Calling all nurses! (Or nurses-to-be)

[erinsn77]

Ok so to all you nurses out there I am considering nursing school the fall of 2010 when my youngest starts kindergarden can you tell me if it was really really tough.. I have read different things some say oh it wasnt so bad and others say it was the hardest thing they have ever done.. I love anything medical and think I would love this job.. I crave to learn new medical things all the time.. so In turn Im debating between nursing and radiography.. HMM

 

[jordansmomma]

Good luck ladies!

If you want some good study guides, look for:
Reviews & Rationales (they get broken down into pharmacology, med-surg, fundamentals, etc.)
Med-Surg Success
You can find these on Amazon.

The trick to nursing school is understanding what the question is asking, so practice taking tests is what I have found to be really helpful. Really, the concepts are pretty simple, and they will build upon them as you get further into the program. Also, group study is good too! Answer those practice test questions in a group, then discuss why you picked the answer you did.

Thanks!
I will look into getting those books.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Ok so to all you nurses out there I am considering nursing school the fall of 2010 when my youngest starts kindergarden can you tell me if it was really really tough.. I have read different things some say oh it wasnt so bad and others say it was the hardest thing they have ever done.. I love anything medical and think I would love this job.. I crave to learn new medical things all the time.. so In turn Im debating between nursing and radiography.. HMM

Depending on where you are from you may need to wait longer then 2010. It took me 2 yrs and some creative things ( using a forgiveness policy, taking some filler, ie easy courses, and using only my pre-nursing GPA of 3.75 to get into the program) some people with a 3.2 gpa didnt get in

 

[Disney Doll]

Ok so to all you nurses out there I am considering nursing school the fall of 2010 when my youngest starts kindergarden can you tell me if it was really really tough.. I have read different things some say oh it wasnt so bad and others say it was the hardest thing they have ever done.. I love anything medical and think I would love this job.. I crave to learn new medical things all the time.. so In turn Im debating between nursing and radiography.. HMM

I don't want to sound like "Oh I am so wonderful" but I didn't find it really difficult. Don't get me wrong...there was a lot of work and a lot of time & effort required, but I enjoyed it and was interested in it so I didn't consider it hard. A lot of nursing is common sense. Facts you can learn...anybody can. What they teach you in nursing school is the "art" of nursing and critical thinking and applying the facts you learn to the situations at hand.

A little background: I went right to nursing school from high school. I was a "B plus" to maybe "A minus" high school student...I think I ranked #21 in my class, which was about 150 kids I think...so nearer to the top but certainly not valedectorian.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Hi everyone! I've been an RN since 1996. I started in telemetry, then did ten years in the CTICU. I'm currently working in research.

I also am currently in a RN - BSN program. I have another year to go. This semester I am taking pathophysiology. Better late than never. I had planned on doing this ten years ago.

 

[imabrat]

A little background: I went right to nursing school from high school. I was a "B plus" to maybe "A minus" high school student...I think I ranked #21 in my class, which was about 150 kids I think...so nearer to the top but certainly not valedectorian.

You give me hope. I'm only 107/543, but I do want to look into getting into nursing school out of high school.
I'm praying I can get into my vo-tech program so I can graduate high school with my CNA. We'll see though. I stink at math, I'm good, not great, at science but this is something I want to do so I'll work hard to do it.

 

[starann]

What made you want to go into nursing?

I'm Star. I've been a nurse for going on 8 years. I started in oncology (I LOVED it, but I got preggo and couldn't keep working on the floor due to personal health issues) and then went to Home Care where I am an Admission nurse (I to the inital visit with a TON of paperwork). I like home care, but oncology is my heart.


I became a nurse because I lost my son. He was anecephalic (his brain didn't form due to medication I was taking at the time for epilepsy). I sunk into a deep depression after I lost him and once the fog listed I decided I wanted to do something with my life (rather than be a receptionist which is what I as doing till nursing school). My thought was that I wanted to be a NICU nurse to help the parents (and the babies) as I have lived thru and survived losing a child. Since you have to have med-surg I started oncology.

