Micci

Hey everyone, haven't been around for awhile. I feel kind of overwhelmed with getting a handle on all the reading and the work. Trying to find my stride, I guess. I think the most difficult is all the expected reading. I really don't think it is possible to read everything the give us. Not at this point. The A module, yes, but B module things are heating up a bit. I think I know Johnny B who has been posting here. Hi John! I'm in a good group. We split the EBO's between the 10 of us, so three a-piece. I have a good group of 4 of us who have paired up to work on labs and study together. I definately made it my business to get a group together from the get go for support and such. We never got the 3rd or 4th semester student who was supposed to come to our class- I don't know who it was, but they didn't show on our day. But I did go to the family open house and got some good tips from the 3rd year students.

Question about EBO's. It's kind of dumb but do we turn these in for a grade? Also do they have to be worded in our own words or can I just copy the answers I find in the text word for word? CLCstudent- I took Micro with Fleming in Spring '07, so we probably didn't meet. I didn't take much of my gen ed at CLC because I had so much done at COD before we moved.

Collene, I took A&P at College of Dupage before I transfered to CLC, so we probably haven't met. I did take Micro with Rhonda Flemming in the evening though. I worked out the sitting situation- my nephew is going to move in and be our live-in nanny (or should I say Manny) for two years. That should be interesting but at least I can stop worrying about three kids on three different schedules in three different schools. My oldest is disabled and in a whole other school district in a special class that has an intensive but short day. I have a son in kindergarten and one child who goes a regular full day in second grade. Getting childcare to come to our house for a couple hours this day and a few that day and half an hour this morning and two hours that morning was turning into mission impossible. And holy moley the school and all their teacher inservice days, non-attendance days..etc. What a headache! I can't believe how much reading is on the first module. I better start taking my Ginko :) I'm actually looking forward to learning all this stuff. I do work as a CNA but right now I am between jobs. My last college required us to become CNA's as a pre-req to the nursing program. I also used to work in assisted living with developmental disabled, and in those situations we go through a med certification and actually give meds- even prn meds. So I have some knowledge of meds and what some of them are used for and so forth even though it has been awhile.

Thanks Blue Wolf and Lori, I started my vaccinations back December and got my physical in May. So I just need to get all that info to the health center and I am good to go. I just bought my books today and some poor kid from the bookstore had to lug them all out. I was actually supposed to start last semester but my high school didn't send my transcripts but when I went to records they said my transcripts were there- so I was pretty mad last year :) Something similar almost happened this year. I got a rejection letter from the nursing program saying I didn't meet all the requirements- saying I had not attended an info session. I about had a coronary, but when I called them they found record that I had but had already chosen the class I think but hopefully hadn't sent the letters. I think the most stressful thing at this time for me is making sure that I have babysitting in place for my three kids around the odd schedule. I acutally had it worked out but after looking at the calendar today I see that they change things up here and there which is like a huge nightmare for me. So I am trying not to stress about that stuff. I am so glad they did change those rules on the practical exams (is that what they are called?) Because I heard nightmares about people failing a whole semester over a small mistake. I am reading the practice module in the nursing handbook and then I am going to get the first three modules out of the way and then all that online assessment stuff and the online training we need to do before clinicals. Is there anything else you would recommend I do before starting book work wise that you wish had been suggested or was suggested to you? Thanks for everything! I'll be around

I did their weekend program in Bolingbrook because it was most convenient for me. Took 8 weekends, not too bad. The instructor was nice. I think it was probably easier and more informal then the community college class. Cost about the same. This was back in 2005 though.

Hi, I'm starting first semester and we just had our nursing orientation meeting today. I am trying not to but I feel completely overwhelmed by the amount of "stuff" we talked about. Modules, clinicals, exams, lab times..etc, a huge stack of books, and all the other little stuff that has to be done before clinicals. I know it will all sort itself out once we actually start going to class and doing some of the stuff. They sent us home with alot of "homework" to get done too. I am excited though to finally get started on actually nursing courses

Exactly!! I'm not sure how the educational system got to the point where students are treated like dirt and we pay for it.

