L&DRN08

I've worked for a Plastic Surgeon for years and I love it. When a patient comes in for consultation they're already interested in some type of procedure. And let me tell you.....you would NEVER say anything like what you said above to a pt!!! :) It should be the Doctor who finds out what the patients concerns are & thoroughly explains the procedure, what type of results to expect....etc etc. In my office we also have an employee who takes photos & does computer imaging to give the pt a visual of what they'll look like, we also do "sizing sessions" for breast augmentation where we allow the pt to place different size implants into a bra to get an idea of how big she wants to go. Once the patient is well informed, its time to seal the deal......likely you'd answer additional questions, show before & afters of other patients, discuss costs/payment options etcetc! Its a nice way to get a feel for another specialty. Does he operate on site? Mine does & it gave me the opportunity to learn how to scrub/circulate/recovery & post-op care. We also do reconstructive work (mole removal/skin cancer etc). Its a nice environment to work in. Its also very lucrative.....its great that you'd get a %. I say give it a shot!! JUST a FYI.....be sure the Doc is actually a Board Cert Plastic surgeon. Many Docs are now giving themselves the title of "cosmetic surgeon" or other similar terms and then doing procedures they aren't properly trained in.

Bottom line is we all know that "breast is best" even if "only a little better" its still better than formula. Does that mean that you're harming your baby if you choose to bottle feed? NO....but the truth is you aren't feeding the baby the "best" thing you could be. Thats it point blank. SO....if you choose to bottlefeed....its your choice....you really don't have to justify it or explain it. It was a choice you made. I feel like if you're making excuses, trying to give reasons why, breaking out all the latest research about how breastfeeding isn't necessarily best (like that ridiculous article) then you are feeling guilty or insecure with your decision to bottlefeed....for whatever reason. I would just like to see someone say "I bottlefeed/fed by baby" when asked why..... say "because thats what I wanted to do" No excuses, no justification. WHO CARES WHAT PEOPLE THINK, you made a decision its noones business WHY you made this choice. I know breastmilk is the best thing you can give an infant....I will breastfeed my baby....or atleast make the attempt. My sister did not, some of my friends did not......and you know what...NOT 1 of them ever felt compelled to explain herself. I really dont think a baby has ever gotten sick or died as a direct result of being formula fed. Its not poison....its just not "the best" Women need to stop being so worried about what others think of them and stand strong in their decisions. And please stop it with the "vulnerable new mom" excuse......its pitiful!!!!! Did you not think about & decide upon how you would feed your baby before you got to the hospital? Now you're going to let someone change your mind to fit what they feel is "right" C'MON! I am a L&D nurse, I ask mom how she plans to feed her baby....I spend time assisting her & teaching her whichever way she chooses. Although I would love to see every mom breastfeed (even if for a short period of time) I refuse to pressure them in any way.

If we ever have children, my husband is adamant that I breast feed... I'll stop there. Is he so "adament" because of the benefits of breastmilk, or because it relieves him of feeding duties??

I also have a shopping addiction, so the go shopping every once in a while would be nice. I suffer from the same addiction......it only gets worse once you're making more money!

I started working in 3/08 after graduating 12/07.....with my first paycheck I bought myself a beautiful Gucci bag ($500) & a pair of Gucci Sunglasses ($375). Certainly a little materialistic & definitely costly.....but after all that hard work I think I deserved it!!!!!

I feel the same as many of you....completely overwhelmed! i am a new grad on L & D and haven't had the greatest preceptorship which I feel is a huge part of how discouraged I am feeling. Many days I have thought about calling it quits and trying out another unit. for now i have told myself to keep on going, see how I feel once orientation is over if i still feel like its not for me....I'm moving on. I love being a nurse, just not sure I've found my "niche" Most say it takes atleast a year to build up comfort and confidence.....I'm hoping they are right!

I am a new RN & Once i am off orientation I will be doing 7p-730a & I am worried about how I will maintain normalcy! I've been working days as a med asst/scrub tech for years (7a-3/7p) and have a pretty solid sleep/wake schedule! I typically sleep 5 hours a night (not great but it works for me) I fear not being able to manage functioning during the night & then be up all day. I also do per diem at my old job and i did one 11-7 shift which was fine through the night but I was all out of whack that day!!!! How did those of you who never worked nights, switch over and learn how to function???

