pluckyduck MSN, NP

pluckyduck has 12 years experience as a MSN, NP and specializes in Emergency medicine, primary care.

Latest Activity

1. Emergency nurse practitioner certification

   pluckyduck posted a topic in NP

   Hi all, I'm a primary care NP (FNP) working in a small satellite emergency department for a larger health system. I've been working in ER for 10 months and was an ER RN at a level one trauma center prior to my current role. I'm interested in do...

2. How much do you owe in student loans?

   pluckyduck replied to MJB2010's topic in General Nursing

   Hi, I went to school in Ontario. There are 9 schools in Ontario that offer primary care NP programs at the Master’s level. Primary care in Ontario is equivalent to “family/FNP” in the US. A consortium of nine Ontario universities currently offer...

3. How much do you owe in student loans?

   pluckyduck replied to MJB2010's topic in General Nursing

   I did my master’s & FNP in Canada, where I’m originally from, at the same school I did my BSN at. My student loan was $18K Canadian. Part of the reason I chose to go back in Canada even though I live in the US is because the tuition was better an...

4. 2020-2021 influenza vaccine

   pluckyduck replied to JVBT's topic in COVID

   My employer mandates it, unless there is a medical exemption/documentation (and it usually has to be pretty legit—like anaphylaxis, for example). Otherwise, if you’re not immunized by December 1 you’ll be terminated. I get my flu shot every...

5. New protocol - No report from ER to floor...

   pluckyduck replied to justjRN's topic in General Nursing

   We use EPIC at work and we only call report to the unit when patient is going to step down or ICU, and then the RN brings them up on a monitor with a tech. Otherwise, our department has a quick text template that we use as a free text note that looks...

6. Your most bonehead moment in nursing. Or 2. Or 3.

   pluckyduck replied to FolksBtrippin's topic in General Nursing

   I placed EKG leads on an elderly lady in triage once. She came in for syncope. I put the stickers on and could not get the leads to pick up. I used two different machines and rebooted the damn thing and finally asked he tech for troubleshooting help....

7. What is it like to work in a good hospital?

   pluckyduck replied to Green Tea, RN's topic in General Nursing

   We have high turnover in the ED because we hire new grads and after a couple years, they want to go to ICU to do CRNA, or they want to travel nurse. We are always short staffed and I’m getting tired. If I didn’t have a year left of school, I’d probab...

8. Leaving the OR

   pluckyduck replied to Tpax's topic in General Nursing

   I worked in the OR of a level one trauma center/teaching hospital for 3.5 years after I graduated nursing school. Never did a day of OR in clinicals but wanted full time work, and they paid for my training and certification, and gave me an extensive ...

9. I'm going to be a model! A pelvic model, that is...

   pluckyduck replied to klone's topic in General Nursing

   As a NP student, thanks for helping us learn. This is cool of you to do, especially donating back to PP. ??

10. Please Help!!

    pluckyduck replied to gravy94's topic in General Nursing

    I volunteer with an animal rescue group. I also went back to school for my master’s. this is an expensive way to “pass the time” though. ? If you like learning, look into studying for the specialization you work in—example, CCRN, CEN.

11. Canadian nurse in the states

    pluckyduck replied to sambatth's topic in International

    So a RPN in Canada would be an LPN (licensed practical nurse) in the US equivalent wise. The ADN is an associates diploma program but it is for RNs only —it’s an alternative to the BSN here because of the cost and time required to obtain a BSN, many ...

12. Canadian nurse in the states

    pluckyduck replied to sambatth's topic in International

    I can answer this because I am a Canadian working in the US. I’ve been working here for the last 4 years. The NCLEX-RN is the same test whether written in Canada or the US but you need to look at the individual licensing requirements for the state yo...

13. I was slapped by a patient

    pluckyduck replied to FNPStudentLife's topic in General Nursing

    I was assaulted for the same reason—patient discharged from ED, had no place to go. So he punched me in the side of the head and he got an admission to a psych facility and 4 points. You better believe I pressed charges. I went with our department se...

14. Nicotine Drug Testing in the Texas Medical Center

    pluckyduck replied to MA8675309's topic in General Nursing

    All the major medical systems in southeastern Michigan are tobacco free and employees are subject to urine drug testing as a condition of their hire. If there’s nicotine present, they won’t be hired. If they drug test you at random, and they find nic...

15. Is it normal to be so tired on days off after working 3 12s?

    pluckyduck replied to FNPStudentLife's topic in General Nursing

    Agree with the previous advice—I work days 6a-6p in the ED and when I do 3 in a row, I’m tired the first day off. But if you’re feeling exhausted, maybe you should see your PCP for a thyroid check, make sure this isn’t a symptom of something more ins...