wow im with u i start thz august 2009

 I'm starting August 2009 myself...can't wait! :)

nursika says ...

Hi Lara,

I start my first semester in August.  I also heard faculty staff tell students in a mandatory meeting that most students barely make it with a "C". I was alittle discouraged but I think if we stay focused and organized and put in at least 2 hours per day study, we will succeed with a very good grade. My advice to stay focus is to avoid distractions that will reduce concentration and best of all "make time your best friend" during nursing program.   :)         Good luck!

hey there ive never heard that ive heard that Med/surg is the hardest and that the rest is not so hard.Since i got sum background in the medical field i think ill be ok one thing you should invest in "Silicone ear plugs" yea a lot of people dnt really see the advantage of it try it using them when u study or take a test youll rember me;).

I plan on going to work out everyday after school because I need to lose weight and get in shape and I think it will help me focusing as well. So, my plan is to bring my notes with me for treadmill and bike time :-) Just another idea to help get through :-)

If you set out thinking you will fail, guess what? You will. Set out on this journey like on every journey - one step at a time. I guess I was lucky going into the Marines at 18. After that I KNEW that if I wanted to do something by God I was going to do it. Setbacks in nursing school? No only a few speedbumps. I worked as an ER tech nights and was lucky I got time on some nights to complete a nursing care plan or med cards. The experienced nurses appreciated my efforts for the most part and tried to help when they could. The few that were a bunch of sour grapes? Who cared about them? Sour grapes just turn to vinegar so they got what they sent around.

BTW - I strongly suggest working as a tech or nurses aid during school. The correlation from textbook/lecture to reality was a much smoother road in my experience. Of course that was in the late 70's but still . . !

Heh, your post sounds like me when I was starting my nursing program. The faculty waved those same sort of phrases around, so casually, that it made me freak out before I even started. But I found out that nothing is ever as bad as I think it's going to be. You've gotten this far, haven't you? And you have had to work hard to get here. So now, you're just going to apply that same dedication in this next part of your education.

  And all of that crazy stuff about failing and things...don't worry. I sometimes wonder if they say it just to weed out the unlikely's and to use some sort of reverse psychology on us. I'm in my third year of nursing school now, and they're still saying those things!

....Well I think you will do fine. My first thought was when I read your quote ( I will do this ) you are determined just as I was and g/f I was a late bloomer....So stay with positive ppl and study hard, and get ready, btw I did it all in one year. I have a great career as a LPN now and love it

I've been in the 2 year nursing program for 3 weeks now. Unfortunately, I got really sick the second week and playing catch up. This last week was really tough. I was wondering if the instructors will be more tough on me since I have an EMT background. It feels like I have a lot of habits to break due to the change of medical styles. Everyone seems a bit nervous still, as am I. The worst part, being shy when I am with co-workers/other students and trying to break out of that. Clients are one thing, but other students are another. Well, I can say it doesn't seem easy, but keeping an eye on my goal is necessary.

kdija says ...

I've been in the 2 year nursing program for 3 weeks now. Unfortunately, I got really sick the second week and playing catch up. This last week was really tough. I was wondering if the instructors will be more tough on me since I have an EMT background. It feels like I have a lot of habits to break due to the change of medical styles. Everyone seems a bit nervous still, as am I. The worst part, being shy when I am with co-workers/other students and trying to break out of that. Clients are one thing, but other students are another. Well, I can say it doesn't seem easy, but keeping an eye on my goal is necessary.

Whether or not your instructors will be more "tough" on you will depend on your approach.  I have had many EMTs in my class before.  Some acknowledge they are there to learn, but occasionally offer appropriate experiences that enhance class discussions.  Others think they know more than they do and either argue with the instructor, or try to dominate class discussions.  I am indeed "harder" on the latter--because I have to maintain control of my classroom.

You might have some bad habits to break.  Be honest with your instructors.  Ask them if you need to do any work on certain skills, like taking blood pressures.  I've had CNAs who can't take a manual blood pressure very well, though the EMTs are usually pretty good at it.  I simply correct their errors and help them get better at it, but I try not to make them feel like they don't know anything.

The biggest change in medical styles will be that as a nurse you have too look deeper into what is going on with the patient, and also look to the long road.  EMT's stabilize and ship; their involvement with the patient ends at the ER bedside.  The ER nurses have to think about caring for the patient over a period of hours, but also what is going to happen after they are discharged or transferred.  That's what you will need to do; think about the long road.

Good luck!