Tools to Succeed Without the Guarantee

Death and taxes - that's it. Those are the only two things that are guaranteed in life. All other guarantees are worthless.

Your vacuum that's guaranteed for life, will most definitely pack it in. Your rain gear that's supposed to last through a dozen hurricanes will start to feel the effects of time in a year or so. People say Taylor Swift is guaranteed to die a spinster, but even the shaky one could find love…eventually.

The moral: Nothing is guaranteed. So when an NCLEX prep program guarantees you will pass the National Nursing Exam, they're not being completely honest. That's why PRIMED Education never makes that empty promise.

PRIMED offers one of the best NCLEX prep courses in the country, preparing nurses for the exam that will allow them to enter their chosen field. The course material covers all of the fundamental concepts, with an intensive review session. Students are exposed to a sampling of NCLEX-RN style questions so there are no surprise exam elements. The course also reinforces the core competencies that define the nursing profession.

It is the ideal package of resource material, review questions and computer adaptive assessment.

But does it guarantee a pass on the NCLEX? No.

The PRIMED course is the last instrument in a work belt laden with tools. Those tools were acquired over four years of nursing school. They cannot be retrieved from a 2-day course, no matter the intensity.

Students who have not put in the work and effort will fall short. This is a fact. But, students who are looking to refine their existing skills, while practicing NCLEX assessment-like questions, will improve their chances of securing a pass on the exam. And every advantage helps…

If you are considering enrolling in a prep course that guarantees a pass, think twice about what they are offering. How could an educator ever guarantee that their student had retained the necessary information to succeed? They can provide the information, explain the techniques and demonstrate the skills, but if the student does not prepare properly for their assessment, they will never succeed.

Don’t fall behind the curve. Improve your odds. Get PRIMED.

UBC Nursing Director Honoured with National Title

Ethel Johns, one of the founding directors of the University of British Columbia's nursing program, has been declared a Person of National Historic Significance. Close to fifty years after her passing, Johns is finally being given the recognition she deserves. Her award will put her amongst a distinguished group of Canadians that have been honoured with the title. Past recipients include Terry Fox, Marshall McLuhan, Emily Murphy and Emily Carr.

Johns’ push for a nursing program at UBC occurred eleven years after the higher education facility was opened. Her request for increased education for nurses at the University came at the perfect time. Canada had recently seen the value of nurses during their military engagements in Europe and the global pandemic of the Spanish Flu had brought the vulnerability of the human body major attention. Nurses were needed everywhere and schools were needed to train them.

At the time, there were only four faculties at UBC: Arts, Science, Agriculture and Applied Science. Nursing was placed within the Applied Science faculty and Johns was named official coordinator in 1919. During this period, she was also the Director of Nursing Services and Education at Vancouver General Hospital.

Before the program was established, nurses learned on the job or at limited training centres in hospitals. In fact, Johns flagship program was the first degree-granting program for nurses in the British Empire; quite an accomplishment for a nurse who learned her trade at a hospital in Winnipeg.

Now, close to a hundred years later, UBC is one of the many educational establishments offering degrees in nursing across Canada. Nursingstudents leave with an education that has its roots in the stubborn wishes of a feisty no-nonsense professional who worked tirelessly to promote the need for educated nurses.

Johns would go on to develop nursing programs across Europe and at the Ivy League American University, Cornell.

Famous Nurses in History: Calamity Jane

Martha Jane Cannary, better known to the public as Calamity Jane, was a woman with many hats. She was resourceful, intelligent, self-assured, rude, generous, caring, loud, obnoxious and a legend in her own time. A virtual paradox of character, she could entertain men as a dance-hall girl and drive a team of oxen over 500 kms. She was a crossdresser, a miner, a laundress, a sharp shooter, a prostitute, a storyteller, a scout for the army and for a short time, a nurse.

Calamity was a product of her upbringing. She was forced to start working at the age of twelve to support her younger siblings after both her parents died. Her desire for adventure and her free spirit kept her moving and she went on to explore half of North America, working in a variety of professions. Her skills at riflery and scouting made her a valuable commodity on the frontier.

One of the most famous towns that Calamity passed through was Deadwood. Immortalized in the HBO series of the same name, Deadwood was a lawless town that grew up around a gold claim. It was the scene of 'Wild' Bill Hickok's death and for a short period in 1878, the site of a minor small pox epidemic. It was during this outbreak that Calamity found herself entering the world of nursing.

