Advice from those who have gone before

[91B]

Hi all, I haven't posted in a long while - school and work have been keeping me busy.

I'm looking for some advice on how to make it through this semester of school. Last semester was my first. I managed to handle my classwork, clinicals, homework, and a job and family. Kept a 3.0 GPA.

This semester is turning into something else entirely.

I am having issues in so many areas. The method of instruction leaves a great deal to be desired. Essentially, we are handed copies of powerpoint slides for a lecture, and the instructor then reads what is on the slides. No in depth explanations, just reading of bullet points. We are then expected to read the text. The first test came as a great shock to everyone in class. Lots of C and D grades.

I have clinicals on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday we go in and get patient info and prep for clinical. Pretty straight forward, except we have to have painfully detailed notes on every med we are to give. Not too much of an issue, but it is several hours of work - 14 or so scheduled meds is not uncommon, and the PRN list can be huge.

Then there is clinical homework. I am not exaggerating when I say that I spent 9 hours on my clinical homework for one patient. Next week, we start taking 2 patients, with the same homework due on each.

I am spending so much time trying to teach myself the lessons, and then get homework done that I am at the point where I cannot work. Which is a problem, since I have a mortgage, a family, all the bills that come with, etc.

How did you do it? What is the key to getting through. Some of the students are starting to feel that they are attempting to weed out the class. I am putting close to 50 hours a week into school. Is this normal? Should I just take out as many loans as possible and deal with that after graduation?

Thoughts or comments?

[cali510]

Be careful. You don't want to trip up and fail. You are right. Weeding out the weak is always a consideration. That is one reason they tell people not to work. Your best bet is to stay organized and approach every task as an individual effort. Do not get sick. Look for ways to trim your time spent in wasted activity. Go as early in the day as possible to get the info for clinical, so you don't have to stay up all night preparing. I don't think that getting loans is a good idea since you have a mortgage. Try to find a way to sneak schoolwork (think flashcards in your pocket) in at work. Take strategically planned vacations, leaves of absence, or "sick" days from work, but be careful. And learn the art of relaxation. Best wishes.

[Ricu]

Hey 91B,

It has been a long time. Welcome back. I'm pretty sure that we have all been where you are now and written much about it in these threads. Yes, there does seem to inevitably be the weeding out process in every program and there are waste-of-time classes and idiot instructors, too. Remember that at this point, the goal is to graduate. Do what is necessary to pass. What nobody tells you in school is that the real art of nursing is mastered after you graduate, so look foreward to that. For now, the clinic is where you are challenged most because it's where you pull it all together; the classwork, simulation lab, all of it. Although the first few months will be kind of painful, these skills will come to you. Navigating the patient chart, the fine art of complete documentation, the never ending list of meds to know, developing an effective bedside manner, managing work flow, and so on. Some of the most valuable lessons that aren't taught but rather unintentionally learned along the way are the ability to multitask very well and time efficiency. Because of this, it eventually does get easier and take less time.

The rest of what you're wrestling with right now; the burden of keeping a roof over your head, meals on the table, bills, S.O. and kids weighs heavily, but it doesn't last for ever. Here is a list of hard things you might have to do; cut back hours, borrow money, trade favors, whatever is necessary, but DO NOT lose sight of your goal. This career you are working so hard for IS worth it and you will reap the rewards when it's all done. Every one of us will tell you that.

We're all in your corner.

R

[hppygr8ful]

When I was in nursing school I also worked full time, I also provided paliative care for my mother in law who was at home with end stage brain cancer, I was pregnant and then a new mother - combine that with the demands of nursing school and I was truely overwhelmed at times. Ultimately I became so exhausted that I took a semester off to regroup and then came back for a strong finish. I found some resources that were truely life savers and I am passing this info over to you and anyone else.

There are numerous drug guides and you most likely have one as a textbook. I didn't like the one the school wanted me to use and I purchased the one published by Nursing Magazine. The current edition is called the Nursing 2010 Drug Guide - you can get it at www.Amazon.com I like it because it comes with access to an internet data base which I still use today 8 years after nursing school.

Second life saving resource
Nurse's Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Interventions, and Rationales (Nurse's Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Interventions & Rationales)

It's also available from WWW.amazon.com new it's about $13.00 but you can also get a used copy for less than a dollar. This book literally fits in your pocket and makes care planning a breeze.

Last but not least get a copy of Nurses Now Notes : This pocket sized guide has everything from drug calculations, ekg interp, essential lab values, blood gasses etc... It's great to carry around with you at clinicals and only costs $5.00 Our whole class got one and it really is a great resource. you can get it at
www.nursingnownotes.com

I would caution you against taking out more loans. With the current slow economy you don't want to do anything to put the roof over your head at risk. While the job market for new grads is decent it's not what it was 8 years ago when new grads could walk into a job. Try to destress any time you can, farm the kids out to friends or reletives once in a while. Get sleep whenever you can and don't forget to eat right.

This too shall pass

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

[hppygr8ful]

Sorry I just looked and Now Notes now costs $9.00 but if a bunch of you go in on them you can get 35 for a buck a piece.

Hppy

[91B]

Thanks for the advice and support.

I am sitting down with my instructor tomorrow to talk about my performance in clinical to date. I feel fine about that, I have no issues with client communication, and I have always felt strong when it came to assessment/charting and procedures.

The difficulty is managing the time needed to complete the mountain of homework for clinicals, time in classes (Med/Surg and Mental health) study time and the whole work/life business. My study time is taking the hit, and that hurts because our grade is 3 tests and a comprehensive final. And, the teaching method used by the instructors pretty much leaves us on our own when it comes to learning the material.

I have told the instructor that I want a referral to the nursing tutor, hopefully she will have some advice for me on how to get on top of the class material.

It just strikes myself and my fellow students as odd that last semester, the instructors seemed to go out of the way to help with class and learning, and this semester we feel there is no desire to help at all.

[cali510]

You will have to persevere through the attitudes of instructors that are not helpful. If you require help then force the issue. Go to their office hours, ask questions in class. Don't let them off the hook because they seem uninterested. Make them earn their paychecks. Good luck.

[Ricu]

Hey 91B,

Take it all in for what it's worth to you at this particular time. As the semester winds down and graduation looms on the horizon, it's reasonable to assume that everyone may be in a different place right now. The instructors are doing their thing and likewise, the students. You are interested in getting study tips from the nursing tutor because it's what you need right now. It sound like you're working it all out so, feel good about it.

Keep writing to us,

R

[AprilRN]

Good luck to you. I think taking out loans to cut back at work is a good idea. I did it- and don't regret it. I'm sure they ARE in some ways trying to weed out the weak. We were told up front that very few can manage work and nursing school. We were also told that we should expect to put in roughly 3 hours per credit of "school time (homework/studying)" in ADDITION to actual classtime per week. So- if you're taking 12 credits they say to expect 36 hours per week in homework/studying in addition to theory and clinicals. There just isn't much time left for work.

Just keep plugging away though- one day at a time- one week at a time.

[cougarnurse]

I was also told about the 3 hours of studying to every hour of class room. That is one reason why I got the majority of my pre-requisites out of the way, then did the core nursing classes. Made room for the classes that 'had' to be taken with the nursing classes.

Oh, this made it a bit easier, so I could work to pay the mortgage, property taxes, feed the family...... slap