Do you want tips or the answers?

So I have been talking to this person on another website as they travel through the nursing program pretty much the same way I did. LPN to Advanced Placement RN Block 3. So over all I just give study ideas, books to get, tips on how to study for each instructor. I do not give any hints as to what was on the tests or anything.

So I have spent some time giving this persona quite a lot of good advice about how to study.

So today I see them post a dramatic cry for help about seeing a bunch of people in their class that are repeating the block and begging for TIPS on how to pass the block.

So at the risk of sounding like a bitch or whatever... but I wash my hand of someone who seems to be fishing for the answers to the tests or something.

I mean yeah I think they recycle tests, and yeah I probably remember more of them than I should, but I will be damned if I will give anyone some leg up or a more detailed focus on exactly what to study to pass... figure that shit out for yourself... sheesh... the gall of some people, but then again... people don't surprise me much.

This waiting is driving me crazy!!!

I really want to know what my Preceptorship is going to be. I know I got an offer because my choices are locked all of the offers have been accepted and everyone has been placed. So come already and tell us... I think it's great motivation, especially if I get what I want. Also I guess I would like to know in-case I didn't get exactly what I want. Truth be told there was only 1 real choice on there that I would rather not get.

Ok so I did talk to one of my nursing buddies from way back when today and she said the same thing that I did, about the after the high crash that is nursing school. I was wondering for a while why, since nursing school has started again, that I still feel depressed... now I know, because Psych is not stressful and thus, my body has not rebounded back into that hyper-state of anxiety where you focus better and concentration increases... I guess I need my fight or flight instincts to be in full force or my body is like, "WTF?"

Well at the very least its a theory... maybe I can do my psych clinical research paper on it?

On the agenda

I printed out my 79 page cardiac study guide a friend has nicely done up and posted to her site. If you have't checked it out already please do so. It is also going to be bound for me by a friend I used work with... so that will be nice.

This week is the last of Psych clinical and hopefully I will get a chance to work with the intake nurse in the ED. That should be interesting. I mean I am enjoying my time in Psych, which I am surprised with, but also knew I would enjoy at this location, but sitting around talking to the guys is getting old. I am pretty good with talking and am not afraid to talk to patients, residents, clients, or family's. This is not my first experience with patient care after all.

Of course the best part of this nursing clinical has been how welcomed they have made us feel.When we walk onto the floor the nurses are all, "Welcome students, the future of nursing..." Usually the nurses are like, " Oh man... students." As they run and hide :-)

So this week is the last of psych clinical, Monday is the psych last exam before the final and Wednesday we are back at clinical, but this time in our ICU rotations. It feels like this is flying, but then again it feels like the hard part has not even begun and I am sure I am right!

Toodles...

Psych clinical + odds and ends

My first day of psych clinical was a great day actually. There wasn't a bed to be made in sight! I enjoyed talking to the Vets and getting their insight on their conditions, their hospitalization and finding out about their history.

The Vets are my second favorite patient population, I like ante/postpartum the best of course,but if given the choice to work at any facility PostGrad I have and would always choose the VA. (Especially if offered the OR)

As luck would have it our Psych clinical instructor is also our Psych lecture instructor... and she is AWESOME in clinical!!

Overall great day and the first exam wasn't so bad either. If only I would have read one of the damn questions correctly I would have pulled off a 100%. Urgh!

So I also found out today that those that did not have a B at the time of the Preceptorship draft were all put in Med/Surg sites... except there are also those that have the option this term to forgo hospital Preceptorship in place of SIM Preceptorships. What that means is that they will spend their 6-9 shifts using the SIM lab, running scenarios, codes, and such... but they also get the chance to take the EKG class as well as get their ACLS certification out of the way.

Now I think I like that idea too... except... if I actually did get my first choice in preceptorship there is no way in hell I would give it up. Because I was one of the lucky ones that DID have a B at the time the selection was done and none of the options were changed. So....


Now they just need to tell us what we got already!!

Psych Review and EKG strips

In the midst of studying for the first Psych quiz. Make or break right as there are only two?

We also were introduced to the world of mcg/kg/per min and reading EKG strips... (baby boxes and big boxes, PR intervals, ST segments, QRS complexes.... what?

I have no idea what she was talking about and she talks FAST!!

So do you think I have a procrastination problem, if I spent a few hours cleaning the house from top to bottom and the housekeepers are supposed to come tomorrow?

LOL Ok... I did do a lot of studying, but sometimes your brain just screams.."DO SOMETHING ELSE."

Looks good and smells good in here... now I have to run to the grocery store. I am really trying to work on my defense mechanisms and response to anxiety and stress... yup that's Psych studying for ya!

No pressure but...

I was informed by my son and husband that I have to pass Block 4! Like I didn't know this, but they both said everything rides on this, we need you to be done with school already.

Them and me both right?!?

Week 1 Block 4

Was pretty mixed up, felt weird because we lost so many people, changed seating arrangements and have new teachers with totally different styles.

Psych lecture is up first and she is pretty laid back overall, but lectures in monotone so it's hard to concentrate on the content sometimes, but I have decided to physically write my notes with this class in hopes of doing some long term memory conversion that has worked for me in the past.

Today we had pre-clinical lab for Critical Care, which was pretty much just 5 hours of lecture on EKG... she is funny and really informative but speaks very fast!

I need to work on learning to measure and time the PR, QRS, and ST segments and memorizing the descriptors for the rhythms, but the good news is the ones she will test on I recognize on the strips :-)

First test in Psych is next week of course and clinical also starts then as well.