waterfall99

I know exactly how you feel, I'm currently working at a hospital, fortunately temporarily as it's a travel assignment and they are trying to get magnet status, which is code for bending over backwards for patients even if it seems like an impossible task?!?! I work in L&D and the things we are asked to do are just so unrealistic, they have this huge pain initiative going on and I completely understand in other parts of the hospital it's important to control patients' pain. BUt I just received an email today saying that our goal was for our patients to have no pain?!?!? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME So are we going to start giving out pain meds to every single patient with the least little bit of pain wile they're talking on their selling phones and hooting it up with their familes???? Are we not to do vag exams because of the pain we might be causing them? Are we do redose epidurals when patients are about to delivery so that they won't have any pain?? I did hear a rumor about the US starting to use laughing gas in the delivery rooms again, but come on, we all know how hard it is to explain to an uneducated or young patient or even not, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PAIN YOU'RE HAVING A BABY welcome to the real world. I'm all for relieving pain when I can, but wehn you come rolling up at 9cm, screaming for your epidural, sorry chick it's not gonna happen, then we get a bad score, saying they made me have my baby without pain medicine, they dont bother to ask the details??? That's just the beginning of the ridiculousness that's happening and unfortunately it's on other units, too, so it's just sad, it makes it impossible to do our jobs. I just have to say, I admire you postpartum nurses, because the juggling act you have to do on a daily basis is amazing, I have 1-2 patients, and obviously it's an entirely different type of nursing, but im rarely doing discharges admits, pku's, bilis, breastfeeding, and teaching. If half these patients would do a bit of reading during the pregnancy we wouldn't have to be explaing to them in detail where their uterus is and why tehy still look pregnant and when will their breasts fill and is my baby eating enough etc etc. Which is one of the reasons I chose to become a midwife, so I could spend time educating my patients and preparing them for discharge from their very first OB visit! GOod luck with whatever you decide, just know that there are hospitals out there that function entirely differently and they some how meet magnet and JCAHO standards without all the ridiculousness. ANd thank you for the good care you provide, good post-partum care is hard to come by, and is amazingly hard work.

I'm in the kansas city area, and I do think CNM jobs are slim pickings around here, not many places hiring, but then again things change on a weekly basis around here, new groups popping up and such. Ya never know, let's just say I don't plan on finding a job in the KC area, but will take it if I do, I'm fortunate enough to be able to relocate and I graduate in December, from an online program.

I saw this mentioned somewhere and I'm trying to figure out how it works. When I google all I come up with is uk sites and one in Hong Kong:angryfire NOT helpful I'm wanting just a 3-4 day course, to obtain some type of certificate, that I can perform basic ultrasounds for AFI, position, fht's, etc. I'm currently a midwifery student, btw.

I received an email response from them, stating that yes I had to have graduated, passed boards and gotten a job at a underserved facility. ThEN apply for the loan forgiveness. I wish I would have made the deadline for the scholarship, I could REALLY use that, but hopefully this will work out, I'm pretty much willing to work anyway and on the website, you can look up jobs, that are hiring. So, I guess we'll see what happens. Congrats on your award!

Has anyone used this program? I know there are all sorts of regulations and such, but I'm trying to figure out if you have to actually have graduated to apply or if you can apply before? I'm not graduating until December 2010, but it says they start taking applications now, the requirements listed say "graduate of an accredited program" I'm going to be a CNM, I'm just not sure how to go about getting in this program, any advice appreciated!

I'm currently attending a distance learning program and I am interested in doing some clinical study abroad. I know of one opportunity but was hoping to hear about others. I know they do things quite differently in places other than the US and I would love to get training in breech vaginal deliveries, for example. THanks for the replies!

yes the scholarship is different but also through the NHSC, the deadline for this year already passed, unfortunately I missed it. i sent an email to the address they gave during the tele-conference i hope to get answer that way

Thank you, I have looked at their website exhaustively! THere is actually a memo that says in the next few weeks the requirements are changing and there is going to be a lot less paperwork involved. I never did get an answer to my question if I could apply before I graduated or what. I will email them directly and see what I can find out, I even listened to a conference call where people were asking all sorts of questions, and still didn't get my question quite answered. Thanks for your help! good luck!

thanks for your response, so it's my understanding, I have to wait until I have a job and have received my licensure, before I can apply?

I'm getting ready to start classes in January and wanted to review a bit (I know I"m a total nerd). I'm taking advanced patho-physiology and adv. health assessment. I'm flipping through my old patho book but I wanted something else.

You are not just stating your opinion, you are making assumptions, generalizations and overall providing complete inaccuracies to anyone reading this forum. Btw, what kind of programs have you been involved with? As someone else mentioned, you would be more accurate if you said, "Online MSN programs I have evaluated have been subpar" The MSN-online program I am in, and others I considered, require over 900 clinical hours. My preceptor requirements also clearly state that no student is to EVER do ANYTHING without direct supervision, and daily written evaluations are required. The fact that you are familiar with schools that allow students to go unsupervised or to gain their entire clinical experience from one narrow focus is downright APPALING. I think you are very proud of your education (we all should be), however it also can be said there are some excellent online MSN programs that are clearly superior to the online programs you are familiar with. I think taking 7 hours of online courses at a school that you have insinuated is subpar does not give you a fair assessment of GOOD online programs.

