Baking Nurse

Something that my students seem to enjoy doing is a game called "Spin the Urinal". I put 10 topics in a new - never used urinal :) It can be anything from a subject they covered in class that week, a med a students did not know, or something I want to discuss with them. I normally do 1 per student. I spin it the first time and whoever it lands on has to pick out 1 topic. That student then has 1 minute to tell me everything they know about it. Then the rest of the students have 1 minute to fill in what the original student left out. I then give any additional information they may need. I feel it is a good way to bridge the theory and clinical experience.

I just wanted to update. I know they fired 3 nurses and gave one a 3 day suspension. The State did go in and investigate. I do not know the results yet. I was offered a position with Hospice, which is what I wanted to do all along but thought I would need a years experience as posted. They decided I was worth training the right way. I love the people I work with and the environment. If you are placed in a position you are not comfortable, remember you worked very hard for that license and don't jeopardize it. Also remember that each and every patient deserves to get the best care possible.

I am wondering if any new nurses have had horror stories on a new job. I worked one 8 hour shift at a nursing home, It was horrible. I called the DON the next day and said I worked my first shift the night before and it would be my last. I then called the companies compliance hotline and the state. Here are just a few things my "trainer did or told me" 1) If we don't have a med for the patient we just initial we gave it because we don't want the state to know we don't have it. 2) A patients 5 pm meds and 9 pm meds were given at 11 pm 3)Meds from the day shift were not charted as given and I was told the day nurse would get caught up with her charting the next day:down: 4) If you realize later you forgot to give a med - just chart as refused :argue: 5) A patient fell and they put him back into bed and said he did it all the time so they don't do any reports. 6) Gloves not worn to do accu check or give insulin - and don't wash your hands too much because they will become chapped. Hand sanitizer not available for use:smackingf 7) Several times - if a patients med was not available, the took another patients med to give. She also broke a postassium 20 mEq with her hands that was one patients to give to another patient that was ordered 10 mEq.:grn: 8) One patient was not to receive a dose of meds that day but was to get it the next day. The next days dose was already marked as given. I was told the nurse that gave that dose would see it the next day and skip it.:angryfire 9) Patient ordered Vit D 1000 IU and Vit D2 50000 IU. In the drawer was Vit S 1000 IU and Vit D 1.25 mg. I was told the Vit D 1.25 mg rounded to Vit D2 and since it was in the patients drawer it was his and thats what we give. I was then told that this was real world nursing and I better get used to it (I was actually told to take off my rose colored sunglasses). I went home and threw up. I pray I hear about a hospital job I interviewed for last week!!! I will never do their type of nursing.

For all of you to still test - here is what helped me: Do not study the day before (For my test - no amount of studying would have helped at all), The morning of the test - Eat a piece of toast and a couple of pieces of bacon. It will help calm your stomach. Take 2 aspirin (I was told it would help the blood flow to your brain but it at least kept a headache away). Remember to breath. I tested yesterday morning at 8 am and found out at 9 am today I Passed. A girlfriend went with me and she finished her test 3 miniutes after I did and her results are not up yet????? We both had 75 questions (I think my heart stopped when the screen went gray then blue) and I finished in 57 minutes. Good luck and my prayers to all still to test.

Does anyone know how long it takes in indiana for results to show up? I took my boards at 8 am this morning and it shut of at 75 questions. I had 4 math questions and 14 SATA so I am freaking out. My stomach is so upset.

We had to take the ATI Critical Thinking exam our 1st semester of nursing. I scored an 87.5% which was 99th percentile. The most important thing when taking the test is to prioritize. What is most important? As a side note - I had an instructor that was the devil in disguise last semester and she told me that I had no critical thinking skills. If I said up - she said down. She actually wrote on my paperwork "Giving good patient care is not the job of the RN - that is the aides job. The RN's job is to think critically." What a witch. I passed the class but over half failed so I can't be too stupid. Good luck

I am in the RN program in South Bend. I have heard a lot of negative things about Brown Mackie. They are not accredited so even if you finish your classes and pass the NCLEX you may still not be able to practice as a LPN. I know they extended the deadline to apply for the LPN program in South Bend until November. The LPN program is much easier to get into than the RN program. Best of luck.