saltyninja

There was no need for the snarky reply. You posted on a forum to vent and to receive feedback from others who may have been in this situation. As students, our job of "learning" often entails doing more than simply peering over the shoulder of our preceptors. When someone makes a suggestion of being proactive in taking vitals, it's likely because this is something they've done in order to improve their relationship with their preceptor or to aid in feeling more comfortable with the task. If the suggestion doesn't fit with your current situation, just move on. Most people commenting on these forums are either in your shoes as a student or have been there before, so there isn't a need to dramatize the difference between departments. We get it. It honestly sounded like she was initially trying to be herself by admitting her feelings to you. It might help in the long run to bear in mind that these nurses often work short-staffed, with awful ratios, and are most often given no notice before they're tasked with precepting a (sometimes arrogant and slightly demeaning) nursing student. They are people, too, you know? If you have proof that she falsified her documentation (above and beyond hearsay) then that would justify reporting it, but if you've got nothing to show except a complaint about incompatibility in personality and work ethic... it's an unfortunate world that we live in where we can't always pick out coworkers/teachers. I'm glad to see in your most recent post that your relationship has improved... let's hope that you make no errors!

This post is overly dramatic. Coming from someone typing this at 3:15 AM, on hour 11 of a 16 hour evening/overnight shift... if you are that afraid of working nights, please don't. It sounds like you are experiencing fear/paranoia to an extent that it impacts your ability to function, and I'd venture to say that perhaps you'd benefit from seeing a professional about the issue. I regularly work either a combination of evening shifts (4PM-12AM), overnight shifts (12AM-8AM), or doubles (4PM-8AM) and have 0 fear of driving to/from work, much less any of the other things you've mentioned. Perhaps it's because as a responsible adult I prepare myself both mentally and physically for the responsibility I undertake in choosing such an abnormal schedule... I make sure to make sleep a priority, eat a healthy diet that includes all the vitamins/nutrients I require, and exercise for both fitness and energy. I'm still fairly lost as to what the purpose of your post was... are you just venting about your poor planning and the inevitable consequences that ensue as a result? The beginning of the post states that you are no longer aiming to become a nurse, but you've found yourself ranting here on a student nursing forum...

This thread is so interesting!! I start NS in the fall so I'm unsure of how my school will handle the rights, but through my employer I was trained using the 5 rights: Right Person Right Medication Right Dosage Right Route Right Time There is always a huge emphasis on documentation and refusal but I always just think of them as necessary post-pass documentation. I'll have to keep them in mind as "rights" going forward!

I worked 60+ hours per week while taking my prerequisite classes this past year in order to save up for the start of NS, since I know I'll be cutting back on hours. I took 15 credits last fall and ended with a 4.0 GPA, and 15 credits this spring and ended with a 3.96 GPA. It's definitely doable with prereqs, but I've met with several of our nursing admissions counselors who have all cautioned against working during NS due to changing clinical dates. I will continue to work two overnights per week unless it begins to conflict with my clinical schedule or impacts my grades. (I work in a residential facility where the overnights are essentially a cake walk, so I'm allowed to study and do homework.) I'm pursuing a BSN, as well, but going the AAS route first since the Excelsior Scholarship offers me free tuition (I still pay for books, fees, etc, plus my bills outside of school, so I take out a student loan to cover those.) My current employer will (so long as I'm in good standing academically and otherwise) take me on as an RN once I pass my boards and I can do a year through University to my BSN while working as an RN. It will still take 4 years total, (same as if I had gone straight through to BSN), except that I'll be able to work as an RN during that last year while I'm obtaining my BSN. The working/not working thing definitely comes down to you, specifically. Some people can handle the work plus school, (I could if I HAD to, but would rather not test that theory), and some can't. It's always an option to take out loans along the way to help subsidize whatever hours you lose, but I know it's a slippery slope should you not graduate or graduate but not find a job quickly. I would definitely say talking with an advisor would be a good place to start. Best of luck!!

