rebecpar

Good grief. To all who are replying to this poor nurse with ad hominem arguments against his wife, could you just stop already? Instead of attacking her character, his character, her mental health, etc., just answer his question. They are obviously not in a big metropolitan area and we all as Americans just went through a presidential election cycle where Fake News was the biggest issue. Relax. We are all in this together and to be aggressively berating this man is just unconscionable.

The OP is asking an honest question and hoping for honest reports, not criticism. Are you saying that your hospital is being hit hard? Because that’s his question.

SummerGarden, are you saying that your hospital is getting hit hard by the virus? The OP is asking a genuine question and that’s the question you should be answering. Yes, there are propagandists on both sides, unfortunately.

I am wondering the exact same thing. I have also come across some questionable information and would love clarification from those of you on the front lines. Please comment if you’re at a hospital where this virus is overwhelming your unit.

What are you nurses who are on the front lines seeing with patients who have asthma and Covid-19? Are there generally poor outcomes In that population or is it COPD that’s more of a concern? And you nurses with asthma: are you changing your medication regimen during this outbreak to maximize your lung health (I.e. changing your maintenance inhaler usage, etc.)?

Which program are you in?

I'm looking for an ADN-MSN program as well (I already have a non-nursing bachelor's and master's). Specifically, I would like to find one that offers all the coursework online and where the clinical sites can be chosen near where I live. The programs I have found are Rush University, Drexel, and St. Louis University. Does anyone know of any others? I have found many ADN-MSN programs, but not many online.

Thanks for all of the opinions. I do have a firm handle on my level of commitment to any job, especially one in the PICU. I can't see myself quitting simply because of a bad day!! That being said, my commitment to anything will never outweigh my commitment to my children, and I know everyone with children understands that. I feel certain that I will get enough full-time orientation to prepare me to work part-time, as the hospital will extend it to meet the needs of the nuse. Thanks again for the comments.

What attracted me to the PICU was the prospect of working with seriously ill children and the challenge of the variety in ages. I have shadowed there and on other units, and experienced med-surg, maternity, etc., through clinicals. The PICU just seems right for me. To clarify, I guess that even though I have hesitations, I am certainly willing to work full time for the short period of time that orientation requires. My hesitation is due to the conflict that exists in my heart about working at all...but there is SOMETHING that called me to this career, and I do not want to throw away the years of hard work as a student. Are you saying that it's not wise to move to part time once the orientation period is over due to the intensity of the skills required on the unit?

I am graduating in May, starting in the PICU in September. I have been a stay-at-home mom for 7 years, and have three little girls ranging from 1-7 years old. I love being at home, and have enjoyed nursing school. I have a masters in applied economics and did not wish to return to my earlier career, and I am excited that soon I will be a nurse. My goal when I started nursing school was to work in a PICU! I feel as though a dream has been fulfilled. Our PICU requires a 16-20 week orientation (depending on the individual needs of the RN) during which time I must work full-time. I am having second thoughts about this job (or any hospital job, for that matter) because of the full-time orientation! I have never intended to work full-time and although my contract states that my requirement is 40 hours, I plan to try to move to a part-time schedule as soon as orientation is completed. I have verbalized this to the unit manager. My question to the more experienced nurses out there is hard to put into words. I can tell from the lurking I have done on this site that most of you love your jobs in the PICU. I can understand why, and I am sure I will love it too. Are there many part-time PICU nurses out there? If I am not committed to a full-time schedule, am I going to "make it" in the PICU? I suppose I need some words of encouragement. I have a lot of guilt over even thinking about working full time for 5 months. I do not have to work for financial reasons - my motivations are purely selfish: intellectual, emotional, etc. I am wondering if I should just stay home for the next few years until my youngest starts kindergarten; however, by then I will have been out of school for four years. How rusty will my skills be then!?? Would anyone hire me??!? Any personal insights/words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I am taking Clinical Pharmacology online through the SUNY Learning Network this summer. The SUNY Learning Network offers a centralized location for finding online courses offered at the SUNY (State University of NY) schools, including community colleges. The actual college that offers the pharm course I'm taking is Cayuga Community College in Auburn, NY. To see their online course offerings go to http://www.cayuga-cc.edu/academics/online or just go to http://sln.suny.edu/index.html.

I'll be a new grad a year from now...I am starting my last year of nursing school in September. With three children, I am getting nervous about the prospect of working in a hospital as a new graduate and being required to work a lot of shifts, overtime, etc. However, most experienced nurses I speak to say that the best way to start off as a nurse is to start in a hospital for the experience. Is this true? Are there any new grads out there who start off doing something different, like working in a clinic or office? Also, is it possible as a new nurse to work per diem? I am starting a career in nursing not because I need the money or benefits, but because I love to care for people and I need the intellectual stimulation. For these reason I don't want to give up a majority of time to the career while my children are small (they are 6, 4, and 6 weeks old). Thanks in advance for any advice!