school question

[hollyandsky]

So I am attending a 9 week program in pct which i know will be very hard cause so much to learn in such little time. Has anyone else done this and was it successful? how hard is it really? I will be getting my certificates in cna phlebotomy and ekg and they are all with the nha. please help and let me know what i am getting into i start next Monday and am vert nervous, will i get a good job, will i learn enough all types of things are running in my head! thanks for the help

[lilgecko]

Try this website: http://deptets.fvct.edu/nursing/index.htm. Its free.

I wish you the best of luck.

[nminodob]

Remember one thing: At your level, a 9 week course can only be designed to introduce concepts to you, and to give you basic skills. Phlebotomy cannot be taught in a few weeks - none of your fellow students will be proficient, unless they were already doing it in some other job! You will be required to learn which gauges of the needles to use and when, which veins to access, etc., you will not be expected to be a pro.

As for EKG, you will learn where the different leads go on the body, how to find the landmarks to place them correctly (a bit of anatomy and terminology that may be new to you: mid-clavicular (middle of the collarbone), mid-axillary (middle of the arm pit), 4th intercostal space (count the ribs down from the collarbone and find the space in between them). You will NOT be required to analyze the strips, other than perhaps to recognize artifacts (unclear signals) and some very basic waves like V tach or asystole (they are unique and easily recognized). You will probably also learn a bit about the chambers of the heart and what happens during systole (contraction) and diastole (relaxation/filling). You will also learn about the paths electricity follows in the heart.

There will be a lot of material to cover, but as I said, it is an introduction only and you will not be responsible for knowing everything!

Good luck on becoming part of the health care team!