What was your FIRST semester?

Katie71275 · Apr 13, 2012

We are on the quarter system, but my first semester was Fundamentals. We go into the hospital in our first quarter, bed baths, making beds, physical assessment, etc.

Kellili · Apr 13, 2012

Our first semester was fundamentals also. Learning the nursing process, learning basic patient care like toileting, bed baths etc. First semester to me was easy. Second semester gets "real". We have had Fluid and Electrolytes, Respiratory, Cardiac and right now we are on GI. Congratulations on your acceptance!

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2012

fundamentals, health assessment, pharmacology, pathophys. good luck!

CardiacKittyRN · Apr 13, 2012

Congrats :) I am just finishing my first semester of in an ADN program! The only class we take is Nursing Fundamentals, but its kinda alot rolled into one. We started of very basic, CNA stuff, vitals.. then started physical assessment, inserting catheters/NG tubes, caring for other types of feeding tubes, and toward the end in clinical we've began passing orals med, giving subQ, IM injections, and doing IV pushes. I think most ADN programs are largely skill/clinical oriented so thats what I'd expect, but every school is different!

Lexirunner · Apr 13, 2012

Fundamentals, Pharmacology, Skills (3 credit - 8 week course) that covered taking vitals, wound care, med admin/injections, IV regulation, GI tubes, inserting catheters, and head-to-toe/focused assessments. We had to test off on all those skills plus pass 4 written exams in order to make it to clinical the last 8 weeks of the semester.

At clinical we're assigned a patient and perform all their cares, vitals, blood sugars, meds, charting, and any other treatments/procedure that we have tested off on or that the nurse/instructor is there for. It's been busy, but fun!

butterfly134 · Apr 14, 2012

Most of us came out of highschool so we played a lot of '' getting to know eachother'' games. We had lecturers on communication skills, caring and started physiology, anatomy and biochem. We also had lots of skills labs which were really really fun!! We also had a clinical rotation and we made a lot of beds, basic nursing care really such as bed baths, toileting, feeding. Also got to observe various skills and i got to take out many cannulas and do a subcut injection. Obviously working is important but my best advise would be to make friends because nursing can be stressful and emotional at times. I found that me nd my nursing friends laugh together and cry together, we get each other through and support one another particularly during clinicals and exam time. I don't know what I'd do without them :)

Skips, MSN, RN · Apr 14, 2012

I am finishing up my first semester at a BSN program. We did not have hospital clinicals this semester. We learned skills and went to an assisted living to do a head-to-toe assessment. I had to volunteer at a hospital this semester, but everybody had different volunteer hours to complete. We also had pharmacology I, population health (we had to do an interview with someone 65 and older), and introduction to concepts, which included papers and projects. We learned about evidence-based practice and the profession of nursing itself. Fun stuff.

Katie71275 · Apr 15, 2012

Also, I forgot, we also had another class, where we learned the Nursing Process, history of nursing, and some other things such as death/dying, etc.

PatMac10,RN, RN · Apr 15, 2012

It was amazingly mind blowing, exciting, and overwhelming at the same time! Second semester, which is almost over, has been just as challenging! But I've found myself getting more and more excited about bring a nurse everyday! I am in an ADN program too! We had pharm and fundamentals first semester. As far as clinical for the first eel I feel like a CNA that did an assessment and a gave a few pills. But after the 2nd and third week I was giving IMs, flushing lines, and giving pt. education more fluently! So we got started on the good stuff quick. We gave insulin injections and started I.V. Pushes. We also did total care, and still do this semester where we've been moved up to caring for 2 pt. it's really like some of the other posters have said. We learned the nursing process and how effectively use it.

bigeyes4 · Apr 15, 2012

What I would like to know of any of you, is how nasty was the environment your first semester? I am by nature a very sensitive person. I get offended very easily. I have been verbally abused by my instructor and forced to attend class at a campus an hour away from my home (the college had a number of campuses) because of overpopulation in the one I started at. It was a huge adjustment changing venues. The second week of clinicals with them, the professor humiliated me in front of the patient and her family. It was my first time passing medications. Because I didn't have 100% of the answers to her questions while I prepared the meds, she made me feel like a nothing. Things got worse until finally, I burst into tears and hyperventilated by noontime (we started the clinical at 7 am). When the straw broke the camel's back, I ran into the lounge, took out a plastic knife from the drawer and proceeded to cut my arm three times. Five or six years ago, I was a cutter (I am middle aged and most cutters are teenagers. I am an anomaly) but since then I have not cut. I thought I was doing better but in an instant, I took the knife to the arm. One of my classmates told my instructor who told me to go to the ER. I went but they let me go. Oh the ignominy. A few days later, I had to meet with the department head who encouraged me to take a leave of absence. My question to you all is: I'll have a few months to think about this, but have I ruined all chances of becoming a nurse? Should I just forget it? I feel so unworthy because I can't seem to regulate my emotions. I am starting a week-long partial hospital program (as a patient) in a few days. I was toying with the idea of instead applying to Physician Assistant school, a Master's program. I already have my bachelor's in a non-nursing field. I really think that I would prefer something more medically-oriented. The nurses I have encountered in this program seem to have such a cursory knowledge of medicine. I suppose given that a nurse's function is not related to medicine, that would stand to reason. I wish I had known that before. I have tried so many things. I am 56 and still looking for my professional niche. a sad story. Will this quest ever end? yeah - when I'm dead. Sometimes I wish that death was imminent. I feel inadequate as a result of allowing my mother to brainwash me. She taught me that only educated and professional people were worthwhile and I just can't get that notion out of my head. My prior lack of normalcy continues to haunt me today. I am a people-pleaser. I certainly did not please my nursing instructor. Is there hope for me to become a nurse or should I just forget it? I would appreciate hearing your take on this miserable situation. Thank you for listening.

chicagoing, ADN, RN · Apr 15, 2012

Hello! My first semester of an ADN program was Fall of 2011. We were required to take Med Surg I (16 weeks) and Physical Assessment (8 weeks).

MS I required 4 hours of lecture, 2 hours of lab, and 7 hours of clinical each week. The skills we learned and had "returns" on were passing oral medications, injections (sub-cutaneous and intra-muscular), IVs (hanging meds + tubing change only), IV piggyback, head to toe assessment, and Foley caths.

Class time for physical assessment consisted of 2 hours each week. We learned basic head to toe and that's about it. :)