So we had our graduation at Carnegie Hall.
No matter how you feel at the end of the program, I highly highly recommend you go.
Even if only your friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends, or dog, or pet chicken can come and see you walk.
It is well worth it!
A wonderful experience!
Carnegie Hall is beautiful. They have trumpeters in the balconies. The faculty gets dressed up in jazzy outfits with cool hats.
And there is a $40 charge to your tuition bill for spring whether you were thinking about going or not. So you might as well.
Personally I only went for grandmother's sake. But was so glad I went in the end.
They give you tickets about a month before graduation. Just go ahead and request extras even you don't need them so you can give them to classmates who want to invite a lot of extra people.
And despite the seating numbers it is first come first serve.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
The Right Books? The Right Classes? The Right Way?
This is where you can go to quickly check and make sure you enrolled in all the right classes. There was a good bit of confusion at the end of the program about what classes we should be enrolled in.
http://sls.downstate.edu/registrar/nursing/program_study/accelerated_nursing.html
This is where you can go and check to see what books you need. It's under course book lists. They update it for each semester. College: Nursing. Program :ACCEL
http://www.downstate.edu/fsa/booklist.html
For some odd reason the school schedules classes on a daily or weekly basis. So your regular classroom could possibly shift around. Check your downstate e-mail in the a.m. and have your class reps get the cell number of the professor teaching the class. It is a right of passage in this program to, on rare occasion, wander around the hallways for 45 minutes as you try to figure out what classroom you are in. I don't think that only nursing students go through this either.
In the hallway between where the Basic Science Building and Educational Building meet, there is a wall where they list each classroom, for each class, for each program, for each day. I would go in the a.m. and just check it before heading to class.
http://sls.downstate.edu/registrar/nursing/program_study/accelerated_nursing.html
This is where you can go and check to see what books you need. It's under course book lists. They update it for each semester. College: Nursing. Program :ACCEL
http://www.downstate.edu/fsa/booklist.html
For some odd reason the school schedules classes on a daily or weekly basis. So your regular classroom could possibly shift around. Check your downstate e-mail in the a.m. and have your class reps get the cell number of the professor teaching the class. It is a right of passage in this program to, on rare occasion, wander around the hallways for 45 minutes as you try to figure out what classroom you are in. I don't think that only nursing students go through this either.
In the hallway between where the Basic Science Building and Educational Building meet, there is a wall where they list each classroom, for each class, for each program, for each day. I would go in the a.m. and just check it before heading to class.
BLS Class
This is the place I went to:
www.training4life.org
877-876-4543
The class is held in a building near City Hall and Pace University.
I get no kickbacks for recommending this place.
I'm recommending it because they just skip over the stupid DVDs, show you whats important, you get your practice in, and then they let you out early.
Some of my classmates took their BLS class at other places and spent more time than I did to fulfill the requirement.
www.training4life.org
877-876-4543
The class is held in a building near City Hall and Pace University.
I get no kickbacks for recommending this place.
I'm recommending it because they just skip over the stupid DVDs, show you whats important, you get your practice in, and then they let you out early.
Some of my classmates took their BLS class at other places and spent more time than I did to fulfill the requirement.
Group Projects
I have no advice here.
But I will say this for sure. The point at which we were assigned our first group project was the point at which people started disliking one another. And with each new group project this cycle continued.
Some folks don't do enough work.
And some do too much and just want to take the whole thing over writing everyone else's part.
It wasn't all gloom and doom. Some friendships were formed, but personally I remember it being more of a negative experience than a positive one.
I will leave it at that...
But I will say this for sure. The point at which we were assigned our first group project was the point at which people started disliking one another. And with each new group project this cycle continued.
Some folks don't do enough work.
And some do too much and just want to take the whole thing over writing everyone else's part.
It wasn't all gloom and doom. Some friendships were formed, but personally I remember it being more of a negative experience than a positive one.
I will leave it at that...
FOOD AROUND DOWNSTATE
The only thing I'm up for eating in the Downstate cafeteria is the double Danielle.
I've had one of their sammiches once. It was okay.
People gripe that the salad bar is expensive.
Oh! A double Danielle is two orders of french fries. It costs $2.00- plus tax of course. I named it after my classmate Danielle who won't eat anything out of the school cafeteria except french fries.
The cafeteria does have kosher sammiches as well. They are fresh and they are expensive. About $8.00 per sammich. Will have some more kosher vittles in a bit if they exist.
OTHER PLACES TO EAT
I ate at the same place day in and day out for the entire first summer session. Soldiers Restaurant. It is a Jamaican buffet style restaurant.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soldiers-restaurant-brooklyn
There is another Jamaican restaurant right by the corner of Nostrand and Church Ave. Exquisite Express. It is one of the better Jamaican restaurants in the Crown Heights/Canarsie area.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/exquisite-delight-brooklyn
There is Subway, Popeyes, Dunkin Donuts, and Baskin Robbins on Clarkson Avenue. These places are right across the street from Kings County Hospital.
