From Raised In America to Nursing in the Philippines: The Discipline of a Lifetime

I still find it a blessing that after 4 years, I was able to sacrifice my time and effort to leave California and adjust to life in the Philippines. I still remember my first day as a college freshman. I was sitting in the little wooden desk, waiting for my first subject, Psychology to start. It was a noisy environment. The other students in the room seemed to know each other by name. I anxiously sat as I pretended to mind my own business. I did not understand everything they were saying to each other. Next thing I knew, someone turned to me and frantically said "Tignan mo nga yun blush-on ko..parang na sampal ba ako?" (Look at my blush on, does it look like someone slapped me?) I interpreted that maybe she meant "Does my blush look okay?" I nodded with delight only to find out that my reaction was probably not the reaction she expected. Read More...

Sterile Gloving Procedure

Are the folded-over cuffs considered non-sterile even before they've touched skin? So if you have on one glove, is the cuff of the other clove non sterile even before you pick it up? Read More...

How many of you practice on your family members?

As a nursing student you need to practice as much as possible. This is when your "family" comes in handy. Have any of you practiced on your family? How do they feel about you practicing on them? Do you tell them you need to practice taking shots or do you just surprise them??? Read More...

A Graduate Nurse at Last!!!!

It's been such a long road. I started on allnurses years ago before I had even started nursing school. I started posting mostly in the pre-nursing section then was so excited to move on to the general nursing student section. I cannot believe I am finally graduating nursing school, summa cum laude!!!! I just can't believe it. It's been such a long great road. For everyone starting out this fall I hope you know you can do it! It is stressful and busy at times but also really an amazing experience filled with new challenges, great friends, and lot's of experiences where you can learn so much about yourself. Time will fly by so fast. Make the best of it and you will get the best out of it. Read More...

To The Beginning

I was born curious according to Mom, asking questions as soon as I could talk, and by the time I was ten, I was starting to realize the world wasn't perhaps as safe and rosy as my parents had allowed me to believe. I was cresting the hill of childhood, rapidly moving toward adolescence, and as Dad and I strolled up the hill toward the hospital, I was about to come face to face with my future profession--and a passion that would push me through the many challenges that lay ahead. Read More...

Opinions on Becoming a Nurse

When I first told friends and family that I was considering pursuing a nursing career, every one of them said "Oh, you'd be GREAT as a nurse." And every one of those twirps followed it up with something to the tune of "You don't mind bossing people around". Not one person said it was because of my cheery disposition or great bedside manner. Apparently I need better friends! Not sure what I can do about that family, tho. I took this personally at first (although in jest) and then realized, they think nurses, as a whole, are bossy! Read More...

How much to study?

I just got accepted into a BSN program (yay!) and I was wondering about how much I should expect to dedicate to studying? I've always been a good student and usually don't have any problems remembering things, but I wanted to see how others dealt with nursing school. Read More...

Tips for surviving the 1st Semester of Nursing School

I can't believe I made it through finals week and my first semester of nursing school is done. I was totally exhausted with several days of 3 hours of sleep and 5 straight exams. Anyways I'm like a straight B student, that's not bad considering I have a family and lots of distractions at home...for me that not where I usually am, so I wanted to offer up some tips on how to survive the first semester of nursing school.

1. READ your books. this is probably the most annoying thing especially for those like me who learn visually or auditory, so I ended up having to rewrite my notes ( because highlighting does not work for me), and reading out loud.

2. Buy an NCLEX book and start using it now! some might not like this idea, but nursing questions sucks because all the answers are viable and getting an NCLEX book in your first semester will help you get past the shock phase of those crazy critical thinking questions for those who are more fact based learners like myself. Read More...

Failure Just another Failure....

I am currently unemployed with a A.S. degree in health science and Practical Nurse certificate. I have been unsuccessful passing the NCLEX and need serious advice from a nurse prospective.

I have made the decision to start over and challenge the CNA test, look for a phlebotomy course, hopefully find a Medication Aide course, and anything else as that will help me achieve a good job until I return to the NCLEX. It has been to long since I graduated, my family has been under a terrible burden from my lacking of provisions due to unemployment. I live in Tennessee seeking to find help from you, the professionals, who know of graduates that have had the same experience and what they did. Read More...

265 Questions and sobbing

I took my NCLEX yesterday and took the whole 6 hours finishing my test with 265 questions. I am so devastated and been crying since yesterday. I am in such a wreck that I don't even have the strength to eat or get up from the bed. I studied so hard for this test but I can't believe that I did so horrible. Read More...

Fresh from Orientation: iPads are required equipment!

How fast our world is changing... When I got my BA in the early 1990s, the internet was just a weird peripheral idea. Now ALL of our nursing school's textbooks will be delivered online through the Kno.com format. A lot of the orientation group groaned and grumbled at the added cost. I'd planned on buying a new laptop, so it sounds good to me. Its going to do amazing stuff-- multi-text searches for research topics; interactive notes and highlighting that can be shared with classmates; built-in flashcards, reactive illustrations, quizzes. It collects data on your study habits and makes recommendations. It collects all of your highlights and notes into a journal. All of your books can be accessed online without expiration.

I'm pumped!!! Read More...

How Expensive Is Nursing School?

I haven't even applied to nursing school yet, I'm still finishing up my pre-reqs. I'm just curious to find out just how expensive nursing school is. Some people say is really expensive, others say it's not. How much is your program going to cost you? Difference of costs in BSN & ADN program? Read More