I know that obviously a Foley catheter is an insertion up through the urethra to the bladder. I was just wondering what do you do in practice if you have a female patient who is menstruating?

edit: thanks for the response guys, sorry for the dumb question, but it makes sense now!

Edit 2: I should’ve clarified my question better. Yes I know they are two different holes. My question was on when inserting a catheter, emphasis is placed on not breaking sterile field, so if you have a female patient without a tampon or any padding, and the tubing touches the menstrual blood prior to insertion into the urethra, is it contaminated. My question has been answered

Recently I had a pretty apt "Do you *really* want me to be honest" conversation with a girl in my group. Essentially she said that my group feels like I intrude onto time with their patients and come off like a guy that "can't take no for an answer."

An example given was when I went in to observe a girl in my group perform wound care and my CI asked if I wanted to work the other leg. I asked the girl who said it was fine (patient did not care) and went to work. So instead of her doing one leg, she only had to do one and I took the other.

During downtime I'll wander around to see if anything cool is happening. If I see someone else in my group in a patient's room or carrying supplies I always ask if they need help. Today a girl was assigned an altered mental status patient. She kicked a nurse and after they removed her soft restraints kept standing up and setting off bed alarms. The girl in my group had it handled but I mostly just hung around in the room in case she got violent again. Is that bad? When I asked if it comes off like I don't trust female judgement the girl I was talking to kind of stalled and didn't answer.

Have any of you worked with a guy that came off like he can't take no for an answer? I just feel awful and confused. I'd hate working with someone they'd describe like that. I'd be disgusting working with someone like that. I don't know what to do.

I know the standard teaching is “see one, do one”, but I literally can never get it right even after being shown once. When it’s my turn to do it on my own, I forget the steps and feel confused. It seems like other people are better at hands on than I am.

I’m one of the only people in my cohort with no health care experience and everyone just zooms through and finishes before me. It’s gotten me feeling so beat down. I don’t know if it’s because I’m only 19 but…I feel incompetent.

We get to our floors about 30 minutes before report to get assigned a nurse and prep for our patients using the hospital’s nursing brain. I sometimes run out of time to fill out the brain for my last patient.

The longest section for me are knowing how much of the diagnostics results to write down. I usually write down the reason for the scan and impression. I found that I write too much of the details and miss what needs to be said in report. Same with the patient situation and lab values.

I use fishbone diagrams, but sometimes I miss a lab value outside of those diagrams. Do the values you need to note change depending on the patient situation? I will take any advice that helps you prep for your patients.

If you made it to the end thank you for your time :)

Hi, I’m a 24 yo F I am about a month and a half into my first semester of my ADN. I have liked lecture and lab so far but I had my first clinical at a general acute rehab facility night shift and I was horrified after - I cried and just felt like I don’t think I like nursing in the real world. I love my classmates and socializing with them for projects and our lab days but I’m starting to question if I’m really cut out for nursing and patient care. I thought I was capable and caring enough but I was scared to put it plainly.

I currently work as a legal assistant and make decent money 30/hr. I’ve worked at this job the past 3 years and they let me go part time for school. I’ve been definitely very busy since starting school and continuing to work but I felt like it was worth it until I went to clinical.

I started nursing school because I hated working the same shift 40 hours a week and felt generally unfulfilled by my job. There are other legal assistant jobs out there that I could work that could be more fulfilling and allows for flexibility. I also understand the demand for nursing and of course I’d like job security and the pay.

I am thinking about switching my major to paralegal studies and possibly furthering my career in that because of how unsure I felt after my first clinical. I understand that I’ve only done one clinical but I cannot imagine myself going back.

I also don’t want to feel like a failure if I leave the program but I also don’t want to get a degree in this if it’s not for me. I feel like I’m always trying to do the next thing that will finally bring me a sense of “I know what I’m doing with my life” but I feel like a failure no matter what I do. I need to work on my fulfillment from the inside not external factors.

I just need advice if anyone can help or went through something similar to me. Thank you.

I need to lock in but my mind is all cloudy and disjointed. My chest is hot and tight.

I have a big test tomorrow. And I am trying to study. But I have so many worries going through my head that I can't focus. I'll read something and I won't even process what it said.

I am also just terrible at studying and time management. I don't know how to implement any of the tools I've read about. I don't know how to pace myself so I'm not constantly battling an imminent due date. I work best with feedback, bouncing off of someone else, but I don’t have anyone to study with. So I have the additional worry I am going to fail this test on top of all my other concerns.

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this. I just it would help to articulate this and I have no one to listen to me. Although that last sentence makes me feel worse now.