You can call and order food for delivery from the following places:
Heads up on these spots for all you folks dorming!!!
Gino's Pizza 718 287 8800
831A Flatbush Ave Corner of Linden Blvd.
Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine They serve HALAL Food. www.bayleafbk.com
718-576-6937 718-576-6938 561 Flatbush Ave Corner of Beekman Place.
King Wok Chinese and Mexican Cuisine 718-282-3688 718-282-3699 Compaints: 267-262-3028
1250 Nostrand Ave bet. Winthrop and Parkside Ave.
Yummy Thai www.yummy-thai.com
718-398-3298 718-398-3297
383 Flatbush Ave.
Agra Classic Indian Restaurant
718-282-7012 718-282-7016
2032 Bedford Ave between Parkside Ave. and Clarkson Ave.
Sushi Yu 718-832-8688
718-832-9393
214 Prospect Park West
Haru Sushi & Thai
718-398-3299
385 Flatbush Avenue
Thanks Phil for hooking me up with flyers for these restaurants on that miserable night when I was stuck in the basement studying for some exam.
I've had one of their sammiches once. It was okay.
People gripe that the salad bar is expensive.
Oh! A double Danielle is two orders of french fries. It costs $2.00- plus tax of course. I named it after my classmate Danielle who won't eat anything out of the school cafeteria except french fries.
The cafeteria does have kosher sammiches as well. They are fresh and they are expensive. About $8.00 per sammich. Will have some more kosher vittles in a bit if they exist.
OTHER PLACES TO EAT
I ate at the same place day in and day out for the entire first summer session. Soldiers Restaurant. It is a Jamaican buffet style restaurant.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soldiers-restaurant-brooklyn
There is another Jamaican restaurant right by the corner of Nostrand and Church Ave. Exquisite Express. It is one of the better Jamaican restaurants in the Crown Heights/Canarsie area.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/exquisite-delight-brooklyn
There is Subway, Popeyes, Dunkin Donuts, and Baskin Robbins on Clarkson Avenue. These places are right across the street from Kings County Hospital.
You can call and order food for delivery from the following places:
Heads up on these spots for all you folks dorming!!!
Gino's Pizza 718 287 8800
831A Flatbush Ave Corner of Linden Blvd.
Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine They serve HALAL Food. www.bayleafbk.com
718-576-6937 718-576-6938 561 Flatbush Ave Corner of Beekman Place.
King Wok Chinese and Mexican Cuisine 718-282-3688 718-282-3699 Compaints: 267-262-3028
1250 Nostrand Ave bet. Winthrop and Parkside Ave.
Yummy Thai www.yummy-thai.com
718-398-3298 718-398-3297
383 Flatbush Ave.
Agra Classic Indian Restaurant
718-282-7012 718-282-7016
2032 Bedford Ave between Parkside Ave. and Clarkson Ave.
Sushi Yu 718-832-8688
718-832-9393
214 Prospect Park West
Haru Sushi & Thai
718-398-3299
385 Flatbush Avenue
Thanks Phil for hooking me up with flyers for these restaurants on that miserable night when I was stuck in the basement studying for some exam.
CLASS REPS
So at the start of the semester you have to vote for class reps and at some point you have to vote for people for student council. Can't remember when that takes place again.
When you choose to hold your elections try to make sure every member of you class gets to put their vote in. Account for those that are absent and try to hold off on announcing a winner until they can put a vote in.
The class reps change every semester, just like friendships.
Know that if you choose to run and get voted in as class representative you will get tons of emails from your classmates about all types of issues. Some important. Some not so much so. Some folks like asking questions about things that could easily figure out themselves. Especially around test time.
The idea of having class reps is that when you have issues with faculty you bitch to your class reps and then they go, and calmly discuss your issues with faculty members.
If you are voted in as class rep, then try to follow the chain of command, starting first with the individual you have the issue or issues with. If you can't resolve the issue then you can take it from there going up the line.
If you are voted in as class rep make sure you are doing that. Rep is short for representative. So you are representing your class. Before you take actions as class rep be sure that your actions represent the sentiments of your fellow classmates who voted you in or much anger, and confusion, and arguments, and bad blood will follow.
Nursing student council is a bit different. You vote them in and they get a budget to work with.
Our class president gave a speech at graduation in front of the entire faculty, your classmates, other departments, and everyone's guests. The Dean picked her apparently. So there is a good chance the same will happen with your class. So when you vote for your rep, make sure to choose wisely.
