SunnyTrailRunner

Oh dear Esme! We're keeping you in our prayers!! You're definitely one of my favorites around here and have helped me tremendously. Get better soon! We love and miss you!

I'm currently an adult student in a traditional BSN program. We have kids, dogs, a house, etc. For me, I could not imagine doing everything while worrying about making enough income for the bills to be paid and food on the table. However, that doesn't mean you cannot do it. Where there is a will, there is a way. You may be able to find a direct entry MSN program. That may or may not cut your schooling down some. I wish you all the luck in the world!

I asked my clinical instructor and my advisor (because we talk a lot). They both gave me outstanding recommendations and went out of their way to do so. My clinical instructor told me to let her know if I ever need a reference. My point is they're the best people to ask. I've used both letter for two separate jobs.

In all honesty, if you're at the minimum requirement, you probably won't get in. I'm in a BSN program and the minimum requirement was a 3.0. The lowest GPA accepted was a 3.7. Halfway through the second semester and 10% of the cohort has either failed or dropped. I'm a 4.0 student - never, ever gotten anything below an A. This semester, medsurg, I'm getting a C! I know how I learn, best way to study, and I don't have testing anxiety. Nursing school is just that hard! If you're genuinely struggling that much, you probably won't succeed in NS. Since you've been in college long enough to have an undergraduate degree, maybe look into another path. You can always go back to school for nursing. This just may not be your time. What makes you want to be a nurse? Write out a list of everything (not nursing specific) of things you want in a career and out of life. You may find something else you love. This could be the universe telling you to change your path.

I'm in a BSN program where the min requirement is 3.0. The lowest admitted GPA was a 3.7. Good luck to you! I certainly hope you are able to get into a program.

I hate ATI. Sometimes it's helpful, but it is mostly a waste of time. In our program there is a running joke. We have to know how the world works in the NCLEX hospital, real hospital, and the ATI hospital. Usually the three are very different and often contradict each other. Half time, the instructors say "I know ATI says this, but do this..." It is a huge waste of $$

Thank you so much for your reply! I will definitely check out CLC! My school pairs with a local hospital for a summer externship. I plan to do it; but it is incredibly competitive within the program. I'll check out other hospitals as well. Sadly, none let us volunteer.

Hey all! I am currently in a BSN program and I have this summer off. My heart is in women's health and always has been. Is there anything you'd recommend I do to help give me an extra boost to get into women's health upon graduation? I was looking into getting my lactation certification, but it's a lot harder than I first thought. Are there any extra certifications or anything I can work on over the summer? I'm at a loss of what else I can do. Thank you!! -Sunny

Fundies seems like the hardest semester just because you are transitioning from pre-req thinking to nursing school thinking. First, do something else. What I mean by this is start doing something beneficial to your body, spirit, and mind that is not nursing related. Start running, swimming, or doing yoga. Maybe try journaling to help your anxiety. Whatever it is, you need to feel success somewhere else in your life. I promise, this will help. Second, slow down. When you're taking the test, fully read the question. If you literally have no idea what the question is talking about, skip it. Lots of times, I will start in the back or the middle. There's no rule that you have to start at number one. If you start to feel yourself panicing, put your pencil down, close your eyes, and remind yourself that you know the material. Third, remember that these tests are not spit out facts. You have to know the facts and then use those to get to the answer the question wants. Good luck! I know fundamentals is a huge challenge. You'll get through it. Try to focus on learning the material so you know it instead of studying for a grade.

Thank you, Grntea! This definitely helps me understand the process of writing careplans more easily. This is one of the careplans due on the first day of classes, before the semester even starts.

Thank you, anewdawnlvn2015! This is exactly what I was having trouble connecting.

Have you been studying the ATI modules? Most modules have extra practice questions and scenarios you can go through. If you click around, there should also be practice finals somewhere. Does your school give you the ATI books, too? If so, start using those questions. Basically, answer as many questions written by ATI as possible. From what I've gathered, there's 3 different "hospitals" in school. There's the NCLEX hospital, ATI hospital, and then the real world hospital where you can't use 15+ wash clothes to bath a pt with a bathe blanket, half an hour for a foley, etc. When studying for ATI, you need to focus on the ATI hospital.

I would look at the ABGs, look at the pts appearance for pallor color or nasal flaring, and I would want to auscultate lungs for crackles - which is fluid. I guess I'm still thinking black and white. If xyz happens, you get this result. Is there an obvious answer that would say the or definitely has fluid accumulation?

Fake patient without any given data. I am using my nursing diagnosis manual with all the NANDAs. I'm just trying to figure out how I would assess the r/t. Is it something that be heard through a stethoscope or seen on an xray? I am starting my second semester of a BSN program, so still a baby student :)

Hi all! I am writing a careplan for impaired gas exhange r/t fluid and exudate accumulation at the capillary-alveolar membrane. However, I am having trouble finding how one would assess this. What objective findings would I see to determine this is happening? Is it something I would auscultate and hear crackles or is there another way I could determine this is happening?