I recently started working the night shift at a hospital(my first hospital job). Lately, I’ve noticed significant inconsistencies in my training. For instance, on my first day, my preceptor was assigned to the emergency department, so they paired me with a different staff member for training. I trained with this staff for two days before switching back to my preceptor on the third day. Today, I was supposed to begin the second week of orientation, but my preceptor was assigned to low-census so they got to stay home, and the only other certified nursing assistant (CNA) available was in the rehab unit. Consequently, I was paired with them for training. While they’ve been helpful and kind, I’ve noticed that several of the CNAs fall asleep on the job, leaving me to answer call lights and document patient care. I don’t mind answering calls or charting, I like that I’m hands on learning. However, shouldn’t my trainer stay awake to support me if I need to or to give me feedback? I have only worked in home health so the hospital routines are very new and different. My license, mine/my teams safety, and the patients safety could be compromised if I slept at the desk and on the clock. If I require assistance, I must physically wake up my trainer. Considering these circumstances, would I be considered unethical/ a snitch to report these issues to my clinical educator or nursing director? My manager happens to be the nursing director for the unit. It is a union position.

I’m a third semester, second bachelor BSN student who will be graduated by next August. I may have the opportunity to get an externship in the NICU. However, I know when I graduate I want to get experience with adults before fully committing to the pediatric field. If this is my only chance for an externship while I’m still in school should I take it? Or will nicu experience pigeon hole me too much when trying to become an adult ICU nurse upon graduation? In my head, experience is better than no experience but don’t want to make a major mistake. Thanks!

I don't know anything about how to create a care plan, write a diagnosis, etc. I don't like the way the nursing faculty at my university operates; I think they're unbearably haphazard. I don't know what standards should be followed.I need resources to study and learn everything; university is pure nonsens

Please help me to find how I need to study this 💔

Note: I don't have any friends Or relationships with doctors , I do everything alone, so I have to find how to study on my own

I’m 21 and currently in my first quarter of nursing school.

Originally, I planned to get my BSN and would have graduated by summer 2027 at the latest. However, after issues with my prerequisites, taking a gap semester, and getting waitlisted at my top-choice program, I decided to attend a private nursing school and pursue my ADN first. If all goes well, I’ll graduate in May 2028 at 22.

My plan is to pass the NCLEX, start working as an RN, and complete my BSN online while working. My biggest concern is that I really want to relocate immediately after passing the NCLEX, ideally to California or somewhere on the East Coast, like Massachusetts or New York. However, I’ve heard that getting licensed in California can be difficult with an ADN, and I’m unsure how much having an ADN could limit my options in other states.

I’ve just been feeling discouraged because it feels like my plans keep getting pushed further and further back. I know getting my ADN is still a huge achievement, and I’ll be just as much of an RN as someone with a BSN. I’m not trying to diminish that at all. I think I’m just worried that taking this route will delay the other things I’ve been looking forward to, especially moving out of Florida and finally experiencing independence. I’ve dreamed about having that freedom for so long, and I’m scared I’ll have to keep putting it off.

For anyone who graduated with an ADN, were you able to relocate to another state immediately after passing the NCLEX? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Hi!, I have finished my first year of nursing. I love studying I really do but I had a situation at the end of my year that kind of made me go ''oh.... Should I not be here?" To keep it short my ALN kind of let it slip that she thinks that I am stupid '' we pick a student who we think will do something stupid and it was you .. and you did".

It has been a couple of weeks now since the incident.. It has really hurt my self confidence. It is making me question if I should just stop now. I loved the care I got to do for the residents and the connection I got to have with them. I am an okay student grade wise B+ Average though I will admit I got some A's where I didn't expect to! B).

But honestly.. Without classes and school I don't think I know what I would do next, I should probably contact a career advisor + counselling rather than asking reddit haha.

I just need people to be honest with me

I’m in my first semester of nursing school right now. I originally chose this program when I was in high school and applying to college because I wanted to be someone that a patient would be able to rely on, to work hands on, to be able to help with mental health along with physical health, to be able to educate and mentor, and to be an advocate for the patient. However, last year in high school I did an internship in the emergency room. My duties were basically that of a patient care tech. While I was there, I began to think that nursing wouldn’t be for me. I am terribly squeamish when it comes to bodily fluids such as feces, urine, and vomit. Anytime I encountered anything like this or a sickness I would panic and barely be able to function without constant stress. I got burnt out just during my 3 months there, and I realized that the 12 hour shifts 3 days a week would not line up with what I want for my future. I also realized that I really like the diagnostic part of things, as when I listened to a PA or doctor talking to a patient about their symptoms, asking questions and trying to figure stuff out, I could see myself in that role. I am someone that finds high satisfaction in puzzle sort of deals, taking pieces from all over and trying to make a picture of it.