I didn't want to dig back through the whole thread... Does anyone else have to write observation papers? We have to write three. Each one we are required to observe a different age group. I did my first observation today at a preschool. I was wondering in anyone had samples of how the observation papers are written.

Someone already posted links to Samland. I took my CNA with them because it would have cost me a whole summer of paying a sitter to take the community college course. Also, taking it through Samland was way easier than what the college makes you do. I took mine at their Bolingbrook location and it was done in 8 weekends. They have 5 week courses that are either evening or weekday times- 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. We did clinicals at Manorcare in Naperville, next to Edwards hospital. They also got us CPR certified. I think, Bolingbrook is the only one doing the weekend, but that may be changed by now. I would recommend going through a private company over the college to anyone because the class is easier and it does not take as much time. Good luck.

I am thrilled, I got a 92 on the Lecture test and 99 on the Lab test. The lecture test I was shocked because I thought I had done really bad. It was an awful day with my son being in the ER all afternoon/evening and then me rushing to school without a chance to review on last time. He hands out the tests in grade order, from hightest to lowest, so I was surprised when he handed me my paper third. We are on to muscles and I really need to make a system for memorizing them. If anyone has any ideas? --------------------------------------------------- Wow, StPaulie, only two left in your class! Your teacher must be really difficult. We have a hard teacher, and still 2/3 of the class left. But I think alot are planning on dropping at the last minute.

Well, I was really obsessing. Guess what... I ended up getting an A (92) on the A&P exam. 3rd highest grade in the class. I swear, I thought I had gotten a C. I guess I wasn't as bad off as I thought. KatieBell, You are right, I am learning stuff. I was very insecure about my blood pressure taking abilities, but I have to do weekly's on Sundays and that has sharpened my skill. I'm sure there are other skills I am gaining that I don't even realize. I think such a difficult orientation was just bad timing. And I don't feel like I am part of a team. They are not "my" patients, and I would really like the continuity of working with the same patients. For example, one of my patients went on hospice and died over the 10 days I wasn't on his floor. I would have liked to have assisted with his care or at least said goodbye and provided comfort to his family. But, after some soul searching. I am sticking out the job. It's like nursing bootcamp- especially because I want to work in the hospital. Learning to deal with strange schedules and a variety of patients.

Thanks! I did try working without the benefits. I put in a request last week to cut down to two days a week, my weekend days. My request was denied. The head nurse said that I have to be working there for 90 days before I can request a shift change, and until then, I need to fulfill the schedule I agreed to. The thing that has finally pushed me over the edge, is that my mother-in-law is watching the kids for me, the mornings after my weekday overnight shifts. which is alternating tuesday and friday mornings. But she needs to take a daytime job, and I have to choose which morning I want, either tuesday or friday. So do I decide not to sleep on Tuesday mornings and still have to go to school on tuesday night. Or do I decide not to sleep on friday mornings and still have to go to work on friday overnight and I also have a saturday morning class that starts after I get off of work. This is the only semester I will have to take 3 classes. I had to do it in order to finish my classes in time for the fall nursing program- which I don't even know if I will get into or not. The next two terms will be two classes each. I told myself that if I couldn't cut it as a CNA, that I shouldn't be in nursing. I thought being a CNA was going to really teach me stuff about the nursing profession. But I don't think that nursing is equivalent to what a CNA does. CNA's are the peons of the nursing profession. I'm not sure that repetitive butt wiping is really teaching me anything about nursing.