When you choose to hold your elections try to make sure every member of you class gets to put their vote in. Account for those that are absent and try to hold off on announcing a winner until they can put a vote in.
The class reps change every semester, just like friendships.
Know that if you choose to run and get voted in as class representative you will get tons of emails from your classmates about all types of issues. Some important. Some not so much so. Some folks like asking questions about things that could easily figure out themselves. Especially around test time.
The idea of having class reps is that when you have issues with faculty you bitch to your class reps and then they go, and calmly discuss your issues with faculty members.
If you are voted in as class rep, then try to follow the chain of command, starting first with the individual you have the issue or issues with. If you can't resolve the issue then you can take it from there going up the line.
If you are voted in as class rep make sure you are doing that. Rep is short for representative. So you are representing your class. Before you take actions as class rep be sure that your actions represent the sentiments of your fellow classmates who voted you in or much anger, and confusion, and arguments, and bad blood will follow.
Nursing student council is a bit different. You vote them in and they get a budget to work with.
Our class president gave a speech at graduation in front of the entire faculty, your classmates, other departments, and everyone's guests. The Dean picked her apparently. So there is a good chance the same will happen with your class. So when you vote for your rep, make sure to choose wisely.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Urine and Feces and Bed-Baths
If you are considering becoming an RN and you can't handle the smell of feces. You may want to consider another line of work.
As a student you will absolutely be cleaning up feces and urine. And maybe even changing feminine pads.
I'm here to debunk the myth that these tasks are solely the PCT's job.
That nurses don't have to wipe people's bottoms.
They do from time to time!
And it can be messy. You can find patients lying in a puddle of runny feces if their bowel movements are loose enough.
I have classmates that are leaning way more towards working in OB/GYN and Peds because the smell of adult feces bothers them.
The patient care technician or PCT is primarily responsible for cleaning soiled patients, changing their linens, and giving them bedbaths.
In an ideal world the PCTs will do all of these tasks all the time, but in reality you will find yourself helping them or sometimes doing it yourself. A part of being a good RN is helping the PCT when things are busy. A part of dealing with a bad PCT is doing more than what you should to cover for them. A part of being a bad RN is ducking helping the PCT with cleaning tasks. You should ideally work together as a team.
When you get to MedSurg clinicals, make sure to learn how to clean incontinent patients, give bed-baths, and change their linens. Offer to help PCTs now and again so you can get these skills down.
Patients that are in a vegetative state are the best individuals to practice on!!!
As an RN you will have to help patients on and off of bed pans.
http://viewingcorners.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/bedpan.gif
As an RN you will have to help patients onto and off of bedside commodes.
http://www.unique-medical.com/steel-drop-arm-bedside-commode-with-padded-seat-arms-11125pskd-1/?gclid=CPichcOAt7cCFY-e4AodtnwALA
Only lucky students get to insert foley catherters into patients. But you will likely end up emptying them and measuring the quantity of urine.
http://www.medicalexhibits.com/medical_exhibits.php?exhibit=09087_02X&query=foley%20catheter%20placement%20female%20pelvis%20bladder%20urethra
As a student you will absolutely be cleaning up feces and urine. And maybe even changing feminine pads.
I'm here to debunk the myth that these tasks are solely the PCT's job.
That nurses don't have to wipe people's bottoms.
They do from time to time!
And it can be messy. You can find patients lying in a puddle of runny feces if their bowel movements are loose enough.
I have classmates that are leaning way more towards working in OB/GYN and Peds because the smell of adult feces bothers them.
The patient care technician or PCT is primarily responsible for cleaning soiled patients, changing their linens, and giving them bedbaths.
In an ideal world the PCTs will do all of these tasks all the time, but in reality you will find yourself helping them or sometimes doing it yourself. A part of being a good RN is helping the PCT when things are busy. A part of dealing with a bad PCT is doing more than what you should to cover for them. A part of being a bad RN is ducking helping the PCT with cleaning tasks. You should ideally work together as a team.
When you get to MedSurg clinicals, make sure to learn how to clean incontinent patients, give bed-baths, and change their linens. Offer to help PCTs now and again so you can get these skills down.
Patients that are in a vegetative state are the best individuals to practice on!!!
As an RN you will have to help patients on and off of bed pans.
http://viewingcorners.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/bedpan.gif
As an RN you will have to help patients onto and off of bedside commodes.
http://www.unique-medical.com/steel-drop-arm-bedside-commode-with-padded-seat-arms-11125pskd-1/?gclid=CPichcOAt7cCFY-e4AodtnwALA
Only lucky students get to insert foley catherters into patients. But you will likely end up emptying them and measuring the quantity of urine.
http://www.medicalexhibits.com/medical_exhibits.php?exhibit=09087_02X&query=foley%20catheter%20placement%20female%20pelvis%20bladder%20urethra
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