So if you walk in the library with a coffee, make a sharp right and sit the coffee on one of the tables in the front. Do not walk into the library with it. Not for a second. Not to just go to your library safe. Not to just go hand someone something.
If you walk past the front desk with the coffee the library staff will descend down upon you like harpies and start yelling at you.
Save yourself the headache and auto-program yourself to just leave your coffee in the front.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Social Media and Classmate-Classmate Social Issues
Your nursing career began the moment you stepped foot inside of nursing school. I repeat. Your nursing career began the moment you stepped foot inside of nursing school. I repeat. Your nursing career began the moment you stepped foot inside of nursing school.
Think before you open your mouth.
People start out friends in June and end up bitter enemies by the end of the program. Be careful what you tell people because it could come back to haunt you. I have witnessed this with my own eyes.
You don't know who I am and I don't know who you are. You don't know who in the health care industry I know, and I don't know who you know. Engaging people in open battles could cost you headaches down the road.
Think before you open your mouth.
Your classmate today could be your nurse manager tomorrow.
You don't know who I am and I don't know who you are. You don't know who in the health care industry I know, and I don't know who you know. Engaging people in open battles could cost you headaches down the road.
Library Fines!!! Ouch!!!
I borrowed a book from the library and forgot I had it. The book sat on my floor for a month beyond the due date. The library fine for one month was $40. Ouch!
The library will let you carry the date semester to semester until you reach the end of the program.
I'm coming up on the end of the spring semester, and I still haven't paid the fine. But I will have to soon in order to get my cap and gown for graduation.
If you end up in the same predicament. And you shouldn't because I'm warning you. But if you do. Go to the supervisor at the library desk and beg for mercy. They will likely give you a break in the price. This was the advice given to me.
The library will let you carry the date semester to semester until you reach the end of the program.
I'm coming up on the end of the spring semester, and I still haven't paid the fine. But I will have to soon in order to get my cap and gown for graduation.
If you end up in the same predicament. And you shouldn't because I'm warning you. But if you do. Go to the supervisor at the library desk and beg for mercy. They will likely give you a break in the price. This was the advice given to me.
Working While in the Program???
Yes! You can work! And many of my classmates do work!
If you are a financially strapped student, know that it is possible to both work and get good grades.
The program begins in June, and is pretty busy through August, so I don't really recommend working until September. The second summer session is kind of hellish actually. People managed to work through it though.
One of my classmates worked as a PCT (Patient Care Technician) through the entire program. Start to finish. Many students got jobs working as waiters, bartenders, or baby sitters. Another classmate was a unit clerk at a hospital. One classmate worked as a valet, parking cars. Another classmate worked as a lifeguard.
Downstate doesn't recommend that you work while in the accelerated program. And some professors will be totally inflexible with you, but still more than thirty percent of the students in the program started working by the start of the new year.
If you are a financially strapped student, know that it is possible to both work and get good grades.
The program begins in June, and is pretty busy through August, so I don't really recommend working until September. The second summer session is kind of hellish actually. People managed to work through it though.
One of my classmates worked as a PCT (Patient Care Technician) through the entire program. Start to finish. Many students got jobs working as waiters, bartenders, or baby sitters. Another classmate was a unit clerk at a hospital. One classmate worked as a valet, parking cars. Another classmate worked as a lifeguard.
Downstate doesn't recommend that you work while in the accelerated program. And some professors will be totally inflexible with you, but still more than thirty percent of the students in the program started working by the start of the new year.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Don't Trash Your Program In Clinicals!!!
I would like to share this bit of advice given to me by one of my clinical preceptors.
During one of my clinical rotations a group of us were standing in the hospital hallway talking. A couple of students were busy bad mouthing our program. Our preceptor heard the students, and said that when students stand in the hallway talking badly about their school the nurses on the unit hear you. And when the nurses on the unit hear that kind of talk, your school gets a bad rep. And if a school has a bad rep then the students get a bad rep. And if students from a particular school have a bad rep then nurse managers won't want to hire them. There is a kind of snowball effect.
There's nothing wrong with bitching about school with your classmates. Everyone that has ever stepped foot in the door has done it. Just try to be selective about where you do your bitching, and who you are doing your bitching in front of.
During one of my clinical rotations a group of us were standing in the hospital hallway talking. A couple of students were busy bad mouthing our program. Our preceptor heard the students, and said that when students stand in the hallway talking badly about their school the nurses on the unit hear you. And when the nurses on the unit hear that kind of talk, your school gets a bad rep. And if a school has a bad rep then the students get a bad rep. And if students from a particular school have a bad rep then nurse managers won't want to hire them. There is a kind of snowball effect.
There's nothing wrong with bitching about school with your classmates. Everyone that has ever stepped foot in the door has done it. Just try to be selective about where you do your bitching, and who you are doing your bitching in front of.
Lighten Your Load Before the Program!!!
Take Pathophysiology before you enter the program. It will make life a lot easier for you during the first summer semester. One less class on your plate. Not to mention that if you take Patho at Downstate you will be subjected to NCLEX style questions. NCLEX style questions turn straight A students into B- students.
I've seen it happen. You will too. If you get in.
If you do take patho before coming into the program be sure to review during summer session I, as you will need the information fresh in your head for the MedSurg classes coming in fall.
Take a research class and do some research before you enter the program. You can place out of Research class, and will only have to write a critique at the end of the semester.
If you have a masters degree in education you can place out of the Teaching and Learning class. If you didn't take graduate level teaching courses you will have to take the class anyway. I had a classmate who was a former art teacher in the public school system that wasn't able to place out of the class because she didn't have a graduate degree.
You can also take pharmacology before entering the program and place out of that as well.
I've seen it happen. You will too. If you get in.
If you do take patho before coming into the program be sure to review during summer session I, as you will need the information fresh in your head for the MedSurg classes coming in fall.
Take a research class and do some research before you enter the program. You can place out of Research class, and will only have to write a critique at the end of the semester.
If you have a masters degree in education you can place out of the Teaching and Learning class. If you didn't take graduate level teaching courses you will have to take the class anyway. I had a classmate who was a former art teacher in the public school system that wasn't able to place out of the class because she didn't have a graduate degree.
You can also take pharmacology before entering the program and place out of that as well.
Library Hours and the After Hours Code
While the library is a 24-hour facility, you need a special code to get in at certain times of the day. It will be
given to you when you get the library tour on orientation day. Be sure to
store the after hours passcode in your cell phone. It's a couple of numbers with a # at the end.
The reason I say to store this number is you don't
want to be one of hoardes of annoying people at the start of every semester who
comes over banging on the glass doors, trying to get people to let them into the
library because they are walking around passcodeless.
And if you go to the library early in the morning, I recommend
sitting at a mac computer waaay over on the far side of the library so you can get away from all the annoying door banging.
As of May 2013 these are the Library Service Desk
hours. Off hours is when you need to use the passcode.
Main Desk Hours
Mon-Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - Midnight
Fri 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sun Noon - Midnight
Question, comments, suggestions: ramonbritt@gmail.com
Question, comments, suggestions: ramonbritt@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)