Thursday, October 16, 2008

strategies for success, and some other schtuff

Nursing exams are hard. That's the bottom line, and I think anyone who has endured, or is enduring, nursing school would agree on some level. I recently found a wonderful resource to help with NCLEX-type questions...the type that frequent the school based nursing exams.

I'd thought about buying one of the many books available, but who has time to read another book, what with all the required reading? So when searching for a book, I came across the CD-Rom version of Professor Nightingale's Test Taking Strategies for Student Nurses. This link will take you to the website to place an order, or you can do the two week free trial. Had I found that prior to purchasing via Amazon, I would have gone that route. It was still worth the $13 spent!

change of subject...

Have I mentioned my girls? You know, normally when people are exclaiming "TGIF!" I am patiently waiting for "TGIM!" Thank God it's Monday. This is because my family, being all people with penises, tend to drive me crazy. By Monday morning I am ready for peace and quiet. Normally.


Oh sure, they look all sweet and innocent.

Have you ever been around Labrador Retrievers???

If so you know they do not have a temperament conducive to a study environment, that is unless they've played themselves into utter exhaustion!

As I'm trying to study...read...concentrate, I am having to referree wrestling matches, do some retrieving of my own taking socks, or shoes away from them, OR let them out 155 times a day. If that's not bad enough our fence is a farm style fence.

Not my fence, but you get the picture-no pun intended

Minnie (short for Minnie Pearl, Howdeee!), the lankier, skinnier of the two girls can wriggle herself in between the spaces of the criss-cross boards. She also jumps, but for some reason she likes to go through instead of over.

If that's not enough to loosen my last marble of sanity, they also like to run around the house at Nascar speeds. We have the perfect "track" for them to do this since out floor plan is open and has a square type flow around the staircase.

As so many of us "older" nursing students endure, I too have succumbed to the stress and strain of school vs. family life.

During class the other day someone brought up, during a non-educational discussion that their hair is falling out, alot, lately. I thought I was the only one! I thought it was maybe the fact that I need to be taking more vitamins...or something. It is indeed stress. It has to be. So what if I'm bald at graduation?

Impaired hair retention r/t stress~just a little nursing humor. Yeah, this fledgling nursing student has just learned about nursing diagnoses.

If you've followed my blog at all you know I've been at odds over my career choice, more specifically over the schooling aspect. When I found out my school is non-accredited I was thrown for a big, huge loop. Do I stay? Do I go?

Our program is being revamped due to inadequacies. I am an information seeker, and therefore the Internet is one of my bestest friends. In researching my school, trying to find graduation and NCLEX pass rates I came across this report.

Yep, you guessed it. My school is one of the one's with a less than 80% pass rate!

Great.

Um, maybe that's why we had such a big instructor turn over just before classes start this Fall? Ya think?

Needless to say I've been looking at other options. There is another community college ADN program, and there's also the option of going into an accelerated BSN program, for that matter there are accelereated MSN programs out there that bypass the BSN altogether. I think I'd, if I were to choose to transfer, would go for the BSN option. It would suit me better to go the more conservative, quicker route, considering I really don't know where I would want to practice advanced-wise.

Then you have to consider the huge difference in tuition costs, and along with that $$$ there is further travel involved just to get to classes. But wouldn't it be smarter to transfer? I am finishing up my B.S. this semester so I could do this.

I am becoming obsessive over this issue. I really do like my classmates, and there's a certain level of comfort there...along with less $$ being spent.

Is it as simple as the difference between a more expensive, higher quality pair of shoes vs. the cheap pair that don't serve you as well or as long?

I've heard conflicting stories. One friend has nursed in multiple states, after having graduated from a non-accredited school years ago, and it's never been an issue for her. Others say "Transfer!" emphatically.

I'm expending too much time and energy on this. The best action for the time being is to finish this semester out, and revisit these options during winter break. I wouldn't be able to apply for Spring admission anyway, because of a couple of prerequisites I lack.

Speaking of, I spoke with my advisor the other day and she wasn't able to give me an answer as to whether or not they would accept my previous A&P credits. I had to fill out a course substitution form, and am now awaiting approval from the powers that be. I'm hoping they'll at least accept the five credits, and just require me to take A&P II.

Before anymore hairs fall out I better do some deep breathing and get on with the task of writing out my method statement for my psych class/ticket out of UMUC.

Oh to be a dog. care free. footloose. fancy free.

Minnie loves to look out windows, and apparently finds the ottoman a bit comfy.