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UNE BSN May 2022

Author: aboilard (Page 1 of 6)

Preparation for Licensure (ATI Comp Predictor Proctored) 

May 11, 2022 /

For this ATI exam, I looked over my remediation and the questions asked in the practice Comp ATI A and B. I made sure that before taking the test I did not keep answering practice questions because I knew that would burn me out before even beginning the test. I am glad that I did that because although it was hard toward the end, I was able to focus on the exam that took me just under 2 hours. I am proud of how I stayed focused while taking the exam because that had been something I was working toward with all the ATI’s I have taken. While doing remediations for this exam, I did notice categories that I needed to remediate on that I have already done in practice exams or topics that I should know in general. I was disappointed to see some of the categories that I needed to remediate on, but I also do not recall the specific questions so content may have just slipped my mind.

            This was our last big ATI before taking the NCLEX, and I feel that throughout this semester and even with this one comp exam I gained more confidence that I will pass the NCLEX. Finishing the test after 2 hours and being able to see a 97% chance of passing on the first try was an amazing feeling because I was worried with that I was going to get during the whole exam. Those feelings will reflect on my goals for taking the NCLEX. I want to be able to remain confident for the duration of the exam, even if I am unsure of answers. Freaking out and over thinking will lead to getting answers wrong, and that has been something I have been working on and something I want to continue to work on. Overall, this class and all of the ATI’s this semester have taught me about my test taking abilities and has allowed me to figure out what works and what does not work when preparing to take tests.

Gerontology ePortfolio Assignment

May 3, 2022 /

Throughout the semester we have examined the complex challenges and adaptations that aging adults face through a holistic and caring perspective. The past two summers I have had the opportunity to be a CNA at two different nursing homes, where I have experienced a lot. I feel as though this class really brought my understanding to the next level and I constantly found myself thinking back to personal experiences I have had. An insight that I will keep in mind when caring for this population is that although their body is aging, they may not feel they are that age mentally. Another insight I will keep in mind is how medication can affect the older population and is at times mistaken for the “normal” aging process.

            I feel as though it is very important to keep in mind that some older people may be in their 90’s but will not mentally feel that way. I think back to a resident at the nursing home I work at who is 102, still walking around and tells me every day that she does not feel 102 and that she still feels younger. This is important because it may have an impact on their mental health, they may feel trapped at times. Having empathy for this population and listening to their concerns and how they are feeling is very important. I do not feel that conversations regarding mental health are had enough with the older populations especially in nursing homes and it may improve health outcomes if those topics are discussed.

            Until this class, I did not realize the effects that medication could have on an older adult. This could be common since they are on so many medications. The polypharmacy presentation really opened my eyes and made me realize that medications should be looked into with all older adults and their health care providers should be more aware of everything they are taking, even over the counter meds. I will always keep that in mind when caring for the older population as well as developing rapport, so they feel comfortable having conversations regarding their mental health.

Preparation for Licensure and Transition to Professional Practice

May 3, 2022 /

Looking back on my individual performance profiles for each ATI I took and looking over the preparation for licensure eportfolio posts, I realize that I have improved in my test taking abilities. I have set goals throughout this experience to make sure I keep my focus, to read each question thoroughly, and to prepare for any proctored ATI exams by looking over practice questions the week before. I noticed that I did work to achieve those goals, however I started to burn out toward the end because when we have a lot of ATIs at once, my mind has trouble staying focused throughout. I know that I will take all the goals I have set throughout the semester and apply them to our final ATI exams of the semester.

When it comes to remediation and looking over content gaps that I missed, I feel as though I improved on this. I improved by being able to know what information to look up when I am remediating. I figured out what key points I should be including to help me on my next ATI exams. It also made me realize if there were any content gaps that were consistent throughout multiple ATI exams, and I found that there were at times. That made me realize that I need to focus more when remediating on those topics or look at different information when writing my three points.

