A day in the Life of A Nursing Student

Indeed, it is hard, and you wouldn’t hear otherwise from someone who has been through the journey. Nevertheless, if your love for nursing is primarily for the love of maintaining, restoring, and improving health, despite the unpleasantness which is evident on the job, the struggles will be worth the effort. It is just as hard when you get into the program as it is trying to get in, and also when you’re on the job.

Do yourself a favour; if you haven’t placed yourself in the position to observe or experience nursing, find an opportunity to do so.

If you’re going into nursing due to the fact that it’s a good choice in this current economy and it garners a handsome pay, I applaud your good reasoning. Nevertheless, one also has to put the other job components into consideration. Read More...

Homework on first day?

My first day of nursing school is July 8th. The calendar is in terms so I have two classes until the fall. The two classes that I have are A&P 1 and college algebra. From your experience did they assign homework on the first day of class? How was your first day of class? Read More...

Are you happy with your nursing career choice?

How do you feel about your career choice? Are you still happy that you made the switch to nursing? How do you feel about your nursing school? Please share your thoughts with the community... Read More...

My first job will be as an RN

I'm 20 years old and about to start nursing school in the fall. My parents have been supporting me for my first two years of college and will throughout nursing school. I'm blessed to not have to get a job to pay for my living expenses/tuition but I'm wondering what will happen when I apply for jobs as an RN. I have medical experience from volunteering at a hospital a lot in high school and doing two internships/job shadows with doctors but I have no real job experience. Will future employers look down on me for this? I feel so clueless when it comes to having a job. Read More...

Time served on a waitlist

I had been thinking about it for a very long time now. I needed to apply to a nursing school and get on with my career. I had been postponing this for years and promising myself I’d do it next year, and then next and then next. Now was the perfect time because I had made up my mind. I wanted it NOW! Now was my chance. No more time to waste. Oh hurry! Hurry! I was getting old.

Then I set myself to it, doing all the homework. Researching various schools and trying to decide where to go. What was I looking for in a school? Oh I could answer that question even without having to think. I wanted a good school. Then came the harder question – what to me was a good school? After a lot of pondering and searching I decided that a good school should be one which was affordable and still had good NCLEX pass rates. Do not blame me - that was all I could come up with at the time. I had found the answers so why was I not getting ahead with my search for a ‘good school?’. Wait… one more thing should I go for an ADN or an ABSN program? Ok, it was definitely going to be an ABSN program so I could put my first bachelor degree to good use. I knew it would be a lot of stress, but what good thing isn’t? So it was settled, I was going to send in an application. Read More...

Embarrassing question from new nursing student

When you are auscultating a woman's chest, and she has larger breasts, how exactly are you supposed to do it? Do you just kind of move them out of the way? Do you tell the patient that you need to move it? Also, are you supposed to auscultate through their shirt/hospital gown/bra, or ask them to remove it? Same goes for bowel sounds...I had one of my first patients get mad at me because I tried to pull her pants down a little for bowel sounds (they were so high I couldn't see her belly button, which I use as the landmark for my quadrants), and she yelled at me that I didn't need to do that to listen for bowel sounds...I thought you did because it might be hard to hear through clothing...I apologized profusely to her and she seemed to be ok, but I still feel really bad about it...I mean I certainly wasn't going to pull them all the way down, only far enough to expose her lower belly, but I probably should have at least explained to her what I was doing and why. Read More...

Clinicals, really not prep for real world?

I am about to enter my third semester of nursing school in August, and I will be in OB/PEDS. I am so nervous about my final last semester because I really have not done "that" much in clinicals? I have maybe gave meds once!!! I have given one insulin shot, and one lovenox shot. I have taken out one central line, and attempted to insert one IV. I have not even really hung an IV bag!! I have yet to insert an NG tube either!! Mostly, I have done baths baths and more baths!! Not that I mind that, it's just really? I feel like I am going to be murdered when I get a job because I have hardly done any of my skills. Oh yeah forgot one, foley cath!! I am so scared.. Someone give me reassurance? I have tried to apply for summer jobs and have not had any luck and this is really the only time I can get a tech job. Encouragement? Word of advice anyone? Read More...

Passed my NCLEX with 75 questions on first try: My Advice and Thoughts.

I passed with 75 questions; I really believed I failed when I walked out - as does everyone else. I did the Pearson Vue Trick and got the "good pop-up." A few days later and way sooner than I expected, I see my name on the BON, and I'm jazzed. I told myself that if I passed the boards I would post up my "tips and tricks" about the NCLEX. There are tons of useful advice on this forum, but most of it is largely missing is insight. You can't recommend a book and not explain its pros and cons, you know? I hope to one day get into nursing education, so this will serve as practice for me. Read More...

Sallie Mae Student Loan, Fixed or Variable?

I got into a BSN program which starts in August at West Coast University LA. I've read many threads regarding the school, and like I felt for myself, the school program looks fine but the cost is horrible. I've applied for FAFSA and will take out Govt' loans, but, I still cannot afford most of the tuition which is around 130k overall. Therefore, I chose to take out private student loans of 48k from Sallie Mae and chose Variable Interest at around 9%. I'm deeply worried that I chose variable rate instead of the Fixed rate at around 11.5%. Should I cancel the loan since it didn't disburse any amount yet and re-apply for a fixed rate? Read More...

New to nursing and college itself. I have a question about pre reqs.

I am 22 years old and got my GED last summer. I am supposed to start school this fall for Nursing. I have to take my assessment test on July 8th. (If it matters, it is at Corning Community College in New York.)

I know absolutely nothing about this. If I don't pass the assessment, is that how I will know if I need pre-reqs, or are they required for everyone? If I need them, how long will they take before I can actually begin my nursing classes? I am going for ADN (RN). Read More...

My CPNE journal for Albany Medical Center

I need to start right off the bat that I really, truly, did not feel at any point (before doing this CPNE) that I could do this and pass successfully, the first time. I am not that type of person at all to be considered a ‘’Debby Downer’’ either. Something about this test gets the best of you. Whether it is the nerves, all the money that has been on the line, travel expenses, all of your dreams you just want to make a reality, the time, energy and effort that you’ve spent, or the fact that you just want to be done. This is by far the hardest thing I can say I have EVER DONE IN MY LIFE. The pressure and stress for me was just completely overwhelming, but I did it! And I did not have to repeat any labs or PCS’s. I wanted to write this because it helped me to read other successful peoples’ journals and gave me a glimmer of hope that this can be done! Hopefully I can help others too! Read More...

How much do they let you customize your program/select your clinicals at your school?

I just had orientation and learned that we'll have 180 hrs of clinicals first semester that are randomly chosen for us. Second semester, we get a choice between various types of surgery and general medicine at a couple different hospitals. Third and fourth semester we have a wide range of options (I'll be able to choose inpatient psychiatry first semester and outpatient psych/substance abuse the next, since my interest is mental health). We rank our choices for clinicals and hopefully get our top choice (though, if your top choice is peds it's less likely you'll get it, since so many people want peds). How does this work at your schools?? Read More