I am a new RN on a postpartum/L&D unit. I've been bounced from preceptor to preceptor since I started in April. Its been awful. Of all the preceptors I've had I think 2 of them have actually been beneficial. I swear i think most of them do it because it gives them a little extra in their paycheck. On the days when I had a knowledgeable preceptor (one who actually observed me, checked my notes, gave advice) I felt like I really "get it" on the days when I don't, I feel like I want to throw in the towel. On Postpartum it wasn't a problem because it was much easier than L & D, but L&D is a lot to take in & learn. I asked to be paired up with a certain preceptor who was AMAZING & who agreed to takeme on for the remainder of my orientation, but then had to take back the offer for certain reasons. I feel that a good preceptor is vital to our success and unfortunately my initial experience hasn't been great. Hopefully I will get through the next few weeks and not freak out once I am on my own!!!!!

I just took NCLEX in Feb08, passed with 75Q took me about 1 1/2hrs.

I just started my first RN position at Hoboken University Med Ctr on their L & D unit. They pay $30.46 days & $33.96 nights then an additional $2/hr for your weekend shifts. Not too shabby!!

I took NCLEX on 2/15 and received my results in the A.M. on 2/17, it was a grueling 2 days! But I passed!!!!!!!!!! Also had my first interview today for an L & D position which went very well!

I just graduated from BCC's evening program in december. Its rough, no doubt about it. Time management is key, you need to study EVERYTHING you are taught nad its a lot of information that takes time to absorb. Some professors are wonderful & others are miserable. Bottom line is that its a lot of hard work, you must be dedicated & REALLY want it in order to get through. Feel free to ask me anything else you might be concerned about.

I have a friend who works @ HUMC and told me that this is accurate. HUMC is one of the highest paying hospitals in this area. I've also heard that its tough getting in....kinda "who you know"

I think a better question would be Did anyone LIKE Nursing school!!! I haven't met anyone who did....and I sure as hell didn't. Its torture, but I'm done now & its over! Keep your head in it, it never gets better but eventually it will be over. The way your feeling sounds pretty much how I felt for most of Nursing school. Don't get discouraged!!!!!

Taking it 2/15. I took the HURST review. I'm not nervous....YET. :)

Absolutely not! I make $19 now as a CMA! I'd never take that kind of a pay cut for such a demanding job. I made the decision to become an RN because I love it, but also because its something I'll ove that comes with a decent salary.....we don't go throught the struggle of Nursing school to earn $11/hr!!!

I am currently in my 3rd semester of Nursing School! I've been doing a lot of researching to explore what my options are once I am an RN. I am VERY interested in learning more about becoming a SANE. I visited the IAFN, SANE websites and didn't really find the answers I am looking for....hope someone can help me out. Can you become a SANE with an AAS degree? Once you've completed a SANE program, is it a certification test, or a state board exam? Is the exam given immediately following training or do you complete training, study awhile & then test? Is clinical/hands-on experience part of the program or do you have to do that on your own? I think I read that you are only eligible to enroll in a SANE program after having 2 yrs experience as an RN....is this standard? Or could I move on to this earlier in my career......once I pass my boards of course! Also, to those of you who are already SANE's....do you have any insight as to anything I could do, learn, etc. etc. that would help me in working toward this? Thanks in advance for any info!

Thank you so much. You are always so helpful. This makes was a great help. Calculations are my biggest struggle, I've always had trouble with math which makes this difficult even when I can figure out how to set up the correct formula. I'm glad that you mentioned that the 10.5mL of sterile H2O was a distractor...because I thought it was!! Thaknks again.

The study groups, and making index/flash cards I also found to be extremely helpful. The 8 hours of sleep is a must, or you will be like a zombie by the 10th week. This is absolutely true, however not possible in my case EVER! I have been sleep deprived every semester and it definitely takes a toll on you. The problem for me is that I am in an evening program so by the time I get home its somewhere between 10-11pm, so by the time I get home studying or classwork done, most nights I am not able to get to bed until atleast 2am I know it's not an option for alot of people, but if you can get away with it, I would say you probably shouldn't work while trying to get through NS. I don't know how the people who had to do that made it! I guess it's about how bad you wan't it! Once again, SO TRUE. If I could change one thing while going to school it would be to not work! It would make things so much easier, allow much more time to manage schoolwork. So I completely agree that if you can work it out.....DON'T WORK!!!!!!!

