Not too bad

20/22 Exam 1 is in the books. Not as hard as I thought, even with all the essay questions. I think everyone was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Well I hope so.

Consensus is....

That this semester has gotten off to a crappy start! All day today at lab I heard stories of people going home and crying and wondering what the hell we got ourselves into. I am not sure if it is the instructor, the expectations, or the fast pace that is causing this much havoc. I question this every day and now have a better understanding of why a friend of mine failed this block by a few points.

First test is tomorrow. I am finding it harder to study the content because I have a grasp of it already, but seeing as though this instructor says she tests in many alternate formats, I am not sure if I can fit verbatim stuff in my crowded brain!


Wish me luck... I will definitely need it this semester. Seems, we have an exam every week until the Aug 4th at the final.

First Week

Is in the books and now my nose needs to follow. I like the way this teacher teaches. I really have learned a lot already and have established some new ways to think about things. I really hope I can do well on her tests though. It's tough to get back in the habit of thinking like a nursing student, heck, it's tougher to get in the habit of thinking like an RN nursing student. It is a little bit more in-depth with the assessments, although I think even though she thinks she separates her "RN" hat from her "Provider" hat, she is a PNP, she actually does a lot of cross over with her expectations upon assessment finding. But hey I could be wrong.

If you're looking for me... I will probably be the one buried under here
------>

What was I thinking?

In my excitement to get in and get this degree over with I stumbled into a program, that although everyone seems pretty nice, has already exhausted me, and I haven't even started my work week yet :-)

1st test for Ped is the 30th

2nd and last test for Peds is the 6th.


And she informed us today, that she tests in a lot of alternate format questions. So I need to figure out a way to concentrate. This weekend I think I will just have to hunker down somewhere with no distractions and get this stuff refreshed.

Uneventful?

I think that pretty much described by day. Uneventful. It was filled with dosage calculations and lab stations for IV skills. Only 2 new skills for me though, IV push- since as an LPN I can not do that, and adding something to an IV bag, like vitamins. Which technically is not new for me... but shhhh you don't know that, and I won't tell. LOL

What I did realize, I miss my girls, but I think there are a few people that seemed very nice and I don't think it will be bad overall. If anything it was very familiar. At least I know where all the classrooms and things are!

The concept you don't use it you lose it, never made more sense than with the math calculations. Took me awhile to catch on again actually. I think there will be a few of those this semester. Like IV starts. Which I have not done in two years too.

Ok so off to go and finish up some clinical paperwork and refresh on my cranial nerves. I am pretty sure I still remember them, but it's been awhile since I had to do an assessment r/t to them.

My countdown...

At this moment says 36 minutes until RN school starts. I had better get moving I guess. Ummm yeah so nervous, excited, yet I can feel that sense of impending doom starting to bubble up. LOL


Ok I will post about my second FIRST day of Nursing School once I return! Wish me luck peeps.

My Schedule for the summer looks a little like this:

*** update***

Well next week my schedule will be work free. Why? Because I just received a call saying my case was admitted to the hospital and will probably be there all week. 1. Scary because of the temps. 2. Well it gives me a chance to acclimate to school. 3. Man why wasn't it last week or the week before, when I had actual paid time left?

Sun- Get caught up day, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, maybe gym if I don't have too much homework.
Mon- School from 8-4 then gym after that maybe around 7 or 8
Tue- School from 8-4, then gym around 7 or 8
Wed- School from 8:30- 2:00, Trainer from 3-4, nap from 5-6:30,work from 7pm-7am
Thur- School from 8:30 - 2:00, 3:00-6:30 SLEEP, work from 7pm-7am
Fri- No school sleep from time I get home until I wake up. Work from 7pm-7am- (30 min on bike at work)
Sat- No school, sleep from time I get home until I wake up. REST day, No work!


It is going to be a crazy summer.... but in the end it will be worth it!!

Nursing School Semester 3 -In the Beginning.

Yesterday they opened Blackboard for the course. What to my glorious eyes should appear, but a 5 patient 10 in-depth questions each, case study assignment x2 lessons should appear. Holy crap! Due by 5/24/12

Not to mention all the readings from two textbooks, various websites and a pre-lecture quiz for Peds. But I also have some med/math calculations and skills lab worksheets for IV calculations, heparin protocols and critical care calculations that are due by 5/22/24!

I really missed this?

Official Semester Grades

Collapse section Class Grades - Spring 2012 Class Grades - Spring 2012



Class Description Units Grading Grade Grade Points
HCR 210

Clinical Health Care Ethics 3.00 Standard Letter Grades A 12.000

HCR 240
Human Pathophysiology 4.00 Standard Letter Grades B 12.000



Not too shabby for a half ass effort semester!

Get this over with...I guess

Ok I have procrastinated and not studied enough. I really have to get this Patho final in the books. Wish me luck because there is no way I can pull out a grade high enough to get me a B for this class.

What pisses me off the most is that my work online is messed up and does not show me what my actual current grade is for the class. She has to fix that. But, depending on how the % points go, there is always hope I guess.

So here goes..


Update: I got an 88% on my Patho final... so actually yeah I do get a B for this class based on my other grades woot!

Does this count as underwear?

I hope I can hide this under my uniform top while at clinical and school. It counts calories burned and steps and goes on the back of your left upper arm. I am hoping so. It's going to be a part of me for quite a while.

School Supplies

Yeah I am getting the notebooks ready for the semester. Course I do not think it will be the same as this one but it's fun to have something organized and interesting to break up the stress of the situation. I can't find my label maker of days gone by, but I have found some cute sticky letters for the process. I just need to get a glue stick or find some tape.

