Who made it through their first week alive??!!

[southernbelle08]

If I can make it until 3PM tomorrow I will have survived my first full week.

If I can make it until 3PM tomorrow I will have survived my first full week.

Same here, 'cept I am done at 2pm......... have to work 32hrs this weekend, before going back to school on Mon!

[Crux1024]

Well my first week was very interesting! I have a quiz due on monday, and 2 on tuesday! All the info is like an overload, but Im actually enjoying the overload, I havent used my brain in soo long, this is a nice surprise for it.

Had my first "clinical" today, which was lab learning basic Vs and then surprised with a "Hey you have to drive 45 minutes to this clinical site meet you there in an hour and a half." imagine my surprise, especially since I dont drive... I made some friends real fast in my clinical group lol, since I had to drive with them.

But....I had a nap today, and the massive stress headache I had is gone and its gonna be easier from here, right?? LOL

:)

[Alternator81]

OMG -- I have having SO MUCH FUN! So far we have had a ton of reading. I wake up and read, go to class, go home to read, go to sleep.

It is true that we have had a ton of reading, but I am keeping up it. I have made so many friends this week... as I posted in another thread, I felt like I have known these people for years!

My instructors are great. My clinical instructors are the coolest ladies. Just like you guys, working on vitals in lab. Palpating the brachial artery is hard. If I can't find it, I have been going for the radial artery, which my teacher said was absolutely fine if you cant find it. Pretty fun.

**the only complaint that I have is there is only one men's bathroom in our nursing building, and it's on the first floor when most of my classes are on the third. There are womens bathrooms everywhere.

Basically I'm at the point that if I'm not spending every single free moment I have throughout each day reading my nursing notes, then I'm already feeling guilty as each precious moment goes by wasted...yeah...we have about the same amount of reading to do. I've talked to a couple of instructors and 2nd year students at my school about the load, and I'm starting to get the impression that honestly sometimes you just won't be able to read EVERYTHING...you just have to figure out how much time you have and which parts of the text/notes/etc are the most important ones and just home in on those.

My first week was very interesting as well! The first two days were a little overwhelming to say the least, but I made it through. Our first lab was really neat. We had to pair up with someone we didn't know, and we had to "invade their personal space." To do that, we had to stand about 18 inches apart, and then move closer until our noses touched. It was neat to feel how I would tense up when we'd get that close and imagine how a patient might feel when their personal space gets invaded.

Thanks a million Datonite for all your time and information --- I also was having some trouble palpating the brachial artery and taking blood pressure. (have had absolutely no healthcare experience prior). Went on the recommended site, absolutely great.

Again thanks a million, always an enlightening experience to read your posts.

To everyone else, I also survived my first week of school an am loving it, have been trying to read ahead before each class and study again after the class and practicing on the quizzes.

Good luck to us all!!

I feel so incredibly blessed to have a seat in that class

That's awesome, I couldn't agree with you more;)

Don't feel badly! We had homework the day of orientation that was due the first night of class. How's that for hitting the ground running??? I am already feeling pretty stressed between work and getting my readings/study guides/lab activities and this is only the first week!! I have also enlisted the aid of my mom who recently retired from over 40 years of nursing (30+ in Critical Care)!

We just all have to stick together...we are the next generation of nurses!! We can get through this beacuse it's really worth it!:balloons:

OMG...I made it, but I gotta tell you, this morning when I pulled into the parking lot I thought to myself, "Oh my gosh, this is only the end of the FIRST week!" It really feels like a semester, LOL!!

Test Monday on 12 chapters, test the following Monday on 18 chapters. Med. Term. test next Friday...sigh

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

Yeah, I remember when I felt like that....1st semester...it's taking some getting used to...but I don't mind reading when the subject is interesting...it's the system wide chapters that take soooo much time....

Congratulations to the nursing instructors at Macon State College. I haven't been that overwhelmed since my kids were being born!

I'm really enjoying this so far though.

OMG...I made it, but I gotta tell you, this morning when I pulled into the parking lot I thought to myself, "Oh my gosh, this is only the end of the FIRST week!" It really feels like a semester, LOL!!

/quote]

LOL I know what you mean. I feel like graduation should be next week, lol!

I'm not in NS yet, but I was 4 or so years ago. I dropped out (long story), but am planning on going back when I can. Of course, my life has changed dramatically since then--I'm married with an 11-month old daughter now, which complicates things on an epic scale.

