Returning to nursing school...clinicals?

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Hi. I'm returning to nursing school after taking a year off because I had a baby. I get to start where I left off. I go back in January and I will be starting clinicals at LTC one day a week. My question is, since I've been off for so long, what should I focus most of my review time on before I go? What will be most important for me to brush up on? Thanks.

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I took 10 years off when I had my kids so I may or may not be helpful to you. lol! I found that labs were what I needed to review the most. That and drug levels. After that long I was shocked at how much knowledge came right back so since you only took a year off I bet a quick review will be all you will need. How far into nursing school were you? I had finished LPN school and only worked a few weeks and now I'm working on my BSN.

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Thanks for the help :) I finished 2 semesters so I'll be going back to finish my 3rd of 5 semesters. This would have been my last semester if I wouldn't have taken a year off. Kind of disappointing.

Good luck on getting your BSN.

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If you dont mind me asking why did you take off did you have to or choose to? I am wondering because I found out I was pregnant my first semester of nursing school and even though I have been really sick I was trying to stick it through and not take off time unless I absolutely have to, part of me feels guilty that I wont be around the first 10 months of my babys life (two nights a week and saturdays) but I dont work so I would still have the days to be with the baby. Do you regret taking off the time? I was thinking I would see how this next semester goes January is my first semester of clinicals but my 2nd semester of the program, I am 17 weeks pregnant now. What is your advice?

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Hi Poohbear. I was in the ame situation as you. I found out I was pregnant around the time I started the program. Our first and second semesters were combined so I completed 2 semesters and over Christmas vacation I just started getting really nervous. I was nervous about going to my first clinicals and being pregnant and also because I was due the week before finals and I started thinking what if I go through the whole semester and then I'm not able to finish in the last week and I would only have summer vacation to be with her before I had to go back full time. I do regret not staying in the program just because I would have been done in spring 09. I think staying in the program would be best especially since you go at night and on the weekend, but it's totally up to you. Leaving the baby is hard and I feel guilty about leaving her too especially since they're only little once. Another thing to consider before taking time off is how easy would it be to get back in to the program? I just got lucky because two people happened to drop out of the semester I needed to get in to. In the end I just ended up doing what I thought was best for me and my family and that was to take some time off. You should do what you think is best and what you're comfortable with. I hope that helped a little. Let me know what you decide to do. Good luck and congratulations on your baby!

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Thanks for your advice I do appreciate it I know there are a lot of opinions out there. I think I will be ok staying in since I only have lectures two nights a week from 5-9:30 and clinicals on weekends plus I dont work so I can be with the baby during the day still, I know its going to be hard but I just want to finish so I can finacially be able to take care of him/her (dont know the sex yet) My husband works during the day so he can stay home on the nights I have class and weekends. I guess I worry about how I will feel when the baby is born and how hard it will be to leave for class and leave him/her alone! that is going to be the hard part! I only have 16 months left before graduation it will hopefully go by fast! Again, thanks for your input! Good luck to you finishing up!

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