farishtaRN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phagocyte http://www.cellsalive.com/mac.htm Here are a couple of sources that you might want to check out. Hope they are helpful!

At the school where I work, children who are going home sick must come through my office. I know that isn't the case everywhere, but it certainly makes it easier since kids can't just call mom and say "I'm sick" - the call must come from my office. It sounds to me like there needs to be some sort of care plan set up with the school. In order for it to be affective, it needs to involve the teacher, nurse, principal, counselor (if relevant), and of course at least your husband if not both of you and his birth mom as well. They need to figure out why he can't seem to stay in school and what to do to help him. I totally agree with the previous post about what things should be looked into. This is a cycle that you really want to break now before things get worse and he gets older. He is obviously struggling in some area and is learning that all he needs to do is escape his problems instead of dealing with them, and his mom isn't doing him any favors by supporting the behaviour. This is a hard situation, and I really feel for you! I hope it all works out in the best interests of everyone concerned.

I usually tell; I don't make a huge issue out of telling, but I have found that I get better answers and more info when they realize that I actually know what is being talking about. Especially with my kids; I want the staff to realize that I am very aware of what treatments/procedures they are doing, and that I know how they should be done! I guess when it comes to my kids, I don't mind keeping people on their toes; however, this has almost never happened. I have found that usually other nurses and Drs are very helpful and usually grateful to have a patient who is actually willing to take on some of the extra care and procedures if at all possible.

It is a job which of course has it's good and bad points (just like any career I'm sure!), but no, I have never regretted becoming a nurse.

Ok so I'm in Thailand right now, but I am licensed in IL and last worked in Naperville.

Had my son and daughter (twins) when I was 22 ---- I'm glad that I'm as young as I am because I need all the energy I have to keep up with them! They are entering "the terrible twos"!

I've never had a choice; we had to wear scrubs. Personally, I love the fact that I essentially get to work in pjs and sneakers - for the kind of work that we do, at least we can be comfy! I do however like to wear long-sleeve knits under my scrub tops in the winter; as long as they are a solid, matching color they are allowed. I agree however with the previous posts that talk about being neat and clean looking. I think it is pretty unprofessional to come to work looking like you just pulled your clothes out of the laundry basket. Ah well, I'm all for scrubs and am happy to stick with them, but I don't see why knits should have to be banned; especially since there are obviously so many people out there who love them!

I was a CNA/ PCT in southern IN several years ago, and made $11.50/hr working in a hospital - only $9.00 when I worked in a nursing home. The hospital was great experience though (I worked while getting by BSN). Good luck!

About half of the kids had active lice, the rest were fairly equally divided between nits and eggs. Also, the 1st, 2nd, and K teachers also had nits. I should also probably mention that I work in a private international school in Thailand, so the right to public education doesn't apply in this instance. Of course I want to keep as many kids in school as possible, which is why I'm curious about what policies others have.

just wondering what your various policies on head lice are? we currently have basically a zero-tolerance policy, and if we find eggs or nits we send them home. i didn't make the policy so i'm just following what we already have in place, but today i've managed to send home almost the entire first and second grades! the teachers and elementary principal are of course in full support (and feeling itchy just at the thought of lice!) but i'm getting yelled at by a lot of unhappy parents (quote: "its not like lice is fatal or anything!"). i was just wondering what the rest of you do? when are you sending them home?

It sounds like you could use some worksheets etc. of prefixes and suffixes - if you can't determine what those are then you won't be able to break down the words (intra, inter,-ologist, -oma, etc.). I loved med terms, but it really is important to learn a bunch of the common prefixes and suffixes. Sorry you are struggling! I hope it gets better and easier as you go. Hang in there!

I like this one: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/hp.asp To bad you can't take the class...... it was one of my favorites! Lots of fun.... Good luck, hope this is helpful!

I once had a doc send a tech to get me out of a patient's room (where I was involved in a procedure) and when I get to the doc (who was in another pts room) found out that he had called me because he wanted me to put the bed in trendelenburg.......... if that wasn't enough in and of itself, he yelled at me in front of the pt for taking so long to get there. They were automatic beds with a button right in front of him to put the bed in trendelenburg, and it was not an emergent situation at all. I was so mad! Plus, I literally had to move the doc out of the way just to push the stupid button. I managed to hold my tongue, but it wasn't easy!

A agree; the best thing you can do is get a job as an aide in some sort of nursing facility. I started out working for a nursing home who paid for me to undergo CNA certification and that helped me later in getting a job in a hospital. It will be a huge benefit for you to get the experience of actually working in nursing - plus it will help you to see if this is the right career choice for you. Good luck!

I used to work (now I'm a school nurse in Thailand --- but this applies for last year) in a hospital in IL in cardiac tele and CICU. 4-5 pts per RN, 7-9 pts for PCTS (and usually one floating PCT to do blood sugars etc.). This was 6am-6pm.