I think I know from that experience that I do not want to work in the hospital. Especially as a nurse. I’m about to switch my nursing degree to a biology degree because of this as my registration is this Friday in the morning, and because I started feeling that PA or becoming a high school educator would be a better suit for me. But I genuinely have no clue and I’m terrified of making the wrong decision. On the one hand I want to get out of nursing if I know I wouldn’t like it, but I’m also thinking maybe there’s something else in nursing that I’m missing that could make it so I do really like it, such as outpatient other than the ER. Im also scared of getting a degree like a biology degree that doesn’t really lead to a job like nursing does. I don’t want to leave and then realize I never should’ve left and then spend thousands of dollars on getting back to nursing. I just want a job where I can form a deep, long lasting relationship with people, be able to help and mentor them, be able to help them directly, and have good pay and flexibility. But I don’t know about the environment of nursing with bodily fluids, the hospital shifts, and the high burnout.

I’m (20F) on my fourth term of my LPN program, my goal was to bridge to RN, but I’m starting to feel like I don’t like nursing. I graduate soon, did you guys all go through a similar phase, I was so excited to start but now I’m not sure I’m feeling it anymore. I’ve got empathy but it’s so much patient interaction it’s kind of exhausting. Is this just a phase, will I get used to it?

1st semester nursing student here. This might sound silly but I shake like crazy when someone is watching me do something. Is this a normal part of nursing school? If so, when did it get better for you? I know my hand cannot be shaking when I’m inserting sensitive items (IV, Catheter) I’m so worried I won’t be able to control it.

I had a check off where I had to draw a 5 units of insulin while the CI watched and my hand was shaking so much I could barely draw up the medication. So embarrassing.

I was in my last term of nursing school , failed my first exam so I needed to work really hard for the next two .I did. The growth in score is incredible but ultimately I failed critical care by 4 points. I got dismissed and had to drop it classes. I was 9 credits away from graduation :(
anyways I don’t know what life foward rightnow looks like. 128 credits ! Potentially down the drain

Has anyone gonna back and and transferred to school that took your credits and got your BSN within a year ?
I just need some realistic information and motivation that all I did for 10 years wasn’t for nothing

Applied for a nursing program at my local technical college. I’m 39 with a 12 year old. I plan to go full time and want to hear if it’s worth my time and effort. Really nervous but hopeful I’m doing the right thing for my future.

I genuinely need advice from other nursing students or nurses because I’m at my breaking point with nursing school. I KNOW the material, I understand it in clinical, and I do well when practicing, but when it comes to exams, I struggle so badly. I constantly narrow questions down to two answers, second-guess myself, and end up choosing the wrong one.
I’ve tried different study methods, practice questions, and even recently got approved for ADA accommodations. I literally drove an hour away today just to earn extra credit because I’m trying everything I can to pass.
It’s so discouraging knowing the information but not being able to reflect that on exams. I’m starting to question whether nursing school is even for me. Has anyone else struggled with test-taking specifically? What actually helped you improve your exam scores? I genuinely need advice because I don’t want to give up, but I’m exhausted. 💔

I’m in med surg 1 currently in my ADN program I’m passing everything else except med surg I just feel so discouraged my professor already told me to drop out and they denied my memory aid for my IEP my Clincal instructors tell me how exceptional I am and rely that to my professors but I feel like they don’t see it. And I know failing a class isn’t the end of the world but I’m trying so hard any extra credit I’m their I drove an hour today from my house to get 3 points for my test + extra credit homework I need a 76.5 to pass which rounds up to a 77 right now I have a 68 and we have a lot of tests still left I feel like I can do it I just feel so desperate and defeated 😞 and others are failing the class as well not just me but others are passing so I know I’m not the only one who feels the same, I don’t work like that, I don’t have any kids or dogs like other people in my program I’m the youngest being 19 I feel overwhelmed and I know this is my passion but I feel burnt before even starting.

If anyone has any advice or just some encouraging words that would be nice, thank you for listening to my message.

To keep things short I am currently in school for pre-radiology and am having some thoughts of changing majors to nursing. Specifically LPN then LPN to RN. Realistically, what makes a good nurse and is my goal even worth it? I specifically want to do Hospice since I feel like a hospital or er would burn me out fast. I do not have anybody really to talk about besides for at work and I’ve been told a number of things.