My ultimate goal is to be a perinatal loss counseler. In time I hope to work L&D and NICU and go back to school to get my bsn in nursing then my masters in psycology so I can be a PNLC. It is a LOOONG term goal as I now have 3 kids who require too mcuh attention for me to go back to school jsut yeat (I am hoping in 2 years when both boys are in school to start taking 1 class a semester thru our hospital's RN to BSN program)

 

[ireland_nicole]

Hi! I'm Nicole, and I've been an RN/BSN since 1996; prior to that I was an EMT/firefighter. For me, being a nurse was genetic; I'm third generation. And a rebel; my mom was happy when I went to college on a music scholarship, and devestated when I changed my major to nursing- go figure. I figured I wanted a job when I got out, and wanted to know that I could get in/out of the field and have a lot of options. I stopped working when my first was born with significant special needs, and then my second was born with serious medical complications as well (so no more for us). I just completed my RN refresher course and clinical, and am interviewing at 3 hospitals in the next couple of weeks; I'll either be doing mother/baby, oncology, or nicu parent support. We'll see. BTW; I did a lot of different kinds of nursing, but found my "vocation" in Hospice. I don't see myself working Hospice, though while my kids are still home.

 

[xCourxCorex]

You give me hope. I'm only 107/543, but I do want to look into getting into nursing school out of high school.
I'm praying I can get into my vo-tech program so I can graduate high school with my CNA. We'll see though. I stink at math, I'm good, not great, at science but this is something I want to do so I'll work hard to do it.

I think I was 125/579, and I made it into 3 different 4-year programs, with an alright GPA. You can do it!

 

[imabrat]

I think I was 125/579, and I made it into 3 different 4-year programs, with an alright GPA. You can do it!

I hope I can! You give me hope too Courtney! According to my career's counselor, I've got my college entry essay written already and it's all medical so that might help, I hope. BTW, the tattoo was fine. Didn't hurt a bit.

Why did I want to go into nursing? Long story short, I want to help other kids with cancer. I've been down the road myself - losing a close friend/classmate to the disease and having a nurse become a close friend as she had the same thing 9 years prior. If I can help another child with cancer, all of my chemotherapy, all of my surgeries, everything will have been worth it. Oh, and, I have a ton of medical knowledge from just watching my nurses so I might as well put it to good use.

People have asked me why I don't want to be a doctor. Ever hear the saying "Do you want to talk to the doctor who's in charge or the nurse who knows what's going on?". There's your answer.

 

[natenapril]

HEY!
I am working on my prereqs to get into the nursing class. There is only 1 college in a 7 hour distance to offer nursing and it is very competitive. They require all prereqs done before applying. And highly suggest you do not work after gaining entry in to the program.
I turned 30 this year and am the mother of the 3 so the prereqs are taking a little longer. I am only taking 2 classes this summer, sociology and nutrition I am taking A&P this fall and I am pretty nervous abpout that class.

 

[MoniqueU]

Just popping in to say thanks to all the nurses and potential nurses. Dr's I can usually do without but all the nurses I have met except one who kept commenting on my pregnancy weight gain were all awesome. I paid that nurse back by coming in 3 lbs above my pre pregnancy weight in a size she most likely hadn't seen since jr high.

Anyway it seems to me that the nurses I have had contact with know as much as the dr's do sometimes more. I don't have what it takes to be one but I sure admire them.

 

[disneyfreak42]

Thank you for this thread!!! RN for 6 years working in a rural ER. For all of you going or in school, hang in there!!! I went back to school after getting TWO(yes I must be crazy) teaching degrees. Had a full time job, family , and school. All I can say is even in the worst of nights this is one of the most rewarding professions. I don't call it a job because you truly have to be called to this profession. Yes you see the best and the worst in people. At work right now and can honestly say, saved a little old lady "swirling the toilet" tonight. Going to the World in September this year for DD 13th b-day!!! Can't wait!!!

 

[Beka]

Starting Nursing classes in the fall... have everything else done ( other than Micro, which I start tomorrow) so I will be taking 1 class, eight credits a semester

Good luck! I loved my micro class!

