clyen

What I see is someone being discriminated against. Along with the suggestion to tape conversations, write down the dates & times in a notebook solely for this purpose when the DON/Admin calls or you call them, the reason why, your response or theirs, etc. If you are prepared with dates and times, this also can help (not always, but it can) make the employer back down if they know you're not just letting it slide. As mentioned, find a lawyer who specializes in discrimination suits. Also, notify the Equal Opportunity Employment office in your area - most pounce on things like this to give them reason to investigate and find other areas where the employer has broken EO regulations. Gitterbug was mentioning the organization that Montel Williams promotes - which is found at www.pparx.org. It's a simple website to use and helps you find out what you qualify for regarding medications for you and/or your children. I've done this for both my parents. Also, keep track with your physicians' help any requests made by the DON/Admin regarding your HIPAA protected information - including the first time DON asked. If anything, you should be able to get the employer for HIPAA violations up the gazoo if they keep it up, especially if the admin/DON keep asking, and your Drs sign affidavits affirming this. Finally, try and keep positive thoughts. I know the old saying 'when it rains, it pours' seems to be coming true for you. This can discourage the positive thoughts and feelings, but try not to let it. Other than this going on, what are some highlights in your life? Your children should be major highlights. My thoughts and prayers are with you, and please keep us all updated if you can. I hope your employer gets what's coming to them in the end, and that you get the help you need. Good luck, my dear, and Bless you! :icon_hug:

Part of the decision depends on the responsibility/culpability you want. For example, as a psychologist or social worker, you typically cannot write prescriptions for patients. In the role of an NP, you would be able to write prescriptions (depending on state laws) for patients' meds. If you stick with just an RN, you would be able to administer the meds under a doctor or NP's order. They all sound like good fields, especially if you're into the psychology and neurological stuff. However, if you do go for an NP, like the post before me, I would suggest specializing in psychology if that's what you truly like. RN wages are typically $15-20/hr to start (correct me if I'm wrong, someone, please), so as an NP you should get a better wage than that. As an RN, shifts are typically 3 days at 12 hours a day, though some places still do 8 hour shifts or 10 hour shifts. As long as you don't mind some of the 'dirty work' along with the easy stuff (helping pt shower along with listening to their troubles for example), then being an RN would be a good choice. You can always go on from there and get your MSN to be a NP. I probably haven't helped much, but hopefully I've given you a little more info to help. Good luck whichever road you choose to take. :-)

Getting out of debt, then hopefully a better place to rent. After that, I will think of a new car. First and foremost, paying off my high interest debt.

When I registered for the NCLEX exam, I didn't get my ATT until the state I was applying for licensure authorized me to test through PearsonVUE. If you have Vermont's approval, then someone has your nursing transcripts. Check with the state, and see if they have sent the information along to PearsonVUE (NCLEX). This may be the hold-up, someone may have forgotten to let PearsonVUE know. Congratulations!

I would have to agree with at least one post I've read - wait until you're through nursing school before any 'radical' modifications. That way, when you get a job as an RN, you can find out the employer's policies on jewelry, etc. Like most places, my nursing school only allowed one earring per ear, and it had to be a small stud-type earring. No necklaces, no rings other than wedding rings. While they allowed watches, they tried to discourage bracelets which I 'fouled' up for them since my bracelet is a med-alert bracelet. ;-) I'm also a recent grad (Dec 2006) and just got my license on 1/16/07. Good luck!

I haven't heard of this, other than accredidation from school to school. Once you pass the NCLEX, there should be no problems. Have you passed the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN? For example, I graduated from a Kansas college in December 2006, and I just got my Nebraska license this week after taking and passing my NCLEX. Might be something you need to ask the board of nursing in Virginia why they are so picky.

As previously stated, as an RN we cannot give the medical diagnosis - if you do that you expose yourself to possible lawsuits. You may not have had a legal course yet for nursing - when I went through school we did, and the most important thing to remember is that you want to remain within the scope of nursing practice. If you start diagnosing medical conditions like a doctor or NP, then you can be sued at that level regardless if you are wrong or right. One of the most important roles we have as nurses is that, if we suspect pneumonia; we call the doctor and report our findings, suggest things the physician may not have ordered (for example, maybe he ordered the chest x-ray but forgot blood work), get IV fluids started and medications as ordered, and relaying information to the doctor so he/she can adjust the medications and other medical treatments (things that must be ordered by Dr or NP). While the nursing diagnoses and interventions may not seem as important, they really are. For example, impaired gas exchange and interventions to help this (breathing techniques for example) directly help the patient whereas a medical intervention (chest x-ray) may not.

Also, before I forget - positive attitude helps! If you go in thinking you can do it, more than likely you will!