I 40m, decided to go back to be a nurse in my 30s. I felt like nursing was a good fit for my personality. I like helping people. I already have my bachelor's degree but I just couldn't find my way up any corporate bullcrap ladder so I went back to school to be a nurse because I had already worked in behavioral health for 10+ years. At any rate, I spent 4 years doing prerequisites for an ADN nursing program. I spent another 2 on a waitlist. I got in and failed my first block. I spent a year doing an added prerequisite and getting back in. I am in my last semester on my second try and I am about to fail out. At my school it's 2 failures then out. I am so sad.

I am going to be able to be an LPN since I was able to take a step out course but it feels insulting given the time and energy I put in to this. I can't help but feel that the past year and a half were wasted. If we are lucky, we get 80 trips or so around the sun. 80 summers, 80 winters, 80 springs and 80 falls. I feel like I wasted 4-5 of them. I'm also sad that this is not turning out like it was supposed to. I feel ashamed like I let my family down since they were along for the journey, like I am being slapped across the face with a horses*** consolation prize with the LPN certificate, like I wasted time I feel like I don't have even though I'm only 40, and just all around sad.

I feel like an ADN was going to give independence, open a lot of doors for any kind of specialty and now that is going to close. Please don't get this twisted. I respect the absolute crap out of LPNs and just as much out of CNAs/UAPs (as I was one for a good amount of time), but LPNs don't have the same amount of wiggle room for specialty. I feel like I was robbed of going out and learning by doing rather than being in classes and tortured by the overhanging thought of failure and tests and practicums and clinicals. I missed my nieces birthdays and didn't take vacations and blew money on a year and a half of school that didn't even pan out. Now I can't go back because I feel like it is unconscionable to ask my family to continue on because I would have to start back at block 3 and also I do not have the money to continue on as this was all the savings I had set aside for school. My family has been supportive but they are wearing. I would like to continue in the future but that is not possible for 10 years (ballpark). I feel like this dream is dead and I'm grieving and all the tears I want to cry are just not coming out.

Sorry if this is TLDR. I don't know what I expect with this. Partially weepi... I mean venting, partially asking if anyone else has been an LPN not by choice. If so, did you go back to nursing school and finish? Did you enjoy being an LPN? Should I just get over it?

Long story short, career changing. Have a BSCS. Finishing nursing pre-reqs and applying to ADN programs. Goal was ultimately CRNA, however realizing MD/DO is feasible but would need ~80 credits of A's to fix my GPA. Thinking of taking Physics I/II, OChem I/II, BioChem during Nursing school. All nursing pre-reqs have been A's. Just curious if anyone else has taken additional courses on top of the ones scheduled for their cohort? Thanks!

I got into a LVN -RN program after being an LVN for a year and a half. I found out that orientation for the program is the week I'm scheduled to be out of the country on a trip with my kids. This trip has been planned for over a year, with thousands spent already (we have trip insurance). I'm now faced with the decision to cancel our trip for orientation, or reapply for the program/another program. I'm sure I'll get a bunch of comments about me being stupid to even question not attending school for a vacation, but this is something my kids and I have been looking forward to. I've already reached out to the school and been told it is mandatory with no work around.

It’s close to time for me to choose for my practice…. We get 2 specialties and have to pick one med surg unit and they’ll assign us to one of them.

I’m thinking of putting a surgical trauma ICU as one of my top picks but I’m just lost on where to go. We haven’t had our critical care rotations yet, and I work in a nursing home now as a LPN so I feel like no matter where I go I’ll be floundering.

Where did you go for practicum? Do you think it helped you with your career as a RN? I honestly don’t want to work at the hospital we’re doing practicum at, but it’s the more local option and therefore the only one my school does partnership with.

I’m 4 weeks into my program and I’m already seriously questioning whether this is worth it.

What’s wearing me down:

• I’m struggling to make friends
• I have a 1 hour commute that involves public transportation which I hate
• The wakeups are early and the policies are cruel. One missed lab and you fail the class.
• I’m sleep deprived most days and always stressed
• The constant lack of respect and prestige. The fact that you can FEEL people laughing at you silently as you perform degrading acts of service.

The part I can’t stop thinking about is the payoff. SWEs make double or triple what a nurse makes for a fraction of a fraction of the work and suffering. Don't believe me? Search up Levels.fyi (WARNING: DO NOT GO ON THIS SITE IF YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY IN NURSING SCHOOL).

Look guys, I’m not saying nursing isn’t "meaningful", but at 5am on very little sleep, the reward at the end looks pretty thin next to what’s available elsewhere.

Every morning when I am forced to wake up to attend another round of this shit, I feel intense waves of hatred, resentment, fury, rage, indignance and regret.

For anyone who has been in this spot: did you think about quitting? What did you decide, and do you regret it? Did the first few weeks turn out to be the worst of it?