wheels you can buy regular, I did find lighted wheels handy with going to class at 7am in the winter it's still dark and I know people could see me crossing the parking lot. Mystic (Insert Only)($52.50) + Black Frame Flashing Wheel set ($110.00) ZUCA : The Ultimate Carry-All! I would also buy a few large Binders, and start keeping your nursing work in them. I keep my nursing theory and lab classes in the same binder. I would also buy a smaller binder for your clinical paperwork, it's pretty awesome to be organized if you have a place to put the papers they hand out for clinicals. Care plans, Concept Maps, Medication Papers, Journal Entries... SaveSave

In A&P I would use page protectors and a dry erase marker to test myself on the pictures we had for the systems. I will have to dig out my old page protectors!! Thanks for this tip!

This past quarter we had a lot of Med/Surg 1 students fail the class, and we are all waiting to see what they are going to do. I know at least 6-10 students that didn't make it. We have all been in school for over a year at this private college and have racked up some debt. This morning I was talking with a Registrar about this. This is the email I received. "We haven't finalized anything yet, but it doesn't look like you will be able to repeat this quarter. With the amount of unsuccessful students in your particular class there may not even be space for students who are unsuccessful for the first time. I will get the information out to you and your classmates as soon as a decision has been made. If you are unable to continue, you will be allowed to return in Summer." I only have 1 prerequisite class left (Literature 4 credit hours) and since I can't hold full time status for financial aid I have to pay this out of pocket even if it's a required class... I had failed A&P 2 theory last year before this Med/Surg class. Any thoughts on what I can do to stay in school. I think that this problem needs to be addressed... " With the amount of unsuccessful students in your particular class there may not even be space for students who are unsuccessful for the first time." How can I address this statement tactfully?

I use the Echo, it had the best ratings, when I ordered it. I have found that if you order the notebooks off the Livescribe website they are cheaper than amazon and took about a week to get to me.