I like having students and I like teaching. If the student is far enough along, I will basically turn over a pt to them (obviously I'm still supervising meds etc) and give them the chance to have the resposibility for a pts care. I love questions though, even if they seem stupid! It shows me that the student isn't afraid to ask before doing something that they aren't sure about. Always be honest with your nurse, and if you aren't sure about something or are confused by what she or someone else says, ask! I'm sorry that there are nurses out there who are treating you badly, but unfortunatly you are always going to run into people like that -- no matter what profession you are in! Maybe they are/where having a bad day? Don't forget that they are people to, and you don't know where they are coming from just as they don't know where you are coming from. I am not excusing bad or rude behaviour at all; I hate that things like this happen, but maybe if you think in those terms, it will help you not to become as discouraged. I had an experience my senior year where the nurse I was working with didn't like something that I did and instead of talking to me about it, she went straight to my supervisor who then came and accussed me of negligence. When I talked (and yes, I admit, cried!) and she heard the whole story, she (my supervisor) apologized and said that I was not in the wrong. I was hurt though that the nurse didn't come and talk to me and find out the whole situation before going to my supervisor. However, the next day when I came in, this nurse pulled me aside and apologized and said that she had been having a really bad day, and had made an assumption that she shouldn't have. She asked for my forgiveness and gave me a big hug: we are still friends today! I try and think about this whenever I am in a difficult sitaution with a student and remember to talk to them and get a clear picture of a situation, and help them to work it out. If I make mistakes than I apologize to my students - honesty is a two way street! Sooo, my suggestion: be as prepared as you can, be honest, be diligent, ask for it if you need help. If you are doing those things and a nurse is being mean or rude know that you are doing all that you can, and try not to get too discouraged; eat chocolate! Good luck all you students - it is worth it in the end.

Not a lame question! Sometimes those 'training' videos can be more confusing than helpful - everything looks so easy when they do it. Suprapubic pressure is just what it says "pressure"! I don't think 'gently' is a term that comes to mind in conjunction with it. It involves some force, and is usually used in combination with the pt pushing while in the MacRobert's position, and while gentle downward traction is being applied on the fetal head. If you look onhttp://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/Military_OBGYN/Textbook/AbnormalLandD/ShoulderDystocia.htm they do a good job of explaining the process, and details surrounding it (you can also see in one of the pictures that the person applying the pressure is pushing pretty hard). Hope this helps a bit!

Practice, practice, practice! The more you do it, the easier it becomes (particularily in terms of technique, and how fast or slow to release). Start out releasing the air very slowly and as you get a feel for it release it a little bit more. Don't be discouraged! Lots of people have trouble doing bps when they first start- you are certainly not alone. I agree with the others about maybe trying a different stethoscope and make sure that isn't the problem. If the stethoscope is ok, try opening your mouth really wide as you put the earpieces in your ears and once they are in, then close your mouth; it sounds a little stupid, but it helps to get the earpieces in place correctly. Also, look for the when the needle starts 'jumping' - if you can't hear it when the needle is jumping than perhaps you aren't listening in quite the right place, or the stethoscope isn't good enough. Have you used a double stethoscope with an instructor? If so, could they hear it and you still couldn't? If that is the case, than perhaps you should consider getting your hearing tested. Don't worry though, I'm sure that you will get it!

I worked cardiac tele and cardiac ICU for three years; one in my final year of school, and two after I graduated. It is hard work (I won't lie to you!) but, very rewarding and a wonderful learning experience. I learned more there than in any other field that I've worked in since and I am constantly drawing from experiences etc. that I had there. I went from tele to ER (after floating to them for several months) and felt pretty well prepared. It helped that we did a lot of the same testing etc. in tele that we did in the ER. Med-surg is hard as well, but in different ways; and be prepared for heavy lifting, and complete care patients. In my opinion, tele is a great experience......... but I may be a little biased! Find out about patient load; that could make a big difference as well.

I also started out heading down a different career path. I was always very interested in medical things, and had some wonderful experiences working in a hospital in Pakistan during my senior year of highschool. I was able to have tons of interaction with patients in many different areas, observe surgery (and I mean literally standing on the other side of the table from the surgeons!), work in labor and delivery and learned how to perform ultrasounds. But as much as I loved that experience, I was very musical, and felt that I needed to head in a direction that involved music. I started studying music therapy in college, and stuck it out for a year and a half, all the while hating it! I have since discovered that the main thing that I love about nursing is the one-on-one interaction with patients, and in music therapy it just wasn't there. I still think that it is a wonderful field, just not the one for me. All that to say that I switched to nursing, and I haven't looked back! I have been a nurse for a couple of years now, and I love it. Of course there are good days and bad, but on the whole I am very happy with my career choice. I think it is a great honor to be able to minister to people who are often in the midst of some of the worst experiences of their lives. I think that being able to meet someone's physical needs in a tangible way as an awesome responsibility and I am happy and fulfilled in doing it. I'm now working as a school nurse and I am having lots of fun! It is really neat to be able to work with the same kids on a long term basis and see them grow and change......

