El Centro students Spring '06

Published

i know some of us have received our letters so i was wondering who else i will be making this journey with for the next 2 years.

my name is allison shaffer and it's nice to meet you. i know we will all be close because it's a small group. it would be nice to get to know some of you before november 17. :)

Specializes in ante/postpartum, baby RN.
But how bad is this gonna stink? You have clinical from 2:45 pm - 11:15 pm Monday & Tuesday and then have a test at NLC at 9:00 am on Wednesday? When are you supposed to study, or sleep? That is just the most ridiculous schedule I've heard! It's like they want to set people up to fail. They just aggravate me so badly! I'm glad she's nice, but grrrrr!

Yang

I had similar schedule and my clinical instructor let us reschedule our clinicals so we ended up not having clinicals before lecture tests. Also, you got St. Paul, right? They have wonderful nurses. Funny is right, you hardly ever have to go to NLC this semester. :Santa1: (I live around Addison/west Plano and loved going to NLC. It's a pretty and relaxing campus.)

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Specializes in Operating Room.

With free parking! :chuckle

I had the same schedule last semester. It's doable, and I live about an hour away from NLC and St. Paul with traffic.

MOST of our 4th semester clinicals are TW with a Thursday lecture day. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in OR Internship starting in Jan!!.

I got switched, too.

Which is funny since NLC was my first choice, but when I got ECC, I moved into a place to live near ECC instead of moving near NLC.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

:uhoh3: Oh great!

Well, at least y'all don't have to go in every week.

I got switched, too.

Which is funny since NLC was my first choice, but when I got ECC, I moved into a place to live near ECC instead of moving near NLC.

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Specializes in ER.

So, when do you go to pick patients if your shift starts at 3pm? The night before? Seems like a lot of them might get discharged. Or do you have to pick them that morning? It just seems like a shift where you wouldn't have as much opportunity for practicing skills.

Yang

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Specializes in Operating Room.

We actually went in at 2 pm for our clinical.

We did go the day before, but some went that morning. I did go in the AM a couple of times....because I wanted to save on gas money!

We got skills...I did a in and out cath, and d/c'ed a Foley, did lots of PO meds, and an ok amount of IV meds. (Ms. Paul said there are usually more of those, but it all depends on who is at the hospital any given day....)

We got to do other nurses' IM injections, with Ms. Paul there to see you at first. There were PLENTY of SubQ insulin injections given before dinner and/or before bed time.

You can also do other nurses' catheters, and sterile dressings. Ms. P wants to see them. (She didn't see mine, but a nurse was in with me and signed off for them.)

At St. Paul, we got to go to the ER for 2 days. I LOVED IT, and now I really am interested in ER nursing! :balloons: I think I started 9 IV's in those 2 days, even gave 2 chances away to 2 students with me because they hadn't had a chance to start one at the time. (That was the on first day in the ER.) !

(Of course, I still like my OR or ICU idea, but am very interesed in ER too!) ha

You still have to do the assessments when you go in, and do one in front of the instructor. You also will have to do an IV med in front of the instructor. (Both of these are pass/fail for the 5% points, not pass/fail for the semester.)

This link is for my IV Administration Steps. It should be somewhat accurate....at least enough that you can understand how to do it. I wish I would have had this before having to be taught how to do it AT the hospital IN FRONT of a pt!!!! :uhoh3:

http://www.nursingjourney.com/IV Administration Steps.doc

(It's too big of file to attach it according to AllNurses' rulese, so y'all will have to just download it.) :)

Attached are my assessment sheets I made (One is for the 2-10, one for a 12-hour shift.)

Beginning of Shift Assessment - 2.doc

Beginning of Shift Assessment - 2 - 12hrShift.doc

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Specializes in ER.

You have to do an assessment in front of her? Geez. We didn't even have to do that in 2nd semester. Hopefully it will be good...I'm calmer now than I was before, but I still think it's crap that they split some people off. That could really affect some people lecture wise. Thanks for all the info & forms Fun....I really appreciate it!

Yang

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Yeah, I get all 'frazzled' having to do mini check-offs, just the same as if they were the real 1st and 2nd semester check-offs.

I also thought it was strange we had to do it in 3rd, but not second.

You're welcome! :) Do some practice runs acting like you are punching the buttons on the machines. It will help you to understand how to do it before the instructor shows you how in front of the pt.)

You will have to do hang an IV piggy back med in front of the instructor. I think they IV admininstration doc shows you how to do the piggy back. (I don't really remember....)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele.

We were told, we have to do another assessment and IVPB check off in 4th semester. Supposedly everyone have to do this. Now our instructor had us do two piggy back check offs : one antibiotic and on electrolyte. Also the pumps are different in every hospital, at least they looked different at Parkland ;).

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Right, they are a little different. I found looking up IV pump pics helps figure them out outside the hospital.

If all else fails, we almost took a pic of one at the hospital, but the one that wasn't being used was mysteriously moved by the time we thought about taking the pic. lol The pics I found online are very close to St. Paul's IV pumps.

....And then there's the dial they use in the ER....that's one I haven't looked to see if I can find a pic of it!

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Specializes in Nephrology.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!!!!

I just signed up to take NCLEX January 17th. I am soooo crazy!!!!!! LOL. My employer prefers me to have completed NCLEX before I begin my Internship as they describe it as being in school all over again (eek!). I got my ATT Friday and signed up that afternoon. Only 18 more days!!!!!!!!!! Cool but frightening!!!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!! :balloons:

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Specializes in ante/postpartum, baby RN.
I just signed up to take NCLEX January 17th. I am soooo crazy!!!!!! LOL. My employer prefers me to have completed NCLEX before I begin my Internship as they describe it as being in school all over again (eek!). I got my ATT Friday and signed up that afternoon. Only 18 more days!!!!!!!!!! Cool but frightening!!!!!

Good luck! :balloons:

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