anyone a nurse?

I'm applying to nursing school, hoping to work in labor and delivery or pediatrics and just wanted some advice, stories etc.

Thanks!

My mom was an OB and post-partum nurse for 25 years (and did pediatrics once in a while). What would you like to know? I'll ask her. I know she loved her job. She says it's not nearly as depressing as other units because you get to see people happy, and medical emergencies don't happen as often, and if they do, there aren't as many types of emergencies that can happen, if that makes sense.

I'm applying to nursing school too.... good luck to you! I'm excited.

I'm a nurse, and I work in gyne and ante partum occasionally.

TBH Maternity and Paediatrics were my least favourite rotations in nursing school. I much prefered medicine and surgery. I even tried bribing my teachers to let me out of those 2 rotations.

I did manage to work out a deal with my paediatrics instructor. She knew that I don't really like children all that much so she gave me a 15 year old girl to look after, but she went home the next day, but not before giving me lice!!!! After that I was given a 17 year old boy with leukemia. He was old enough to be in an adult hospital but they treat leukemia more aggresively in children so that's why he was admitted into the children's unit. He was from a strict Menonite family and his Mom stayed there 24/7 and did everything for him. So all I had to do was get him ready for his procedures, take his blood sugar and drop his pills off for his Mom to give to him. He was discharged on my last day of that rotation.

I lucked out in Maternity though. The hospital I trained at was on the verge of closing their maternity ward because our government wanted to centralize births in one hospital. So as a result there were not many deliveries happening. Plus I milked a C Section that I saw in my surgery rotation in year 1 for all it was worth when I was in year 2. So as a result of that I didn't actually have to witness a vaginal birth. I did bath a new born though (slipperier than a greased pigglet. The baby kept sliding all around the bathtub. I never want to do that again! LOL And I did discharged a few patients and looked after a few women who had "hyperemises" which was loads of fun... not!

I do know many nurses who work in obstetrics and some of them like it and others do it as a pay cheque. It's not for the faint hearted and it's very physically demanding.

If you really like working with kids and can relate to them on their level and don't let their illnesses cloud your judgement, paediatrics is probably the better area of the 2 to work in.

I just don't have the patience for kids and/or women screaming giving birth. I know I'd be yelling at them to shut up because they got themselves into that situation. Which isn't really appropriate, LOL

Right now my main concern is just getting into nursing school. Eek! I live in NY and I really want to go to NYU. I just dropped off my application but have to wait until April to hear.

I went to Northwestern where I was an Asian Studies major and since then I've taught English in Japan, worked in an auction house and in real estate. Right now I'm also doing some volunteer work at the animal shelter, with an elderly woman and recently I started at a hospital.

So I don't have any nursing or science background, but I do have a strong interest in nursing and talked about that on my app.

Where did everyone else go to nursing school, what was your background beforehand and how did you find the application process?

I'm also nervous because of all those stories about nursing teacher shortages and how they have long waiting lists, but I have the feeling that doesn't apply to a big private university like NYU. At least I hope...

I am not a nurse, but just like you am applying. I applied to three schools here and won't hear anything back until the middle or end of March. I hate waiting! Getting in is so competitive around here. One of the schools only accepts 10% of it's applicants.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by squirtle

Getting in is so competitive around here. One of the schools only accepts 10% of it's applicants.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Eek! I guess I'm lucky. NYU said they accept 35 - 40%

Are you applying to BSN programs?

Originally Posted by abnihon

Eek! I guess I'm lucky. NYU said they accept 35 - 40%

Are you applying to BSN programs?

Click to expand...

One of them was a BSN program, and is my first choice. The other two are ADN programs. I am in pretty good shape to be accepted into the ADN programs, but I have no clue on the BSN. It's driving me nuts!

Since I was in pharmacy school for five years, I have a lot of background in science and medicine. My "prerequisite" GPA is pretty high, so the people at the nursing school told me to take a couple more prereqs and I should get in no prob. It isn't as competitive around here (about a 3.7 GPA to get in) because a technical school has an associates RN program, IUPUI offers a traditional BSN and an accelerated BSN (which I am applying to), and a few other private colleges have BSN programs too. I mean, it is competitive, but it is nothing like other places with two year waits and less than 20% acceptance rate.

Now, pharmacy school was more competitive in my state... nationally, only 1/700 gets accepted, and at the college I attended, it was more like 100/500.

Anyway, I'm excited about nursing. I won't start the professional program until August because of one prereq I have to take over the summer. I was going to start this May, but I took too long in making a decision between pharmacy and nursing.

Good luck to all of you... We'll have to update this thread as we find out things!

Gee wizz ... Sevan to Ten years ago you just applied either out of high school or life( military basic for me ) ... I applied to three top schools bsn programs and would have gotten in then I decided to go into dietics( lmao) ... Good luck to all of you ... I am thinking of appling to a naturapathic program