2 weeks March 16, 2010
Posted by futurenightnurse in Clinical, Student Life.Tags: busy, classes, ICU, mentoring, midterms, preceptorship, senior project, student nurse
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Wow it’s been 2 weeks since I last posted? I wish I could say that I was on vacay and just having so much fun that I didn’t have time to post… but alas, that isn’t why I’ve been away. To be honest, I forgot my password and I didn’t bother till yesterday to reset it.
So far I have 2 midterms out of the way. (Yay!) I have one more coming up. I’m just glad they aren’t all lumped together in 1 week. There is much writing (essays) left to do and I’ll probably be using my spring break to do that. Fun fun…
Senior focus is going well. I am really enjoying the ICU. =) I love the work environment… who ever said the ICU is filled with a bunch of loners? lol The nurses work together and have great communication. I get a really good vibe there, like it would be an awesome place to work! I’ve found that your 3 best friends in ICU are: the unit clerk, the RT, and the charge nurse!
Senior project is also great! I have fun testing the 1st year students. If your nursing program allows you to do that, I recommend it! Not only is it helping me brush up on my skills, but the teaching aspect of it helps me to think of skills more critically than when I was the 1st year student nervous to pass the skill.
Sorry I don’t have any stories. When I think of something I’ll let you know!
not quite in the fetal position… February 25, 2010
Posted by futurenightnurse in Student Life.Tags: 6th sem, classes, schedule, student nurse
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86
Is it spring break yet?
If I can offer any advice to anyone out there still in the early stages of their nursing school experience or perhaps still taking their prerequisites, DO NOT put off your other graduation requirements (read: GE classes) till the “easy” semester. That’s what I did… yes, the workload for nursing is not much this time around (hence “easy”) and while all I wanna do is focus on studying for NCLEX and rack up more preceptorship hours I can’t. I also really wish I could’ve signed up for advanced assessment or any other class related to my major. But nope. I have to use my “extra” time expanding my knowledge in areas non-nursing.
Let’s just say I’d rather patho or pharm all over again than have to write all these fluff papers… or do projects with people I don’t even know…
Yeah, it’s like that.
/rant
Nursing Student Survival Pack January 25, 2010
Posted by futurenightnurse in Student Life.Tags: 6th sem, classes, mentoring, preceptorship, schedule, student nurse, syllabus
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I expected it to be a long ass day today, but I really had no idea. I wish I’d put together a small survival pack… in it I think I’d put the following:
– food (nuts, granola bars, MREs… jk)
– brown paper bag
– bottle of ibuprofen
– coffee, coffee, coffee
– red robin – aka: in/out cath (haha ok not really)
So basically my day starts at 11:00 and ends at 5:00. Not bad, you say? Ha! Genius that I am, I did NOT schedule any breaks in between. My classes are literally back to back!
11:00 to 1:00
1:00 to 3:50
4:00 to 5:15
Ok ok so there’s 10 minutes between class B and class C… it’s not enough! I really need to start packing my lunch so I’m not starving by the time I get home. Yikes. You’d think I’d have this student thing down by now…
What would you include in your “survival pack”?
I have homework… January 20, 2010
Posted by futurenightnurse in Student Life.Tags: Amazon, books, classes, homework, nclex, review, student nurse, syllabus
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.. and my nursing classes don’t even start till Monday.
I now have all the textbooks I ordered from Amazon… All I need is a Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN. Apparently it’s the book for our NCLEX review class. It wasn’t listed at the bookstore, but it’s on the syllabus. The same syllabus that was posted just today. Go fig. But that’s ok. I don’t have syllabi for my other nursing classes. I’ll take a look at what they have at the bookstore tomorrow. (I may just order from Amazon again.)
Anyway, I have some work to get done. I want to get ahead… because I have a feeling if I DON’T stay above water, I’m going to D-R-O-W-N this semester.
Yikes.
Preceptorship Roulette January 19, 2010
Posted by futurenightnurse in Student Life.Tags: 6th sem, classes, final semester, ICU, mentoring, preceptorship, senior project, student nurse, worry
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Someone posted on their FB that they got their preceptorship assignment today. A few left comments on her status that made me realize not everyone knows where they’re going to be yet. That made me a little nervous… I hadn’t heard a confirmation from the school’s clinical coordinator at all either!
I sifted through my email. My instructor had acknowledged an email I sent her (back in December) asking for further instructions regarding securing a spot in the ICU. She said I didn’t need to do any more than I already had (I spoke with the hospital’s ICU coordinator to get my name on the list.) As far as I know, my name is on that list. I emailed her again today… just to see if there is an orientation prior to the start of classes or if anything has changed. Tomorrow I’m calling the hospital.
Technically, classes start on Thursday, but I don’t have a nursing class till Monday. I have Leadership and a case studies class. Another nursing class is online and two more are on-site (a preceptorship at the hospital and a senior project/community service).
I have an orientation in the morning for my senior project, which is basically participating in some sort of community service… I chose to help out in the nursing lab to mentor first year nursing students. Lord, help me.
My non-nursing classes are: Asian-American Communities, Visual Culture, and American Inequality. So much for an “easy” final semester. The upside is that these classes actually sound interesting. After all, I don’t wanna just fulfill graduation requirements, I want to learn. I mean, nursing isn’t everything. (Ssshhh… don’t tell anyone I said that.)
Anyone else taking non-nursing classes with their nursing stuff? What was/is the most interesting non-nursing class you’ve taken?
The semester hasn’t even started yet and already I feel behind… January 11, 2010
Posted by futurenightnurse in Student Life.Tags: classes, final semester, G.E., nclex, preceptorship, worry
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131.
I should be more excited about my final semester… but I’m not. If anything I am WORRIED. I am carrying so many units! What was I thinking leaving so much upper division G. E. requirements to the last semester?!? Ugggghhhh…
That, my friend, is the sound of dread echoing in my brain.
While my friends are relaxing with their light load (by partying it up, working more hours, or taking fluff classes–one friend is taking up interpretive dance!) I will be sweating it out in my required classes. By writing, that is, no physical exertion involved.
Anyway, even the whole reviewing of critical care material (or even for NCLEX!) is slow-going. I can’t remember the last time I picked up a nursing book. Ok wait, maybe last weekend. But yeah… I need to get motivated and I need to do it NOW. I still have time to read up on stuff, that way I’m not completely mushy-brained when my preceptorship starts.
Ugggghhhh…
The Life of a Student Nurse 