Toaster2k18

Hi all, Just want advice/direction. So I have been in my part time position for about 6 months now new graduate. I didn't think I would enjoy it but I really do. Since I am part time, they can cancel my shifts based on patients in the unit. The unit I am in doesn't have full time positions often and barely anyone leaves. I am unionized and based on the agreement, the manager has to put the job posting for a week and interview etc internally based on seniority. However, this did not happen and I found out that the nurse who is in residency program got the full time position. I am quite certain I have more seniority over the nurse. My dilemma is, I want the full time position for stability and have a routine but at the same time I don't want to have a sour relationship with the nurse. I don't think it's her fault. I am not sure what to do...

Thank you all for the input. I'll definitely be more aware of these situation moving forward.

I am in surgical unit. I had a pt, drowsy. Diabetic. Vascular patient. Second day dialysis. She supposed to be receving d5w-0.9% nacl IV at low rate, very low urine output. NPO. There was a sliding scale insulin that specifically said to give with meals but shes NPO. I decided not to give any even though the sliding scale says I should. Blood sugar was hovering around 4-5 mmol throughout the day. When I called the endocrinologist, they got mad because I held it. What could I have done something different? Am I in the wrong?

If a family member of a palliative care patient asks that they are concerned with opoid addiction for the patient, how do you respond?

Thanks! I just finished my 5 week medicine rotation. It was brutal. I don't think it is for me. I am mentally drained and defeated.

Thank you for your tips. May I know how your experience was in a medicine/surgical unit if you worked in those unit? I'll definitely be asking questions and all that.

Thank you!

Hello, I am a new grad RN, will be starting this 12 week mentorship program in nursing resource team (float, but told mostly in medicine, surgery unit). I will be preceptored for 12 weeks. I am excited but VERY anxious and scared. I have never worked in a medicine floor before, my clinicals were mostly in palliative and rehab unit so I am very sure the learning curve will be big. Any tips for a new grad? Like on organization, time management, dos and don'ts before I start my position in a month? TIA

Hello, I am LPN worked primarily in nursing home and vaccination clinic. I am on my last year for BSN degree. I have preceptored clinicals in Oncology unit right now. I never had full patient load in my previous years and this year my preceptor gave me 4 patients at nights, normal for a charge nurse to have. All I can say is, I am exhausted, mentally and physically. I have been feeling this way since last year but I managed to get through. I dread going to placement. I feel incompetent because my physical assessments are not good, I forget x and y. I don’t know how they realistic expect me to do full head to toe assessment on 4 patients within x amount of timeframe. I feel like every shift I am taking a step back rather than improving. I feel horrible. My preceptor is supportive but darn, I am disappointing her. Just need encouragement or support… I know this is my last year but holy hell, I don’t know how much I got left in me. I don’t even know if I want to do bedside.

Thank you!! Thanks y’all! It’s surprising how many people are afraid of needles. It’s an eye opening! I had a few incidents after the first one and I did not panic one bit! I asked firefighters to get me a wheelchair/mat just incase and rolled him in to a private toom,gave the client juice and asked him to take off mask so its easier to breathe and took the clients’ vitals and everything was OK. I would say that I am getting better at it!

Thanks all for the encouragement. I will definitely look at this as a learning opportunity.

I graduated a year ago and have been working in long-term care. I have been working in COVID immunization clinic for a few weeks now. Yesterday was my first rotation to after care area, where clients sit for 15 minutes after vaccination. I had a client who began to experience fainting. He had clammy skin, shortness of breath and eye balls rolling. Good thing I noticed the client for help otherwise he would have fell down from chair. I was in shock myself. I didn’t know what to do besides asking for help to get a mat so he can lay down. My heart was beating so fast. I didn’t think of doing other interventions. Others came to help and took over. I feel so incompetent. I did learn something and if next time it happens I will know what to do. But man, I am embarrassed. The firefighter was asking the client what’s his name and checking his level of consciousness. But me, I just froze completely. Does anyone have similar experience or is it just me?

Hm, that is very odd. Either they are changing it for fall 2021 or its old outline. I know some of my class mates know people mohawk who are following the same cirrculum as the link I posted in previous post. You may want to call them to confirm. The sept 2021 courses havent been posted yet at mcmaster website... I would call them to confirm or email.

Yes! Do what is best for you. Not everyone will like PBL.

Congrats! Many of my classmates are working full time or part time. I would say first year was quite stressful at times because there are some weeks where you had assignments due either in same week or back to back. Yep! All lectures and classes were done through zoom. Overall, working part time is doable. I am not sure about full time, though there are people who are currently doing it in addition to taking care of their children.

I will answer here from other thread. First year is just basic nursing stuff. Since I am going second year (level 3 as an RPN-BSCN student), in first semester I will be placed in clinical placement (med surg unit most likely), and in the second semester, I will have to attend lab at Conestoga college. Yeah, I hate presentations too! I am not going to lie, the zoom classes made it easier to present vs. standing in front of the class. It will be group presenting so you only say your part for few minutes, most of it is not even for marks so it is OK. Edit: Sorry LOL I should probably say it's more type of a discussion/presentation, just answering the questions. The curriculum you may be looking at the wrong one. Here is the link to RPN-BSCN program (2020). https://nursing.mcmaster.ca/programs/undergraduate/rpn-to-bscn Yeah, what I like about the program is that you need 60+ to continue and we don't have to re-apply to continue like Centennial/Ryerson bridging program.

