The Extra Bits-Time Management/Budget Management

SW BUSINESS

Things you may not have thought about that take up time and money:
I will try to give you an approximate price and number of hours and I will give *MY* opinion on whether or not it was worth it

TCPS- Budget 2-3 hours at the beginning of each clinical. It gets faster as you go along. You begin to see that the same questions are going to come up over and over again.

Intro to the library- They give this class at a weird time. It is somewhere in the middle of the semester when you could have been using the library and its resources before then. See my library guide post and don’t rely on this class. It is useful, though. Budget about 2 hours.

Guide To Using The Library

Alzheimer’s Day Services- Well, you HAVE to do this. It’s a clinical day. I wanted to add it to the list as being out of the ordinary. This one is fun, though.

AH1 Health Fair- This is an all-day affair on a day that you DON’T have clinical. It’s an ‘extra’ day. So budget one day for this and about 5-10 hours preparation and revision. There may be some printing costs involved if you want to make your life so much easier and let Kinkos do the final version. They have a MACHINE that folds tri-fold brochures. This costs about $20.

Service learning for Denmark- There are different levels at which you fulfill this requirement depending on what status the International Studies department gives you based on your essay and interview. I think the maximum is 30 hours and the minimum is 20. It’s not as scary as it sounds. I had done most of them before the semester even started by working the Welcome Center. You can make your own projects. If you already volunteer somewhere, you can use those hours. Budget 30 hours.

Peds Clincial at a school- this is another clinical day. If you are in the Nights and Evening program, you are obviously not going to be able to do this on nights or weekends, so budget one day for this. This also requires a paper. Budget 2-3 hours for the paper.

Clinical orientation days- Budget one day for this. It’s part of the curriculum. It should not be a surprise. 

Fingerprinting for VA- this one is a little inconvenient and difficult. You have to go when the hospital has time. You may find yourself needing some extra childcare for this one. Budget 3-4 hours.

Virtual IV- Hahaha, I was TERRIBLE at that thing. Mr. S was incredibly patient but I think he spent an hour rolling his eyes at me. Budget at least one hour. Then budget another one if you are bad at it. No faculty member is going to sit there all day while you try and remember to throw the darn alcohol pad in the virtual garbage. This may require two appointments. I rocked my first real IV I put in, coincidentally.

Criminal background check- The original one when you get into the program means going to get a urine test. So, I went before I taught school to my appointment and could not pee enough. So I spent the whole day at school drinking water and NOT peeing. My 3 year old students thought I was hilarious, “Miss Jan is so THIRSTY!”  I RAN out of school that evening for my next appointment (running with your legs crossed is so much fun). Budget about ½-1 hour for this. Not sure how much it costs. Budget time online to fill out paperwork.

There is another check for the NCLEX. This is mostly fingerprinting and takes about 20 minutes, plus driving time. Costs about $45.

TB test/flu shot- TB skin test takes about 5 minutes from what I have heard. I wouldn’t know. My darn parents vaccinated me with the BCG which means I will show up positive. I have to get a chest X-ray EVERY SINGLE TIME. Then I have to spend hours trying to get the doctor to say that I don’t have TB. You have to come back 2 days later and have it read. I am not sure which is more inconvenient. Chest x-ray: budget 30 minutes in the doctor’s waiting room.

Gathering Clinical passport documents- This depends on you. Do what I said and scan it all into your computer so you don’t have to do it every semester.

BLS-This takes about 4-5 hours and about $50. But hey, you can’t work anywhere without it.

Representatives from hospitals and BSN programs- They come in and talk to you for about a half hour each.

Test reviews- budget 20 minutes whenever your teacher decides. Probably won’t be during class time, though.

Picking up patient for clinical- the day before clinical, except in Mental Health. It takes hours and hours. You have to find a computer, get all the info and then go home and write it all up. Budget 4-5 hours getting information and 5-10 hours doing clinical paperwork.

Getting an ID badge- 15 minutes in the main part of campus. Bring your student account summary to prevent yourself from having to make a return trip.

Exit test-exit test takes 40 minutes.

NLCEX study books- You can spend an absolute fortune on these. Remember some are available free on Amazon and the SW library. Even second-hand they add up quickly. If you buy some, budget at least $100.

NICU- This is part of a clinical day. I am also trying to highlight the many wonderful opportunities we get at SW and the many ways this curriculum is taught.

MMHI Court Session- This takes a good 3-4 hours, but it’s fascinating.

AA Meeting- Budget an hour and a half for the meeting, plus driving time.

Wound Care Nurse Lecture- Again, this is class activity, but it is nice to know what things you will be exposed to. I asked her about maggots in wound care-cool!!

Child Abuse Lecture- Very interesting seminar. I believe this is scheduled out of class time. It is mandatory.

Transplant Lecture- This is given as part of AH2. Fascinating. Talk with your loved ones about your wishes for organ donation.

HESI prep- THREE DAYS. It’s three long days.

Uniforms- Our uniforms were slightly different, but I know out lab jacket alone cost $38. Budget about $100.

A good watch- up to you. By ‘good’ I mean: has a second hand. I never wore a watch before nursing school. Now I can’t be without one.

My nursing lab-$50. Worth it to be able to cut and paste stuff to make study sheets and for practice tests.

Evolve/HESI- this is $50 and is touted as optional, but you are going to want to have this. It has tons and tons of resources beyond what your teachers have you sign up for that are FREE.

Khaki pants/skirt- you are going to need these for mental health instead of scrub pants. Buy them at a thrift store if you’re never going to wear them again. $3 at thrift store.

Shoes- If you think you might wear a pair of all-white sneakers again, feel free to splurge. Mine came from Payless and were about $30.

Stethoscope- Get a good Littmann-$100. The ones in the official ‘kit’ suck. This is an investment for your career. You will love it and hate when you have to use the one designated for contact precautions.

SNGA dues- $25 a semester. This pays for your pinning and loads of events. Pay on time, everyone. It’s so frustrating for faculty and the representatives to have to hunt you down.

NLCEX fees-

NCLEX-RN Application Fee:                                    Two hundred dollars ($200.00)*

(submit 15 days before graduation)                            (Cashier's Check, or Money Order

(submitted directly to NCS Pearson)

                                                                                   

Board of Nursing Fee:                                                            Ninety dollars ($90.00)*

State Regulatory Fee:                                                             Ten dollars ($10.00)*

Repeat Examination Fee:                                            One hundred and ten dollars ($110.00)

White scrub top- You need this for pinning and for the photos they take to put in the hallway forever and ever.

$20-25.

Varicella titer-$55-$85 if you do not have insurance. Trip to Shot Nurse-depends on where you live as to how much time this will take.

Fluids and Electrolytes Project-This one takes coordinating all the people on your team outside of class. Factor in driving, planning and executing the project and you are looking at 4-5 hours. There are expenses depending on what you decide to do. Most people bring in foods to illustrate their projects.

GAS/Driving Time-Some people come from quite far away to go to school. I come from East Memphis and even for me gas expenses were high. I heard of one student spending over $270 a week.

Photos for graduation-various packets available. $30-200.

Nashville trip- Free. You have to get to school by 4 a.m. and you probably won’t be back until 6 p.m. You do the math. Good for ½ clinical day.

Frame for your license- $30- worth every penny.

$12,000 to Starbucks- I could not take a test unless my clothes smelled like coffee. Worth every penny of the many dollars I spent there. I have not been in a Starbucks since and at some point I told them that I don’t actually LIKE coffee.

This licence was earned at Highland Starbucks.