Nursing in NCC

Nursing program in Nassau Community Collage is very hard both to get into and to stay in. I am now into my second semester and so far doing well, however I have seen many people struggling with process records and tests. Some of the steps that have to be included in the care plan are vital signs, medications, lab work, and teaching. There are times when some of these steps are not applicable for the specific patient, but without them included, process record can be failed. The easiest way to get around it is by writing that step should have been taken, but wasn’t for a specific reason, then explain what the result would’ve been if the step would’ve been taken. For example one of my patients who had poor peripheral perfusion was on Lovenox, unfortunately for me it was DCed the day I got the patient. It was the only medicine she had that would’ve had helped her with perfusion. In intervention column I stated that Lovenox was DCed and added that if the patient would’ve still been on Lovenox, I would’ve monitored her for bleeding. In evaluation column I explained that if it would’ve been given, I would’ve expected changes in PT/INR. The same patient had dementia and was dehydrated which did its share of damage to her mental status. Of cause teaching would be impossible or at least pointless for this patient, which is why I break teaching into a few steps. First step is “assess mental status” and across the columns I described that due to deterioration of cerebral cortex secondary to dementia, patient is awake and oriented times 1, I then explained that mental status assessments showed that patient is unable to learn and retain new information. I will post some of my process records in near future, as well as bibliography, hope this will help all the future nurses to get through the nightmare of getting through nursing program. If you have any questions please do ask. I’ll be happy to help (that is if I can of cause).