fbmom

Wow, I graduated way back in the day. I have a cap, pin and cape! My cap was a horror...needed to be starched by hand, then pasted on the fridge or a clean window until it dried.....peeled off very carefully and then a flap folded into the top, near the brim, carefully wetting it with a syringe of water...then you had to wet the string and carefully P.U.L.L the string and shape the cap how you wanted it!!! Praying all the while you didn't break the string!! Once pulled you kept it in an old candy tin or bowl so it would keep it's shape!! In school we had dark green velvet stripes attached to our caps with good old KY jelly...one for each year. Our cape was dark green wool[which I was allergic to]! Didn't wear my cap much after grad, it got too soggy and limp, going in and out of croup tents........boy THAT really does show my age. I keep my pin in my jewelry box and my cape in the cedar closet. I worked so hard for that white cap and pin, I will probably keep it forever.

After being in nursing for 34 years here is my take ...... Orientation is not there to teach basic skills. That should have been done in school. The purpose of orientation is to orient the new nurse to the policies/routines etc of the specific unit/hospital where they are employed. It is frightening to me to have seen how much these 'new' nurses do not know!!! I have worked with BSN's who have said "I would like to see a delivery, because I never saw on in school" YIKES!!!! Although my diploma program was back in the dark ages......when I graduated I KNEW felt confident being on a unit and having a grasp of most nursing procedures. My program was 36 months, with two weeks off each year for 'vacation'. We didn't have summers off for 'externships', we had clinical at least 2 if not 3 days per week beginning at the end of our first year....8 hour shifts. By the third year, we had clinical every day, with one hour off on Fridays to meet with the instructors for a 'conference'. We worked 2 weeks of 3-11, and 2 weeks of 11-7 Orientation was a laugh back then!!! I graduated from a small school in the sticks and went to the big city to begin a job in Pediatrics. The first weekend I was scheduled to work....I was the only RN [actually a GN] and I was in charge and had to give all the meds, my 'staff' was two LPN's !!!! Students today need much more clinical experience, and less time writing extensive care plans. Honestly , in 34 years of practice, I have never felt the need to refer to such a document!!! Writing a five page care plan but not knowing how to use it is a total waste of time!! I don't know what the answers are and I apologize if this is rambling on . My co-workers and I have had this discussion so many times.

1974 started at $4.25/ hr. Medical center/big city

Listen and pay attention!! Ask questions if you don't understand something. Under no circumstances do anything that you are not qualified for. Work with the RN. My first 'extern' was amazing, we became good friends and she joined the staff after graduation.

Dear soldier's wife, I am an RN with MS, I had to stop working 12 hr shifts on a busy, busy tele floor last summer. BUT I am sure I am quite a bit older than you!! In between the MS which was aggravated by heat and the stress of charge, I finally had to stop working. The National MS Society has great info on their website, along with forums where you can ask questions and get answers and support. You didn't mention what symptoms you were having, but an MRI with contrast is indicated, possibly an LP also. Had the MRI, EMG's. Evoked potentials, LP and tube after tube of blood work. Knowing the military medical system {Tri-n-Get Care} [hubby is retired AF] you seriously need to get the PCP to get you another referral to a different neuro and YOU need to be adamant in getting these referrals and hopefully on the road to a diagnosis. Best of Luck to you

I met my hubby in nursing school,diploma program back in the 70's. He is now a CRNA . It was nice to talk to someone who 'understood' how bad those bad days can really be!!! Our kids will never recover from some of our 'interesting' dinner conversations!!! Guess it didn't really affect them too much, the oldest is an EMT, middle a Special Ed teacher and the baby is in med school.

My personal favorite is the family who comes in on Saturday or Sunday morning after no visits during the week and DEMAND to speak to mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/auntie/uncle's doctor. NOW. Try to explain that the specific doc is not ON this weekend and the attending covering for emergencies not family consults really gets my dander up!!! I politely give them their doc's office number and tell them to call Monday morning.

caroladybelle; LOVED the 'speak MSNese' comment. It and you ar so correct in your comment about approaching the patient. Thanks gave me a chuckle this am!!!!

i I agree with 'Snowshooz'. Being a diploma grad from the 70's I could not top my nursing education. Upon graduation, we were fairly confident in all nursing areas. My clinical experience was unbelievable and prepared me to enter the big wide world as a GN. My first job didn't have an 8-12 WEEK orientation, it wasn't needed back in the day, Worked with BSN's who have never seen a delivery or surgery and can quote you the textbook treatments, but I got to do these treatments as a student!!! Nursing schools today need to bring back MORE clinicals, so the newbies will lose that 'deer in headlights' look and be more confident in the 'actual' practice of nursing

I as a very scared 17 year old when I started nursing school. Graduated at age 20. Found out I had passed my Boards the day before my 21st birthday!!! Best birthday present I ever received and one heck of a hangover the next day!! Best dedision I ever made was to attend a hospital based diploma program.....still use those critical clinical skills some 30 years later!!!

Army MSN Just to let you know after retirement medical care is not FREE. You must enroll on Try-and-get care [Tricare] and hope you can get an appointment at the base. You can still get your meds at the base pharmacy [if it is on formulary] and lab work done. It has taken our MTF over one YEAR for hubby [who is a ret LTC CRNA and 100% disabled ] to get a ROUTINE appt for diabetes follow-up. So it is not a great as it is supposed to be.

There are no "Dumb" questions. don't be afraid to ask someone if you are not sure of what you are doing or about to do. No experienced nurse will get aggravated by your questions. Better to ask before you do then make a serious mistake.

:) :) :) Wow! What a trip down memory lane!! MOM for dedubs, sculteus binders, montgomery straps, glass bottles for suction, testing urines for sugar & protein,doing your own nebulizer/IPPB treatments,White uniforms and caps, and those white clinic shoes that had to be polished!! curfews , housemothers, 'pinkies' our housekeepers wore pink dress, hence the name, adding ice to the croup tent @ 3 am, counting IV drips with your watch [with second hand, not digital!] Younger nurses are horrified/amused when we tell them how it was in the 'good ol' days' I would not trade my 'training' what it was called back then, I have an excellent basic nursing background and was not in shock when I started my first job and had more than 2 patients!!! Nursing today needs to get back to basics and increase clinical time, so these poor kids do not have that 'deer caught in headlights look' when they join the real world!!

Sore subject with me. We cannot clock in before 6:58! Yet we are supposed to be ready to get report by 7 and have the other shift out by 7:30 there by incurring absolutely NO OT. Very unrealistic and it does not seem to be working very well. If we need OT we are to call the nurse manager at home and get her approval. We figure a couple of more calls at 0630 on the weekend may bring a change!!

My personal favorites are the family member who arrives on Saturday morning and DEMANDS to speak to the attending because NOW they want to know what is going on with mom/dad/sister/brother. Usually they are not the health care rep and are not happy to learn that their attending is not in house!!! They also refuse to comprehend that EVERY department in the hospital is NOT working full steam on weekends, why does the pt have to wait until Monday for the CT scan, cardiac cath, echo etc??? I realize people work and can't get in when the attending is there.But I DO NOT keep track of every attending's schedule so I sweetly offer the attendings office number and the hours they can call there.