npingeorgia

same thing happens here in georgia and we do not have tourists in the area that i live. it's maddening!!! the thing that just drives me nuts is that they think "that computer over there has my information" and get upset when we tell them it does not. the medical record ,even if we get it from med rec, is often incomplete because everytime they come in they never have the info. even more maddening is when patients tell you "better not give me anything that i am allergic to", how are we supposed to know that when they don't even know that?? sometimes i think that it is society in general, no one is responsible for anything anymore, including their own healthcare.

I have accepted my first faculty position with ASN program and will start in the fall. I have been doing clinical instruction for the school and now taking it to the classroom. I am very excited but nervous at the same time. Do any of you have any good internet sites or know of any good books that would get me started?? How do you decide what types of activites for students to do and how to weigh them for a grade?? I have ton more questions, by the way. Ha Ha I have been assigned a mentor so looking forward to that. Any tips would be great

Attended KSU NP program and graduated 2004. I had a wonderful experience there. The worst part was the first semester and the summer semester for me. There was some talk about changing the class load around some, not decreasing the number of classes but attempts to make each semester more balanced class load wise. We had the opportunity to do a study abroad in Xalapa Mexico which was a wonderful clinical and cultural experience. We also participated in the migrant worker program in Moultrie Ga. I think the school may be doing something different with the migrant program now. There was some talk about doing something in the north georgia area. The Mexico and migrant program were both optional clinical experiences, but would recommend them both. The program was great for me because it was offered every other weekend. This allowed me to continue working full time while attending school full time. I commuted from south georgia area to kennesaw,long drive but best option for me. I was able to complete my clinical experiences in south georgia where I lived and was able to arrange those experiences myself with KSU faculty making it official with the appropriate paperwork. Now would be the time to consider where you would like to do clinicals and with which NP,MD etc. Once they have agreed to do this for you, the faculty will get the paperwork done for you. Clinicals were not an issue for me, in fact the best part since I hand picked who I wanted to do my clinical rotations with. Good luck, email with any questions.

Hi Just wanted to add that in the ER that I work in the NP's and the PA's use the same sheets that the MD uses. We are currently using the t system. There is a place for the midlevel to sign as well as the MD. Works well for us.

if you have any feeling at all that you may want to go to medical school, then do it. i have a friend that is in his 2nd of medical school and was a parmedic before that. he is now 31 and lots of schools like nontraditional students, so don't let the age thing get you. I am even thinking about it myself, take a look at programs that offer biology,chem,organic chem and physics in a year and then give you the option to skip your glide year and start med school right away, once you're accepted of course. john hopkins, goucher are 2 that i have looked at but there are many more. hope this helps.

I promise you that there is nothing and I do mean nothing easy about working in the ER. I do also hate the "ER vs ICU" . I agree that it is entirely 2 different worlds but neither nurse is the less for it. I will say that in this crazy time of healthcare that we are in, often times the ER is holding ICU patients for hours and the critical care must go on, the patient does not suddenly become less stable because they are being held in the ER, and believe me no one cares that you are already holding 2 ICU patients and you still have the potential to have 1-2 more patients that are considered urgent if not emergent in their needs. I have had the experience to have to call upon an ICU nurse to clarify protocols not typically used in the ER and ICU nurses have often called the ER to clarify protocols for patients that may require some expertise from the ER nurse. We are all a team and let's keep it professional.

Alot of what will be required for you to be a well rounded flight nurse will require both ER and ICU experience. I will say that the majority of my experience came from the ER and EMS arena. Infact, having some type of EMS background gave me a competing edge against other nurses that had only done ICU or had only done ER. Check out the service that you are interested in working for. The company that I worked for had a call volume that consisted of approximately 90% scene flights(trauma mostly) and the other 10% interfacility transfers, cardiac, peds,stroke, burns. Some companies will market themselves exactly the opposite in which you will have very little scene flights and a ton of cardiac stuff. Just depends. I hate to see this become a battle of ER vs ICU nurses because both bring a variety of talents to the table. Bottom line, these positions are awarded to those professionals that have a broad base of experience, atleast that has been my experience with 2 seperate companies. For example, take someone that only has ICU background and has only worked with adults, this would be a difficult transition to make when now you are on scene with a pediatric trauma that requires RSI and needle decompression. On the other hand take the ER nurse that has limited experience with IABP's and now is called to transfer a patient with on in place, can be difficult depending on your experience. Get all the quality experience that you can and develop your assessment skills and critical thinking skills. Also stay in touch with your local companies and find out what qualities that they require and go for it!!!!