One of my professors suggested taking roughly 3000 questions prior to taking the NCLEX - mainly so you can get used to the way the questions are worded, and how to answer the questions. I passed the NCLEX and got my license this week, mostly by doing the review questions in review books and the CD-ROMs included in those review books. A good review book is Kaplan, of course; also Saunder's Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination by Silvestri, I also have a couple from Mosby and one from Davis. The Saunder's review book is a good one to start with - it's a fairly thick book and has many questions via CD-ROM. Good luck!

I just graduated in December. One of my professors instructed us clear back in the junior semesters to take at least 3000 practice questions. The cramming that was done for the class before us, something must have worked because all 15 of them passed the 1st time. I'm just using the CDs that came with my review books, and doing no more than 100 questions a day. I may not get to the whole 3000, but I figure if I can get the majority of the review questions correct that I do practice, I have at least a 50/50 shot for passing boards.

I can give you some information as I too have been diagnosed with epilepsy. When were you first diagnosed? At 18 months What were your signs and symptoms. Staring straight ahead, left side of my body jerking What types of diagnostic tests did they perform to diagnose you? EEG, CT What types of medications and treatments have you tried for your disease? Phenobarbital, which currently I'm still taking and works - during my teen years tegretol & phenobarbital with no solution. Had a right temporal lobe tumor resected. Uncertain if that 'cured' the epilepsy or not, so pheno is left alone to make sure I don't have any breakthroughs - it's only 150mg qhs. How has this disease affected your life? During my teen years when meds weren't working, I found myself conscious for seizures, which was an unpleasant experience since I could hear my classmates make fun of me having a seizure, while I was paralyzed until the seizure was through. The surgery at 15 happened when I was starting a new school, and my sophomore year of high school. More ridicule from classmates. Since, no problems really since all has been going well thus far. How have you learned to live with your disease? Simply by making sure I don't open myself to things (if I can help it) that could drop a seizure threshhold (spelling is horrible tonight, sorry) such as lack of sleep. I try to get no less than 6 hours - if I do, I try to be cautious. While I may never suffer another seizure, there is always that possibility that I may. Also, since I grew up taking medication, it just became a way of life for me. It is such an integral part of my routine (taking my meds) that I really don't have to think about making any adaptions. I don't drink liquor since, as a doctor told me when I was a child, "Phenobarbital + alcohol = death or coma." While that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, I'm not pressing my luck. I'll be the designated driver and get the blackmail pictures:lol2: . Another great place to find information is Epilepsy Foundation-Not Another Moment Lost to Seizures. Any speeches, etc I had to give in college or high school usually had to do with educating others about epilepsy since there is myth and misinformation out there. If you have any other questions, let me know. I hope I've helped a little bit.

Like some of the replies in this discussion thread, I have been a patient more times than I would like to count. At 15 I had a craniotomy to remove a brain tumor (4 cm deep, 4 cm diameter), and had to have the bone flap removed due to a severe staph infection. Hospital time 3 weeks, IV antibiotics 6 weeks, oral antibiotics 4 weeks after that. Wouldn't you know I got to start my sophomore year of high school that year - new school, nobody I knew. I had a pilonidal cyst removed a year and a half later, thoracic surgery to remove another tumor, numerous MRIs and CTs, as well as a cholecystectomy my freshman year of college (I was 26). While I have my NCLEX yet to take (Just graduated in December!), I find myself treating my patients how I would like to be treated. I had a nurse when I had the brain surgery who kept pushing for me to get up and move, not explaining or educating me as to why I needed to move. All I knew is I had a horrible headache that they could only give me APAP, codeine, or APAP + codeine, and that I didn't feel good. Shortly after that we found out about the severe staph infection. I find myself when dealing with patients trying to educate them as to why they need to get up and walk, or why this or that gets done more than I think I would have. I also am more ambivolent about answering call lights, and making sure pain meds are given as quickly as possible. The more we are the patient, the more we realize how to treat or how not to treat patients when we are back on that other side of the bed, so to speak. It makes us more empathetic, and better nurses in general.

I still have the critical care areas to go (final semester), however I've done 2 summer internships - one was in the perioperative area, so I got to do pre-op, OR, and PACU. The second one was oncology. I think I enjoyed the oncology rotation. One of my classmates said she couldn't understand why, but as I explained to her, I felt that anything you did for the patient/family was truly helpful. In oncology you really give of yourself, taking the time out for the families and patients, and I like that. I've had more thank you's for the care I've given in oncology than other areas that I've had clinicals in yet. As I said, though, my rotations aren't 100% done yet. OB was my least favorite area. :)

Thanks. I'm looking at the hospital in North Platte, and I think they come down here to Fort Hays for our job fair - I'll be sure to ask them at that time. Thanks again!

