Tell me about your first block/year

Nothing can guarantee you a spot in any program :)

Im in my last quarter of my first year, but our first quarter was Fundamentals, second Med-Surg 1, third, Med Surg 2, and now, Psych(Fall we have OB, Winter-Peds, and Spring-Practicum then graduation!).

You learn a LOT of skills in the first year....how to take vital signs, assessment, hygiene/bathing, proper movement of patients, making the beds, catheters, injections, IV, oral meds, enemas, and so on and so on.

I love it!

Congrats on picking a major that you may actually get a job in when you graduate...

Expect to be depressed when you see the work load, but dont worry about reading the book as your notes from class is all you need, use the book for reference. Do read the book on catheters section. Get you a voice recorder so you can record the lecture and listen to them on way to/from school and laying in bed. Don't go into a panic when you start skill check offs, they may seem hard when you first see them,but after you read thru the material and practice a time or two, its easy. For pharm class, get you a book called clinical pharmacology made incredibly easy, it will really help you learn the classes of meds. I'd buy last years edition books and some alot of money.

good luck. oh, the best book i found on care plans was Nursing diagnosis handbook: an evidence based guide to planning care by betty ackley...... if you have that and a tabers 21 it will be very helpful... in the back of the tabers is where you can find nursing diagnosis statements.

good luck. oh, and one other thing, for studying for hesi, i'd get the book by the evolve/elseiver and the nclex book by pearson since they seem to be the ones that make up the exam or at least have very close ties to those who do.

Just wrapped up the HESI and got a great score (yay!) which should be enough to guarantee me entrance to my local school for spring '13. I am already nervous! Haha

So those of you who just wrapped up your first block or year tell me how it was :) And dont spar

e any of the ugly details