freedom4

I am a very visual learner, and I just couldn't get cervical exams. Then one time I was at the nurses station and someone had brought out a model of a female parts complete with cervix and interchangable stages of dialation. That is all it took. Once...

I have made some stupid decisions in my short career as a nurse. I graduated in 2007. I initially started out in Labor and Delivery. I told the nurse manager upon starting that I really wanted to work in the nursery, but they were short and needed me...

I didn't become an RN until 40, so the question is how much longer can I wait. There is a NICU a 1/2 hour away, but I haven't seen openings in the NICU for 4 years. I have been looking and even wrote a letter to the HR representative how interested I...

rnpic thanks so much for the advice. Yes I am working one of those crappy jobs now. It is really a good place to work, but not what I want to be doing. I feel like I am a glorified (and not very glorified) secretary. I have thought about it for awhi...

Checking with US would be a great idea, but we are no longer allowed to do us in our department unless you are a Dr. There are a few nurses that have been around for a long time that still do ultra sound, but I was taught that only a doctor should be...

Our unit has way to many people that want to be electively induced, so many of our Docs will go along with them after 38 weeks. Lately it seems that many of our Docs are using Cytotec more and more, but many of them just start right on Pitocin. Our p...

I started as a new grad last year in Labor/Postpartum. I started off in Postpartum (I am glad) to learn the lay of the land, and to build up my skills. 4-5 months after I started when I was comfortable with postpartum then they started my labor train...

Anytime I can't get to the cervix I do what gemininurse 71 does and I put my patient on the bedpan. I also lower the head of the bed so the head is flat or slightly lower. It really does make a difference.

Hello I am a 3rd shifter. We have the crazy nights and the nights that make me love 3rd shift. In my unit we either work L&D and postpartum, or Peds/Nursery and Postpartum. I am a L&D nurse. 10:45-11:45 or possible 12 or later. Depending on ...

I read everything I can get my hands on about labor. I learn alot right here on this site. 2 nights ago I finally had another delivery (yeah). Went off without a hitch, but I had another nurse peek in on me often. I really felt more comfortable knowi...

I am a new grad this past summer. New to being an RN worked as a CNA for years. I just started orienting to Labor and Delivery about 3 months ago. We had over 180 deliveries in our hospital last month, but I am not getting any of them. To this date I...

We have CNA working in our nursery. THey do vitals, feed and basically take care of the babies in the nursery. Some of the better ones will help take babies out if it is feeding time. I work 11-7 and all of our assessments are done in the nursery, so...

Last night at work was a day from *&^(. I had a patient come in and she was in very active labor. This was her 4th child and we knew that labor was something she was familiar with. I got her on the toco an then started looking for heart tones, an...

I now wish I would of commented in the card about this beautiful boy and his full head of dark hair. I was signing this card when I was talking to another nurse, and asked her opinion about writing about him personally. I didn't write anything person...

I had a patient come in for an induction the other night and said "I want an enema." I told her that this isn't something that we normally do anymore, and we will have to ask her Dr. for an order. Then I asked her if there was a reason that she wante...

I had a pt come in with labor pains the other night. We were getting her admitted and I realized that the woman that she was with was coaching her on her breathing. The patient informed me after a contraction that this woman was her "Doodie." I aske...

I started nights on my unit about 2 months ago. I was concerned about it being very slow, and I wondered how much interaction I would actually get with the patients. I have also worked nights before (as a CNA in a nursing home), and I knew if it was ...

I am on spring break right now, Oh how I do need it. We had a test last week, and I had to turn around this week and have a final with new information. I am so burn out that I barely studied. VERY big MISTAKE!!. Oh well made it through the class and ...

Hello everyone, I will be graduating in May, and have recently been hired on as a PICU nurse. In my heart I really wanted NICU, but it seems to have such a high burn out rate. I thought if I go to Picu I will develop more skills as a nurse with many ...

I recently have been hired to PICU. I will start in May. I will get 14 weeks, and I am getting 2 extra weeks devoted towards Oncology. The hospital I will be working at is an St. Jude affiliate.

something a wise professor of mine said, "first figure out if you are a jack of all trades type person or a master of one type person before every choosing your specialty." journeycc i think your professor was a wise one. his (her) quote makes perfec...

Janfrn thanks for the advice. I guess I just needed confirmation, like when I was a kid. I am looking forward to working in PICU, but also overwhelmed about what I have to learn. The hospital that I will be working at is a teaching hospital with a 16...

one of things i like about nursing is the fact that you have so many options, but the hardest thing that i have found in choosing a job is that i have so many options. i guess i did make the right decision. i have lost sleep over it for about a month...

I used to tell a joke when I was a kid about a women having twins. She named the female twin Denise, and the Boy Denephew. Sounds like I better not say that to loud around a delivery room. I was in OB dept last week and a woman had a very special bab...