What to do to Get Ready!

[RickiP]

I just learned today I've been accepted to a Fast Track (18 month) RN program, beginning in August!

Trying to keep this short-and-sweet: I work 3 12hr shifts as a CNA per 2wk pay period (that's minimum for benefits & tuition). Hubby works full-time & is the breadwinner (doesn't have benefits offered so I carry them; so yes I will have to work). We have 4 (yes four) kids from 8 to 1 1/2. My sister will move in with us to help with the childcare, she is also doing schooling online.

Any recommendations from anyone on how I can best spend my summer getting ready? All my co-reqs are done, got them done while waiting for placement. I suppose I'd better get the house more organized and routines written out for taking care of the house & kids; meal planning, stuff like that. I'd like to be studying something if there's anything I can do ahead of time... learn how to write care plans, maybe? Is there anything you really wish you'd done/ known before you got started? We are determined to do this, I know it's going to be hard with kids & work, but there are plenty of people who have done that... would love your stories!

[Devon Rex, ADN, BSN]

Hello RickiP,

I have a few comments. First, you have the right attitude in preparing yourself and your family for what it is to come in the next year and a half. You and your husband need to be strong and support each other on this journey.

I am in the first semester of a 14 month program and have seen how this has affected some of the families. One person had to drop because her husband moved out on her and their two kids because, as she quoted him: "He was jelous of her becoming an RN and because she had no time for him anymore". Mind you that was only 4 weeks after she started the core program, that was awful of him.

On the other hand, I have a schoolmate who is married with 5 young children, like you, with a very supportive husband. She is one semester ahead of me and she is making it work... plus she has a part-time job.

You really need to get all the bases covered as far as who is going to do waht around the house while you pull your hair off studying (pardon the visual).

First of: don't panic, just plan it well, and trust everything will work out for you. This is going to be a temporary time of sacrifices and the benefits will be great and plentyful.

The first topic you will study is Fundamentals of Nursing. The books are quite thick, but they are usually used on two classes (semesters) back to back in order to cover it all. If you know which book you'll be using, buy it now and make sure you read the first few chapters, including "The Nursing Process" and "Maslow's Hierarchy of Basic Human Needs". These are two pillars of what is to come and will follow you the rst of your life as a nurse... so know it well.

Just a warning... if you are a straight A student, or even a B student, be prepare to get blown out of the water the first couple of tests. Critical thinking is crucial and paramount in this profession. You will learn to think in a different way, even your common sense will change at times. It's hard to understand what I am saying until you go through it, but trust me, it is that way.

Ways to help you learn better... you may buy the Prentice Hall Nursing's "Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-RN" or any other of their books that are sold in individual topics. The author is Mary Ann Hogan, search her name on Amazon.com, you'll see her books. There are other companies that sell similar books. If you are unsure of which one, go to your local Barnes & Noble or Border's Bookstore and peruse the Nursing Section. Make sure to pick a book that comes with NCLEX type questions WITH rationales. Otherwise, you won't know why something is right or wrong.

If you ahve an iPhone or Android phone, you can buy audiobooks on nursing topics. vangonotes.com is realated to "Mary Ann Hogan" above. Once you access this link, it wil automatically redirect you to Audible.com, an Amazon company. Many people find these audiobooks helpful, I think they're really cool, but don't make it your only source of learning.

The other topic you should learn in the begining is Health Assessment. It teaches you everything you already know as a CNA, plus many patient signs and symptoms that could indicate certain diseases or conditions. You'll learn what is normal and abnormal.

I think this is plenty to get you started. If it comes too easy, which I doubt, then jump into Pharmacology topics. But seriously, I would not recommend it for now.

Best wishes on your studies !!

[IMOKAY, BSN]

Wow excellent advice...I plan on getting vango notes for fundamentals and listening each day at work before I start my program in fall.

[vhern246]

Book on Nursing math

[RickiP]

Wow, thank you SO VERY MUCH for the in-depth reply. I am a planner (ok, obsessive) so this helps me a lot! Thank you!

[Always_Learning, BSN, RN]

I tell folks to relax before they start, but no one ever listens! LOL

(It's OK...did the same thing!)

Good luck to you!

[DemonWings]

If I could have done one thing differently it would have been to relax and not do anything to prepare:) spend time with those babies, there will come a time when you can't read them the bed time story, or other things they enjoy. I would give them a thousand hugs and have some major mommy and baby time. My kids were 1 and 3 when I started nursing school and I wish we would have taken some extra trips to the park and such before I started. Good luck!!