What to do before RN classes start???

you are an lpn who has been in practice, so you have seen different diseases and have done procedures. you need to start thinking about putting it all together for problem solving. as an rn you are going to be the "go to" person so you will be making decisions rather than turfing off the problems that you run into. problem solving involves critical thinking. critical thinking involves taking all the information, some of which you already know, and rationally pulling it together to make decisions. the nursing process is how this is done. it is a mystery to many students and sometimes takes years for some people to figure out. but, after 30+ years as an rn i can honestly tell you that using the nursing process can get you through just about any problem including a flat tire or being late for your graduation. it is mentioned in the first chapters of most care plan and nclex preparation books. i would recommend that you start reading about it now and periodically review it while in rn classes. i have no doubt that at some point you will get lectures about it.

• http://home.cogeco.ca/~nursingprocess/index.htm
  
• https://nursing.advanceweb.com/common/ce/course.aspx?courseid=504&creditid=1 - nursing process - click on the link to "read the article". this is the actual link: https://nursing.advanceweb.com/common/ce/content.aspx?courseid=504&creditid=1&cc=68974&sid=1837
  
• http://www.mac.edu/faculty/nursingdepartment/200%20level/nursing_process.htm#return%20to%20top - the nursing process - a short introductory tutorial
  
• http://www.childbirths.com/euniversity/nursingprocess.htm - the nursing process and writing nursing care plans.
  
• http://www06.homepage.villanova.edu/elizabeth.bruderle/1103/nursingprocess.htm - the nursing process
  
• http://studentnursesource.com/nursing_process.html - an analogy of the nursing process to the real world
  
• my analogy of the nursing process applied to problem solving in the real world:
  • you are driving along and suddenly you hear a bang, you start having trouble controlling your car's direction and it's hard to keep your hands on the steering wheel. you pull over to the side of the road. "what's wrong?" you're thinking. you look over the dashboard and none of the warning lights are blinking. you decide to get out of the car and take a look at the outside of the vehicle. you start walking around it. then, you see it. a huge nail is sticking out of one of the rear tires and the tire is noticeably deflated. what you have just done is step #1 of the nursing process--performed an assessment. you determine that you have a flat tire. you have just done step #2 of the nursing process--made a diagnosis. the little squirrel starts running like crazy in the wheel up in your brain. "what do i do?" you are thinking. you could call aaa. no, you can save the money and do it yourself. you can replace the tire by changing out the flat one with the spare in the trunk. good thing you took that class in how to do simple maintenance and repairs on a car! you have just done step #3 of the nursing process--planning (developed a goal and intervention). you get the jack and spare tire out of the trunk, roll up your sleeves and get to work. you have just done step #4 of the nursing process--implementation of the plan. after the new tire is installed you put the flat one in the trunk along with the jack, dust yourself off, take a long drink of that bottle of water you had with you and prepare to drive off. you begin slowly to test the feel as you drive. good. everything seems fine. the spare tire seems to be ok and off you go and on your way. you have just done step #5 of the nursing process--evaluation (determined if your goal was met).