RN working with Alzheimer patients in an Adult Day Center.........wish I could get more hours but not available until the census rises. Lots of paperwork but I just love the job. I am thinking of going to a long term care facility that has a dementia speciality unit come the fall.

You are awesome for working in that field, I couldn't do it! That or Hospice either!

Nursing is a second career for me; I graduated from nursing school in 1997 when I was 36 years old. I started out in adult inpatient oncology on a 44 bed unit. I loved the patients and my coworkers, but I burned out after three years; I get close to patients and their families, and it was really hard losing patients that were like family.

I've been a NICU nurse since 2000: I work in a large 43 bed NICU. Our average daily census for the last 18 months has been 42. We get babies from all over the midwest; preemies as little as 350 grams, babies with heart defects, birth defects, surgical needs and medical anomolies. We're the #5 NICU in the country, as determined by Parents' Magazine; I'm so lucky to work there, and I LOVE what I do!

I considered oncology, but I know I'd get too attached to the patients. I'm so glad you found a field you love!

 

[XYSRUS]

I have been an RN BSN for 19 yrs. Spent 15 yrs in the cath lab. Loved that job but family life called. I now work 2 PRN jobs and love this life too. So much flexibility and I don't have to miss any of the munchkins school and sports stuff!

 

[Mandychelle79]

Good luck! I loved my micro class!

Other than the accelerated pace of the summer course... but I do love my prof ( had him for A&P2)

We cultured the bottom of my work shoe on monday, i get to see what im stepping on all day

 

[Beka]

I am a RN and have been for 4 years... I work in the Surgical/Neuro ICU, I LOVE IT!!!..

I have to say thank you for starting this thread...

I wanted to be in the medical field since I was young....my mom was a CNA when I was younger, so then when I was in high school I decided I wanted to be a nurse, so my mom told me I should go to CNA school to be sure I could handle it, so then I went to nursing school got my AA, then went on and got my BSN and now in 2months 3 weeks and 1 day (see ticker below) I will graduate with my Masters degree for my Acute Care Nurse Practitioner... sorry I am kind of excited about it...

I love when I do and I enjoy taking care of sick people and watching them get better....

I have to say to all of those who are going to school.... if you do not understand something ASK... you can ask us here you can PM me if you want, you can ask your instructor... but please do not be afraid to ASK why...

OK I have said enough for a bit... I look forward to getting to know all of you....

You're welcome! Thanks for the reassurance about school! This semester is gonna be brutal. It's already significantly cut my DIS time!

I guess I'm the lone ranger here. I went into nursing primarily because I knew I could always support myself. Back in the early 70s there weren't as many fields open to girls. Most of us became teachers, secretaries or nurses.

I was never that little girl who plays nurse with her dolls and dreams of the day she can wear a real cap. Hardly! My mother was an LPN and I saw daily how hard nursing was. No Thanks! When I went to college I majored in Biology with no definite career in mind. My roommate was in nursing and I would help her study at night. Pretty soon I was learning more than she was and i could kinda see myself doing this. I was smart enough, I was interested, I needed some way of making a living. Nursing! Didn't need to know how to type, didn't have to work with kids. Perfect job for me.

I've been an RN for 32years. Most of those years have been in mother/baby, NICU, PICU, and pediatrics. so much for not working with kids. I love nursing, but I feel I've paid my dues. My back, knees and feet are ruined. I can't work shifts anymore due to severe sleep disorder. I can't take the fast pace in the ICUs or ER. Even school nursing is too much these days.

I'll always be a nurse no matter what job I do. But I think my days of traditional nursing are limited.

Well, THANK YOU for putting in that much time to the profession! Maybe you could do something for insurance companies, like procedure authorizations? Many of the nurses I spoke with (I used to schedule MRIs, and would have to get them precertified) were working from home.

I just finished my first year of a 4-year program.
Can't wait to start clinicals in the fall!

Best of luck with school! Where are you going?

