wheresthecharge

To add what has been stated... The pay is different between rns and rpns. rns make slightly more usually in any given equivalent position. The expected "complexity" that rns usually deal with in terms of their patients... they are suppose to be more unstable. However, I have seen experienced rpns deal with complex patients instead of rns. The program for rns is longer than rpns. However, rpns have to know a lot more in a very short period of time. Hope this helps.

Some things to consider also include demonstrating outreach or knowledge of a department in public health. This can be done through volunteering or taking certification/courses in the specific area of interest such as infectious diseases, chronic diseases, maternity/newborn, mental health, etc. To add to what was written, you need approximately 2 years worth of full-time experience to be eligible to get into a nurse practitioner program. You can either do a masters in nursing and then do a certification for nurse practitioner OR do a primary health nurse practitioner program. Good luck! Feel free to message or comment if you have any more questions.

You do not necessarily need a Master's to be a wound care specialist. However, you do need experience on which you are working on! Congratulations! Certification in wounds is a common listed required or expected qualification for this position. This can easily be done at a college or university under continuing education.

Slowly but surely... some places are getting software that allows physicians to type orders rather than write them. So its about advocating for this if your place of work does not have this already.

I know this comment may probably long overdue... but I wrote a post about this on my blog. I update it as I experience interviews for different positions. Here are some common questions you may get during an interview for a nursing position 1. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? 2. Person walks through the door presenting these signs and symptoms...what do you do (ex. heart attack, stroke, overdose, anaphylaxis, fall, etc.)? 3. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about this facility? 4. What separates you from the other candidates? 5. Summarize your clinical background. 6. How did your education/experiences prepare you for this position? 7. Tell me about yourself. 8. What kind of assessments would you do for someone presenting signs and symptoms of....lab work? diagnostic test? physical assessment? 9. What kind of health teaching would you give someone with a diagnosis of...nutrition? medication? limitations? safety? 10. What do you do when a patient is violent? Procedure? Priorities? 11. How do you prioritize your patients? Explain? 12. Give an example of a time when you managed conflict with a patient or co-worker. 13. What are your career and educational goals? 14. Describe your experience working with our population (ex. immigrants, lgbt, homeless, etc.)? 15. How do you keep up to date with what is happening in your field and with the latest recommendations for practice? Take into consideration the patient demographic, the healthcare setting and the type of professionals that you will potentially be working with. Remember that every answer should always be explained, never listed.

The maximum your resume should be is two pages. However, make sure that you only include 'relevant' experiences and qualifications as opposed to everything you have and done.

Under your clinical experiences where you state skills you have performed, try to word it a way where they sound like an accomplishment rather than a task. For example, Decreased pain of women in varying stages of labour by performing fundal massages Or something like that...

I am not sure which province you are in, but try using CharityVillage - use the filters nursing/health/nurse and entry level you will be surprised to see they are not all PSW work.

This is a fun topic! I remember getting random stuff from my peers were always appreciated. Cards Mini alcohol bottles/special flavored name juices artsy stuff (knitted or crocheted) baked goods food in general I think getting anything is a very kind gesture to begin with.

There are a lot of jobs nurses can do. Think beyond the traditional (though some do need an extra course or two): Educator (Public Health or Post-secondary) Research (assistant or associate) Politics (union) Occupational nurse Doctor's office/clinic Consultant/Case Manager Discharge Planner/Patient flow Coordinator Liability Claims Professional nursing association (support staff) Etc., best of luck!

I remember those feelings, and still have them every now and then. Though I am not extremely experienced when it comes to self-care... consider the following: Do you take your breaks? Do you focus on your responsibilities, or do you try to help everyone else out with theirs? Do you eat properly? Do you keep hydrated? Have you shared these feelings with management? Do you feel comfortable telling them? Would they or did they do anything to provide support? Personally, I find that telling someone (outside of work, not a co-worker) about all the stresses of work (without breaking confidentiality) helps. It helps to just rant sometimes. You need to find methods that are effective for you to cope. If you find that you still dread going to work and feel like you want to quit... I consider still applying elsewhere... just take it day by day. However...just quitting with your situation I think may cause you more stress from the way it sounds. Take care. P.S. If you ever need someone to rant to, my door is always open.

