BlessedOne

Are the any good reference books for nps and hospital rounding. I will start rounding soon and I want to get a good evidence based resource.

I listened to Fitzgerald CDs over and over, read Leik and did questions with Zerwhek. Now that I have taken it, which seems so long ago, nothing really stood out. I also took the Hollier class. It was just having a comglomeration of knowledge coming together from studying different resources, having good clinicals, and my actual coursework. Godd Luck:nurse:

Thanks Kiser56, that helped

Kiser56, What are some good bedside resources to have on you when rounding in the hospital? Give me a routine how you would see a new patient? I am with a hospitalist also but have to wait for my privileges. How did you adjust to call and what helped get you through your first months of call. Were you on call for ICU also? Does your hospital have electronic medical records? Please give any other tips and suggestions in rounding in a hospital. I am due to start my position next week. Thanks

Wow.. I just looked on amazon and they are selling it for over $1,000.00. There is one used for about $45.00 on amazon now. I used it because it got you in a mode of taking a 175 question test in one sitting.

I used a variety starting with Fitzgerald, then Zerwerkh, Leik and Hollier three day class. All of the resources complimented each other. Studied for a month and a half diligently. At least 2-3 hours a day at least 5 days a week. During the test, I started getting in the groove of the test after 20 or so questions. Very common diseases. A lot of time peds, gero, derm and abx. A lot of scenarios presented. Soooo glad it is over and I can start my life and focus on my family and now new position. Will be praying for everyone who is closely attempting this exam. For you it will be over soon.

I am so relieved God was with me and helped me pass. What a relief! Start my new job March 7th before a week off and then a 7 day Carnival cruise. God and life are soooooo good. :clpty:

Thanks butch0818, I plan to take it in a few days and yes, I too know that only God can help me pass this exam. Send your prayers my way.

I just graduate too and now studying for boards. I started networking 6-8 months before I graduated. I had two possible positions right after I graduated. I have a position now and I glad I started early because many of my classmates do not have any prospects. I got a job at the hospital where I worked. So in other words start now !!!!!!

Well I took the position. the contract is en route. We shall see

thanks. Another NP advised the same thing. You will need to give yourself a year. What about working independently. My possible new position will give me plenty of independence. What advise do any of you have for this?

Thanks Spacklehead. This sounds like a plan. I am using Fitzgerald, Hollier and will be going to Hollier's seminar. I am setting aside 2-3 hours a day about 5-6 days per week to study.

Great comments. Keep them coming seasoned NPs !!!!

Thanks for the comments. Any other NP with 2-3 years experience want to chime in?

What things made your first year difficult? From your experience, what can I tell myself, ok this is difficult but it will come with time and more experience? Thank you for your responses.

I took health assessment, advanced patho and pharm in one semester with working 3 -12 hours shift on the weekend day. It was hard,but I did it with two A- and one B+. You really must manage your time. These classes are the core of the curriculum. It is said, if you get a good H and P, 90 percent of the time you will have the dx. It is sooooooo true.

Thanks, I am leaning more and more to choosing the position. I have been talking to his fellow doctors. I even talked to one today. He had good things to say about the Dr. and he seems to be well liked by all around the hospital. He loves his personality and I do too. I am still looking at my quality of life vs. a large salary. I know that the job will be challenging at first. I think I am up for the challenge. I certainly will gain a lot of experience in my first year as an NP. I still would like to know my other option. But really don't know if there is an option. Will give the nephrology practice until next Wednesday. Thanks for your comment.

Don't have any experience or training as an hospitalist, but do have experience caring for a wide range of patients. Worked on stepdown-floor with vascular patients-AAA, fem pop, carotid endard, newly renal transplantion and rejection transplant patients, ENT patients-neck dissections, laryngectomies and oral cancer, new trach, etc, and some GI patients and cardiac patients. My rotations in FNP school included internal medicine, derm, pulmonary, neuro, opthal as well as the required of family, WH and Peds

I have over four years of hospital experience with being charge and precepting. Just found out there is no money for call. Anyway the Dr. just called me and I am having lunch with him and another Dr. So I will find out what this position really entails.

I am in the southeast. i will see 12-16 patients a day in either the nursing home or the hospital (later). Since the practice is more of hospitalists; there are no set hours, but I would try to make it 40 hours per week by starting early to finish possibly early

Internal medicine-85K per year, with increase of up to 95k in the next 12-18months. sign on bonus of 5k, 2 week pd vac, 1 week of paid annual leave, 1 week for cme, $1500 for cme. medical for just me paid at 50%. Will be rounding in nursing homes and once I get my hospital privileges will be rounding in the med surg and stepdown floors. one day a week for call for nursing homes and one weekend per month hospital. dont know if would get call pay-will have to question and about productivity pay. This doctor particular is known to be very generous with his NPs and only heard good things about him. He has had his NPs for years, but one had to resign due illness. Other possible offer on table Internal medicine/nephrology. They really want to hire me but awaiting to get their doctors together to discuss. My resume has already been distributed amongst the doctors. The lead doctors would like to hire me because of my experience of working with their patient population. No other info. I was thinking about giving Nephrology 7 more days and if I haven't heard anything from them, I would start the ball rolling for the offer of 85K. by the way I am a new grad.:)

As a registered nurse, you complete orders for patients and when you see what is ordered, you can kind of guess of what the physician is trying to figure out. Well as an NP, the role of diagnosing will be mine and I trying to figure out what (if anyone can put into words) changed your thought patterns from a nurse to a NP. I know the thinking process of a nurse will always be there, but what are your new patterns of thinking as the NP, which has helped you in dx. and treating patients. Thanks you:wink2:

I have not started my NP courses yet (will start 08/26). What I was planning to do is after maybe 2-3 years of being an NP to teach one or two nursing classes a year as an adjunct faculty just to get back in teaching. I taught elementary education for 6 years prior to being a nurse. Do you feel this is doable? Anyone?

Good for you. Congratulations.

For Sentara it's $6 dollars for weekend days. I have been there a little less than 2 years and Sentara paid for my second degree BSN. I also now precept new nurses and that is an extra $3 dollars per hour. Being charge is an extra $1 an hour. I choose not to do it because you still have patients and you have to do bedflow, deal with issues that arise from your fellow nurses, and also staffing. So the $1 is not worth it right now. I would like to have it on my resume, but I will do it right before I receive my Masters in 2010. I think weekend nights is $7/hr. As I was taking my classes, Sentara paid them and yes you do have to pay the taxes. Each paycheck $200 is put in my check as income, it is taxed, and then taken right back out. I am to work at least two years, which didn't matter to me because I wanted to work at a Trama I hospital. I don't think Bon Secours and Chesapeake General are Trauma I, so they were completely not a choice for me.