The Top 5 Things They Don't Teach You

I've only been working as a RN for 4-5 months, but I have already figured out there's a TON of stuff you don't learn in nursing school...

1. How to talk to doctors
This was probably the hardest thing for me. I barely had any experience with this in school. Nurses love knowing the backstory to everything. Doctors are different. They just want to know what the issue is and any recommendations you have. Some doctors may not like nurses giving recommendations... It's really something you have to figure out along the way as you meet and talk to each doc. If you're night shift like me, it's also hard to figure out if you should call the doctor now or if it could wait until morning. This is where I really lean on the more experienced nurses for advice. Once you gain a relationship with the doctors, they will respect you and really listen to what you have to say. I promise.

2. Different medications
I work on a cardiac unit. As everyone knows, there are a ton of different cardiac meds. It was hard for me to figure out the differences between all of them. We also get a lot of different drips on my floor. Some are titratable, and some aren't. I ended up looking up the policy on all drips my floor gets and making note cards that I keep with me at work. Now I have all of this information right at my fingertips.

3. Preparing for procedures/surgeries
NPO or not? Consent or not? What meds should I give/not give? This was very hard for me to figure out. I actually got a few different cheat sheets from some of the nurses on my floor to help. If none of the nurses are sure, I always call the doc or the department doing the procedure to ask. It never hurts to ask questions just to be safe and prepared!

4. Post-op care
We take lung and open heart surgeries on my floor. Often times, these patients have chest tubes, drips, wires, etc. I never had experience with lung and heart surgeries in nursing school. Some people in my class got assigned to CPCU for med-surg clinical, but I wasn't that lucky. It was hard to get used to at first. I actually am still training to take open heart patients. I'm supposed to go see an open heart surgery and follow that patient to the ICU, which I am super excited about! Not many people get that opportunity in school.

5. How much responsibility comes with being a nurse
I knew nurses were kind of a big deal, but I didn't realize how much say in patients' care I really have. Nurses are the eyes and ears when the doctor isn't there. We are the ones to catch things before they go wrong and fix them when they do. We decide what meds to give and what meds to hold. We really do have a lot of responsibility, and I guess I just didn't realize it until I was the nurse.

The list could go on and on....

What other things did you realize you didn't learn in nursing school? Let me know!
Until next time,
Jennie

How I Stay Organized

Erin Condren Life Planner

Hey guys! So if you know me from school or work, you probably know that I'm a total type A personality. I am very OCD about certain things. It's a strength and weakness for me and a lot of other nurses/students. In nursing school, I always got questions on how I stayed so organized. The answer is simple... I used a planner.

In the past year, the planner obsession has been real. People love to decorate their planners and spend tons of money doing it. I'm not about all of that fuss, but I was interested in the type of planner they were all using. It was the Erin Condren Life Planner. When I saw the price, I threw up a bit... okay, well almost. The planners range from $50-75. I thought this was crazy until I watched a lot of unboxing videos on YouTube. I decided to get one for myself, and my life was changed forever. (You can tell I love planning, haha.)

The planner is totally customizable. You can even buy different covers and switch them out. There's monthly pages and weekly pages with tons of room to write stuff! The planner comes with a great book mark, stickers, perpetual calendar and contact book, and a clear pouch attached to the binding. I loved it so much I decided to buy another one this year. As a new grad RN, there are a ton of classes I have to take. This planner helps to keep me organized week to week and month to month with work and classes. I cannot say enough good things about it. I'm not getting payed for this post or anything like that, but each person who buys a planner can get a code to invite a friend and get $10. If you would like to purchase a planner through my link, click here. Check out some pictures of my 2016 planner below. Here is a link for the exact planner I purchased for the upcoming year--> Fleur Feliz- Metallic Gold- Life Planner.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Jennie

How I Passed The NCLEX-RN

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So maybe you don't graduate until May, but now is the time to get down to business! The NCLEX will be here before you know it. This is how I passed with 75 questions on my first attempt.

Study
I started studying at the beginning of my senior year. I worked as a PCA and would often get floated to sit. Sometimes I'd be sitting for 12 hours straight. If you're sitting for the pleasantly confused patient, take advantage of it. I always brought a review book to work with me in case I got floated to sit. At the end of the shift, I was always surprised with how much studying I was able to get done. Sometimes I could even entertain the patient by having them quiz me on the review questions. This isn't always appropriate, but for some patients, it really works!

Get review books/programs that work for you. I loved Lippincott's Q&A Review for NCLEX-RN, ATI practice questions (in the books and online), and Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment: Practice Exercises for the NCLEX Examination.

Take a NCLEX seminar/class
I took the 3-day ATI review course through my school, and I honestly wasn't too impressed. I really did like their practice questions though. If you live in Ohio, you HAVE to take Mark Klimek's NCLEX Review. His course was AMAZING and so worth it. He has so many tips and tricks to remember things that most people try to memorize. His methods definitely helped me on more than a few questions on the NCLEX. Classes are held in Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati. The cost is $295 and includes an outline book and question book. You can also go back free of charge as long as you have kept your receipt and emailed them in advance. It's very worth it.

Prepare
I honestly disagree with many bloggers that say to study 8 hours a day. How the heck can anyone do that? That is way too much. After awhile, all the information will blur together and you won't even know what you're studying. I only studied 2 hours or less each day for a month after I got my ATT number. Before that, I just did practice questions for half an hour at a time whenever I could. Find a quiet place where you won't be distracted, and take breaks! I would only let myself study for 30 minutes at a time. Every 30 minutes, I would take a 10 minute break.

Don't spend too much time on content. Know your pharm and patho, but other than that, I would mainly just do practice questions.

Read everything this website says. It will help you know what to do before, during, and after the exam.

Remain calm
I had a great experience at the testing center. The proctors knew we were all nervous, and they were so nice. Use the soundproof headphones. Otherwise, all you will hear is clicking. That sound can be very distracting. If you don't know an answer right away, think through it. You have plenty of time to take this test, and you can even take breaks if needed. If you still don't know the answer, try to narrow it down and then go with your gut.

Get those results
It took me two days to get my results, and it was the longest two days of my life. I definitely recommend going out with your nursing school friends for a few drinks during this time. You earned it, and there's no use in spending that time home alone and worried sick. Check the board's website before you pay for the quick results, because they may already be on there.

If you didn't pass, it's not the end of the world. I know many great nurses that didn't pass the first time. Try to figure out what you can do better and get a tutor! You will pass with hard work and studying! I know it :)

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Best of luck on the NCLEX! You're going to kill it.
Until next time,
Jennie