1st Sem. Nursing student: Shaking in my scrubs

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Hey all,

So, I start nursing school, my first semester, August 29th 2019. My first classes are Pharmacology, Professional Role Development and Communication, and Health assessment. Not sure what to expect, but I am part time....and pharm looks intimidating. Any advice? Thanks.

Specializes in Psychiatry.

Foldable clipboard for clinical or get a pack of mini flip books. I tried both but the foldable clipboard was definitely a game changer.

Rest and/or eat before you study. If you find yourself looking at the same page for an hour when you’re studying, stop. You’re wasting time and you’re better off doing anything else.

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Specializes in Psych.
On 8/20/2019 at 8:24 PM, Neo Soldier said:

Foldable clipboard for clinical or get a pack of mini flip books. I tried both but the foldable clipboard was definitely a game changer.

^^^ yes. I'm a bit of an obnoxious note-taker during clinical because we don't have actual access to hospital computer systems, so I have both. But that foldable clipboard is great for carrying around throughout the day to keep track of your assessments and vitals. My small spiral notebook was moreso there for me to monitor disease processes and things like that so I could go back and look at it for my care plans and clinical papers.

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I just finished my first semester and finished pharm and health assessment. So first of all what I did was get a planner and jot every exam or assignment we had due on it on both the monthly view and weekly view. I tried to look over the powerpoints the night before I had that class that way I'd at least have an idea what I would be learning (altho since this was summer semester and it was way shorter I couldnt keep up doing this but I'll try again this fall!) For pharm especially, after learning the meds for asthma for ex, I would write down a section for asthma and write down the drugs with their names, mode of action, side effects/adverse effects and what to monitor/nursing implications. When it came down to exams and filling out our blueprint I'd just copy and paste my own condensed notes which was a time saver. As for health assessment, our textbook had practice questions online if you bought the access code so I did those. I read the book too since it was what we were tested on. Our health assessment class had a lab component too so our lab instructor made us do all the health assessments on our partners so that was a review. I'd suggest you do them too if you don't have a lab component with a friend or a family member since it helps a lot!

Self care is very important! This may not apply to all schools but if you get your answers on test right after you turn in your exam and your teachers give points back then remember that your grade can only go up from your original grade. Getting A's is not always possible but still try your hardest to get that A!!!

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23 hours ago, dorkyhades said:

I just finished my first semester and finished pharm and health assessment. So first of all what I did was get a planner and jot every exam or assignment we had due on it on both the monthly view and weekly view. I tried to look over the powerpoints the night before I had that class that way I'd at least have an idea what I would be learning (altho since this was summer semester and it was way shorter I couldnt keep up doing this but I'll try again this fall!) For pharm especially, after learning the meds for asthma for ex, I would write down a section for asthma and write down the drugs with their names, mode of action, side effects/adverse effects and what to monitor/nursing implications. When it came down to exams and filling out our blueprint I'd just copy and paste my own condensed notes which was a time saver. As for health assessment, our textbook had practice questions online if you bought the access code so I did those. I read the book too since it was what we were tested on. Our health assessment class had a lab component too so our lab instructor made us do all the health assessments on our partners so that was a review. I'd suggest you do them too if you don't have a lab component with a friend or a family member since it helps a lot!

Self care is very important! This may not apply to all schools but if you get your answers on test right after you turn in your exam and your teachers give points back then remember that your grade can only go up from your original grade. Getting A's is not always possible but still try your hardest to get that A!!!

Omg, thank you for all of this! What you wrote looks overwhelming lmao One thing I am concerned about is tricks to use for solving problems. My algebra might not be all that great.

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Specializes in Addictions, Psych.
On 8/23/2019 at 11:05 PM, Beldar_the_Cenobite said:

Omg, thank you for all of this! What you wrote looks overwhelming lmao One thing I am concerned about is tricks to use for solving problems. My algebra might not be all that great.

It all comes together, it really does.

The med math is daunting but you'll get the hang of it. Math was my worst subject my entire life, but med math is practical which for me made it more manageable. The big thing for the math is knowing your conversions and how to get stuff into grams and milliliters.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
On 8/19/2019 at 10:03 AM, WhaleTails said:

Also remember that some people in your class are probably going to suck. The "know-it-alls" and "one-uppers" and general jerks. Find people who are going to help you, not drive you nuts.

We had a few of those in our cohort when I was in school.....they're the worst. They'll argue about how their answer was correct and turns out they were wrong.

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I had to avoid a friend I had gone all through grade and high school with because she was so nervous. I didn't want to be around her anxiety.

Some people are loud and demonstrative, others much less so. Find what works for you and then do it.