Calamity took it upon herself to care for eight men that came down with the disease. The men were quarantined and Calamity offered her assistance. She used epsom salts and cream of tartar to care for the men. As a result of her work, five of her patients lived.

While her generosity and natural empathy could have easily lead her to a meaningful and rewarding career in healthcare, her preference for liquor, bawdy behaviour and cursing kept her from making nursing a serious career choice. She probably would have never given up her chaps for nursing scrubs.

-If you’re wondering about her name, rumour has it that fellow frontier drifters often used the term ‘courting calamity’ when referring to men that approached her.

NCLEX-RN Triage: Examining the Fears of Canadian Nursing Students

Canadian and American nurses will now be writing the same exam for entry into the nursing profession. The NCLEX-RN will be measuring the preparedness of nursing students in both Canada and the United States. While some nurses are excited about being certified under the broader umbrella, others are worried that the American testing format may jeopardize their potential for approval.

One of the early fears was that the test would be administered in an imperial format. This, of course, would be completely unfair for Canadian nursing students. Rest assured, the Canadian format of the NCLEX-RN uses metric measurements.

Another fear of Canadian students is that the test will be biased towards a private healthcare model. Canadian nursing boards promise this will not be the case.

Bill Clarke, from the College of Nurses of Ontario, stresses that the test is in place to evaluate the skill, knowledge and judgment of Canadian nurses. "This exam does not test the writer's knowledge of different legislation or policies, cultural values or health care environments. It only tests what is required for entry-level nursing practice, and helps ensure that applicants will be able to provide safe care as they begin their nursing careers."

The most obvious change will be the exam question format. The NCLEX uses a computer-adapted test that varies questions depending on the answers given during an initial question period. This change does not favour an American education.

Some nursing schools in Canada have started to workshop NCLEX exam taking scenarios that mimic the adaptive test format. Many nurses are looking to private education training like the classes being taught by PRIMED Educational Associates. PRIMED offers NCLEX review sessions that focus on specific material while providing students with valuable test-taking strategies for computer-adapted testing.

The first round of tests is this January. It will be interesting to see how Canadian students fair against their American counterparts. There are already plans in place to audit all of the Canadian nurses that were tested in 2015 at the end of the year. This process, along with other checks and balances, will help Canadian nurses and educators gauge the effectiveness of the exam.

Working on Those Night Moves: The RN Night Shift

The Night Shift

The nursing field is one of the few careers where working shift work is almost guaranteed. Most nurses know this going in, but not all are prepared for the grueling schedule of the night shift.

As nurses, our patients' health is our number one priority. But before we start to offer care to others in need, we should always remember to take care of our own bodies. Below is a short list of ways nurses can maintain a healthy lifestyle while working nights:

Before Work

-The night (day) before your shift, make sure to prioritize your sleep time. Eight hours is the suggested time for mental and physical recuperation.

-Arrive at work with a healthy meal inside of you. Don't overload on one particular food group. Try to have an even spread.

-Schedule your week before it begins. Ask to have your days off together. Make a plan to meet with your friends and loved ones. It is extremely important for shift workers to keep their connections with their private life. Make the effort and plan to socialize on your days off or before a shift.

-Schedule regular checkups with your doctor. You need to pay even more attention to your body and overall health when working against nature's natural rhythms.

During Work

-Drink more water. Water flushes out toxins, ensures hydration and keeps you awake.

-Get your tedious tasks done early. You don't want to be stuck with a mound of paperwork at 4 a.m., the time most nurses feel a considerable drop in energy.

-Avoid the quick boosts. Donuts, cookies and cakes are not your friends. At least while you're working. They are wonderful treats to indulge in after hours, but during work, they only offer a temporary spike followed by a greater dip.

-Some experts suggest grazing, small snacks of healthy food throughout your shift.

-Be safe on your break. When you work nights, your breaks are usually taken in the dark. If you do plan to leave your facility, make sure to tell one of your colleagues.

After Work

-If possible take public transit or get a ride

-Wear dark sunglasses driving home, so the morning sun doesn't disrupt your melatonin production.

-If you feel tired on the drive, pull over immediately. Car pooling is one way you can increase your safety on your commute. Keeping a conversation will keep you stimulated and two pairs of eyes on the road is always better than one.

-Have a light meal before heading to bed. Some experts suggest sticking with the meals consistent with day work.

-Make sure your room is as dark as possible. Black out blinds or black paper over your windows will limit the amount of sunshine entering your bedroom. This will help your body nod off.

-Use fans to drown out the noises outside of your room.

-Always remember to turn off all your electrical devices, or at least turn them to silent.