KgreenBSN

It's good to know patho of a disease knowledge base of the test and findings based on assessment ! But your right knowing nurse interventions to go along with managing or eliminating s/s is a lot of what you get tested on! You do basic care in clinical first but as you move up you will be doing sterile dressing changes, injections, hanging iv (not inserting) .. setting up enteral feeds.. flushing Iv ... catheters...inserting catheters....suctioning... patient education and a lot of other things so skills are paramount! You do have to know what CNA and LPN and RN can do so you can delegate the right task...a lot of delegation is usually on the boards.... remember you can do their job plus more.... they can't do yours.so you need to learn basic care before you build on skills!

As far as prioritizing and answering questions and my rationales! The test questions get harder and clinicals are harder... you do way more!! I still was thinking as I was in first or second semester! The expectations are higher third and fourth semester!

The program at North was challenging! It helped and hurt that I was an LPN because I came in in thinking like a Nurse in the first and second semester so when the 3rd semester hit! I was in trouble! I knew I had to change/broaden my nursing knowledge and way of thinking or I would not be successful in the program! The teachers are fair.... but they do not let you skate by. They challenge you! You can't go in thinking that because it's a different campus that you can have the same behavior despite what others say about North. Just go in with a fire in you and ready to work! Because although I skated though 1st and second semester third is a beast... and fourth will bring out who is ready to enter the nursing world and who isn't built for it!

Also like the last post study ...read.... and make sure you take the hesi tests serious because those are points that could make a huge difference! Keep good notes and ask questions ! Find a good study group preferably a small Group of people who are serious about Nursing school and about their grades!

I do apologize I read part of post early and assumed by the start that you did well! Don't let this minor set back deter you! Failing does not mean your not intelligent! I finished with quite a few people who repeated a semester and they are still successful!! You will be good! Keep pushing and don't let this stop you!!!!!!!!

My first semester at ECC was also a breeze. I was in he LPN track! Your doing great! Get ready for the next semester and keep plugging away!

It depends on what you want. If your young, no kids, no real bills then maybe you can take the time and go straight through RN. I became an LPN because I never had a career in health care, I wanted to make decent money, I had a child a husband and we had bills! I have been an LPN for 3 years and I am going into the third semester of my RN program. I was able to save money to where I work part time 2 days a week and I can focus on school as well! I don't regret going LPN to RN and if your pre req grades are good enough you will get into an RN program anyways!

I tried to tell you GCC is tough lol but I'm happy you got in a program! How far is NCCC from you???

where did you get accepted for the RN?

If you are in the LPN track there is no clinical in level 1. There is clinical in level 2 though. I find out my clinical schedule in a couple weeks. But regular level one students do have clinical.

Clinicals usually do

They usually do class and clinical together

I'm not sure from people I work with that are students their clinicals are very involved and they go two days out the week sometimes more depending on the rotation. In their preceptorship in the last semester they have to do so many hours one on one with a nurse. They schedule those hours though

That might be something to check out! Make a plan. Set goals and stick to it.. you will be in a program in no time.

Sorry to hear . I mean I know you want this all done and over with but a good thing that I did and a lot of people do is once you get your lpn. Work for that year. Save money, apply for scholarships if your job offers that and take advantage of tuition reimbursement through the job.also you can retake a certain class to increase your GPA. Depending on the programs you apply to it might take a year to get in if your grades are not quite a 3.0.