With self-care during the ATI exams, I would sit down and complete the whole exam and then feel burnt out by the end. I figured that taking breaks during the exam would help keep my focus, but I have learned that it takes my focus away. When I take breaks, I get pulled out of the groove and I will end up taking too many breaks. I am glad that I learned that through taking practice ATIs. When I am about to take an exam, I will sit in a quiet area and put all my focus into the test for as long as I can. I also would plan ahead and pick a day and time that I would take the ATI in order to mentally prepare for that. For example, the ATI comp practices are very long, so I made sure to plan ahead and pick a time where I would have focus throughout all 150 questions.

As tedious as the ATI remediations and eportfolios can be, I learned a lot from completing them and really being able to reflect back on my performance when taking exams. The NCLEX is a big exam that we have to take to get our license, so being able to better understand yourself as a test taker prior to taking that exam is very helpful. I will use what I learn when I am practicing for taking the NCLEX to make sure I get all of the information I need to succeed.

Preparation for Licensure (ATI Comp Predictor Practice B) 

April 30, 2022 /

Overall, I feel as though this exam did not go as well as when I took ATI Comp practice A. I was losing focus more and it took me longer to complete because I kept pausing the test which did not work out in my favor. However, I realized that taking more breaks made me lose my focus, so that is something I will not do again. Another thing I realized while doing my remediations is that some of the questions I got wrong were like the ones I got wrong for practice A. This was frustrating for me and made me realize I must pay more attention while I do my remediations, so I do not repeat mistakes. I am glad that I made these mistakes between the two exams because I have learned from them, and I know what not to do now. My goals moving forward would be to put all my focus into my remediations, be able to stay focused during my exam, and doing practice questions before the proctored exam. The more practice questions I do, the more I should be able to learn about all the possible questions that could be on the exam. My goals should be reflected in the grade I get on the proctored comp exam.

Preparation for Licensure (ATI Comp Predictor Practice A)

April 30, 2022 /

When I first started taking the exam, I was surprised that it was 150 questions, so I was not prepared to sit there and take it for that long. However, I did try my best on the exam which ended up working out. Since no one was home in my apartment, I was able to gather my focus and take the exam. I knew I would have to be able to focus the whole time since we have a proctored comp exam coming up, so I tried very hard. There were some questions that I got wrong that I felt as though I should not have, so preparing for the comp final I will make sure that I do practice questions and go over all of the topics I have missed. Reflecting on my SMART goals, I have improved on staying focused during exams and using my crucial thinking skills. Reflecting on my pharmacology proctored ATI, I will continue to go over practice questions in order to do well on the proctored exam.

Preparation for Licensure (ATI Peds CAT) 

April 21, 2022 /

            This exam went well since we are currently taking our pediatric class. I tried to really focus on each question and think critically about the answers. However, there were some questions that I could have gotten right but did not think deeply enough about it. That is something I need to improve for future ATI exams. I want to be able to give each question my full focus and thought when answering it, so I do not make any silly mistakes like I have this time. I also need to make sure to take these exams in an environment that will not cause me any distractions because that will stimulate the environment we have while taking any proctored ATI exams. When it comes to my smart goals, I just want to continue to give my full focus to all the questions to make sure there were no questions that I got wrong that I could have got right. I should be able to measure this when going over the questions I got wrong and know that there was a reason I got it wrong other than making a silly mistake or not thinking fully about all of the answers.

Preparation for Licensure (ATI Pharm Proctored)

April 14, 2022 /

My goal from the last ATI I took, which was ATI Pharm practice B was that I would study a little bit every day to prepare for the proctored pharm exam. I did follow through with that and I would look at practice ATI’s and quizlets to prepare for the exam. I was very proud of myself for doing that because this was the first ATI assessment where I felt confident going into it. That is something that went well for me the fact that I studied and felt prepared. Something that did not go well was that I had been studying for the hours before taking the exam, so by the time I went to take the exam I felt a little bit burnt out. Reflecting on all my smart goals in the past, I will make sure to take a break before taking the next exam, so I do not already feel burnt out before I take it. I have had problems with losing focus during these exams in the past, so I have to make sure I do everything I can to make sure that does not happen.

