My beloved nursing students

There are many of us here who love helping you. We ask that you show us your work. Show us that you have your critical thinking caps on and are trying to grasp this new way of thinking.

Tell us what you think and we will go out of our way to help you. Saying that we will not do your homework is not being mean. Our job is to help you become the best nurse that you can be. We want you to have the AhHa moment where it suddenly clicks and makes sense.

Care plans really aren't that hard with the right resources and assessment about what your patient needs. Many nursing students... Read More...

Cadaver Work

I am in anatomy and we have been gifted a cadaver for the semester. Seeing the body was a tad rough at first, however I've grown to love the work that we do on him. What an amazing last gift that someone would donate their body to Science to help me become a nurse. I'm totally appreciative that I have been given this opportunity. Anyone else work with a cadaver in their anatomy class? Read More...

[Toon] Are your pets suffering from Separation Anxiety?

Being away for school can be sad for both the pet and the owner. Is this you? How are you handling it? How is your pet handling it? For those who have gone through this, do you have an tips? We are all pet lovers please share your experience. Read More...

[Poll] Your first Nursing interview - how well does your school prepare you for this?

Recently someone I know had an interview for a CNA position. Expecting to have regular interview type questions she was surprised that they asked several skills type /care related questions. Further research has brought to my attention that many new Grad RN's and nursing assistants also are being faced with this new type of interview process. They no longer want to know about you as a person. They want to know if you got what it takes to prioritize and properly treat a patient based solely on your book and clinical class knowledge.

My question is, how well do you think your University/College is preparing you for the real world of interviews as a new grad RN? Should this be added to the nursing curriculum or do you think your college has prepared or is preparing you well for these type of interviews? Read More...

Nursing school uniforms and their fate after school

A nurse asked me last night about my plans for my white Danskos after school, and I hadn't really thought about it. I'm kinda thinking I may have an artist friend of mine ink them up for me, but I wanted to hear what you guys have done or plan to do as well! One nurse said a friend of hers planned to have them dyed, but she never heard how they turned out or how much it cost. Read More...

Nursing school when there is no true RN shortage?

If I have been working on getting into RN school (BSN program and all pre-reqs completed and I have a previous BS degree) and this is a second career with the realization that there may not be a true RN shortage now, should I still pursue this endeavor? Read More...

"Always pick the toughest patient"

This is advice I've read on here time and time again.. And it seems like sound advice, so I go by it. Obviously you'll probably learn more by taking care of a patient with CHF vs one with cellulitis. However, I'm starting to regret this week's choice. We have to write a care plan with the patho, analyze the labs, and all the patient's meds. We have 36 hours to turn it in, and that includes sleeping time. I also have a job and have to work on Thursdays.

This week, I chose the toughest patient. This person's admitting dx were neutropenia and pneumonia. Welllllllll ... The person has metastatic bone and prostate cancer and is receiving radiation for it, which caused his neutropenia. Because of the low WBC count, he acquired C. diff. . Read More...

Is it worthwhile to become a CNA before going to nursing school?

I'm planning on applying to get into nursing school for Winter 2015. I don't have any kind of medical background and am debating getting my CNA to gain a little experience while I finish up my last couple prereqs (Phys and micro). Is it worthwhile to get my CNA before going into nursing school? Read More...

Trouble in clinical. Prioritizing. Help

For all nursing students and RN's out there:

After you receive report on your patient from your professor, what are some general questions you would ask the RN taking care of that patient?

I know this is a broad question, since questions are usually specific to your client, but I feel like lately I haven't been asking my nurse any questions. I think my problem is I'm afraid to ask questions because I feel they're stupid. Read More...

Becoming discouraged about becoming a nurse?

I'm going to become a CNA after a graduate high school to see if I want to become a nurse or not, but I am getting really discouraged from all the stuff nurses say on the internet about how negative the job is. I know nursing has a lot of cons but every job does. Is it really that bad or is it just a matter of attitude? Read More...

I want to be an RN soooo bad!!!!

I got an associate degree in computers....that was in 2001 and I STILL want to do nothing more than be a nurse. I would love anyone's suggestions, point of view, comments. Sometimes when you are inside the box you miss very important details. I feel stuck. I am going to be 35 this year and just feel like I am wasting valuable time. I want a career not just a job, I want to help people...it is in me..it is what makes me. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

What did you do? What would you do? Read More

Reconstituting medication help

I have a few questions about reconstitution. In our practice kits we have amoxicillin in powdered form. It's not in a vial, it's in a little packet thingy. I know how to reconstitute using a vial but not a packet (like a packet of ketchup if you don't know what I mean)... how would you go about reconstituting this? Read More...