Study a lot, every day. Don't fall behind. Don't work too many hours if you are employed. Do you have other obligations, like kids?

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On 9/3/2019 at 8:23 AM, Kooky Korky said:

I had to avoid a friend I had gone all through grade and high school with because she was so nervous. I didn't want to be around her anxiety.

Some people are loud and demonstrative, others much less so. Find what works for you and then do it.

Study a lot, every day. Don't fall behind. Don't work too many hours if you are employed. Do you have other obligations, like kids?

No, thank goodness. Nothing wrong with having kids, but I admire those who do while in nursing school, married, divorced, or single. I was behind for a bit because I had to have my computer serviced at Apple and that took a few days. I'm trying to catch up now. I work agency as a CNA and I picked up Tuesday (Yesterday) and today to work which was a huge mistake because I need to read and if I cancel myself, my agency is going to flip a lid. I've been verbally warned before about cancelling myself. I hate to cancel, but sometimes *** happens, but they HATE cancelling at the last minute. A week before, sure, it's fine, but not at the last minute.

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4 hours ago, Beldar_the_Cenobite said:

No, thank goodness. Nothing wrong with having kids, but I admire those who do while in nursing school, married, divorced, or single. I was behind for a bit because I had to have my computer serviced at Apple and that took a few days. I'm trying to catch up now. I work agency as a CNA and I picked up Tuesday (Yesterday) and today to work which was a huge mistake because I need to read and if I cancel myself, my agency is going to flip a lid. I've been verbally warned before about cancelling myself. I hate to cancel, but sometimes *** happens, but they HATE cancelling at the last minute. A week before, sure, it's fine, but not at the last minute.

They probably cancel you with no remorse at all. What is their actual policy on canceling? 2 hours? 4? Read it, if you haven't already done so.

You might need to sign up with another agency or 2, if the current agency gives you too much trouble.

Agencies sometimes schedule 2 or 3 people for the same shift, then cancel the extra ones at the last moment. They have their favorite staff or whatever - personalities, dependability, who works cheapest, who gets few or no c/o from the facilities.

Agencies I have worked for had no hesitation about canceling me, with super little notice. Once I had even arrived at the work site and they called there to cancel me! That was before cell phones.

Put yourself and your education first. You do NOT owe them a week's notice!! I understand you want to stay on their good side. Do you have to have an income right now? If not, cut back on your work hours.

If you have not already hunted for scholarships and grants, get on it. The more money you don't have to pay for school, the less you have to work. you might consider asking someone to help you find free money (not loans if you can help it). You might even pay someone to do it. It's that important.

I see people try to work, raise kids, go to school full-time, maintain their home, car, etc. They cut way back on sleep, which catches up to them after a while. I really don't know how some of the doctors I have worked with did a residency and raised children at the same time. Brutal, just brutal. Try to avoid a scenario like this.

And I want you to make up your mind right now what your study/sleep/school/etc. schedule is for this current semester. That's about 4 months, right? You know when classes are and you need to attend them.

Count on studying about 3 hours each day for every 1 hour of credit you are carrying. Perhaps that sounds like a lot, but you need to be pre-reading before class, so that class time is a review. You will learn better, I believe, because of the repetition.

Make sure that, if you have a study buddy, you are actually helping each other, not goofing off.

You see how devastating it is for your computer to be down, so have a back-up computer and plan. Plan for it now, don't get caught off-guard if it actually happens.

How much time do you need for things like laundry, cooking, shopping, cleaning, car care, pet care, a wee bit of social life/family, and other essentials? Figure this out. Learn to dovetail. That is, the wash can wash while you are cooking/cleaning - stuff like that. And the house/car/etc. can be somewhat messy or dirty. The world will go on if you leave the towels in the dryer or Fido the Poodle doesn't get her hair care right on schedule. We are going into winter, so the grass won't have to be cut too much more for a while, yay!

You might find that sleeping is easier at certain times than more conventional hours. Or your focus and ability to study are better than at other times. I used to sleep from about 7 p.m. to 0300, get up and study, shower, etc. Most of my classmates took naps, had dinner, and studied in the late afternoon/early evening. I couldn't sleep then and needed to turn in early, so that's what I did and what worked for me. It was solitary, but that's what I needed to do.

It always helped me to write everything down. Writing somehow helped me focus and remember. Figure out what helps you learn the best.

I wish you every success. Stay off of social media as much as you can. Remember not to mention anyone's name if you do go on. Privacy, confidentiality, good judgment, discretion, good sense.

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15 hours ago, Kooky Korky said:

They probably cancel you with no remorse at all.

Very true, this happened to me last night in the same city as the OP (and probably the same agency).

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