It's one thing to state your opinion comparing the 2 modalities, it's another to overgeneralize about online programs not doing this or that. This is a quite from my ONLINE MSN program manual Women's Health Nurse Practitioner preceptor requirements To be chosen by the student and approved by the faculty. The preceptor must be a credentialed, licensed advanced practice nurse or MD who is currently in practice. The primary preceptor for a women’s health nurse practitioner must be an advanced nurse practitioner with a Master’s degree or higher and one year of clinical experience. The preceptor must be licensed to practice in the jurisdiction of their employment with evidence of continuing professional development. Computer literacy is required. A current copy of their Curriculum Vitae and practice license needs to be submitted for accreditation purposes. The program I am attending does ALL of these things and more. Again, don't let a few inferior online programs create bias in evaluating which program is better. The truth is, some students do better in a classroom setting, others do better online. It's up to the student to decide and choose a school appropriately. To generalize that EITHER way of learning is superior is no different than saying "doctors are better than NP's", etc.

any other ideas here, for specifically midwifery? Aren't there some loans especially for that field? I'm trying to get creative too. I am considering the National health Service Corp, they reimburse you, for years of service, as well, and you have to work in an area that is underserved, approved by them, it's goverment program. But, my problem is how do I pay for it upfront, I'm actually using tuition reimbursement at my hospital, but again I have to pay upfront initially.

15 grams is the highest I think I've seen, I work a pretty high risk place, I dont' remember how many weeks she was, tho. Recently had a patient, having her 2nd child, after she was so severely preeclamptic with the first it damaged her kidneys she had had to have a kidney transplant!!!!?!?! WHY ON EARTH WOULD SHE get pregnant again, i have no idea??? Her repeat c=section was HELL because of all scar tissue from her c/s and transplant, not to mention she was a brittle typeII diabetic, so bad she had to stay on L&D for postpartum blood sugar control with 30min accuchecks. INSANE I dont which is worse The patients that nearly die from liver failure or kidney failure?

yes, that's a good point, i'm just the opposite, i'd rather do things on my own and get through the material at my own pace. there is more interaction with your peers and instructors online than you think, tho. some programs even require group projects and such.

I suppose you feel the same about those with diabetes, heart disease and strokes..since we know those could be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle??? I don't disagree with you, but you have to admit, if people didn't drink/smoke/do drugs and lived a healthy and active lifestyle, lots of diseases could be prevented! I'm no picture of health myself, but I think it's unfair to NOT include obesity(which leads to diabetes, heart disease, and stroke) along with smoking and doing drugs has a disease the could be prevented.

I'm just curious as to why if you didn't get in, why are you waiting an entire year to reapply there? Why not consider a distance learning school? I'm curious to know people's reasons for choosing one school over another, other than location? Is that something particular about the program you are interested in?

Thanks for your response, and that's great to hear! Fortunately for UC, everyone's clinical experience is going to vary so much. I actually live in Kansas, and will have to find my own clinical sites here, I'm also willing to travel to get the experiences I need, so that's not much of a problem for me. Congrats to your friend!

I like the small class size. I like the way the curriculum is set up, it's different than frontier. You don't have to visit the campus, at all. I've been very pleased with them so far. I know Frontier is the Gold Standard for this forum, but there are some people out there that are interested in OTHER schools.

I'm curious to know anything about this school as well. What do you mean clinical placements? I thought you had to find your own preceptors and such, much like I thought how Frontier worked?

There is no reason to do a full head-toe assessment and weigh and measure the baby in the first 5 minutes. We not only allow our moms to do skin-skin for the entire first hour, we encourage it! We do nothing other than the normal drying/stimulating, assess apgars, help breast feed and band the baby for the first hour. Yes they have an entire lifetime to hold the baby, but they will never get that first hour back. Having to watch baby from afar, while it cries and gets poked and prodded.

I'm in the process of exploring my options for midwifery. I am an RN, and I know about CNM programs, but I was curious about other options. Can someone enlighten me? My goal is to take care of patients that want to deliver in birthing centers, or something similar.

Boy can I relate to this topic!! I work in L&D and of COURSE we are promoting this "family centered care" crap. I'm all for patients having support and people around that can help them, etc. But some people take it entirely TOOO far. They disregard what we say "only 3 people allowed in the room at a time" They WON'T get out of your freaking way, when there IS a problem, they TRASH the room, with their garbage and god knows what everywhere. They get mad at us because we're not feeding them and the cafeteria isn't open, they want a "bed" to sleep in, etc, etc, etc. It makes it really difficult when you need to do an exam or procedure on a patient, and the family doesn't get the hint that it's not SHOW TIME. Freaking family members standing at the door, while a patient is pushing, with their ears pressed up against the door, tyring to listen. Are you freaking kidding me? My theory is, if you weren't there when it was conceived you don't need to be there for the birth! I could go on and on, but out of everything, Visitors is my biggest pet peeve, EVER.

I feel pretty lucky, the last 2 places I've worked, we could probably get them comfortable in Both places require only an IV, as long as no hx or sx of pih. I get the important questions, and do all the rest later. The only consents they sign are for a c-section. Anesthesia can generally be in the room in 5 minutes, unless they're tied up somewhere else. If a patient comes in super active, usually other nurses will help, and we can have an IV, delivery set up, etc pretty darn quick.

I am at a hospital that just did "go live" with Cerner, and let me tell you, it SUCKS big time, it is NOT user friendly for OB, it's tedious and stupid, NOT to mention the program for our OR, called "surginet" it's a joke. I've used Cerner, for little things at other hosp, and it wasn't as bad, because we still used our paper flowsheets. Here, they're doing physician order entry, and it's kinda cool, no more paper orders. I've used watchchild, before and LOVE IT, also QS is good, too. There are so many better systems then Cerner, that's for sure.