verushka70

Well, I just checked my grade online. I got a 76 percent. The bare minimum to pass.

I console myself with the test statistics (computed by WebCT when the instructor enters all the grades). The mean score was 78.6. I suspect a lot of people did really badly.

We covered fluids, electrolytes (learning all the ranges for normal for all), F&E imbalances (hypo-/hyper-/isotonic IVs & why) IV therapy (changing dressings/tubing/bags, starting/d-c-ing IVs), acid-base (respiratory vs. metabolic acidosis/alkalosis, "ROME" etc.), shock (cardiogenic, neurogenic, etc.) -- and all the nursing considerations for all of them -- all that in nine days in three 2-hour lectures and two (2.5-hour) lab classes. We actually had 4 lab classes, but two labs focused on practicing IV skills. Then one lab class was wasted on orientation, and one was wasted on teaching library computer research skills (how to search CINAHL, etc).

(I shouldn't say "wasted" on library research skills -- some people didn't know how to do those things. But I already have a bachelor's and I worked in a medical department at a medical school that saw patients, taught residents, and taught M3 and M4 students, so I knew all that years ago. )

I wish all the questions came from the lectures... but we didn't have enough lectures and our instructors like to take case studies from the texts. I recognized a couple from the med/surg text, and a couple I didn't (I didn't get far enough in the reading!). Between the research paper, studying for the math test yesterday (I got 87 percent), and today's exam, I just didn't get all the readings done. And that was with only about 5 hours of sleep a night. If only I hadn't had the math test and the research paper to work on!

I also wish this was for a BSN, but it's "just" for an associate's degree/RN. I already have a BA (BFA, actually) but I didn't get accepted to the accelerated BSN and regular BSN programs I applied to. My '92 BFA GPA (3.01/4.0) wasn't good enough, and I admit I was a partier back then. My transcripts reflect that. And, except for one program, none of the application processes had anywhere for you to write an essay about why you wanted to go into nursing or asked for your resume to see what you'd been doing since your first degree, so I couldn't play up any of my strengths.

I suppose I can't blame the schools. They want to accept people who (1) will make it through nursing school, and (2) will enhance their NCLEX pass rates. People like me don't look -- on paper, anyway -- like we'll do that. If there's no place for you to write about how you cared for (diapered, fed, etc.) a dying grandmother and deteriorating father, no one will know from your application that you're really up for all that, that for the first time in your life you feld called to something.

I believe you about the B students making the best nurses. I've already noticed that some of the neurotic A students aren't all that good in the clinical setting... fortunately, I did well in the clinicals last semester. Our instructor said we were one of the best clinical groups she'd ever had (and she'd been teaching 20 years). Ours was the only group of ten students (out of 8 groups of ten) who started together in August and were still together and passing at the end of the semester before xmas.

I hope we can keep that up, but I'm pretty scared now. I bought this book, "How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School" and the author said that she had a master's degree and had worked in a third world country through three coup d'etats, yet still found nursing school to be the most difficult thing she'd ever endured. She also mentioned that none of the students who responded to her research for the book said they could complete all the readings for their classes, either. I felt better after I read that, but that will not change my test grade...

Nevertheless, I have to try to do the readings. Must read now; back to the med/surg and pharmacology texts.