beepeadoo

Heading to Ft. Sam for my Reserve Component BOLC on June 6, just thought I'd see if anyone else on here is heading that way as well... looking forward to it! Also wondered... Does anyone know if Reservists get BAH for BOLC?

More! More!

Well usually what happens in that event, when we have our usual trauma assignment of 1, is the Charge Nurse and one other nurse from one of the lower acuity areas comes to help.

So I work in a Medium Sized Pediatric ER in a free-standing Pediatric Hospital seeing 50k+ pts a year. We have two trauma rooms with two bays each, and we are currently a Level II center. As I am sure with most places, our trauma rooms are used not only for official "traumas" and resucitations, but also for things like critically ill pts, chronic kids who are struggling, or conscious sedations for lac repairs and orth reductions. We receive patients from the metro area, as well as being a regional center. There is currently an effort to obtain Level I status. My question: do you think assigning one nurse to cover these two rooms/four bays is adequate? The way it is now, one nurse is assigned from 0300 to 1500. Invariably I come in at 1500 to two or three or four bays filled and a very frazzled, very over worked trauma nurse running around like crazy. Typically we're slow from 0500 to about 1000, but that's also prime time for A.M. full arrests, and it only takes one code or two MVAs to stretch them to their limit. Throw in a chronic kid or an critically ill transfer and it's all out the window. I just wondered what other facilities do? Is this just the norm? I'd love to hear from other Level I's to hear how they staff their trauma rooms.

"Wart on finger" yup. to the ER for a wart. Triage Level: Green Treatment: "Yup that's a wart." Discharge. Total time in room: 5 minutes. Total time in ER: 6 hours.

So I'm completing a form for Reserves (75-R to be exact) and it's asking me for my "Command/Activity" and I'm like :dunno and thought maybe someone in here could give me a clue? Any idea what they're asking for? where to find it? what it is? I could ask some Army folk but I figured this would be a good start...

Thanks so much to all of you. I called the recruitment office directly and then asked if he was still working for them since I was not getting any callbacks. Amazingly, he was, and he had an answer for me... I'm through step 1, I get a physical now. Up to me now to get some letters from my docs for them stating they think I'm fit for duty... kind of to ease myself in a bit. Thanks for the replies! Onward! B

So I'm a BSN RN and I'd love to join the Army Reserve. Monetary benefits as well as the challenge interest me. Here's the kicker... I'm older (43) and I have some medical issues. Nothing that keeps me from doing my job on a day-to-day basis now (I'm an RN in a very busy ED and I hold my own very nicely, thank you) but it's not just ingrown toenails or dandruff. Anyways, I filled out the medical screening form and was told by my recruiter (who is a medical corps recruiter, not an enlisted recruiter) that he needed to send it in and then they would tell me when/where I could go for my physical. I would need to get my physical and then it would be reviewed by the Surgeon General of the Army and I would receive a waiver. It has been over a month since I gave him the form. I call him every other day. He either says he has not heard, or (more recently) doesn't answer at all. So... what's up with that? Any idea? Is that the Army's way of saying "no thanks" without flat out telling me no thanks? or does it just take a long time? or is my recruiter not pushing it enough? I'll take any feedback I can get. Thanks! Brian

I'm actually in peds, so that works for me. Actually that's pretty good -- a bit long but really along the lines of what I was looking for. I shall keep looking as well. Thanks!

Gonna bump this to the top, as it fits my needs, rather that start a new thread. I too am looking for a subjective assessment tool/program/system to assess psychiatric acuity in our Emergency Department. As it now stands we have a tool for MEDICAL acuity that is very cut-and-dried, assessing intervention needs, and then evaluating vitals, to give a Green to Red rating. Consequently the acuity rating drives standards of care. I'm sure this is not foreign to any of you. So I'm wondering if there is a similar system out there for our psych patients? E.g., evaluating GAF, co-morbidity, HTS/HTO, etc., to give a rating that would then drive standard of care, as well as transition to the floor, when necessary. Any thoughts would be great. Have a good one! ]..[

So the headline says no degree required, but when you read the article, it says no ADVANCED degree required. Hmmm... rather lousy headline writing and very deceptive. Also, when one tries to find "Grace Chen" of "Findtherightschool.com" there is no such person at said website. Again, pretty bogus. But then again, it's really an advertisement for Yahoo HotJobs, and not meant to be news. So they're saying no "advanced" degree required. But I know very few RNs, BSNs, LPNs, etc that are earning in excess of $100K. And in the article itself it says that the San Jose nurses are earning $95K. That is NOT in excess of $100K. Nor is it the norm... San Jose nurses may be making that kind of money, but I'm guessing it's not all of them, and I'm betting their cost of living is quite a bit more than my cost of living here in Louisville, KY. Is nursing education a good investment? Sure it is. But the problem with this kind of article being on the front page of Yahoo! is that people with limited knowledge are going to come into my ER and assume that because I'm the nurse I'm making $60K or $100K, which I am not.

This is THE time for you to do ICU! If you think you're scared of it, what better way to see what it's REALLY like than to be there for clinical... you'll still have the safety net of your instructor/preceptor and you can get totally immersed in what it's like to be in an ICU. I will tell you from experience (both Med/Surg and ICU clinicals) it has a lot in common, but it really is totally different! Good luck, hope this advice isn't too late.

I know it's already been said... but I'm gonna throw MTC in anyways: wow what a MESS that was just a disaster waiting to happen. Yes I know you need the money... but as was said: protect your license/protect the patient! The jobs will come! I would NOT put that on your resume... it was only three weeks, and most would consider the first three months a probationary period anyways. If anyone asks, you could very easily say "I was at a long-term care facility for three weeks... it wasn't a good match." Believe me, anyone interviewing you will totally understand. Three weeks is a very acceptable amount of time to try out an employer or employee. Tylenol instead of Vicodin? Not only unethical, but incredibly illegal. In all seriousness you might consider blowing the whistle on that bunch. Not out of revenge, but because there are some very wrong practices going down in that place, and patient safety is being placed in jeaporady.

I just registered for Sept 5. Gulp! No worries. No worries.

It might be a silly question, but I'm wondering if this is unusual, or if I just need to shut up 'n suck it up... I've got Mental Health clinical going right now for the first rotation of the semester: Tues/Thurs 9-4. At the same time, I'm being to participate in activities with my Mother/Baby clinical, including lectures, classes, developing a case study, and working with a pregnant mother. Essentially I'm in two clinicals at once, and this is the first time I've had this happen. Am I being whiny? Are there others out there who have had two clinical experiences concurrently? Just wondered... thanks! ]..[