I've been a nurse for 21 years. I've worked med-surg, telemetry and Open heart ICU. Currently, I work in a busy city hospital as an ICU/ED float nurse (casual) and at a small community hospital as an Inpatient unit supervisor of the only 31 bed unit and 2 bed mini ICU in the hospital. Totally different ends of the spectrum.

I'm starting in the fall on my MSN in Nursing Education after being out of school for a long long time! (I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up)


As for why I became a nurse....

for the glamour, the prestige, the incredible hours and high pay.

and oh yeah...the ability to wear pj's to work every day.


Or it could be I just like to help people when they are at their worst.

One of those.

You're too cute! Good luck with school! Seems like we're always learning, might as well get the piece of paper that shows it! I plan on doing a RN to MSN program one day. Maybe get my RD in the meantime, but for now I have to survive this semester!

Ok so to all you nurses out there I am considering nursing school the fall of 2010 when my youngest starts kindergarden can you tell me if it was really really tough.. I have read different things some say oh it wasnt so bad and others say it was the hardest thing they have ever done.. I love anything medical and think I would love this job.. I crave to learn new medical things all the time.. so In turn Im debating between nursing and radiography.. HMM

Talk with your school counselor to find out what classes you have to do in the meantime. Maybe you could take 1 per semester to get a feel of what it'll be like.

I don't want to sound like "Oh I am so wonderful" but I didn't find it really difficult. Don't get me wrong...there was a lot of work and a lot of time & effort required, but I enjoyed it and was interested in it so I didn't consider it hard. A lot of nursing is common sense. Facts you can learn...anybody can. What they teach you in nursing school is the "art" of nursing and critical thinking and applying the facts you learn to the situations at hand.

A little background: I went right to nursing school from high school. I was a "B plus" to maybe "A minus" high school student...I think I ranked #21 in my class, which was about 150 kids I think...so nearer to the top but certainly not valedectorian.

I agree. No one gets into nursing school because they're stupid. The concepts aren't that difficult. Where the difficulty comes in is in time managemnt (there is a LOT of information to learn) & the tests. The thing with the tests is that you don't learn info & the regurgitate it. You have to figure out what the question is asking you about too. Usually all of the options (multiple choice) are good, but which option is BEST? Practice taking tests & you'll do fine!

Hi everyone! I've been an RN since 1996. I started in telemetry, then did ten years in the CTICU. I'm currently working in research.

I also am currently in a RN - BSN program. I have another year to go. This semester I am taking pathophysiology. Better late than never. I had planned on doing this ten years ago.

Good luck with school!

You give me hope. I'm only 107/543, but I do want to look into getting into nursing school out of high school.
I'm praying I can get into my vo-tech program so I can graduate high school with my CNA. We'll see though. I stink at math, I'm good, not great, at science but this is something I want to do so I'll work hard to do it.

I *hate* math, but nursing math is 1 equation that you use over & over. It's really not that bad! You'll do fine!

I'm Star. I've been a nurse for going on 8 years. I started in oncology (I LOVED it, but I got preggo and couldn't keep working on the floor due to personal health issues) and then went to Home Care where I am an Admission nurse (I to the inital visit with a TON of paperwork). I like home care, but oncology is my heart.

I became a nurse because I lost my son. He was anecephalic (his brain didn't form due to medication I was taking at the time for epilepsy). I sunk into a deep depression after I lost him and once the fog listed I decided I wanted to do something with my life (rather than be a receptionist which is what I as doing till nursing school). My thought was that I wanted to be a NICU nurse to help the parents (and the babies) as I have lived thru and survived losing a child. Since you have to have med-surg I started oncology.

My ultimate goal is to be a perinatal loss counseler. In time I hope to work L&D and NICU and go back to school to get my bsn in nursing then my masters in psycology so I can be a PNLC. It is a LOOONG term goal as I now have 3 kids who require too mcuh attention for me to go back to school jsut yeat (I am hoping in 2 years when both boys are in school to start taking 1 class a semester thru our hospital's RN to BSN program)

I love your story. Gets me all excited about being a nurse! I know you'll reach your goal!

