road-to-rn

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Yessss congrats so proud of u

☺ thank you so much!

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Do you have any advice to high school students who want to be a nurse? What classes should I take?

Hi! My advice is to get a per diem or part time job as a nurse tech or anything within the field. Even volunteer. Getting experience in the environment and making connections is huge when making the transition to a becoming a nurse. It exposes you to many great learning opportunities and creates a good foundation that will make you get comfortable in the environment of taking care of people. Good luck!

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Hi! I'll be starting college next fall, I'm an aspiring nurse and I found your blog. congradulations on passing the NCLEX! About how long did it take you to finally become an RN? just curious! thanks!

Thank you!! ☺ It depends on where I place my starting point haha.. but I started going back to school to complete a few pre-reqs in fall 2013, was on a waiting list, started the 2 yr associates nursing program Jan 2015, completed it Dec 2016, and became an RN March 2017.

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CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm a new grad myself, I started a youtube channel (JustChi) if you would like to check it out it just sharing my perspective on being a new nurse

Thank you so much! That is awesome, definitely going to check out your channel ☺

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just saw your post about passing nursing school! congrats!! I'm a second semester freshman and graduation seems so far away haha

Thank you!!! It will fly by!! Good luck to you ❤

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New RN Update: REALITY CHECK

So. I've been MIA from Tumblr, but I've been an RN for almost 5 months now!!! What?!?!? I've been working night shift on a neuro tele unit and I wanted to talk a little bit about the reality of the beginning of your first RN job. You graduate school: BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD You pass the NCLEX: BETTER THAN BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD You land your first job: ECSTATIC, IS THIS REAL LIFE, I MUST BE DREAMING!!! Begin orientation phase: I LOVE THIS! So much cool things to learn End orientation phase: Oh my god, I'm going on my own soon.......... I'm terrified. Off orientation: When one shift you feel like there's nothing else you'd want to do and the next you're questioning your decision to be a nurse. ^ Simply put: being a new nurse is like being on an emotional rollercoaster. People don't discuss this, but it needs to be said so we dont feel alone when we go through this. You go from such a high when you finish school to being smacked in the face with the real world. Finding your way as a new nurse can CHALLENGING. So many ups and downs. It's a whole new world, new people with different personalities, you question yourself/doubt yourself, doubt others ... There is so much to learn its can be overwelming. It's kind of a mind f*ck. That being said, it will get better. Stay positive, give yourself pep talks, run to the bathroom or the pantry if you need a second to get your sh*t together, and just do the best you can.....AND know you're not alone. ❤💪

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Officially an RN

I wanted to write a quick update to those of you who followed along my road to becoming an RN... and I can't begin to say how thrilled I am to announce: I'M OFFICIALLY A REGISTERED NURSE!! Feels so sweet to say!! I graduated @ the end of December 2016. Didn't receive my ATT until the beginning of March and scheduled right away. I mainly used Uworld to study. I also was offered a position at my local hospital a few weeks before I even took the NCLEX!! I was in shock. So now that I'm an RN, I've officially accepted the position and start in a little under two weeks 😬!! God is good.

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CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSING NIRSONG SCHOOL!!! That is so exciting. I know how hard it is and how much work you most have put into it. Go you!! You did it and you will be a great nurse!!

UGH THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :) 

That means a lot!!! Still on cloud 9. 

xo

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Hi I randomly found your blog one day and I must say it is so interesting! I never even considered looking into nursing but your blog makes me want to look more into it!

That puts a smile on my face. Thank you and God luck in whatever you choose to pursue :)

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I PASSED NURSING SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Nursing Care for Burn Injury

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THE END IS NEAR.

So I’ve been completely neglecting my tumblr. I won’t lie - I’m stressed out more than ever and thinking of one more thing would just have made me explode.

On a positive note, things are coming to a close. Two and a half weeks / two more exams until class ends and preceptorship begins. Only one final at the end of December and then ... that’s it. That will be the end of this insanity and I will be a graduate nurse.

WHERE ARE YOU DECEMBER 23rd?!

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READ THIS ... because we all can relate in some way. This is so incredibly accurate and important to read. This road is a difficult one, but remember you’re not alone.

“Go on, despite the little defeats, go on, despite the moments of uncertainty, just go on.”

On Failure

It’s somewhere in the beginning of your first semester in nursing school, or perhaps you scraped in through the first semester, and barely treading water your second.

You’ve taken your first lecture exam of this semester, and you didn’t do so well, so you feel defeated. It doesn’t seem fair, you understand the concepts, the lecture material isn’t confusing, and what was confusing, you researched and you studied diligently, yet when you get to a test taking scenario, you feel like an idiot.

You spend hours practicing the skills you learned in lab, you’ve practiced until your hands wanted to drop off, and by the end of it your hands perhaps weren’t those of a seasoned nurse, but you thought you had a good grip on how to do a simple task. Except, now you have an impatient clinical instructor and a slew of nursing students watching you, so you freeze up in fear and you can’t do the skill you practiced so hard.

You feel defeated, and no one around you is aware, so you go on. You keep practicing, you keep studying, and you lay awake at night wishing someone would understand. You lay awake contemplating what becoming a nurse means to you, and you lay awake wondering if it was the right choice.

Your grades don’t define you as a nurse, but this idea means little right now, as you know it’s a matter of survival to pass each exam.

The skills and crowds you fear will eventually be a sort of background noise that you’ll learn to tune out, but today that doesn’t mean too much as you prepare for yet another terrifying competency.

The support you don’t have right now feels like the greatest defeat when you need it the most, but you are far from defeated. It doesn’t feel like it, but some day you will be the greatest inspiration to a nursing student on your unit that you see struggling, you will one day be that empathic support to others when you sense they are overwhelmed with fear, or perhaps you will one day be a leader in nursing, a driving force of change - so today, as one of those nurses who may be impacted by what you bring to our profession, I quietly support you and hope you go on.

Go on, despite the little defeats, go on, despite the moments of uncertainty, just go on.

You may not trust in yourself yet, but you are already making a little impact on the lives of your patients as a nursing student - and it’s only the beginning.

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Somatic Death

Algor mortis: cooling of the body Livor mortis (Lividity): gravitational pooling of blood (mottling) Rigor mortis: stiffening of the body

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Liver Function Mnemonic

Liver Function Mnemonic

PUSHDoG Protein Synthesis Urea Production Storage Hormone synthesis Detoxification Glucose and fat metabolism

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Source ^ If you’re a nursing student, and haven’t already - check out NRSNG.com. Now!

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Trach care.. make sure you KNOW trach care before you dive into the millions of things that are unlikely to be on NCLEX anyway.

- Stephen