I worked at a wonderful hospital where we did rounds (the RNs) and so did the PCT/CNAs. That way, as much as we were keeping each other accountable as the nurses, so where the PCTs -- that way, if something hadn't been done that should have been, they heard it from each other and couldn't be upset at anyone but the PCT going off duty. I have had many great PCTs and I think that they have a really hard job for which they don't receive a lot of credit (even less then the RNs in my opinion), and giving them the opportunity to do rounds with each other seemed to help give them a feeling of responsibility and investment in the patients care.

I'm not trying to argue, but can you tell me where you are getting your info? This is different from what I have found out so I would love to have more info. If all that is needed is transcripts that would make a big difference. Do you know if that is all over the US, or just certain states? I am currently licensed in IL. I was also refering to an international program that is in english and that Thailand does not yet have a licensing exam in english -- I do of course realize that there are tons of Thai nurses and they are all licensed! I however do not read and write enough Thai to be able to sit the licensing exam in Thai, so if they don't get it in english, there is not a lot of point in my continuing education here unless my state will accept just transcripts and not a license from Thailand.

I agree with 'Daytonite'; she gave you some great info! I worked cardiac for about 3 years and got REALLY used to reading strips and EKGs. I think the best thing was having a really good idea of what exactly the heart was doing, and what these different rhythms actually physically mean. Once I could picture in my mind the flow of blood and how the heart "looked" and reacted, it seemed much easier to figure out and remember. Good luck on your test!

I am actually in the process of dealing with a frequent flyer right now! I would certainly encourage you and echo the statements of some of the others, that even as nurse's who are trained to assess this sort of thing, it can be hard to know what to do. I would recommend (particularily in younger ones) looking for patterns with the frequent flyers. Do they came at or around the same time day to day? Is there a particular class or is it break time that they are missing? A lot of times kids are reacting to stress in their lives and not just faking, which can be why a little TLC seems to do the trick fairly quickly. However, if you can pin it down to a specific time, or class and the child won't express that something (other than physical symptoms) is bothering them after you ask, it is time to involve the teacher and probably the parents. Although I feel like I am here to meet emotional needs as well as physical ones, I am not doing a child any favors by helping them to hide from problems and not face them. If this is what they are doing in the second grade and I reinforce the behaviour, think what they will be like when they encounter problems as a highschooler! Also, with little ones who are complaining of stomach pain, ask them to take one finger and point to the spot where it hurts. If they cannot specifically point to a particular place, chances are that they are not experiencing any acute pain. I don't give any meds for stomach aches, but have discovered that a little sprite and crackers can work wonders. They do a good job of settling the stomach, and the sprite helps to neutralize stomach acid which will help if what they are experiencing is indigestion. I don't know what your setup is, but if you can do it, this works really well for kids who really aren't sick and are just trying to go home: have them lay down in as much darkness as you can get (my office has no windows, so it gets pretty dark) and make sure there is no stimulation - no books, no talking, nothing! Being sick isn't a reward, and if they are really fine, it will take about 5 minutes before they are ready to go back to class. The sick ones will fall asleep, but generally the well ones will not. This technique doesn't work real well with older kids because if they are in their teens, chances are they will fall asleep regardless! If all else fails, call a parent and have them speak to the child, and let them make the decision. Sometimes the child needs to hear there parent tell them to go back to class --- of course, I am talking about children who aren't sick here, not a child that you think might be sick. I think that it would be a good idea for you to talk to your boss (principal or whoever you ultimatly answer to) about putting some policies in place for sending kids home. Especially since you aren't trained as a nurse, it isn't fair to leave all responsibility on your shoulders without some backup. If you could talk to some medical professionals and have them help you to develop some policies for when a child needs to go home and when they can stay in school, I think that would be a good idea. That way, even if they don't have a fever, if the parent is upset about picking up the child you would have policy that you can hold up and insist that they do it anyway. I hope that some of this is helpful! Rest assured that nursing is not an exact science, and we all have patients that we just aren't sure about...... don't be afraid to ask for help.

I had a serious back injury (from catching a falling patient) that required 3 surgeries in the end. However in between surgeries (and before the first one) I had a number of epidurals (which were not affective at all - but we later discovered that because of the type of injury, they would never have made any difference). I used a TENS unit for a number of months and found it to be moderatly helpful. It did help to keep my muscles from getting even tighter and more spasmed then they all ready where (which is certainly a good thing). My biggest problem with it was that my body became more and more accustomed to the electrical pulses and I eventually couldn't get the unit high enough to do anything for me. I would recommend experimenting with the placement of the electrodes; it can make a HUGE difference, depending on where they are placed. Best of luck to you - I am finally seeing the light after over 2 years of pain, so I understand what it is like.