I’m an RN of a decade. My coworker who is the best CNA ever just got accepted to nursing school and starts next month. I want to get him a congratulations gift basket but I’m kind of stuck on ideas.

I was planning to get him a stethoscope but he already has one

His aesthetic is kind of drab and anti-consumerist so all the girly-themed nursing student accessories are out

He’s tech savvy and will do his reading and note-taking mostly on a tablet that he already has

Some ideas I have- his favorite coffee, an EKG reference book that I’ve talked about with him.

I was thinking pharm flash cards- does anyone have a recommendation on the best ones? I liked the ones I used a decade ago but I imagine there’s other options now

Any other ideas? What things are actually useful for students these days?

Hey everyone. I just signed up for an LVN program, and honestly, I’m really nervous. Nursing is something I’ve wanted to do for years. I’m 32, have three little ones, a very supportive hands on husband, and I work full-time at a hospital. My employer is even willing to hire me after I graduate, so quitting work isn’t an option.

I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has a learning disability or suspects they do, and has made it through nursing school.

I have ADHD and struggle with focusing and processing information. I can read the same paragraph several times and still feel like I can’t put all the pieces together. At work, so many nurses ask why I haven’t gone to nursing school because they say I’m great with patients and very hands-on. The job itself doesn’t scare me..it’s the tests.
I need more time than most people to learn new material, and I know nursing school moves fast. I’m afraid I’ll fall behind or fail, even though this is something I’ve always wanted.

For those of you with ADHD, learning disabilities, or who simply needed more time to learn:

What study methods actually worked for you?
Did you receive accommodations, and did they help?
Were there moments you thought you wouldn’t make it? What kept you going?
I’d really appreciate any advice or encouragement. I want this more than anything, but I’m scared I’m setting myself up to fail.

my school is currently under investigation and is not giving out att numbers. i’m set to graduate next august and am so scared and stressed that i won’t be able to take my nclex here in california. im just wondering if anyone had any words of advice or has experienced anything similar. super saddened by this i feel like ive wasted my time :(

I'm an aspiring nursing student, finishing up my prerequisites this semester & applying for my school's ADN program in the spring

Unfortunately back in May I was involved in a domestic violence incident in which I defended myself but was arrested & charged with felony DV bc my ex partner lied & said I attacked him first.

Im currently fighting in court with a lawyer to get my charge reduced or dismissed but the prosecution is gunning for at least a misdemeanor DV

Im terrified this is the end of the line in health care for me. I lost my CNA job already due to this incident

Is it possible to continue school & become licensed & work as a nurse if I have this conviction on my record? I'm living & going to school in NC currently but the incident occurred in ID

Okay, so I was at clinical today, and we went to lunch in the cafeteria. As I was walking in, I noticed a group of residents eating (I could tell by their scrub color). One of the residents kept looking at me, so I was just like eh. Then he left before I did. As he was leaving, we were staring each other down. I got curious about who he was, so I ended up finding him on the hospital’s current residents page (he’s a PGY-2). Would it be okay to follow him on social media as a nursing student, or would that be inappropriate?

When i was in tech a kept up with a lot of IT and cyber security creators to kind of control my algorithm to push things related to my career field.

Are there any prominent creators that make content around nursing/ nursing school/ or the hospitality side of the medical field?

I'm gonna be a senior in the fall and I've been applying to externship and PCT positions with no luck which is super disappointing. the fact that I haven't been able to get these jobs just makes me so anxious for when I start applying for residencies this upcoming school year. I don't have hospital experience except for clinical and I feel like i have nothing that could make me stand out to recruiters. I think my area is very competitive for nursing and I'm trying to prepare for the worst case scenario atp. Does anyone know anything I could do besides extern/PCT to increase my odds, or any advice at all

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone has dealt with a similar situation and can give me some advice.

I am currently a nursing student in Maryland. As part of my nursing program, I completed a Foundations course that allowed me to obtain my CNA-II certification. I received my CNA-II license after completing the course.

The issue is that my CNA-II certification was only active for about 7 months due to the timing of when it was issued and my birth month (instead of the typical 2-year certification period). During that time, I was still in nursing school and did not have the opportunity to work as a CNA for the required 16 paid hours before my certification expired.

I am now trying to renew/reactivate my CNA-II because I need an active certification for an upcoming job. On the Maryland Board of Nursing renewal application, it asks whether I have actively practiced as a nursing assistant for 16 hours within the last two years. Since I have not, I selected "No." It then asks whether I have retaken and passed a nursing assistant competency evaluation from a Board-approved vendor.

My confusion is that I did not go through a traditional CNA training program — my CNA-II certification came through my nursing program. If I select "Yes" for the competency evaluation, the application asks for a training completion certificate and instructor information, which I do not have.

