Redlady

Hi All- I'm scheduled for a C-Section (baby is Frank Breech) on Tuesday of next week. First kid. Not upset about the non-vag birth, but want some advice as to anything I can do to make things go as smoothly as possible for the staff and myself. Any words of wisdom? I want to BF, hold him ASAP, etc. I'm not planning on going in there with a birth plan (that would tick me off as a nurse - how do you guys really feel about that?), but I do have an idea of what I like/dislike. TIA.

Oh honey. Hugs to you and your family. I'm sorry you're going through this tough time. I agree with most of the others. He is your son, and you love him (that's obvious) and it's natural to want to protect/help him, but our goal as parents is to help our children grow up into productive, self sufficent, happy people. By bailing him out of jail, not putting him IN jail when he assulted your daughter, trying to get him out of re-hab, etc, you are not furthering your cause as a mother. I can believe that state run rehab is bad - but if he wants to make it work he'll make it work. If he wants out and in a different program, he'll make that happen too. But he needs to do it ON HIS OWN. Support him (emotionally), encourage him, be his cheerleader - but above all - resist the urge to do it for him. Sometime being his cheerleader is going to mean telling him "no" or listening to him cry/scream about how you don't care about him (that's manipulation my friend...), or about how he's going to die w/o your help or how you helped him before - he just needs one more time. These are all bologna!!!! He will not only make it to the other side if he truly wants to, but he will be a better, stronger and more stable person for doing it himself. You're obviously a caring, compassionate mother who loves her children very much. Take some time to realize that forcing your son to stand on his own two feet while you're on the sidelines rooting him on is the best for him. Please let us know how you're doing.

Not 100% sure, but you can google HIPPA laws. I'm pretty sure that HIPPA prevents pregnancy from being a pre-existing condition in most cases, but there are loopholes. As far as will she have to wait for insurance coverage - that depends on the employer (at least here in MI). My employer has a 30 day waiting period, the University gives you coverage on the day you start, and other companies vary.

Not reporting it is the same as condoning it (IMO). It is a sad state of affairs when you can't be 'bothered' to report unethical behavior. But to each his/her own I suppose. If you want to be an enabler - I suppose that is your perogative - but a cowardly one as far as I'm concerned. Frankly, I'm suprised you chose nursing/health as a profession in the first place since you seem like you can't be 'bothered' by things that don't directly benifit you in some way. Sometimes you have to do what is right for the sake of what is right.

I am absolutely astonished that someone would actually DEFEND cheating. There is an enormous difference between clinging to a dead body to survive and cheating on an exam. You are correct. Not everyone has the perfect circumstances. For many of us, school is a struggle. You pinch and save, you apply for any money you can get your hands on, you see your kids less and less, you have to quit jobs, etc. But, that is a CHOICE you are making. NO ONE is FORCING you to go to school. If you make that choice, then you are obligated to 'play by the rules'. The students in this senario made the choice to cheat on the exam. Perhaps they didn't have time to study. Maybe their kid got sick, their house burnt down, they went into labor, they got into a MVA, their mother died, they got put in jail, they had to work extra hours or lose their job (or lose their house) etc, etc, etc. All good excuses - but excuses none the less. The point is, people make the decsion to enter into a school program with the inherent knowledge of both their circumstances (ie: single mom with extremely limited finances) and as we all know life does happen (eg: getting into a car accident, losing your job, getting pregnant). None of those things are justifiers to skirt the system. As everyones grandmother has said at one point or another - "Who said life is fair?" It isn't. But regardless of your circumstances Cheating isn't the equalizer.

Well...my cousin said that wasn't the case. I'm not totally convinced of that. I'm wondering if she has pregnancy amnesia and "imagined" that part. (or maybe the nurse "lied" to keep her in good graced J/K ) The comments about the head decending and the pressure sound like what she probably experienced. Good to know!

My cousin just recently (1 1/2 months ago) had her first baby, and I'm 13 wks preg. w/ my first. She said something to me that I had not heard before, so I thought I would ask the experts. She had an epi given at 4cm with wonderful, virtually pain-free results. She went to 10 rapidly, pushed for 2 1/2 hours and had a vag. delivery w/ no complications. She said that around 9 cm, the epi "stopped working" and one of her nurses told her that was norm. My cousin went on to elaborate that it wasn't because they dialed down the meds, it was because it's just a fact that epi's stop being effective at 9cm. Now, I'm just a nursing student, and I have zero experience in OB, but that's the first time I've ever heard that. I've heard of the epi's being turned off or dialed down so that the pt. could feel contractions and be more effective at pushing, but never that they just "stop working" at 9cm. Is she experiencing birth amnesia? Making random stuff up to make herself feel better? Or is this a normal occurance. Just curious!

