blackboxwarning

If you think your own family is bad, just wait until your patient's family starts Googling things and telling you how to put in an IV As for how to handle the situation you described, it depends on the dynamic you have with your family/friends. My mom retired from nursing about 8 years ago, and a lot of things have changed since then. She likes to "correct" me about things I'm learning. I tried (nicely) a couple of times to explain to her that new research shows differently, but she was adamant. Now, I just nod and smile, because that was her life for 30 years, and I know it's hard for her to accept that it's over. She's retired--she doesn't *need* to know that we don't aspirate on IM injections anymore. :)

Not sure why you included your resume and life story in the original post...

I'm glad you got your hearing checked! Can you hear lung/heart sounds, and just not BP? Some things you might try... Have your instructor watch you. You could also have them listen with your stethoscope to make sure it's all good. Have someone else find the right spot and mark it with a pen. If you have a double bell, is it turned the right way? Press the diaphragm firmly, but don't occlude the pulse. Make sure the diaphragm is not touching the cuff.

Two suggestions... 1.) Amazon has lots of options for flesh-colored tape. If you find one that matches your skin tone closely, it's much more discreet than a bandage. Some of them have a setup where you order a sample kit containing all of the options, find your match, and then order that shade. 2.) I would discourage the use of standard face makeup, because you might sweat it off and stain your uniform. Sally Hansen makes a spray to cover spider veins and imperfections on the legs. Fantastic coverage, and you will have to scrub it off! Might be a PITA to apply at 0600, but it might work for you!:)

Hanging a banana bag after a wild night out.

Most larger hospitals have a nurse recruiter, who is part of HR. You can always call their office with general hiring questions. Every hospital handles new grads a little differently, so I'm sure they expect questions. You don't even have to give your name if you're worried about "irritating anyone".

During clinical, a patient urinated (some blood) in the hall while being transported. My instructor stayed with the spill, and I flagged down a custodian (because we're not given access to their supply closet, and I was supposed to accompany the patient). She told me that custodial staff isn't allowed to clean up a biohazard, and that it was the nurses' responsibility. My instructor (who also works at the facility) said that this was news to her and must be a new policy. I don't mind to clean up any kind of fluids, but there was something about this scenario that didn't seem right. I assumed that hospital custodial staff had received training on bodily fluids and had access to the appropriate chemicals. Is this the policy at your hospital? How do custodians flip rooms/clean toilets? If someone vomits in the ER waiting room, are you really going to page a nurse?

Disclaimer: I am not accusing the OP of what I describe in the following scenario. I'm just curious if there would ever be a time when this behavior was appropriate. What if...it was going to be a while on a tox screen, but you suspect the patient is lying about drug use? (You'd be surprised the things people disclose on their public profile.) What if you were on a medical recon mission of sorts? Obviously, you wouldn't base any sort of decision on what you found, but it could help point you in the right direction.

Sorry, they're all dead.

That's a heavy load in my opinion. If your school offers summer classes I would split them up.

If it's really worth it to you to salvage this friendship, try doing some non-nursing things together. Have a weekly/monthly dinner check-in and no discussion of school. The next time she snaps at you, you need to stand up for yourself. Calmly and firmly tell her she is out of line. Remind her that you are both working toward a goal. It's not a competition--you're on the same team. This does not excuse her behavior, but what you're seeing is her cracking under pressure. Do you think she is mentally sound? Is she taking care of herself otherwise? One of my classmates had a literal nervous breakdown last semester, and I think we all ignored the signs.

Evidence-based POSTING. Nice job!

Actually, Bear Grylls taught me that drinking warm beverages cools you down. But he also drinks his own urine, so I really don't know. Wear your hair up with a headband, and go light/no makeup. I always wear a sports bra under my scrubs--there's just something grody about sweating in a regular bra.

MedMaster Podcast from NRSNG. Each segment has a new drug. You can download a bunch of them at a time using the Stitcher app. I love it, and it's worked really well for me. (I swear they're not paying me.)

Angina Yes, it's pronounced like you'd think. At least when she gets older she can go by "Angie".