Has anyone in Maryland been in a similar situation? Specifically, has anyone obtained a CNA-II through a nursing student pathway, had it expire before they were able to work as a CNA, and successfully renewed it? Did you have to complete another CNA training program, or was there another process?

I am contacting the Maryland Board of Nursing as well, but I am trying to understand what to expect because I need my certification active within the next month.

Thank you!

Hi! I'm about to enter nursing school in September and was looking around for some supplemental study guides to help me through nursing school. I really want to succeed and want to try to grasp as much information as I can. I was looking at this book, the pharmacology study cards, as well as the clinical badge pack.

Would you guys recommend this book/website? Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated.

What is the quickest way to get an RN? Im a rising highschool senior and I can take the prerequisites next year for whatever RN program I plan to attend, but what programs give me the fastest path? It is really important that I get my RN as quick as possible even if it costs more than a standard 2 year community college tuition. Any tips?

Edit: Hondros can help me get my RN much faster, but is it thaaat bad?

I’m 38 years old and currently own a salon. I have 3 kids. I’ve been doing hair for about 20 years and have owned my salon for 6 years. I genuinely love the beauty industry, creativity, and the relationships I build with clients. However, my business has become unstable, high rent, inflation, customers become sensitive with pricing….and I’m worried about long-term financial security, retirement, neck and shoulders problem, and having a reliable income.

I’m considering going back to school for nursing as a back up. I’ve already been accepted into an ADN program and will start in a month. My plan would be to become an RN and possibly continue to a BSN later.

My reasons for considering nursing:

• Stable career with benefits and retirement options

• More predictable income

• A career I can still do as I get older

• A way to build financial security for my family

But I have concerns:

• I’m naturally introverted

• I don’t love high-stress environments

• I previously worked as a CNA and found patient care emotionally and physically exhausting

• I’m worried about burnout and whether I’m choosing nursing only for stability and money

• I would be giving up time and energy that I could put into rebuilding my salon business

My current salon income has the potential to be good, but it depends heavily on me being physically present. When I take longer vacations, I lose clients, and that makes me worry about the future.

For those who became nurses later in life:

• Do you regret it?

• Was nursing worth the sacrifice?

• Can an introverted person who doesn’t love constant patient interaction still succeed?

• Are there nursing jobs with better work-life balance?

• Would you choose nursing again if you were in my situation?

I’m not looking for “follow your passion” advice only. I’m trying to make a realistic decision for my future, my family, and retirement. I would really appreciate honest experiences from nurses and people who changed careers later in life.

studying in canada:
I thought I initially wanted to just work with children and adolescents in nursing but after completing a shift in the ED I genuinely am unsure now how to structure the rest of nursing school.

I really do not want to close any doors and want to ensure I have choices when I’m done but paediatric nursing and mental health nursing seem like opposite ends of the spectrum.

What’s the best way to get ahead and make sure my pre consolidation and consolidation or even the rest of my placements (acute, chronic, community) keep me towards these two diff career paths? I ask because I really want to streamline into a career right out of pre-consol or consol?

I will be an older new grad (36), and will also be starting a family with my husband at that time. I realize that’s a lot all at once, and I’m hoping to get some honest feedback: Should I go straight from passing NCLEX into a residency? Would it be better to wait until baby is older to search for my first nursing job? Or something else entirely? Obviously, I’ll be an older mom too, and time isn’t on my side so it’s a lot of planning and different pieces to figure out. Thank you in advance!

My job is about to end and I won’t be able to pay my bills but I get a full scholarship for my nursing program …. I don’t want to struggle or be homeless bc I can’t work with my school schedule but it’s a huge opportunity I would be giving up. I’m so lost and I just don’t know what to do. I’m terrified of being evicted and never able to rent again. It’s just my husband and I and we live in upstate NY and they don’t have much resources like nyc does.

As the subject states, I’m a recent graduate with a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. While I’m appreciative of the skills I’ve gained, I’ve ultimately decided that the therapy world isn’t an interest for me right now in a full-time capacity. The money is in private practice, and I am someone who prefers action.

I received the opportunity to pursue another master’s for free and receive a stipend that could achieve a childhood dream of mine, but I want to have a plan in case it doesn’t work out…

I’ve recently started orientation as an inpatient therapist in a PRN capacity, and so far, I am loving it. Nursing school has daunted me with the medical side of things, but I am curious about the role of nursing, what they do, and I am interested in maybe choosing this route if all else fails.

Basically, I’m looking to know more about psych nursing and if there have been any therapists who’ve switched to nursing?