Preparation for Licensure (ATI Pharm Practice B)

April 1, 2022 /

            The experience of taking the ATI pharm practice B was similar to me taking practice A. Even though my grade was lower on practice B, I still had the extra practice before taking it. It helped me understand how to choose the best answers for each question, but I was still not sure on some. Again, I felt I was able to keep my focus due to the fact it was only 60 questions and based on my SMART goal from the practice A reflection. I still wish I knew more information about medications, and with that I will make sure to study more for the proctored assessment. As a SMART goal I will work on practice pharm exams the week leading up to taking the proctored pharm assessment. It will be measured based on how much studying I do and making sure I do it every day. This should reflect through my grade after taking the ATI pharm proctored exam. Although I feel I am able to keep my focus on ATIs with 60 questions, I do need to continue to work on that and be prepared to take an exam that is longer and keep my focus for it.

Attaining and Protecting Your Professional Nursing License

March 31, 2022 /

I have been applying to hospitals around Massachusetts, and that is where I intend to become licensed by examination. Massachusetts is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state. People can apply for the RN examination through an online application found on the Mass.gov website, it can also be done on paper. The state needs to see a certification of graduation and a final transcript sent directly from the school.  Nurses in MA will need to comply with the Good Moral Character requirements and will ask for the persons consent at the time of the application submission for a background check. The background check will be conducted by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) database. A CORI acknowledgement form is required for all nursing applicants and advanced practice authorization.

In Massachusetts, there are laws and regulations put in place for nurses to report suspected patient abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and abuse of a disabled person as mandated reporters. Nurses also have a duty to report to the board if they see a nurse practicing while impaired by substance abuse or if they see diversion of controlled substances. There is a disciplinary action put in place if a nurse is caught doing any of these things. The MA Board of Nursing may impose on any license to inhibit that nurse from practicing in MA or APRN authorization and the right to renew the license. The disciplinary action would go to a national disciplinary data reporting system. On the mass.gov website, there is a list of actions that the state could take as well as a list of definitions regarding the disciplinary actions. The MA Nurses Association provides a free and confidential Peer Assistance Program to nurses that are seeking recovery. There are numbers online to call in order to get help through the MNA.

I feel as though it is very important to understand all of these topics talked about. It was very helpful having zoom classes where the Attorney General’s Office and the Medical Professionals Health Program spoke with us. Aside from them speaking with us, I have also heard stories from nurses of times their license was put at jeopardy when they did nothing wrong. This makes me nervous and extra cautious to protect it when I get my license. When I am a nurse, I will always make sure I have the patient’s consent before doing anything. When I care for my patients, I will explain all the care I am doing and each medication I give to them and ask if they have any questions. I will make sure to investigate before I report an issue or suspected abuse, but I will make sure that I do report it because it would benefit the patient whether it is for the patient or another nurse that I am reporting. Having good communication with each one of your patients as well as the unit in the hospital you work for will be beneficial and decrease the chance of any legal issues happening. I will always hold myself to a high standard as a nurse and make sure to think of my license with anything I am doing.

Preparation for Licensure (ATI Pharm Practice A)

March 28, 2022 /

            Taking Pharmacology ATI’s are always more challenging for me. However, in this case I feel like taking the ATI Pharmacology CAT practice exam prior to this helped me do better. I was thinking back to the questions that were asked on the previous exam and any remediations I did that may have helped me answer questions for this exam. Since there were only 60 questions I felt as though I was able to keep my focus for the whole exam without losing any. That is something I felt went well and something I hope to carry with me for the next ATI exams I take. In general, I would like to improve on my knowledge of pharmacology. I will take practice exams and retake previous ATI exams prior to our proctored ATI exam in class. I do not have any input on course adjustments at this time, I feel as though this will help with our proctored exam overall. When it comes to my SMART goals, I continue to strive to keep my focus for the whole exam time in order to do my best work. This will be measurable based mostly on how I felt I did, and it should be attainable by the next time I take an ATI exam. This is relevant to taking ATIs, but also to nursing in general. We need to be able to keep our focus for 12-hour shifts and for the NCLEX, so this is helping me with that.

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