Ahhhh the joys of Nursing school! Everything that you are experiencing seems to be pretty standard for us Nursing Students! I felt the same way.....I breezed through school my whole life with minimal studying and always got excellent grades........then came Level 1 nursing! YES the classes are TOTALLY different, the method of teaching, testing & studying are all totally different. I am in level 3 now!! (YEY) and I hate to tell you this but for me Level 2 was the most overwhelming and exhausting semester EVER..... but it was also the semester where I actually felt like I started to "get it" meaning, how to study & how to approach test questions. So even though it gets harder, at the same time it gets easier. I work full time and go to school 4 nights a week so, tired, is an understatement! I am exhausted at all times, but I know its worth it and in a way I think I just am kind of used to being chronically exhausted! As for overwhelmed, I think what was once overwhelming is now just part of what comes with the territory of being a Nursing Student, you feel like there's never enough time to get it all done.....but somehow, you'll get it all done! Just tough it out, if you now its what you want. It is grueling, there are days you just don't want to do it anymore....but if you're like me, you find yourself dragging your butt to that lecture or clinical. I just take it day by day, because if I thought months down the road (especially in lev1) it would overwhelm me of how much longer I had to do this!!! So take it day by day, buddy up with someone in your class whether it be to vent, study, or just to have a companion who is in the same boat! The good news is you will get used to it, figure things out, and be OK......but chances are you will always feel a little stressed! I think its part of the challenge. I know how you feel, I was there not too long ago (like last semester!) and I thought I would lose my mind....but I made it and it feels really good. Now as a level 3 student, I know the end is near & I know I'm going to be just fine......exhausted, but fine, and certainly a damn good RN!

I too am having some difficulty with some of my calcs! Can someone help me out, I seem to be able to come up with some of the answers in my head, but we need to show our work & I can't put it into an actual "formula" UGGGHHH I am TERRIBLE with math of any sort! Any help is greatly appreciated!! Here's where I am stuck: 1. Guaifenesin elixir is labeled 100 mg per 5 ml. How many ml. will contain a dose of 75 mg? 2. The infusion pump is prepared with 50 mg of Demerol in 50 ml of N/S. How many ml per hour should be infusion pump be set to deliver 2 mg of Demerol per hour? This is one of those that I can figure out in my head....I know it would be 2mL/Hr, but I don't know how to work it out on paper!! 3. The doctor orders Amoxicillin 500 mg IVPB q12h. After reconstitution with 10.5 ml sterile water, the drug concentration available is 1 gm per 5 ml. How many ml contain the correct dose? 4. An IV of Keflin 500mg is mixed in 50cc of D5W. How many ml/hr will you set the infusion pump to complete the infusion pump in 30 minutes?

Thank you!!! I was battling myself with this just a little while ago...thinking how can I use AEB with at risk for!!! Although still struggling with my care plan...I do feel better knowing that my thought process was on the right track...somewhat!! "Aeb can "Not" be used with an at "Risk for" dx."

The link doesn't work???

I'm supposed to be doing one right now! Came here for some insight. I did have to do one last semester & did OK but the expectations of this semester are quite different! We have to do 2 this semester, and then 4 in 3rd & 4th...ugggghhh Not a fan of this process recording stuff AT ALL. Anyone have any advice, resources to share? THANKS

I have been a CMA for 5yrs, I completed my program at a 2 yr community college. Never once did anyone tell us that we could do "everything" a Nurse does. It was taught to us that certain things are our job, other things are the Nurses job. MA's are allowed to give IM & SQ injections (no Narcs of course). As for Botox, MA's aren't permitted...but in my area neither are Nurses unless they've had specific training. We draw blood, take vitals, provide pt education, assist with procedures etc. etc. There certainly is a vast difference of what an MA does vs. what an RN does....but that certainly doesn't make our job any less important. I agree the money isn't great in most offices ...however, I happened to get lucky and make pretty a pretty decent salary (not as much as the RN of course!) as an MA at a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery center, I also get to prep the pt for sx, scrub in to surgery, assist in our PACU & see pts postop for suture removal, drain removal, dressing changes and general f/u's that don't require the MD. On more than one occasion the RN has come to me for assistance....not because she isn't a good RN, simply because I have more time there than she does and a better understanding of what to expect from our patients, whats normal & not so normal etc. I go to her for things as well. Each of us has certain things that we are more knowledgeable about, and all of those things contribute to how our patients are cared for. Honestly...not only wouldn't the Cardio Thoracic surgeons not want an MA dealing with a crashing patient...I wouldn't want to be expected to care for such a patient as it isn't within the parameters of what I do! I'm a Nursing student now....not because I regret becoming an MA because I don't, simply because I want to be able to do MORE. I'm actually glad that I am an MA as I feel it gave me a great foundation to build on. Theres no need to speak abouts MA's as if we are below the RN, we're not....we simply do a different job than the RN does!