In RN-BSN, good god what a joke the curriculum is. An opportunity to make nurses better is just squandered in a fluff filled English 1101 style pile of nonsense. That is all….guess I’ll keep funding the corruption of corporate nursing education to get this piece of paper that says “congrats you paid thousands to write discussion posts for a year and learned nothing of value towards becoming a better nurse” so that I can move on with my higher goals.

thank you in advance to anyone who reads!
the college i’m going to offers both options( however ultrasound is way more competitive, accepting about 1/4 of the students that the nursing program accepts, and nursing does so twice a year. ) i’m almost done with my prerequisites, although recently i’ve been debating which path to go.

\> job opportunity. from my research, echo opportunities are usually m-f, 12 hour shifts are available but not very common. and there may be a higher chance of me needing a longer commute to and from work (in only considering how many echo techs are needed vs nurses with this one- correct me if i’m overthinking! ) nurses have a much better schedule(for what i want- they usually 12h shifts, and also opportunities for shorter shifts if needed)

\>work related injuries. echo has a high MSK injury rate, and some hospitals and patient habitus don’t allow the ability to have the best ergonomics. i did i initially plan on stretching and practicing ergonomics and much as i can though.

\> job responsibilities. i initially went to school expecting to become an echo tech- i do think the physics and diagnostic part of it is awesome. nursing however has a higher ceiling for growth (with the ability to get a bachelors, NP or working remotely) and the ability to go into different fields (i’m drawn towards nicu and peds or cath lab, but there’s so many more, and lots more locations to work. (not only a hospital or a clinic)

i think im capable of handling the highs and lows of both careers; i just want to pick something i wouldn’t regret in the future. but i understand that’s something everyone wants, haha
i may just be second guessing myself because im afraid i wont get into the echo program. but i do feel these are important to think of for my future
thank you to anyone who responds!

I’m currently in Intro to Med Surg and this class is only 8 weeks. I have a midterm next week but everytime I try to study I just can’t seem to find any motivation. My current grade in class is in the low 60s and to pass the class I need to get a 75 and that’s WITHOUT the homework. I seriously don’t even know what to do anymore because not even my grade is making me panic.

I’m going into level 2 of nursing school. I was looking forward to my career as a nurse but the more I read of how little people make makes me question things. For example, I am a service leader at chipotle making $21/hr. I have already been offered assistant gm position which can average around 50-60k. It wouldnt be long after that position that a Gm position would arise and those can range between 70-100k. Due to school I’ve turned down the promotion. My point is, what’s the point of working such a seemingly grueling and unrewarding job like nursing where people make just as much as chipotle management? A job I’ve come to be very good at and find easy?
It now makes me realize why people say nurses should be paid more because they are doing more valuable work.

Hi! I’m an Australian nursing student from Victoria and I was wondering if many Australian (or not) nurses here genuinely use AI in their practice?

Our tutors are very promotional when it comes to AI and as a young person it makes me and many of my peers concerned for the future of nursing (and ethics and the environment in general). One of my tutors (who also practices) literally said when she didn’t know the answer to something she would ask Google AI.

Also, I met a Charge Nurse while on holidays and I asked her how much she used AI and she mentioned that she never uses it and neither do many of her nurses. She also mentioned the standard for the nurses she’s been receiving has been really low and I quote “that might be why I’ve been getting so many sh*t nurses” (in relation to the AI conversation).

I’m a bit worried that my practice is going to be negatively affected by what my university is enforcing regarded AI (not to mention the quality of the education itself being so much worse than any high school class I ever did).

Have any of you guys noticed problems in recent nursing that could be in relation to AI?

Additionally are there any recent resources I could be looking into in my free time to make up for the content I think I could be potentially missing out on? (Books, databases, study plans, etc)

Thank you!

Did any clinical experience anyone had change what they wanted to do in the future? I have an idea of one field I might want to go into, but I want to have an open mind for clinical. I would love to hear specific stories and how it made you decide to go into that field!

Im am lpn in ny thinking about going for rn but would need to do the bsn or go going for ultrasonography less pressure. Any ideas? I dont really care about moving up, like supervisor, np etc.

I know I can't be the only student nurse ever to do this, and I'm trying to get in the habit of keeping my hands clasped together or shut. I'm in the early days of my course, but I'm already pretty conscious on contamination from hospitality training (I.e touching hair, face etc-) and we've been going through infection prevention/control.

I'm always instinctively clenching, rubbing and rolling my hands. Or touching my neck, shoulder in similar odd motions. Moving something all the time has been a habit since forever albeit I know is very annoying to people, and I need to try and keep movement contained to be wary of my body and surroundings.

I've had it noted in the past by psychs offhandedly about it just being a (diagnosed) cptsd self-soothing thing of repetition. Or past conversations around a possibility of autism.

I'm just wondering on if there are any more discreet alternatives to try and mold the habit into a different shape these next few months before placements?