I'm sure others have said this, but IF you are still thinking of transfering into the ADN program, you better check on WHEN you could get in. Here in my area, the wait for any ADN program is 2+ years, and that's IN DISTRICT. At my CC, if you're out of district, you can pretty much forget it. The accelerated programs are a one shot deal, you apply for that year, if you don't get in, you reapply next year. You may find yourself out of the BSN program and then waiting 2+ years to even get IN to an ADN program. By that time, you would have already graduated with your BSN. It is tough, but it's possible. We all look for the out, but it's not always the right choice. Good luck with your decision!!!

WOW!!!:uhoh21: Are you serious??? I'm anxious to hear from others to see if this is the norm. I am a nursing student, but been in the workforce (non-hospital) for many years. Perhaps it's just the industries I've worked in, but my benifits have always been around the same. Currently: I pay $40/month for single coverage (it's $120 for family coverage - no limit to the number of people). I pay $10 co-pay for any in-plan doctor I go to. I have yet to find a doctor who does not take my plan. Hospital (er) visits are $50. No deductable. Drugs are about the same - $15 co-pay for generic around $40 or so usually for brand name. Psych benifits are 100% covered for consulations/visits/doc. appts. Forever. No limit. You need to go to one of their providers, but again - I have yet to see someone who wasn't in their plan. You do not need to go to a psychiatrist, you can go to a psycologist and get the same benifits. My dental is 100% for routine/preventative care (cleanings, etc.) and 80% for any repair work (fillings, crowns, etc.) I pay $4.00 (yes - four dollars) a month for dental. My vision is free and they'll pay $150 every two years for glasses or contacts, and will pay 100% every year for an exam.

In my opinion, the credit system is not very full proof. I bought a new house this year, and before I applied for our financials, I pulled my credit reports from all 3 agencies. They were different from each other, had old credit on there from high school that had long since been paid off, one had a credit card that had been paid in full listed as a "charge off" (that's quite a difference!!!), etc. Until the credit system gets their act together, and it's not as simple for someone to steal your identiy, then I think credit scores should be left out of it. You can find a link between any two points (in this case credit and nursing ability) if you look hard enough. If hospitals are looking to lower costs, seems to me that this would be a good place to start.

Ok. Can't believe I'm going to admit this one. I was on vacation last year in Florida. During our first night, we went swimming in the hotel pool (no earplugs) and I came out of the water unable to hear in one ear. I figured no biggie, needed to drain. The next morning, it was still completely blocked. So, went to CVS, got some OTC medicine. Next day, still no improvement. I called my gen. pract. doc back home, explained the situation. He suggested several things, and after 2 additional days of not being able to hear in that ear, called in a script for me in Florida. So - no additional swimming, snorkling or other water activities, and the pressure in my ear sucked. Fearing an ear infection, I went to the ER upon my arrival home. Diagnosis? You guessed it. A HUGE ball of wax. :trout: I am an idiot.

DAMomma- Yes. If I had unlimited funds, I think that working as a CNA would be great experience, however, at this point, I can't give up my current job for one that would pay less than 1/2 of what I make now. I haven't even been accepted into a program yet! Besides, I can't find any CNA jobs available in the Ann Arbor area. Maybe I'm not looking at the right thing... As for Washtenaw, I'm number 254 on the waiting list (just applied this year). They only let in like 40 people at a time, so I've been told that if you don't live in Washtenaw County, you have no chance of getting in . I need to step up my effort of applying everywhere and not put all my eggs in one basket I guess

Ugh. Got a letter yesterday from WCC saying that in order to be accepted into the program (I'm already on the waitlist) I need to be a CNA. :angryfire I guess I really don't get this. I understand that it will give me some clinical time, but it's pretty much just yet another hurdle to getting into the actual program. I can not find ANY CNA jobs around here, and I think the pay would be too low for me to switch at this point anyway. On top of the CNA requirement, they require that you pass med term and anat/phys. Both of which are required in the program anyway, but I was hoping to take my A/P closer to clinicals when it would be fresh in my brain. Does anyone elses school require this? What benifits will having a CNA give me? Help me see the bright side of this!

What I think got overlooked here is the Nurse didn't ask the question, the wife did. If she really didn't want to know, then don't ask the question. If someone tells you that Borox is deadly when ingested, and you go out and eat it, are they responsible for your death? No. Is it unfortunate? Sure. But, the nurse didn't tell her "If you're wondering if he's ever cheated on you, now is the time to ask". Live by the old addage your parents taught you - If you're not going to like the answer, don't ask the question.