My school does not have a waitlist, but I have several friends who were waitlisted last Fall for their program. They attended orientation so that in the event a seat opened up, they were on track with the rest of the class. Fortunately for two of them, they received calls prior to the start of classes. One was not so lucky and ended up going into another program. You'd be surprised how many people drop prior to the start of classes or during the first few weeks due to scheduling conflicts and other obligations. Hang in there, OP. If it fits into your schedule without causing any issues, I can't see a reason not to attend orientation.

That is amazing news, OP! Keep up the good work!! (I completely understand your feelings about sharing grades with classmates... I avoid it at all cost.)

I don't believe you're receiving no replies due to no one wanting to help. Rather, this is a very specific question about a very specific area and there probably aren't many individuals with the knowledge you seek browsing this particular forum. I found your post in the "General Student Discussion" section, so you may want to consider posting it in an alternate area where there may be more traffic. Best of luck!

I'm glad that you're listening to your heart and not entering into a career that you do not like based on the pressure from the expectations of others. Traveling is cathartic in that way... it allows you to feel "free," even if you really aren't. I wish you all the best in your future pursuits, OP!!!

I use this: The Black & Gold leather-bound one. Calendar Planners — Eccolo Ltd. I'm slightly obsessed with my planner. It spans from July 2016 to January 2018. The front is the calendar format, with each month taking up two pages, so the boxes are large enough to actually fit things into and it has a little notes column to the right side. The back is the Daily/Weekly breakdown. On the left-hand side it gives you pretty large boxes for each day (Monday-Sunday.) On the right-hand side it gives you a notes section and then a bulleted To-Do List. I use the calendar view in the front to keep track of big things like exams, appointments, birthdays, my work schedule, and any other important information I need to glance at. I use the daily/weekly section for specific information on assignments, class times, etc. I block off two hours a month to prepare the next month's calendar section and then just fill things in as they come up. As for the daily/weekly section... I use that pretty much daily to mark things off and keep myself on pace. I hope you find something that works for you, OP! If you need any suggestions for cool journal decorating accessories, I'm your girl!

Hi, OP! I'm also a student headed into clinicals in the fall. :) I know everyone will give you recommendations on what works best for them, but I just wanted to encourage you to find a reputable running store in your area and have them do an assessment of your feet and your walking/running style. They can have you walk around or run on a treadmill for just a few moments and basically watch to see your pronation and can make suggestions (even if it isn't a shoe that they carry) for something that would be comfortable based on their observations of your pronation and arches. I wore Nikes to work for years "just because" and once I was actually fitted for appropriate shoes, (neutral pronation, very high arches), it has made ALL the difference. I can walk/run around on 16 hour shifts with no foot pain or discomfort now. (I wear a neutral New Balance for work but am looking for something with no mesh for clinicals, as well.) (P.S. I heard "Danskos" from nearly everyone I talked to and am still mulling over whether or not I want to shell out the $130 or so for them... I have Herrington rods from scoliosis surgery 10 years ago so shoes are hit or miss and that's a lot to spend to potentially hate them. Haha) Good luck in your search!!!

I use a combination of electronic and paper to organize my life. I've tried various electronic options and always end up reverting back to my paper planner for all things school and work related. There is something cathartic about putting pen to paper. I will admit, however, that I am one of *those* girls who really goes all out with my planner. I have copious amounts of highlighters, glitter tapes, markers, stickers, stamps, and about 72 different Staedtler & Papermate pens devoted to keeping it well organized and perfectly color coordinated. If it weren't for my sick obsession with pulling all my supplies out once a month and going to town on next month's pages, I would love to have the ease of using an electronic version for this aspect. On the other hand, I use an app called Cozi to keep up with my boyfriend's police schedule and create our shopping lists and meal plans. It updates in real-time for each device so if I pick up a few things on the shopping list it will mark it off on his end, vice versa.

I'm with you, Horseshoe... My school's official GPA cutoff is 3.0 but the lowest GPA that I'm aware of being accepted this semester was a 3.8. (104 accepted; 52 day, 52 evening) Most applicants, myself including, were nervous even with 4.0 GPAs as it is not unheard of with the volume of applications to be looked over if there are enough 4.0 students to fill the seats.