INPUT ARTICLE: Article: To become a nurse, you'll need to get a college degree. Prepare yourself for college by maintaining your highest possible GPA in high school. Take high level math and science courses, and take advanced classes when you can. Complete 12th grade level biology, chemistry, and math. If your high school GPA is below a 3.0, consider taking some general requirements or math and science classes at a local junior college to bring up your score. Nursing is a demanding field, so you'll need to show that you are serious when you apply for your degree. Try volunteering at a local hospital to get some on-the-ground experience. Look into volunteer summer programs for high school students at hospitals near you. Volunteers do menial activities like changing batteries in heart monitors, or checking visitors in. Doing this allows you to familiarize yourself with the rhythms of a hospital, and might help you learn more about the kind of psychiatric nurse you'd like to be. Consider becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Once you're 18, you can get certified as a CNA, which will help your nursing program application. Take CPR classes or any other medical training available to you. If you pursue your nursing degree, you can then continue your education with a Masters in Nursing (MSN) or related degree in order to become an APRN. Psychiatric nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists are APRNs. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are licensed to practice independently. They are qualified to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe treatment to mental health patients. This is a great degree to pursue if you are interested in working for yourself. Clinical nurse specialists can also diagnose patients, but are not able to prescribe medication in most states. Pursue this title if you are interested in serving as a specialist and expert consultant in a hospital. Psychiatric nurses work with all different age groups, in a wide range of settings, and on an even wider range of issues. Before you begin your degree, think about what you would like to work on. Most psychiatric nurses focus on children, adolescents, or adults. Think about what age groups you'd most like to work with. If you're not sure now, pay attention to the work you like the best when you're doing clinical work as a student. Consider disorders you might like to specialize in. You can specialize in eating disorders, for instance, or mood disorders. Psychiatric nurses sometimes specialize in treating individuals, families, or groups of patients.

SUMMARY: Maintain a high GPA in high school. Complete training outside of school to prepare. Consider aiming to become an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Think about specializing within your field.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When people become hurt during disagreements, it is often because one person feels like the other is being disrespectful towards them. This commonly occurs because of the tone or edge in their voice. Keeping condescending attitudes out of the discussion may stop hard feelings from forming. When you feel yourself getting worked up and potentially getting an attitude, take a break from the conversation. You can say, "I need to take a break for a minute. I'm starting to get upset and I do not want to say something I do not mean or say it with an attitude." Excusing yourself from the conversation in this manner is respectful and can prevent a huge fight from occurring. There is no need to drag anyone else into your political conversations. There also isn't a need to talk badly about your partner's politics to anyone, particularly your children. Instead of causing more issues by bringing others into your disagreements, simply keep the political talk between you and your partner. You can talk to your children about politics, just try to keep your own beliefs and opinions to yourself, especially when they differ from your significant other's. Stick with the basics and avoid inserting anything else other than the facts. If your friends or family wish to discuss politics with you, simply say, "I don't like to talk politics with friends or family, so let's discuss something else." Voicing your opinion in a calm way allows you to move on and keep the relationship intact. It's common to hear of Democrats and Republicans trading insults, especially during debates. Doing this with your partner, however, is unacceptable. Although you have a difference of opinion when it comes to politics, you should refrain from insults and hitting below the belt to get your point across. Remember that politics is not black or white, good or evil it is a spectrum, and there can be a lot of gray area. Don't assume something about the other person's beliefs or personality based simply on their political alignment. They don't necessarily agree with each and every viewpoint being presented by one side. People, and politics, are complex, and it's not necessarily a case of "all or nothing." In a majority of conversations, people don't listen as intently as they should. Instead, they are simply waiting for the other person to stop talking so that they can then begin to speak. Not fully hearing your partner can lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. To prevent this, fully listen to what your partner has to say and then formulate a response. It may take some practice and a lot of self-restraint to resist defending yourself and your beliefs before allowing your partner to speak their mind. However, if you do so, you'll likely find that your discussions may not end in as many arguments. You can also ask your partner to do the same. You could say, "I am going to do my best to listen intently to what you have to say before I interject my opinion. I think if we both practiced this type of listening, we could better understand each other." If your partner is taking about a topic you're not familiar with, be honest and open about it. You might say something like, "I'm not familiar with that topic so I can't comment on it, but I'll do my best to educate myself on it." In all of this, remember how you feel about your partner. There's a reason why you are together in the first place. Instead of coming back with a cutting response, think about how much you love each other and if winning the conversation is worth potentially damaging your relationship. Simply taking a deep breath and choosing to walk away from the conversation may stop a disagreement from occurring in which feelings are hurt. Instead, be the bigger person and realize that your relationship is more important than what is occurring in politics.

SUMMARY: Watch your tone. Keep your beliefs between the two of you. Avoid speaking negatively towards one another. Practice listening, instead of speaking. Remember how important your relationship is.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: For the ultimate in nasty, zombie nails be sure you find the right color of pallid green to use as your base coat. Other polish considerations include red (for blood), black (for bruising and dirt), white, yellow and even purple. Consider using a uniform color such as green or yellow to achieve the full effect. Unlike the skull nails, zombie nails are messy and dirty, so your nail art should represent this. Consider painting splashes and splatters of red (blood) on some nails, creepy eyeballs and stitching on others. For example, cover your hand, exposing only one finger and go for the blood splattered look with red polish. Or use a dotting tool and a toothpick to create a bulging eye with blood oozing. Remember--there are no hard and fast rules on these nails, the grosser the better!

SUMMARY:
Gather a multitude of nail polish colors. Paint your base coat and allow it to dry before you add your design. Plan how your zombie nails will appear. Use a variety of tools to achieve your look.