SamHill

Empty your pockets into the nurse that takes over your group. Saves the company money! I was bad about nitro bottles and flushes.

Ankles and calves at walmart....chf...pvd...

This is just my personal opinion...If you take its personally, its on you. But to me one of the advantages of the NP role is that you have the nurse experience to guide you when diagnosing and treating a patient. Without it, its kinda like calling yourself a race car driver just because you got some speeding tickets.

LTC would be my choice then. Working consecutive days on 4 and 5 hour of sleep is not a recipe for success when you are taking your pre-reqs. If you got along with the people at the LTC...then I would do that. LTC you will be sending some people to the hospital. Take a look at discharge papers when they come back. See what they treated and how. Its the next best thing to doing it.

Working 12's? That would essentially leave you working a 14.5 shift. Does your LTC have a any rehab cases? My RN classes had some nursing home lvn's who did pretty well so don't think that is essential to work med-surg for RN school. Just an advantage.

If you can afford the difference in pay...do med-surg. It will give you a great start on RN school. Plus if you decided you wanted to go specialty straight after RN school, you would have your 'mandatory' med-surg experience out of the way.

Aviator's are pretty nice and the Landau vented sleeve tops work well. They don't restrict your movement like some other brands.

The women I work with learned quick not to spread gossip in my presence. I started telling them what the other nurses say about when they aren't around. "Christy...Diane said you always wear scrubs two sizes too small." Diane...Christy said you needed to wax your upper lip."

:up:

One Second After by William Forstchen deals with an EMP attack. The story goes into great detail about medical conditions and health care without modern equipment(some hellish nursing home scenes). Slight spoiler...The protagonists daughter is a type 1 diabetic so the lack of medical supplies and electricity to store the ones available make for interesting read.

I got my CNA and worked two years as a tech on a neuro-surg floor. I felt like I had a huge advantage in LPN school because of it. Some of my fellow students at the beginning were afraid to even touch a patient. I worked 3 years as a LVN mostly on ortho or med-surg floors. I was scared to death my first night on my own. I gradually got comfortable and finally after about a year felt like I was a decent LVN. I worked nights mostly so in down times I was constantly reading H&P's and progress notes to see what was going on with my patients and why. I also asked questions of the more experienced nurses on the floor. Most all of them were willing to share their knowledge. I just graduated with my RN. The first semester I was kind of bored and probably a little arrogant. Most of what was being taught I had already dealt with on the floor as an LVN. The last two semesters I fell like I learned a ton. On the next to last day of clinicals, I was thinking about my first night as a LVN and told my instructor "I can't believe how stupid I was back then. I'm lucky I didn't kill a patient." It was a joke but there was truth in it. I didn't really think about how much I had learned each step of the way. I'm sure two years from now I will think how dumb I was when I first got my RN. One thing I would suggest is are you studying your pt records? Are you checking the charts after the doctor writes his visit notes? Compare your assessment findings with his and study why the patient's are experiencing the symptoms. Are you challenging yourself on your CEU's or just picking something that is quick and easy?

http://www.zappos.com/new-balance-mw755-brown Got these in 11.5 4E. Only wore them a couple of shifts but they are great so far.

3 years of medsurg experience as a LVN helped a new grad ADN RN. Beat out several BSN new grads for the job.

I wore mine for a couple of years after marriage mostly to make the wife happy. I am not a ring guy. Eventually I got tired of all the gunk that gets under a band so I just quit wearing it. My wife was upset at first but we both work at the same hospital so no chance of me being mistaken for single. I will wear the ring on occasion if going out to dinner or to a club.

40 Bed Hospital in BFE. Cafeteria opens at 7:30A closes at 1:30P. No sandwich or salad made for night shift. Vending machines with cokes, candy and chips are available but no change machine. If you don't have $1's, you are SOL. None of the restaurants in town deliver.