I am so AFRAID about going to UTICA in December!

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

My friend just testing in Utica this weekend and she called me Thursday night freaking out because she said that UTICA is nothing but mountains and she had to drive along the water the whole time from Albany(She's afraid of water, bridges,heights,mountains and flying) She had to overcome it all to say the least. Well the Lady at Red Lobster in town told her that the town gets hammered with snow from October though Spring. When I accepted the site UTICA, I had no clue that it was in the mountains. I test Dec 5-7 and all I can picture is me flying out Thursday and getting stuck at the airport because of 3 feet of snow. Once I get to Syraques we have to drive 45 minutes to the site. My hubby is going and knows how to drive in snow. But the little snow in NC don't compare to the snow the NY gets. I don't know what to do. I can't focus on studying because I feel like I am setting myself up going there. Any advise? If I get stuck traveling there and can't get to the hospital in time, I will be devastated. I am sure EC will not refund me for travel complications. I am projected to get to Syraques Thurday at 2pm. I would die if I lost $3000 + if I could not get there because of the weather. Can anyone out there reassure me? I have done nothing but think about it all weekend. I really need to start studying and getting my "A" game together but I can't. Please Help with Advice.

:hdvwl::yldhdbng::urgycld:

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Most places that get hammered with that much snow know how to deal with it -- i.e., they can clear the roads like nobody's business and get things running again. Have you considered leaving one day earlier, on Wednesday? Might not be a bad idea to have an extra little bit of travel time built in. That, and praying to the Weather Gods. :D

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Hi stop worrying about the snow I live in Buffalo,NY and Utica does get more snow than we do buttttttt we do know how to handle the snow. Our world does not close down because of the snow NY cities handle snow great. It has to be a major blizzard before our life comes to a complete stop.

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I live in those very mountains, NC Girl. Calm down. We only freak out when the snow is measured in feet, not inches. ;)

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Specializes in Med surg and Psych.

NC Girl...Just rent some ski gear, and ski to your test site. LOL! I would be feeling the same, but probably worse. I am from West Texas, and we really do close down almost everything when we have snow. Good Luck to you. Now get to mastering those CPNE items. You are one of the ones I have watched start to ? So, go on and finish!

:igtsyt::urck: Traci

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Specializes in oncology, med surg & corrections.

YIKES:eek::eek::eek: i'm flying in to utica from phoenix, do you know how much snow there is in Phoenix, ZERO:no::no::no: I hope we will be ok because we go at the end of oct, right? Maybe I'll just take a flying leep out of the plane as we fly over the hospital:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle NC GIRL you'll be ok maybe you can get a cancel date and we can drive side by side, wait how many lanes are on this road:D:D:D

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

Thanks everyone! I knew I could count on you all to give me the low down. I will keep my date and pray that there will be little to No snow that weekend. In NC we shut down 2 days early if the forecaster even smell snow. I did change my care rental to a 4x4 just in case because I don't want to slide off a mountain on an economy car. Now that I know Suesquat lives up that way, I can call her and she can come rescue me if I get stranded.:D

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.
YIKES:eek::eek::eek: i'm flying in to utica from phoenix do you know how much snow there is in Phoenix, ZERO:no::no::no: I hope we will be ok because we go at the end of oct, right? Maybe I'll just take a flying leep out of the plane as we fly over the hospital:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle NC GIRL you'll be ok maybe you can get a cancel date and we can drive side by side, wait how many lanes are on this road:D:D:D[/quote']

My friend was not successful this weekend at Utica. She had to repeat the IV push and did not see an air bubble in the needle. She passed her two PCS and was totally heartbroken she did not see the bubble. She told me that the CE were great there and they got in and helped during the PCS. She said they watched what you were doing but they did not stare over her shoulder. She said she was definetly going back!

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Thanks everyone! I knew I could count on you all to give me the low down. I will keep my date and pray that there will be little to No snow that weekend. In NC we shut down 2 days early if the forecaster even smell snow. I did change my care rental to a 4x4 just in case because I don't want to slide off a mountain on an economy car. Now that I know Suesquat lives up that way, I can call her and she can come rescue me if I get stranded.:D

Honey, before you come you get my phone number.

When the snow is wicked here the big thing to worry about is whether the planes can land so take the advice the Excelsior gives and plan to arrive at least one day before your exam.

I drove from Ticonderoga to Saranac Lake every day for nursing school, past Lake Placid, where the Winter Olympics were once held, through an area called The Cascades which are notorious for being difficult in inclement weather. I did it through blizzards. You leave early and downshift instead of brake, and stay largely in second and first gear. And very few people here drive like idiots in the snow - we stay far behind one another and travel slowly. Just pull right and let aggressive idiots pass and if you can't, ignore them.

Make sure that your rental car had studded snow tires.

You'll be fine.. Remember, we take it slow and easy in the snow, avoid the brakes and use the gears, and have good snow tires.

And odds are you needn't worry. The roads start getting cleared tight away, esp in a "big" city like Utica, unless it looks like clearning the road would be fruitless.

:)

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My friend was not successful this weekend at Utica. She had to repeat the IV push and did not see an air bubble in the needle. She passed her two PCS and was totally heartbroken she did not see the bubble. She told me that the CE were great there and they got in and helped during the PCS. She said they watched what you were doing but they did not stare over her shoulder. She said she was definetly going back!

IV push is a bear. I flunked the first time on that, and almost the second. Be really careful on it. After my experience the first time with bubbles I overfilled and when the CE asked if I was ready for her to examine it I said, "No. I have overfilled this to remove bubbles." Don't be frightened to be super crazy anal and let them wait while you take the full 15 minutes if you need it.

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One thing I know of the northern states that are used to snow is this: They know how to clear it!!!!!! My husband is from Buffalo and we went up there many times for the holidays and they have those snow trucks always out clearing the roads. Just make sure to get a hotel close so you can put on some boots and run to the hospital :) Can you leave a day earlier *just in case?*

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.
One thing I know of the northern states that are used to snow is this: They know how to clear it!!!!!! My husband is from Buffalo and we went up there many times for the holidays and they have those snow trucks always out clearing the roads. Just make sure to get a hotel close so you can put on some boots and run to the hospital :) Can you leave a day earlier *just in case?*

I am leaving Thursday at 10:30am and plan to get there by 2pm.

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