papergirlRN

I graduated from UALR's accelerated program and thought it was fair. It's the same as the traditional option, except you don't get a summer break, so you graduate in December instead of May. This will make finding a job MUCH easier, also. Hard to s...

I work on a great unit - or at least, it was great until recently. I have an intelligent, competent nurse manager. I graduated in December, and have had a nice, long, orientation with a wonderful preceptor. Prior to graduation, I worked on this un...

I work on a dementia unit, and we do team nursing. 2 partners to a day room, with 10-15 patients. 3 day rooms. 1 staff member must be in the room at all times for patient safety. So - even if I am just passing meds, I may get stuck in a day room ...

At the VA in my area, I worked as a student nurse technician (SNT) while in nursing school. After 6 months of employment as an SNT, I was eligible for a SNAP scholarship for $5000, for a year commitment. SNAP= Student Nurse Assistance Program, I th...

Hi everyone! I am starting the UALR nursing program in the fall of '06. Just wondered if there were any more of us out there? Also, would like to hear from senior students and recent grads. My friends and I are excited and nervous all at the same tim...

Let me first say that I have been a nurse for less than 6 months. But this made me really nervous, and I wondered what they were thinking! John and Jane are both nurses on my unit. We do team nursing - Jane was passing meds for half of the unit whi...

Interesting (and disturbing) thread. What about the lady in the stall next to you that is talking on her cell phone?! And then you hear the telltale crinkling of the wrappers on various sanitary products, listen to her say, "hang on a minute," sit t...

Thanks to everyone for the replies. . . . I did speak briefly with Jane and John about it. They were very flippant, couldn't have cared less, no big deal. I think they think I over reacted. BUT- I told them that since I was so new in the charge rol...

WOW! I managed to get through nursing school and my time as a graduate nurse without ever having given an IM shot. I have been a "real" RN for about 2 months now, and the other day when I was passing meds, one of my pts had an order for an IM abx. ...

OK- first day passing meds by myself, and the patient care person (an experienced nurse) comes to me at 0845 and tells me Mr. Whatshisname is constipated and could use some MOM. Fine, I tell her - as soon as I finish with this pt, I'll go there nex...

Yep, I did go to my nurse manager and she said don't worry about it, that I did what any 'reasonably prudent nurse' would do and no harm was done. Today, the same nurse told me to give a patient immodium for diarrhea, but he was positive for c.diff...

Grrrrr. I LOVE Dilly scrubs, but I guess they quit making them- I can't even find them online anymore! Someone told me to try Dickie, but I can't find them anywhere! I could order them online, but would at least like to try on before I commit, bec...

Yep - I passed the ualr hesi on first try, also. Now I'm bored to tears waiting on a temp license, att, something!!! I am sooo ready to start work! You know, it's funny. For the last week, I've sat straight up in bed at 4 a.m. thinking I forgot ...

I work as a student nurse technician in the VA system and it has been my experience that the shifts are different depending on which floor or unit you're on. Some units have 12 hour shifts, some don't. And some units you'll work days or evenings an...

Hi, I'm a senior student at UALR, also. Yes, UALR is trying to go to a BSN program, but as far as we've heard, approval is pending. Also, there is a list of prerequisites floating about, but that list has not been approved, either. Your best bet is...

Okay. I graduate in December. We're down to the wire. I have to decide on a unit to do my preceptorship on and I am perfectly clueless. I have yet to have that epiphany where I think "THIS is where I want to work and what I want to do." None of ...

Thanks for the replies, everyone! Ok. So the preceptorship is ONLY 100 hours, which is technically no time at all but a really long time if you're miserable, right? And no, we don't get to meet our preceptors beforehand so we can pick. We are pai...

So, my dh and some friends go out the other night to dinner. My hubby's bff, whom we'll call dick, has a girlfriend, who we'll call jane. Dick and Jane have been dating for one month, but according to them, it was love at first sight and they have ...

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I have definitely chalked this up as a learning experience. Initially, I did not want to talk to her about it because she is a nurse and I am 'just' a student. And we all know that student nurses see nurses do thi...

I used to make my mom do it. When I was doing pre-req's we worked at the same place and I had to drive after she got sick. It was like an hour drive in traffic so I'd make flashcards and she'd quiz me the whole way to and fro. I got straight A's! ...

Funny. This is almost exactly what my dh said I should've said, later that night when I was attempting to explain to him how serious this was. Only it was "rash" and "penicillin" but it was the same principle.

Caribbean blue scrubs with school initials embroidered in white, white lab coat with school initials embroidered in caribbean blue. The tops are normal scrub tops, no snaps or anything. All white athletic shoes of our choosing. And I am ohhh so t...

I only actually study on Sundays. I have to spend time during the week on clinical prep and careplans, but usually I only study on Sundays.

I am there, doing that, and my grades and clinical skills are up to par. But it ain't easy! You will have bad instructors. You will make mistakes. There will be times when there aren't enough hours in the day. But you do the very best you can and...

Buy more uniforms than they tell you that you'll need. The seniors are looking faded and awfully threadbare! Also, I keep a clean spare uniform in my car at all times. Never know what's going to happen! And, last but not least, I don't know if ...