I just wanted to add that the figures quoted here by pfitz are more than a little unsettling for me too. I am glad to see the numbers and that you were so diligent to find the data to report here. How can anyone argue with data that shows that this profession is at a 16 time greater risk than the rest of the U.S. population for loss of life or injury?? Now getting back to the research studies, I do agree that sometimes numbers can be made to reflect the hypothesis that you initially set out to prove or disprove. However, it's kinda hard to argue with numbers that are not a part of a research study such as provided by OSHA and as quoted by pfitz above. 16 times that of all other U.S. workers. WoW!! Way to go there pfitz.

Hi, I too was in your same situation when going back to NP school. I knew that there was going to be a time when a teaching schedule would work for me and I would be ready to get out of the ER and stop doing 12 hour shifts. I decided to do MSN with FNP as my concentration. I do feel like you can do both, I have been precepting some undergrad. nursing students and feel like it's where I can really give back to nursing. I have only been NP for about 2 years now and still enjoy doing that. So, it really is the best of both worlds as stated by traumsRUs. Teaching doesn't pay well, so it's a swap off for the schedule. The problem that I am having since recently moving clear across the state and the only teaching experience that I have so far is doing a ton of ACLS classes, TNCC classes, etc and precepting nursing students, is that getting a teaching job is not as easy as you would think, especially in light of faculty shortage. My advice to you if you want to teach is to get affiliated with a program so that you can work your way into a slot and know when there is one available. I would have had that opportunity where I previously lived so I think the move hurt in that aspect. It has been explained to my by those in the teaching community that often times there is alot of red tape involved in getting the approval for additional instructors and finding the money to pay them. I am just getting to know how all of that works here in the state of Georgia, may be some different in Alabama. So good luck in whatever you do.

Oh, the wish for a successful job hunt goes out to the person that started this thread, the first post, they were looking for a way to find available jobs within the air medical industry. You,shamirra aizza, turned this thread in to a discussion that quickly got off the mark. Also read the fine print of your insurance policies regarding your participation as a flight crew member, my insurance did not make this up when I asked about it, it was in the fine print. I know from personal experience that losing a flight crew to a crash is an experience that forever changed my life. So you'll never change my mind that there are inherent risks to being a flight nurse. I suppose we will agree to disagree.

thanks guys for your input. I had not heard about these clinics until I attended the national conference this past June. I have done some internet surfing to find about them and quite frankly sounds too good to be true. I am looking for a new position and had considered them. I will just sit back and wait to see how things go before I jump into that. Thanks

Also after reading all the threads posted here I wanted to add this piece of food for thought. I have been a nurse for 15 years,ER and flight combined. I would like for all of those folks reading this that may have an interest in flight nursing to know that I have never been involved in a preshift safety briefing while working in the ER, but as a flight nurse it was done with the am pilot and again with the pm pilot. I did not make sure my last will and testament was done until I was instructed to do so by the company I worked for as a flight nurse, never has a hospital suggested that this be done. I am never worried about updating my coordinates with my charge nurse in the ER but I would love to be found on a cold night if I happen to be out in the middle of nowhere while working as a flight nurse. Oh yea, I always make sure I have an updated survival kit on board when I do daily check offs, in the ER we are worried about what we are ordering for dinner. I would think all of these things are in place because there is an inherent danger to being a flight nurse, or atleast being a part of a flight crew. Also, as far as the insurance thing goes, my life insurance would not pay off to my family if I were to die as part of a flight crew, killed in the ER?? oh yea paid fully.

