1st Week of the Paramedic to RN Bridge

Today ends my 1st FULL week. The course listed is the NUR 215 (Paramedic to Bridge concept) It is NUR 111, NUR 112, & NUR 114 in 16 weeks!!! We are not "official " students of the ADN program unless we pass w/ an 80 or above, but we are looked at and treated like ADN students (college requirement). We still have to do clinicals this semester. The purpose of this course is to transition your thinking and skills to nursing. This course is a condensed version of your 1st year of the ADN program. One thing to keep in mind. Nursing is NOT easy. The quiz that we have taken so far BLEW US ALL OUT OF THE WATER. It's NO cake walk. The biggest issue is our paramedic brain. We think, talk, and operate as medics. Leave that at the door. Nurses look and treat patients differently. So far we are learning basic nursing skills i.e cna skills, foleys, etc. Some skills we have familiar with i.e. IVs and NG tubes etc. There is class and a lab component and well as clinicals. Testing is the hardest. The material is pretty easily understood, but the testing is hard for 1 reason, to prepare you for NCLEX. Nursing test are harder than paramedic test BY FAR. SATA (select all that apply) is pretty brutal. 23% of the NCLEX test are SATA. They are trying to get us ready and used to the questions early. Throughout the course, we will be taking the HESI for bench marking and a complete HESI final. Don't worry, your mind will switch after the first test if you are open minded and are willing to submit to full immersion of nursing. My recommendation is before staring nursing school, read the CNA handbook w/ skills and watch some nursing skill videos to get used to the critical task. If you are not a fast learner, STAY AWAY FROM THE BRIDGE. Try the traditional program and get a good nursing base. Paramedics excel in hard skills (running codes, IVs, NG/OG tubes etc). We struggle with soft skills (therapeutic communication etc.....). The main thing to take away is mindset. As medics we are taught to look at our pt in 10/15 min blocks until we turn over pt care. Nursing is :Who are you, how did you get here, how can we get you to discharge, how can you keep you out of the hospital (OT/PT, home health) what resources do you have (financial) etc.......... it's a holistic view of the pt, not just emergency medicine.