My debt so far ranges close to DDD. Being single and having too many bills (car, medical, etc), I have a lot of debt racked up on Stafford loans. However, as DDD said, once you graduate and start earning the RN wages, it won't take long to pay back the loans. Also, if your school does a Perkins loan, check into that. If it stays the same, as long as you work as an RN for a year or so (it may be more, but you school would know), you can ask for all or part of the Perkins loan to be forgiven since you're going into the nursing field. Another good thing about Perkins loans if you can get them - if you get run over by a truck/etc and are no longer around afterwards, the loan gets cancelled instead of it going against your estate/being your husband's responsibility to pay. Good luck! 1 more semester and I'm done with my BSN! :-)

Having been there and done that, my advice to you would be to stop the MA course and go straight for your RN, whether via BSN or ADN degree. I went to a tech school and took an 18 month course for MA. I worked in a doc's office for a while since as an MA that's what you're trained for. However, when I moved into an area where MAs weren't acknowledged yet, I found myself back in school to obtain my BSN. When I went back, the accrediting sytem was obviously not the same - tech school vs. university/community college, so I had to re-take courses such as A&P, skills, etc as well as my gen-eds for the general education part of the degree. In December, if all goes well, I should have that BSN and look forward to my NCLEX exam! I'm still paying my loan off since when I went throught the tech school I had to get a non-traditional loan that would not defer with re-enrolling in school. If you need to work while going through school, try and get the money together to get your CNA and work as a CNA while going to school. As a few of those who posted said, the MA will help you with the clinical skills, but the knowledge base you need to be a great RN will have to come from the better school. I don't know how your program is set up, but in mine we had 6 week increments of classes. For example, 6 weeks of A&P, 6 weeks terminology, etc. Comparing the 6 weeks of A&P to a whole semester of A&P for my BSN, there's a vast difference and a lot you do not learn (depending on the program) that will help you along the way with that knowledge base for being an RN. As I said, it's just my opinion, but I would suggest stopping the MA program unless you are content with working at a doctor's office for the rest of your days. If you want to work in the hospital, just go straight for the nursing degree, dear. I learned that the hard way - I should have done this 13 years ago. If I would have went straight into college to get my RN, I could have been practicing as an RN for roughly 9 years now (I'm 31 - old enough to know better now). :chuckle I wish you luck whichever way you choose to go. It's a tough decision, and hopefully the replies back you received will help you make the decision that's right for you. Good luck!

Thanks for your input. I wasn't sure, and it would be about my luck that I wouldn't be able to work as more than a CNA once I graduate until boards are passed. However, I guess - if that's the way it is to be, then so be it. Again, thanks for your information!

I've e-mailed Nebraska's state board of nursing and have not received an answer to my question, so if anybody out there knows the answer, I'd appreciate it. I will be graduating from a BSN program in December. In the state I currently reside, graduate nurses are still allowed to practice as GNs until they pass the NCLEX. Does Nebraska allow this, or do they require graduates to pass the NCLEX & obtain their license before they can be hired on in a facility as a nurse? The reason I ask is because once I graduate, I will be moving back to Nebraska. I will find out more about the NCLEX exam next semester and get my forms to apply for state licensure upon passing the NCLEX - I know there's a period of time between completing the program and being eligible to take the NCLEX. Thus, I'm trying to figure out what I need to do for a job when I graduate, unless I can practice as a GN once I complete my schooling. Thanks for any help/information you can give. Chris Y Kansas

A lot of things in this forum! :nuke: I did an MA program before going to nursing school, and I learned so much more during my present schooling than I did my MA program (1 semester to go, then I'll be dreading the NCLEX more!). In my training, we took 6 weeks of A&P, 6 weeks medical terminology, etc. A 6 week block isn't enough to learn more than the very basic stuff. One of my instructors while going through the MA program actually stated that she thought eventually MAs would be allowed to work in hospitals because of the nursing shortage - according to her, we were only 1 or 2 classes away from an LPN anyhow. As I learned, that's an incorrect statement. Unless more monitoring of MA training is done, and more schooling, MAs don't need to be in a hospital setting since the critical thinking skills needed to properly care for patients is lacking. As an MA, you're taught how to give injections and draw blood. You are not taught the reasons why the injections/venipuncture is necessary. MAs aren't taught that lab values should be X & Y, they just place the lab results on the patient chart, and put it on the physician's desk. I'm not picking on MAs, don't get me wrong, since I've been one. However, the skills learned for MAs are more proper for a clinic/office than they are outside of that setting. I'm so glad I went back to school for my BSN, even if it is heck at times. Even though there are times I feel dumb trying to learn it, I stop & remember it's more than I knew during my MA class/jobs as an MA. :icon_roll Regarding the PCT stuff, PhoenixGirl must have a wonderful & trusting facility. If their PCTs can do not just vitals but also phlebotomy, EKGs and other microbiology tests, that's great. In our facility, PCTs are pretty much stuck to CNA duties. I guess the abilities of a PCT will vary from facility to facility, depending on how much that facility wants to be liable for any errors made on behalf of the PCT (unless they recommend the PCT to carry liability insurance). So much to learn, not just from school but others in the field. We all show how vast differences are depending on where you're at, from MA training to PCT duties!