I need advice, I need to vent. So just throw your thoughts out there. I'm on the fast lane to Burnout-ville. First off, I have 3 kids- a 9 year old who is autistic and two preschoolers. Which is a job in and of itself. On top of that, I am taking 3 college classes (A&P, Speech and Dev. Psych). To make matters worse, I decided to go to work as a CNA. All I had left in my schedule was nights and weekends. Since my husband is self-employed, I figured I should do 3 shifts a week so we can get health insurance through my company. Anyway, I had to take a float position to qualify for bene's with only 3 shifts per week. This is my first CNA job. I work 4 out of their 5 units in a 2 week period- everything from alzheimers/dementia to assisted living to medicaid (illness/rehab). Every floor is very different. When I did orientation, I learned my orientator's groups. Then when I was off orientation, I walked on each unit over the next two week period and had to learn all new patients. It is starting to calm down, but I felt/feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Everyone wants me to move fast and get my job done in the same time frame as the regulars do. I get snapped at for forgetting small crap, when I am struggling to remember everyone's conditions, and limitations and restorative programs...etc. Some of these people I only see once in a two week period. I usually have anywhere from 9-22 patients to myself, depending on the floor and the shift. Mornings on the overnight shift are hell. They expect us to get up 6-7 residents in a 2 hour period. That is roughly 20 minutes per person (if and only if, I don't get any call lights in that time period or have some who has a bm accident). Which means no real quality of care, just rush, rush, rush. On top of that, my grades are slipping. I am tired all the time. I don't see my husband anymore, because all I do is sleep and work over the weekends. I have gone over 30 hours before without sleep, because I did an overnight, and then the next day I have had obligations with my children I couldn't put aside so I could sleep and then school that evening. We are ending up ordering private health insurance, because it is cheaper than my company's plan as it turns out (that is pretty bad). I just want to throw in the towel. I don't really feel like I am doing "nursing". I bombed an A&P test last thursday, I didn't have as much time as I needed to study, and then I needed the last 4 hours to review, and my son ended up in the ER instead during that time. I didn't get to review. Normally, I would have had review done a day or two before. I was never cramming at the last minute until I started this job. I am so afraid that this test is going to turn out really bad- like a D and blow my whole class grade, my gpa and my chance of getting into the nursing program. I can't afford another B on my transcript at this point. Then part of me is so burned out on my life I don't care if I get in or not. My dream is dying because I am exhausted, overwhelmed and stressed out. I have busted my butt at my job though, and I don't just want to give up everything I have worked to learn over the past month. I don't want to be a quitter or a wimp. It also won't look good to have my first job after 8 years of stay at home mom to be a one month stint. What to do?

Yep, that was my dillema too. My husband went 1099 because in his field it is easier to gain employment that way. But that meant I needed to go back to work, mostly for the health insurance. I've gone to work as a CNA, because at least I am in some way in the nursing profession (bottom of the totem pole but oh well), I get patient care experience and I get to see what the nurses do and ask them about their job. I also work the night shift- mostly weekend and get alot of studying done between my rounds.

Well, the problem is that the nursing shortage has caused there to be a shortage of nurse instructors. Also, at the ADN advising session, the nurse instructor also pointed out that there is a limit as far as clinical spaces at hospitals. There can only be so many students in a group at a time and only so many students in the hospital at one time. My CNA class had the same issue, that licensing only allows a certain amount of students on the floor in the nursing home at one time. ----------------------------------------------------------------- As far as enterance stuff not being fair. Unfortunately, admission processes are always going to be unfair to someone. Lotteries are unfair to those who have earned high grades. GPA's are unfair to those who attended presitgious universities. Standardized tests are unfair to poor testers. Giving extra points to those who already have degrees in other subjects (my personal gripe) is unfair to those of us working on our first degree. Most nursing programs are trying to do the best they can as fairly as possible, knowing that most are not getting in. Though I sympathize with the original poster, to some extent, in some ways I don't. You have a degree in something at least that you can use to gain employment. You also have the option of taking classes to boost your gpa or retaking key classes at the community college level. YOu may not go the exact route you want, but ADN programs will look at only your applicable gen ed grades and give you extra points for your bach degree. You should be able to score pretty high on enterance exams and that should get your foot in the door. From what I have been told, nurses with Assoc degrees make about the same as nurses with Bach's and do the exact same work. Also, hospitals will pay for you to go on to get your Bach in nursing. It may be a longer route than you want, but I'm confident you will get into nursing if you want.