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

MB37 · Aug 30, 2007

I just got on Chantix too! I'm trying not to smoke much this week, but I don't get the full dosage until a week from today, so that's my official "quit date." I'm 28 and in otherwise good health, and started coughing up blood the other day - freaked out, went to the ER, and they diagnosed "acute bronchitis" and "substance abuse: tobacco." There was nothing else wrong with me, and quitting smoking was the only way to make it stop, they said. I went to my NP the next day and she wrote me the scrip for Chantix. Good luck to everyone else who's quitting! I've tried all the nicotine replacement therapies and none of them worked for me, but this is supposed to be really different. Oh yeah, I just finished my first week of school too! Second semester, but first with clinicals.

shannonFNP, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 30, 2007

Well... the first week has finally ended as of thirty minutes ago. I have mixed feelings about my program.

The amount of reading doesn't bother me at all, I've actually got myself into the habit of actually reading everything before class starts which is an accomplishment for me to not procrasinate. Anyways, it's a lot to read and I can handle it, but this dang Potter and Perry book is SO BORING to read. I guess being a current CNA has given me a LOT more experience than I realized. At least half the class lacks any healthcare experience which is OKAY! But... I hate to do a repeat of everything I do in a day's work at the hospital. I get really into it when we learn new things... so all in time. I guess I'm just a little bored reading about "effective communication" and "how to take a pulse." And I do realize I'm not the only one in the class, I just wish things would pick up a little.

I dont feel comfortable having so much pressure on us to do the simplest tasks like washing hands, taking temperatures. But again, I'm not the only one in the class. I'm just so READY to learn new things. We did start going over physical assessments... which I'm very excited about going more in depth into.

Today we spent the entire day doing drug calculations (which we've been doing all week). A few (maybe 20 out of 60) got checked off on bed making... the rest of us had to do math problems while they were out (which we all have down, FOR SURE) for the entire 8 hours of class. There's just so just such a huge gap in the teacher-student ratio that things take forever to get done... so today was wasted for me. I know that given a few weeks things will get more aggressive... I just can't wait!!!

I know things will start moving soon, I'm just so ready for it now!

MB72 · Aug 30, 2007

MB37

I was on Chantix about 4 months ago, and it didn't work for me. I guess that I am the only fluke because my doctor said that EVERYONE he put on it quit, even a man that smoked 3 packs a day. I don't know what I done wrong, if anything. I started back on Welbuterin and I am going to get the Nicoderm CQ patch. I worked well for me last time until I run out and didn't have the money to buy more. Definetly let me know how the Chantix works for you and if it does what or rather how you do things. BTW......get ready for some funky funky dreams when you start full dose.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 30, 2007

I survived week 1...but it feels like I've been there for months instead of only four days :)

So much damn reading to do...

stuffbubby541 · Aug 30, 2007

I finished my first week of orientation. I am 49 years old tomorrow...Happy Birthday me":balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons:...and I started getting weepy by the third day. I got weepy today too. Could it be perimenopause? I am feeling very overwhelmed. But I have some time to regroup and come back fierce! No Doubt!:angryfire:uhoh3:

I have alot of work to do. I have to work out a study schedule. I have to work out time management. Get some exercise in...stress buster exercises.. Every hour as far as I am concerned is going to be consumed! :uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3:

I'll be alright though.....

stuff

krenee · Aug 30, 2007

I survived the first week . . . basically . . . tomorrow is "open lab" so I will go do that (practice) but all my official classes are done for the week. Honestly ours isn't that intense so far! Not a ridiculous amount of reading, nothing much to "study" yet since I don't know what will be on our first test, and all the info on handwashing, bedmaking, and bedbaths was really basic, and we aren't being tested on that either. We didn't even have to practice, we just watched the instructor give a bed bath to a dummy and make an occupied bed. The vital signs we will be tested on, which is why I'm going to practice tomorrow on the dummies that we'll tested on. It's not hard, but then again not easy to be so exact!

I'm trying to get ahead on the classes that I can, because I know it's going to get a lot harder! As our lab instructor said, this holiday weekend, we can kiss summer good-bye and kiss our lives good-bye!

