TEAS V recap

This morning at about 11:30am, I left the testing site famished and with a killer migraine...but...I had completed the infamous TEAS V test.  The lowest acceptance score last fall for the program I want to get into was an 88 and I....


drum roll....

got a 90.3.  :)  I am happy...yes...very happy.  90 was the lowest I wanted to get and I just made it.  So, now all that is left to do is fill out the application and wait.  Applications are due in April and I will know if I made it in in the beginning of June.

I stalk the allnurses.com website for other people's scores to see if mine will be good enough, and not too many people have taken the test yet.  If I start reading that everyone is in the higher 90s, I will take it again (I have one more chance).  Who am I kidding...I will probably take it again just for peace of mind that I have done everything that I could have possibly done to increase my chances for admission.  Maybe...I don't know.

For those of you waiting to take the test, all I can say is USE THE STUDY GUIDES!
I used the ATI one and the McGraw-Hill one.  I would say that I spent about 20-25 hours studying for it.  The areas where I scored the highest were the math section and the English and language (grammar/punctuation).  My lowest were reading and science.  The hardest for me was Scientific Reasoning where I scored a 62.5% and Informational Source Comprehension where I got an 82.6%. 

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will do my best to help!!!

I am just happy to have it done (for now).  It is going to be New Years Eve in 24 hours and I am looking forward to relaxing with my husband, son, great friends and some champagne.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  Hopefully 2011 will be full of wishes and dreams fulfilled for each of us.
See you next year...

Cheers,
Anna

Martina McBride - O Come All Ye Faithful

Studying for the TEAS

So...I have to admit, studying for the TEAS is such a drag.  (Now, I have the Beastie Boys stuck in my head.)  It is very humbling to learn that something that you were supposed to have learned in elementary school and in high school is no longer stored anywhere in your brain.  How do you calculate the area of a circle?...How about the circumference?.  What about the Pythagorean Theorem? What about dividing, multiplying fractions?  I am having to relearn everything.  Fortunately, algebra has always been easy for me (cha-ching) and I have sailed through that section.

I just got to the science section this evening (YIKES!) and realized I need to majorly brush up on some chemistry and physics.  Anatomy is fresh in my mind, so biology is ok....but the others...starting from scratch. I don't remember if elements are metals, nonmetals...memorizing the periodic table of elements...bonding...not bonding.  And-How many more days until the 30th?

Reading comprehension--I'm pretty good there if I slow down and pay attention.

Vocab-Fair...and fortunately I speak Italian because sometimes when I am looking at a word and thinking That is not a word. I try and think of what it could mean in Italian (root origin type stuff) and it is helping.

Spelling-Horrible.  How do you study for spelling?  Spell check?? No.  How many words are in the English language anyway.  I think I am going to look up the most commonly misspelled word lists on the internet...maybe that will help!  

And then, not to add any pressure onto myself...I realized that this test is the most critical part of the application process.  The school bases admission on 4 classes and this test.  Most people get 4 A's (or retake them to get A's) so the only thing seperating us is this darn test....LOOK I misspelled seperating...s/b separating.

And, it's Christmas.  Who wants to be studying?  I want to be stirring my hot chocolate with a candy cane while singing .  Time to multitask :)

Sister Act 2 - Oh Happy Day

Josh Turner - Why Don't We Just Dance

Ready to dance! Got my A!!! TEAS test to go December 30th!

FINAL tomorrow

So, tomorrow is the day!  I have been studying and studying...but I still don't feel ready.  My final for Anatomy is in the morning...10am.  I have to get 140 out of 200 to get an A in the class...and I must must must get an A or I will have to take the class again to get into the nursing program.  I feel pretty confident, but I am still going to study until the last minute.  I should NOT be on blogger....so I will go now.  

2nd Night in the ER

Last night was my second night in the Emergency Department and things are going well.  I am responsible for stocking the rooms with supplies and for changing beds after patients leave.  I don't have any patient contact (which is probably good-after all what would I say? "Hi, sorry you are in the ER today.")  From stocking the rooms, I have learned a lot about the supplies (different size needles, catheters, different bandages, urine cups, etc.)  So far, so good.  I like it and find it exciting to be there.  I find myself being shy around the staff...not wanting to get in the way or say something stupid :)  I am sure I will become more confident with time.

I got the sense from one of the nurses (with a BSN) that I should go for my BSN instead of my ASN.  I go back and forth with this and maybe when I apply, my decision will be made for me...one will accept me and one won't.  I am still leaning towards ASN and then doing my BSN online immediately after...

Yummy worms!

Eating parasitic worms :)
Part of my final next week is on the digestive system and I found this article interesting.  This guys eat parasitic worms to treat his ulcerative colitis.  Kind of nasty (and risky) but apparently-effective (for him).  No doctors are willing to recommend this treatment even though it worked for his because of the liability.

Finished my two final papers for 2 of my classes...just my anatomy final to go-next Wednesday.  Back to studying!

MRI Birth-Very COOL!

MRI Birth
I was diagnosed with cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) during the birth of my son and ended up having a C-section.  This article covers new MRI births where doctors are able to see more clearly the movement of the baby during delivery.  SO VERY COOL!  I do wonder about possible side effects of the magnetic resonance imaging (radio waves, magnets) on the baby.  I am not sure if it could be harmful or not.  My CPD was not clearly understood.  I was in labor for 36 hours and failed to completely dilate which lead to the C-section.  This type of technology could have given my doctors a clearer view on what was going on.  Way to go, Germany!