But seriously I am about ready for Patho and Ethics to be over. The last day to take the exam for Patho is on Saturday and you can bet your ass that will be the last day I take it. I just have found that as per usual this format is just not condusive to me learning the material. What I do know has been from my nursing classes. I think I maybe retaking this class to improve my grade in an in person format one of these days. At present I will be lucky if I pull a C out of it. I just have not had the motivation for this class.

Ethics on the other hand I have a big A and will maintain my A despite my final paper. Which all in all should be an A as well, but I am finding it hard to find sources to cite for it, considering I did not use the textbook or any other sources to write it, other than the knowledge of the subject from my head. But she says she wants supporting evidence so I will throw a few page numbers from the text or website and be done with it.

Pee Quiz

One test you should just not study for. So speaking of studying for it, I wonder what will show up in it? Of course nothing illegal, but I have had surgery and taken pain meds of the narcotic type in the past 2 months. I am pretty sure it has been about a month or so since the last time I needed pain meds. But I have no idea if they stay in your system and for how long afterward that they run this test.

I mean I do have a valid prescription, and technically have a reason to take the meds legally, so they can't fault me for that. But yeah it could be one of those, have to go in and prove myself issues. Although if they looked at my prescription bottles, saw the dates on them, and then looked at the quantity still in each, they would know I haven't taken them in awhile anyway.

Oh well... just weird, since I haven't been able to take narcs in 10 years and have never had to worry about it before now, just strikes me as weird.

Block 3 Orientation is in the books....

And of course I picked up my books for this semester. I think carrying these across the parking lot & across campus counts for my strength training exercises for today.

So as feared there were only a few of us that are Advanced Placement or Transfer students into an established cohort. There are @ 50 students in our group for the summer. So far everyone seemed exactly like regular nursing students; Type A overachievers, with strong personalities, and serious competitive streaks. But all in all a few were outwardly friendly. I imagine it will get a bit better when clinical starts and we break down into smaller groups once class starts. They were all a bit frazzled still as they had just taken their Block 2 final yesterday. I imagine their decompression will be short lived.

So anyhoo...

We went over the syllabus and all of the paperwork that we will need completed by the first day of class. Since my clinical for Med/Surg is first up and at the VA, I have to head out to the VA to get my fingerprints and background check for them. Hopefully I can get all of that completed prior to start of clinicals which looks to be 6/12.

There are also about 200 pages to read and 4 case studies to do prior to Peds theory which the first class is on 5/23. I may need to start now to get this all finished on time. Welcome Back Christine!

So anyway off to finish up my Ethics Final and perhaps get some Patho studying in for the final on that. I am pretty sure I need to take that one by the 11th... Eeek... oh well probably should have paid more attention to that date a bit better.

Reruns

January 6, 2009 was my first orientation for nursing school. Back when the LPN program was my back-up plan. I was more excited than nervous at the time. All fresh and new and ready for the challenge.

Tomorrow is Advanced Placement orientation for the LPN-RN program. All that means is that I join an already established cohort in Block 3. The hardest part of that is that these people have already formed their "bonds". I have this dread feeling, reminiscent of highschool when every year I was the new kid trying to figure out where to sit for lunch. I am sure it won't be that bad, as I am sure there are quite a few others who have been invited to join the cohort as well.


So in two weeks my last two semesters of nursing school start. Am I ready? I sure as hell hope so. This is the dream I have always wanted! RN = Real Nurse.


Oh and I have been using

to do review questions to get a jump start on the first subject up Peds.

Happy Nurse's Week Folks!

We Rock!

All ready for Tuesday

Got all my paperwork complete for the Health & Safety forms. I paid half of my tuition, made a payment arrangement for the remaining balance, and just need to pick up the books once they come in to the bookstore. I just need to get new shoes!

Ok off to do some errands.

I can't cite knowledge

So I had an essay to write. I was asked questions about topics I actually have a working knowledge on. I had to defend against a 60% do to lack of citation!

WTF? To be honest I have not read the textbook since midterm. No point really, the concepts in this section are not new information to me. I know a lot about disease processes and can put the big picture together, so that I can spout off my knowledge in a paper that sounds pretty put together. After all, this is NOT my first rodeo into the world of A&P and Patho.

To be honest isn't the point of going to college to actually LEARN the shit? How do you cite stuff that came out of your head? To be fair I did preface the essay by stating that, "From personal knowledge and experience..."

So how on earth does citation and APA format fit into an essay that you answered based on learned, aka retained knowledge? If I were there in person and had to write it on a test I would not be citing. I would be expected to know it to regurgitate it back out onto the paper. Right?

Have I mentioned...

That while looking at my theory vs clinical, it appears that they won't match. Which is fine, because well, not much of the information is really new, except some lab skills regarding IV push meds, and Heparin and such. So it looks like I have Peds Theory with Med/Surg clinicals. OB theory with Peds clinicals, and then Med/Surg Theory with Ob clinicals to round out the semester.


Why is it that I still wrinkle my nose at the idea of a Peds clinical? LOL

Happy May Day!!

Wow only 7 more days until orientation and 19 more days until the start of the Summer Semester!! WOW!

So this being out of work thing is causing work dreams! I actually really miss work right now. I hate that there is another nurse there right now. On the 14th it will be 1 year of being at that position. I am the nurse they have had there the longest. It feels very weird not going into work this long. I have actually never officially missed a day of work that I haven't made up since I started other than for the funeral and surgery.


I have to go in today to the doctor's office and pick up my letter for work, and get my 1st Hep-B injection (again) and the second TB test for the step two. Then my health & safety paperwork is complete for school at least and that is one more thing to check off my to do list.

My birthday is Memorial Day this year, usually we do something or go somewhere, but I am not sure that will happen this year because of school. We shall see I guess. Sometimes I get that spur of the moment burst of energy and a bit of extra cash and have been known to adventure off somewhere.