Hi! I'm Nicole, and I've been an RN/BSN since 1996; prior to that I was an EMT/firefighter. For me, being a nurse was genetic; I'm third generation. And a rebel; my mom was happy when I went to college on a music scholarship, and devestated when I changed my major to nursing- go figure. I figured I wanted a job when I got out, and wanted to know that I could get in/out of the field and have a lot of options. I stopped working when my first was born with significant special needs, and then my second was born with serious medical complications as well (so no more for us). I just completed my RN refresher course and clinical, and am interviewing at 3 hospitals in the next couple of weeks; I'll either be doing mother/baby, oncology, or nicu parent support. We'll see. BTW; I did a lot of different kinds of nursing, but found my "vocation" in Hospice. I don't see myself working Hospice, though while my kids are still home.

Good luck with the job search!

 

[Beka]

HEY!
I am working on my prereqs to get into the nursing class. There is only 1 college in a 7 hour distance to offer nursing and it is very competitive. They require all prereqs done before applying. And highly suggest you do not work after gaining entry in to the program.
I turned 30 this year and am the mother of the 3 so the prereqs are taking a little longer. I am only taking 2 classes this summer, sociology and nutrition I am taking A&P this fall and I am pretty nervous abpout that class.

Good luck! I agree, get the prereqs out of the way, and quit your job if you can! If you're not studying or in class, you want to spend your spare time with your family. It'll help keep you sane. I swear, I put more pressure on myself than anyone else!

Thank you for this thread!!! RN for 6 years working in a rural ER. For all of you going or in school, hang in there!!! I went back to school after getting TWO(yes I must be crazy) teaching degrees. Had a full time job, family , and school. All I can say is even in the worst of nights this is one of the most rewarding professions. I don't call it a job because you truly have to be called to this profession. Yes you see the best and the worst in people. At work right now and can honestly say, saved a little old lady "swirling the toilet" tonight. Going to the World in September this year for DD 13th b-day!!! Can't wait!!!

Enjoy your vacation!

I have been an RN BSN for 19 yrs. Spent 15 yrs in the cath lab. Loved that job but family life called. I now work 2 PRN jobs and love this life too. So much flexibility and I don't have to miss any of the munchkins school and sports stuff!

I love the flexibility! You can do so much withing nursing, PRN, full-time, oncology, peds, school nurse... it's great!

Other than the accelerated pace of the summer course... but I do love my prof ( had him for A&P2)

We cultured the bottom of my work shoe on monday, i get to see what im stepping on all day

It's fascinating, but gross!

 

[Beka]

Well, I guess I shoudl say why I chose nursing.

I graduated from UK in '03 with a BA in advertising. While I loved creating ads, I wasn't super passionate about it. I looked for jobs in Palm Springs (where we had moved right after my graduation), but there wasn't anything available unless I wanted to do ad sales, but I'm no saleswoman!

I went to work for Eisenhower Medical Center. I loved that hospital, and am still proud to say I worked for them! They offered to pay for their employees to go to nursing school, but I didn't think I could do that plus work the required 40 hours to keep my insurance, and maintain a B average.

We moved to TX from CA in 05. DH's boss's secretary was having the Lap Band procedure, and DH asked me about it. I started researching it (some of my friends/coworkers in CA had gastric bypass while I lived there), and decided that while I was interested in weight loss surgery, the Lap Band wasn't for me. I made an appointment soon after & had Roux en Y gastric bypass in July 06. I've lost 115lbs (well, gained 30 with my pregnancy, and still have 15 to lose), and the care of the nurses solidified my will to become a nurse.

We once again moved, to SC and here I am! In nursing school! I plan on becoming a bariatric coordinator, getting my MSN, maybe also get a RD (registered dietician). I want to help families learn how to make inexpensive, quick meals to help their kids lose weight or prevent becoming obese. Big goal, but there it is!

So is it just me, or do ya'll think we need a nurses' DIS meet sometime?

 

[imabrat]

YES!
I got into my high school's vo-tech Health Occupations program. I'll graduate high school with my CNA. Thank God.