Kelly

kasia2 · Aug 31, 2007

I did..., I did..., how I did I dont know, I'm dog tired, exhausted, stressed out, all the good stuff...The first day the teachers were telling us how the nursing school was going to be the hardest thing we will ever do and somehow I starting to believe those words, it is just so like time consuming and on top of work I have no life what so ever, have of the time I'm half awake from not sleeping enough, and that was just the first week, I feel like cutting my work hours to about two days but I'm still waiting for my financial aid package, I arleady failed one of the skills and had to re do it. I felt like a complete idiot, but I got confused by a book, we have our first medical term exam this upcoming week, math exam and bunch of videos and computer exercises to complete, and on top of that everyday I question myself if I want to do this and this doesnt help in surviving the rigous life of nursing school.

RNMeg · Sep 1, 2007

One week down..um..many more to go :bugeyes: I'm soo excited and happy to be there, though. We start vitals in skills lab on Tuesday..yay! hands-on stuff!

DermNP2Be · Sep 1, 2007

I did..., I did..., how I did I dont know, I'm dog tired, exhausted, stressed out, all the good stuff...The first day the teachers were telling us how the nursing school was going to be the hardest thing we will ever do and somehow I starting to believe those words, it is just so like time consuming and on top of work I have no life what so ever, have of the time I'm half awake from not sleeping enough, and that was just the first week, I feel like cutting my work hours to about two days but I'm still waiting for my financial aid package, I arleady failed one of the skills and had to re do it. I felt like a complete idiot, but I got confused by a book, we have our first medical term exam this upcoming week, math exam and bunch of videos and computer exercises to complete, and on top of that everyday I question myself if I want to do this and this doesnt help in surviving the rigous life of nursing school.

Kasia- HANG IN THERE!! I too am exhausted, stressed, confused, and have had absolutely very little sleep- but I am holding on to the thought that it is worth it. You're waiting on a financial aid package, but my financial aid was CANCELLED! I have absolutely no money and had to struggle badly to just to get my books which were $1000. Because I got my books late I am completely behind everyone else. I have skills labs and mastery coming up and will be in clinicals next week. But I am just so excited to have books. I told my mom that I feel like those women in foreign countries or kids in third world countries that are not allowed or have no avenue to a higher education. But now I have books! I know it sounds lame, but I intend to embrace this opportunity fully. Holiday? What holiday? I don't care about that right now. Continue to study and realize the blessings you have in being able to be in a nursing program. You can do it!

MB37 · Sep 1, 2007

MB72,

I kind of figured that Chantix wasn't really 100% effective - unfortunately nothing is...My NP actually told me exactly the same thing - "even people who smoke 3 packs a day have quit on this stuff!" I think you have to REALLY want to quit for any of them to work, and even then you may relapse. Today is only day 4 for me, so I'm at half dose right now, and I'm still smoking some. I have noticed that I feel full more easily, so maybe that will help keep me from gaining weight. I will post here and there and let you or anyone else know how I'm doing. I think every drug affects people in different ways though - I met a girl yesterday (a Camel rep, actually), who told me that she tried Wellbutrin and wound up curled up underneath the bathroom sink at a bar just totally freaking out, so she'll never try it again, and when I was on the patch I couldn't keep food down and I had panic attacks. Good luck to you too, hopefully we can each find something that works well for us.

koati · Sep 2, 2007

I just finished my first week of classes and I am freaking out alittle bit... we were assigned to read 12 chapters during the first 3 days of class! I have had no sleep all week long and am looking forward to going to bed and just getting up to go to work all day instead of back to get more assignments. It has been an awesome week though. I love it!!

My first week ended on last friday, and I made it through :chair: Allthouh I done my night shifts from sunday to tuesday...I was quite tired, but starting studies were so interesting that tiredness didn't harm to much. Tonight (from sunday to mondey) I'm gonna have a night shift and tomorrow morning I'll drive straight to school, but that is my only shift untill friday.

Seems a bit hard to manage of permanent night shifts and full-day studing, but at the moment I feel like trying.

Good luck to all new students, and remember we all have some kind of troubles in different areas of life during the studies - we are in same boat :smiley_ab