What can I expect?

Race Mom, ASN, RN · Apr 25, 2006

Most important... do NOT get behind. You should make a calendar like the onle on the computer, and carry it with you everywhere. I have mine in the clear cover of the 3 ring-binder (like most of them have now). I highlight anything that is due or any tests. My calendar printed out in 15 pages, so I have been puting the current one on the front of my notebook, the page that will follow in the back cover and the rest of the pages inside. This way...one quick look. It took me several hours to complete the calendar, but well worth it. I has every chapter to read, skill to learn, video to watch.

Good luck!!!

hlfpnt, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2006

First of all, don't be nervous...everybody there is in the same boat you are. I know...easier said than done! Take it one week at a time...looking too far ahead can be overwhelming. Get a large calendar & note book. Keep yourself and your notes organized. I found it helpful to color code my calendar for special days (exams, due dates, clinicals, etc.) so all I have to do is glance at it. I also found it helpful to keep my notes in order by lecture for each exam. Organizing the drugs into catagories is helpful. Keep up with your studies & don't fall behind...it's way too difficult to catch up. You have alot to learn & a short amount of time to learn it in. Other students in my class found making flash cards & study groups to be helpful. Reference books (I should buy stock in Books-A-Million!) from outside of class are a great way to study as well. Sometimes if you don't understand the way the book words something these reference books will put it simple & clarify it for you, but they don't replace the text. Give yourself breaks when studying. Studying too long without breaks can give you a real good case of burn-out very quickly. When you get to clinicals, take advantage of every opportunity you get to learn...search it out, it won't always come to you. If you come across a chance to relax & do something you like (which really isn't very often), by all means be nice to yourself & do so. One more thing...be easy on yourself when grades are handed out, especially at first. This type of testing is like none other. Beating yourself up doesn't improve your confidence level! Study hard, give it your best, make note of what you missed & go on (dwelling on it will not change the grade you got). And above all, enjoy your training, it only happens once then it's your turn to get out there & pull the real job! I hope I've given you info you can use. Good luck & it really does go quicker than you think it will! :)

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 25, 2006

I am starting my first semster of nursing school this summer. My first semster will be fundamentals and pharmocology basics. I am getting nervous about starting because I don't know what to expect. Any advice for me??
Thanks

First, congratulations! You have quite an adventure ahead.

What to expect? How about.....no more free time. The only reading you will be doing is from a textbook or nursing journal. If you have a spouse, partner, and/or children, you will portion out time for them sparingly. If you're the primary laundry-doer and/or grocery-shopper for the home, learn to wear clothes a little longer and don't eat as much

You will either begin diagnosing family and friends with each new disease or disorder you learn, OR you yourself will probably begin to exhibit symptoms. You will be certain you (or your familiy and friends) are at risk for the aforementioned diseases and disorders, if it isn't already present.

You will either gain weight or lose it. I wish I could promise you your desired response to stress, but for most of us, it's one or the other!!

Whatever your school uniform, you are probably going to hate it before long. Personally, if I hadn't promised mine to an underclassman when I graduate in a couple of weeks, I'd have a Burning Party :)

You will get to experience the greatest level of stress you have ever known in your whole life. Unless, maybe, your former career was as an air traffic controller at Laguardia or JFK. Maybe.

You will get to really bond with some of your classmates, maybe only one, maybe several. You will get really sick of many of the others. Regardless, you will all sweat together to get this thing (called Nursing School) over with.

You will study like you have never done. Practice skills until you are quite literally doing them in your sleep. Think I'm kidding? I've gone over the steps for inserting Foley catheters ALL NIGHT before an evaluation. I've even had nightmares where I'm going around the floor, looking for patients I never find, realizing my meds are way late, and when I wake up shaking, I go back to sleep, only to....GO BACK TO THE DREAM!!!

All that said, it's been an amazing experience. I have suffered, learned, and ALSO known the greatest pride in my life for a job well done (clinicals, evals, tests, whatever), even though I've had some some pretty intense jobs in my past. I can honestly say, nursing school has really made me a better person!

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Apr 25, 2006

I am just finishing up Fundamentals. At first I thought Fundamentals was sooooo boring (bed baths, safety, restriants, bedpans, making beds, etc), actually it was so boring to me I thought I was in the wrong profession! LOL

But then it got fun.

In my Fundamentals we learned catheters, NG tubes, suctioning, sterile wound care, I/O, how to give SubQ, IM, intradermal injections and all about needles (gages, length, etc), MARs, just all sorts of very basic nursing care.

It was a lot of fun! None of the material was hard per say (to me chemisty is hard....lol), but it was a lot to learn so I imagine over the summer it's going to move twice as fast. DO NOT GET BEHIND! Some of our chapters were 100 pages long (medications was one of those chapters). And if they have an open lab to practice your skills try to get in there 1-2 times a week so practice because like most schools you will have a skills check off at the end of the semesters and you want to feel comfortable performing your skills in from of your instructor who will be grading you (IMO very stressful! LOL).

So just don't get behind. If your fundamentals book has a CD or some sort of way to practive NCLEX style questions that would help as well so you know some kind of idea in how to study for your tests (that to me was the hardest part but you do get better with NCLEX type questions).

Good luck!