I wish I had just stuck with it and finished. So when y'all are stressed out and thinking of quitting, just remember that. I'm kicking myself now. :trout:

[Becca608]

basically i'm at the point that if i'm not spending every single free moment i have throughout each day reading my nursing notes, then i'm already feeling guilty as each precious moment goes by wasted...yeah...we have about the same amount of reading to do. i've talked to a couple of instructors and 2nd year students at my school about the load, and i'm starting to get the impression that honestly sometimes you just won't be able to read everything...you just have to figure out how much time you have and which parts of the text/notes/etc are the most important ones and just home in on those.

sister,

you dont have to read everything! i do at least once, but i have a study group where each of us goes through a chapter and takes really good notes. if you will scan through the chapter before lecture and have the assigned reader send you those notes from whomever's turn it is, then you can print out the initial notes and add lecture notes to it (ideally).

truthfully, review the basic headings of each chapter before lecture. take notes--while reading and in lecture. the person responsible for in-depth reading will be a couple days behind; have them email the chapter notes to you and add your own outline and lecture notes.

my advice is that no more than 6 people are in the group (1 for each day and a 6th for backup) and don't let the rest of the class know about this group!!!!! otherwise, very nice people will see 'live prey' and try to get copies.

that's ok...if you are planning on telling these same colleagues how to do their job in 1-3 years!!!!!

tonight there is peace. no dark side, no fighting myself.

i am for a brief moment...nurseyoda!!!!

[allthingsbright]

Yes I made it through! I am trying to keep my eyes open at the moment but the first week of baptism by fire is over. Just like everyone else here we have a ton of reading, med. terms quiz on Tuesday (about 240 terms, and 110 abbreviations need to learn), Vital signs are next week so I am off to see if I can properly do a BP. Having trouble with palpating the brachial artery. I have found mine but it is hard to find in other people. I guess that's why I'm in school!

Hey Mike-it helps to pop the arm up when feeling for a brachial. Make sure it isnt bent. GL! :)

Made it through 3 days and am sleepless over the 4th. Classes start in 7 hours and I'm sleepless here instead of in my bed.

I know how crappy smoking is and I've been trying to quit. I spent the summer working on it and discovered other issues that had a higher priority of resolution. I have not abandoned my goal of quitting smoking. It is terrible and I have tried all...gums, patches, filters, medication, cold turkey. Cold turkey is probably the best I am getting to where I need to be to kick this habit successfully for good!!

However, I believe that one or several of my 'helpful' classmates made a point of pointing out the 3 'obvious smokers' in the class after our lunch break on Day 1 to our instructor.

I'm not trying to excuse MY BAD BEHAVIOR, but our instructor who was pleasant on the first day now curls her lip in disgust if she has to respond to the 3 of us in class. I asked a question today and was grateful that looks can't kill. I am trying to kick my bad habits, but change is a process and doesn't take place overnight.

Advice ... Thanks Fellow Nurses!!!!

omg, that's crazy! I too am a smoker and have been trying to quit. On our first day the instructor asked us to raise our hands if we were smokers. Obviously people were scared and thought we were going to get in trouble. She told us not to worry and asked us again to raise our hands if we were smokers. After most of us (the smokers) did she actually told us that this isn't the time to be quitting! She said that we were going to be stressed out enough and advised waiting until we were done with nursing school to quit!

[akspudus]

Made it through 3 days and am sleepless over the 4th. Classes start in 7 hours and I'm sleepless here instead of in my bed.

I know how crappy smoking is and I've been trying to quit. I spent the summer working on it and discovered other issues that had a higher priority of resolution. I have not abandoned my goal of quitting smoking. It is terrible and I have tried all...gums, patches, filters, medication, cold turkey. Cold turkey is probably the best I am getting to where I need to be to kick this habit successfully for good!!

However, I believe that one or several of my 'helpful' classmates made a point of pointing out the 3 'obvious smokers' in the class after our lunch break on Day 1 to our instructor.

I'm not trying to excuse MY BAD BEHAVIOR, but our instructor who was pleasant on the first day now curls her lip in disgust if she has to respond to the 3 of us in class. I asked a question today and was grateful that looks can't kill. I am trying to kick my bad habits, but change is a process and doesn't take place overnight.

Advice ... Thanks Fellow Nurses!!!!

Hey...quitting is HARD!! I quit while I was half way through prerequisites. I knew that going into health care as a smoker was going to raise some eyebrows....so I used that as my last excuse. At the time I was married to a smoker...so I had to quit while watching her going outside to enjoy s smoke. When ever she asked me how it was going...my only reply was "It Sucks!!" She finally quit for herself on July 1st...so now our household is smoke free.

We both used the patch to quit. The first week to ten days was hell for both of us. But, once your converted to being "on the patch"...it isn't that bad. At about week three I developed the problem of forgetting to put a patch on in the morning...then at about 11AM I was really withdrawing and in a bad mood. Once I got to this point and finally got a patch back on....then it took 2-3 hours to feel well again.

On the days I would put the patch on in the morning...I felt fine.

Anyhow...it sounds like you have the desire to quit...you just got to do it. Once you get 2-3 months being smoke free....you'll start noticing the benefits of quitting...and it gets a lot easier.

Good Luck and Best Wishes!!!

akspudus