I agree with everyone who has posted that working for the first time was harder to cope with in comparison to first semester nursing school. However, I find that the first semester was challenging in its own right. I remember thinking and still thinking, am I really smart enough to do this? Why does everyone seem like they are just breezing through this? I think what made me stress the most was constantly comparing myself to others. Though I am a hypocrite when I state this, focus on yourself. You need support and to practice self-care as well. You deserve it for getting into nursing school and choosing to balance all your responsibilities. Even at least 15-30 minutes of doing whatever activity YOU want - sleep, music, food gorge, exercise, reading - each day goes a long way. Take care always. Remember, you are no good to anyone if you don't feel well. So take care of yourself first.

From what it sounds like, the nursing role and work environment are two things that you don't like. I wouldn't say you hate nursing per say as you did not mention that you dislike caring for people... There is more to nursing then just working in a hospital or long-term care. I would suggest exploring other nursing roles by volunteering and shadowing or even applying if you can.

Making connections is also a benefit of going to job fairs. Even though they may not have a position, they could potentially pass your name to someone who might.

Hi, I am not sure if this is too late, but I wrote a blog post about common questions that I was asked during my interviews. Here is a list to practice with: 1. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? 2. Person walks through the door presenting these signs and symptoms...what do you do (ex. heart attack, stroke, overdose, anaphylaxis, fall, etc.)? 3. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about this facility? 4. What separates you from the other candidates? 5. Summarize your clinical background. 6. How did your education/experiences prepare you for this position? 7. Tell me about yourself. 8. What kind of assessments would you do for someone presenting signs and symptoms of....lab work? diagnostic test? physical assessment? 9. What kind of health teaching would you give someone with a diagnosis of...nutrition? medication? limitations? safety? 10. What do you do when a patient is violent? Procedure? Priorities? 11. How do you prioritize your patients? Explain? 12. Give an example of a time when you managed conflict with a patient or co-worker. 13. What are your career and educational goals?

I know when I was studying nursing, there were quite a few mothers and fathers in my year. It is challenging, but not impossible. In addition to what was stated, make sure you have the support of your friends/family as balancing all the different demands may require some flexibility.

any luck yet?

I mean how do you study? I think that may be the reason why no one has responded yet. They may be unsure of what you are exactly expecting...Did you want a partner who could quiz you? Did you want someone to review concepts with? Did you want someone to teach you? Did you want someone to just be physically with you when you studied so you could focus better? etc.

Yah that is tough. I may be wrong... depends on your professor and the course... but I think the key to answering the critical thinking questions is not necessarily knowing all the little details. It is about having a solid understanding of the key concepts and applying them. I wish you all the best though.

Hello, how do you study?

First off, take a breath. The transition into nursing school first semester can get overwhelming considering you are diving right in. Second, determine what kind of a learner you are. Whether it helps for you to study with others, read, diagrams, notes, etc. Third, use that as your main method to study. How ever you decide to take notes, consider just reading for understanding and then just flag important or key ideas. For example, if you are learning how to communicate with a patient - only write notes about special acronyms or dos and donts of communication. If you find that you don't have time to read all of the notes - try reading when you are travelling using audio recordings or photocopies of what you need to read. I hope this helps.

From what it sounds like its just the learning environment you are in. You are not alone in experiencing this. I agree with what has been said, and to add I say focus more on you. You will see as you are just starting, nursing programs... like other programs... will have people gradually drop or fall behind as you move forward through the courses. all the best!

I know I have an interest in primary care, but I actually have minimal exposure to nurses' roles in public health and community. I know the opportunities are broad, so my questions to anyone working in these specialties: 1) What does a typical day/night look like for you? 2) What are the pros and cons of your role? 3) What steps did you take to get into the specialty? Other stories, tips or comments are much appreciated as well!

Hi Mesha, have you considered also just looking at positions that fall under public or community health? You may be able to find a position or internship if primary care is where you want to go. Otherwise, if you are interested in nursing... I am not sure if the US has this... but they may have 2nd entry programs that allow you to be eligible to become an rn with a degree. I am not sure if the way US does their clinical placements is the same way they do it in Canada... but you may struggle during the practical part if you are not able to be on your feet. Discuss this with student services of the schools and programs you are interested in before applying to see if you can be accommodated. Otherwise, once you graduate you do not have to work in a hospital if that is not what excites you. nurses can be found beyond the bedside such as in public health, education, law, politics, business, etc. Sorry I could not offer much help, but all the best with your goals! Take care!

The one thing nursing has taught me is that you can still help people beyond the bedside in a hospital or long term care. I am a registered nurse with a bscn/bsn/bn practicing for just under a year in geriatrics.