hi, Just wanted to agree with the Army pilot that stated that if you fly long enough eventually something will happen. Look at it like this ,statistics can and will work against you at some point. I flew as a flight nurse for 4 years and flew with some of the most experienced pilots in the field. You can't imagine the situations that you may have to face that no amount of training would have ever prepared you for. As a flight nurse you are first and foremost a crew member and then a nurse. It's interesting that you point out that the company that you worked for has never had a mechanical failure that resulted in an injury, is that because of the crew that was on board and their fast actions to correct a problem or a pilot that was able to land quickly and safely or any number of other things that just happened to have gone right at the time and not result in an injury? My motto as a flight nurse is "Live to fly another day". Things can and will happen. Good luck in your search for a job. check out airmethods web site.

Hi, Yes, it 's possible to work full time and complete NP program. I worked full time and was able to get clinical time in but it was very time consuming and did require some planning ahead, like months at a time. Saving your PTO time is a great idea and I did some of that too, like I would take off a day here and there so I could squeeze in extra clinical time. I took advantage of a study abroad program that our school offered and packed in alot of clinical hours that way while also learning about another culture, but this did require taking PTO time off to spend 12 days in another country. The school I attended offered NP program every other weekend, so this was a little easier than having to be in class several days a week. The disadvantage was that I had to drive 3 hours every other weekend for this particular program, no choice , had to work. I worked 2 -12 hour night shifts a week for a total of 48 hours a payperiod and did 1 24 hour flight shift a payperiod to make a total of 72 hours in 2 weeks. The flight shift offered time to study when not out on a call, so this worked out great for me and also I was able to get 24 hours in one day not over 2. The trick to NP school is being very organized with your time and basically knowing that you will be doing something everyday,either work,school,clinical or combination of all. Good luck!!

Interested in networking with anyone that can offer some input or information about these clnics. Thanks

Hi, I am a NP in georgia and have been so for about 18 months now. Keep in mind the only true differences in NP and PA is the way that they are trained. PA's are trained on a medical model and NP's are trained on a nursing model. Difference you ask?? Well it's kinda like comparing MD to DO. NP's approach the patient from a holistic approach and PA's tend to approach the patient from a sytems or disease specific approach. In the end NP's and PA's take care of the same types of patients ranging from all the specialites and subspeciality areas including surgery, etc. Depending on the type of NP program that you do whether it be family, acute, peds etc will determine where you are most marketable as a NP. I chose the family route because I wanted to be able to see patients across the lifespan and that makes you very marketable if you want to stay in the ER. As for the nursing diagnosis, this is a real misunderstanding among NP's and PA's. When you are a nurse yes you do for nursing diagnosis and you should be thinking about differential diagnosis with all of your patients nurse or not. When you become a NP you no longer use nursing diagnosis because you no longer truely are functioning as a nurse, you are a practitioner and you use just like the PA's do a list of differentials and then you actually order labs, xrays, meds and then you interpret your findings and diagnose with a medical diagnosis not a nursing diagnosis. Keep in mind that before even going to NP school most programs require atleast 5 years of previous experience and all programs that I am aware of is of a master's level. PA's on the other hand are not required to have a masters degree nor are they required to have previous healthcare experience. NP's and PA's are both midlevel providers and do the same things and infact more and more you will see the term midlevel provider rather than pitting NP's and PA's against each other. Look at both types of programs and see which is best for you. Good Luck!!!

i have thought about buying a pair of those MBT shoes. I did get the dvd that tells about the technology of the shoe and how the shoe works to help with weight loss. Wearing the shoe and walking a mile is supposed to be the equivalent of walking 3 miles in sand. It has something to do with the way you have to support yourself in the rocker bottom and helps to reduce cellulite because of the walking in sand type exercise and also helps to firm your core muscles too. I spoke with a saleslady and she recommeds wearing the shoes for a couple of hours each day until you build up to wearing them longer. She said that she started wearing the shoes and went from a size 14 to size 8 changing nothing but her shoes because of the workout you get in them. So i guess it's worth a try ,I have wasted more than 250.00 on other useless claims and I did try the shoe on and it is comfortable. They also make a sandal.