I would say that it isn’t hard. It’s just the workload that is a lot. If you have good time management skills, then you will be fine. I have a terrible time management but I made it through first year. I will definitely but adjusting for fall. First year of 1st sem I took statistics course, nursing professional course, integrative biology, and social determinants of health. Second semester was research course, integrative biology II, nursing professional and community placement. You need to maintain 63%+ overall GPA to avoid academic probation. And you need 60% to pass all nursing and health science courses. I believe all Bscn program have research courses and science as well. You take 1 research course in first year and I believe another one in second year.

I am currently in CoMac. The cirrculum is same across all sites so I’ll share some insights from my first year. I enjoy the program thus far. The professors are so supportive. They will do their best to help you succeed in the program. For coursework, most courses are lecture with tutorial. For example, in integrative biology, we get 3 hour of lecture and then 2 hour of tutorial (I don’t remember if it was 2 or 3). In the tutorial we discuss case scenarios with small group and then present to large group. Another course called nursing professional is a problem based learning course. This course has no lectures. We basically break out into small groups, we figure out the possible nursing diagnosis of case scenario and create a cate plan, and present to large group. In second semester we have community placement, however, due to covid we did virtual/simulation. Overall, this program has a lot of group discussions etc. I feel like every class we were presenting something. I will be entering second year fall 2021, so I will be med-surg unit for clinicals! Apparently I heard that many employers favour McMaster graduates because of the problem based learning, but meh. Ask me about anything else. Hope I gave some good information.

Yep! His level of care depends on his mood. Anyways, I talked to the walk in clinic doctor, sent him my results from last year and understood what the form stated and filled it out for me. Took 2 minutes ?. Thanks all!

Thank you. It’s tough looking for a new family doctor but actively looking for another. Yep! I am not gonna go back to him, I will just go to walk in from now on until I can find a new physician that is accepting patients. ??

Not sure if this thread is appropriate for this topic but I would like to know if I am in the wrong. I am a nurse with one year experience. I went to my family doctor to fill out TB form for clinical placements. I had already been positive for TB (probably due to the BCG vaccine) and was on treatment for 9 months more than 5 years ago. I already did 2 step and a chest xray(negative) in 2020. Today I went to fill out the form and the form asks for physician to write a statement that I am clear for sign and symptoms for active TB after “assessing.” At the top of the form, it asks to attach a proof of positive TB test result and a chest xray, however, my school stated I do not need to provide them with another x ray or test since they have it in their record and is valid for another year. A statement will suffice. When I interacted with the doctor, he was so rude and began to tell me to read it outloud infront of him and his secretary and so I did. He began questioning me what “assessing” means. He tells me that I need to do CBC such as fasting glucose, LFT, annual check up. But why do I need that for signs and symptoms for active TB? What possible tests can indicate that I have active tb? I am not fatigue, I don’t cough, no sputum, I have great appetite, etc. He began saying that he has xx amount of experience as a physician and tells me that just because I am a nurse, I know everything. I told him I don’t claim I know everything. I am just stating what my school said and what the form is asking. He then tells me that I should go look for a new doctor in front of his secretary and since I am a nurse, I can find any doctor. I don’t know how billing works in Canada but I believe every visit/tests, the physician can bill since we use some sorta medicare. Whether I am wrong or not, I have never interacted with a doctor with this rudeness and unprofessionalism. I did have arguements with him here and there but never like today.I don’t know how I put up with him for more than 10+ years. I am glad I don’t have to go to him regularly.

Thank you. Yes, I have time slot for each course but I can never stay on track. If I don’t finish something I just keep doing it until it is finished even if I put lets say 2 hours for a course. I will just go over 2 hours. So that is a problem ?

Hi, I hope this is the right place to post and need opinions/suggestion. I am in first year BSN program. I don’t know how I survived first semester with pandemic and online learning. I think last semester’s stress triggered something in me negatively. I cannot focus at all. My head just feels out of place. It has heen 3 weeks since starting Winter semester. I have a lot of things due in 2 weeks. Whenever I think of it, I am so stressed out, I can just feel my heart racing, no appetite. I just want to lay in bed. I don’t know how much I have in my tank. I am thinking of talking to my academic advisor to see if I am able to take a leave of absence till fall 2021. Do you guys have any tips on stress management? Or any suggestions what I should do?

Yes, Math 4U is mandatory as stated in their admission requirement. This is new, which started for fall 2020. I started in 2020 fall and already had 4U maths years ago in my high school years. They just want to see it completed, grades don't matter. I think they implemented this requirement because many students struggled with the statistics course.

I am glad to hear that. I’ll be attending co-mac. Sorry if these questions have been asked. But, what are your tips to getting good grades. I hear that it’s rigirious program. Were able to work while in school? Did you transfer credits or take electives to boost GPA?