What should I start studying for Nursing from this point?

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Hello all! I am currently two classes away (Microbiology/Nutrition) from being done with all my pre-reqs, and I plan on being enrolled into the Nursing program Spring 2017. I will be getting my Nursing assistant certificate this summer, and if you have any information on what that is going to be like, and what you do or can do as a Nursing assistant, that would be very informational and helpful. Also, I think that if I work as a nursing assistant until I get my RN degree, I will most likely get a job faster and maybe get paid a little more than starting salary because of the medical experience I have? Correct me if I am wrong.

I have plenty of time left until I am in the Nursing program, and I was hoping any of you that have already had the experience could link me to some books or knowledge that I could start going over now. I would love to have a little bit of a feel to it beforehand, and I love learning so it is really a win-win situation. I am grateful for any knowledge you can provide. Thank you, and have a good day!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I will most likely get a job faster and maybe get paid a little more than starting salary because of the medical experience I have? Correct me if I am wrong.
CNA experience might help you obtain a job faster due to being an internal candidate and developing a network of people who can vouch for you. However, CNA experience usually does not translate into a higher new grad RN starting wage.

When deciding to offer more money, HR usually looks at paid licensed nursing experience, not unlicensed healthcare experience. Therefore, new RNs with several years of LPN experience often receive a higher starting pay rate than new RNs with CNA experience.

As far as getting a head start, you can start studying nursing fundamentals:

Nursing Fundamentals I | Basic Nursing Education

Nursing Fundamentals 2* Multimedia Edition - Table of Contents

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Specializes in Hospice.

I've given this advise to other new nursing students:

You are going to be studying your butt off for the next few years. Use this summer to take care of yourself-sleep, go out with friends, binge watch something on Netflix, get a mani-pedi, whatever works for you.

You don't know what you don't know yet. Trying to get ahead of everyone else your first semester is kind of a waste of time. Fundamentals is just that-pretty fundamental.

Working as a CNA will get you used to a hospital environment, but won't be any help for actual nursing practice. Won't help that much with post school employment, they don't consider it nursing experience.

I have actually seen it be detrimental to go from being a CNA to a nurse on the same unit. Heard the CNAs complaining one day, "He should know better than to expect us to do all this. He was one of us two months ago!"

Enjoy the next few months, you'll go in refreshed and ready to study.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

There is no point in trying to study ahead right now. Most of it will make no sense. Relax, read , hang out with friends and family before you get down to business.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to prenursing

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I bought the Saunder's NCLEX-RN Comprehensive Review book at the very beginning of nursing school (Barnes and Noble ~$50-$60). I used it to study for exams while it was in school. It's broken up by body system so when I had a neuro test I could just go to the neuro section and review some content which is broken up outline style and also do the practice questions in the back of each chapter that come with nice rationales for why what is right is right and why what is wrong is wrong. By the time I was done with school I was super used to NCLEX style questions and passed my boards in 75 questions. A great resource the whole way through the program! Also, get used to using a planner and managing your time. Don't forget to plan some time for yourself!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I would relax, but if you want to get into the mindset of thinking like a nurse, look into Critical Thinking and Nursing Judgement by Alfaro-Lefevre.

Great read to new and experienced nurses. :up:

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Specializes in Skilled Rehab Nurse.

I did get a slightly higher starting wage since I got my RN job at the same place I worked as a CNA. I'm guessing that not all places would do that.

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

I don't think you'll get paid more. One of the things I don't like about nursing (admittedly, I only have 3 yrs. experience, but still) is that there doesn't seem to be a lot of variance in a given facility for merit, but there usually is at least *some* for length of experience.

On learning something else that will help, if you haven't had a medical terminology class, pick up a book on it (unless you have time to actually take a class). It wasn't a pre-req for me, but when I was taking my pre-reqs I wasn't even sure where I was going to finish nursing school, and I took it because I thought it would help regardless. It did, and to somewhat prove that, some of my classmates in nursing school seemed to have a little bit harder time learning some of the terms, whereas if you've had medical terminology you'll know that bleph means eyelid-related, lith means stones, etc etc etc.

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