I am a NP in Georgia, Augusta. Just recently moved here from South Ga where I practiced as NP and was able to see all sorts of patients and loved it. The ER that I'm in now has just started using NP's and I feel lucky to be here but we are going thru some real growing pains. I need some advice on how you all are handling medical screening exams, are you charging the patient?? Also, does your departments have protocols in place and how much autonomy do the NP's have?? Is there something in place if the NP has a question about something, like a "go to doc"?? Also, we have found ourselves in a position in which some of the docs are on board and see us as an advantage and not so good reception with the others. The physicians are paid by fee for service and I think feel like we are taking some of their patients. I feel like my skill is being under utilized. We have found ourselves bringing patients back and starting a work up on a patient,but having to do the entire nursing forms in addition to our write up. Needing some advice. I feel like this is a work in progress but would like to see things happen a little faster. Thanks for any input.

Any ER's out there using NP's in your department???

My experience has been that the salaries are competitive with what you will make in an emergency department. I have worked for both a stand alone company and a hospital based flight program and salaries did not vary much. I hate to admit it but I would do it for nothing if I had to. I just enjoyed it that much. If you work in a program in which you do 24 hours you can actually make more money overall because you will get 2 shifts done in a day. good luck!!!

i think it depends on where you are. I have worked for 2 programs in which mostly the nurses were females and paramedics male. i have seem programs though with not one female on the entire staff. Not sure about that one. just remember as females we have been doing it backwards and in high heels for years to get the same recognition as males. if you are truley interested in becoming a flight nurse, prepare yourself well and you can't be turned down.

Having worked in both level 1 and the community ER setting, i have to say that the community ER experience was the most challenging. You do not have a ton of resources that the level 1 and 2 centers have and yet you get the same type stuff as far as trauma is concerned. The community Er will give you a chance to appreciate stabilizing the airway and sorry just couldn't get to the femur fracture even though it looks really bad. You just can't appreciate it the same if you have never been the only nurse working a low bad sick trauma, you see in the community setting there are not as many nurses working and chances are if you are taking care of a trauma there may be other victims needing stabilization too. Your cohorts did not abandon you but they are with their own sick patient. Working in a trauma center is great fun but alot of your job is babysitting the residents that get left behind since the chief is back down stairs working another trauma, now you are left you decided what to do if the patient crashes, chances are the residents are not going to catch it, you are. Your community ER experience will prepare you for that since often times while you are in CT with your patient it will be you and the CT tech. By the way, trauma centers get there share of the bull crap too, welcome to the world of emergency nursing!!!

The FNP track is the right choice. I had worked in the ER for about 12 years before I went back for my NP, the experience was invaluable. I currently work as a NP in an ER, and you will need the FNP track to take care of patients across the life span. Also consider NP programs that are ERNP programs, there are some out there but in the end you take the same board certification as FNP, your clinical experience is different,however. There is no speciality certification for ERNP as of yet. Good Luck

Hi, Just wanted to say that I have been practicing as a NP for the last year in Georgia. I have been an ER nurse for the last 14 years with 4 years as a flight nurse. It was a bigger transition than I ever dreamed of. No regrets though. I continued to work in the same ER that I had worked as a nurse so the physicians already knew me, my personality as well as the attending physicians (some of them) knew me too. The nurses were great and some were even protective since I was the first nurse practitioner to be hired in the ER . We had always used PA's until I came along. I have recently left after my first year and I was very pleased to see that they interviewed both NP/PA for my position. NP's are still making the way for the next generation.

looking for a position in the ER as a nurse practitioner. i know they seem to be far and few between. know any places that are currently using them in georgia, please let me know. thanks