BoomerRN

We had a Medical Terminology Course but I challenged it and passed 100%. We were also taught to make beds, a regular one and a surgical bed. A dime had to bounce off it for a pass or fail grade. The only thing we were not taught was phlebotomy. We were told we would learn it once we began working, which was true.

Not trying to dissuade you from Richmond, but crime is at a high level there. Charlottesvill has very, very low crime.

Charlottesville, VA is a great place to live and work. The University of Virginia Hospital and Martha Jefferson Hospital are located here as well as many other health care facilities. The only draw back is it's expensive here, especially housing. But lot's of people live outside the county and drive here. I've been out of nursing a few years and don't know the salaries, they were not great when I worked for UVA, but had great benefits. I worked in clinical research the last ten years. Good luck with your job hunt.:)

I had three children ages 6, 3, and 7 1/2 months old when I started nursing school in 1975 at age 26. I remember sitting in a classroom in Case Western Reserve University when my daughter was one month old, taking the NLN test. It was a very long test and I was breast-feeding my daughter. After three hours, I could feel the milk dripping out, but I had padded my breasts good. When I got home, the pads were so heavy with milk I could have used them as weapons. :chuckle My mother and mother-in-law refused to watch the kids regularly, so I had to find a sitter, which was somewhat difficult back then. Fortunately, a couple of ladies in my church helped me. I paid $30/week back then, there were no sitting agencies where I lived. My husband worked 8 hours/day and helped all he could, he was great. It was very difficult and there were times I wished I had waited until the children were older, but I completed the course with God's help, hard work, and determination. The instructors did everything they could to frustrate everyone. This was their way of weeding us out. Later, when I began to work, I saw the reason why. You have to be strong willed, determined, and somewhat stubborn to work as a nurse, I had all three. :) The program reminded me of being in the army--rules, restrictions, etc. I had to let the house pretty much go--no heavy cleaning--and did only what was necessary. I stayed up late, and sometimes, all night to study and complete projects. I graduated with a "B" average. I was disappointed in nursing as a profession. I hated how the doctors treated nurses. I loved the patients. My only regret is that I should have tried working as a CNA before jumping into the RN program. One of the great things about nursing, you have so many other options to use your training. As a nurse I worked in hospitals, nursing homes, and my last ten years I worked at a local university as a clinical research corrdinator, which I loved. Overall, if you have the ambition, determination, regular help with your children, I would say go for it. Good luck.

I had a nursing instructor (for lecture class only) who was, I think, mentally ill. Fortunately, for me, I was luck enough to have another instructor for hospital rotation and only had to deal with this nut in class. She would make fun of people in class and make all kinds of wierd statements. She also would put questions on the tests that she had not discussed and when approached about it, stated that she definitely had presented this material in class. I listened to her and was polite and did pretty good on her tests and she seemed to leave me alone. But, my dear friend and several others in this class were threatened with failing, called names, and often made to look foolish in class--and a couple of them did better than I did on the tests. We had heard from previous classmates that they had complained about her for years and no one would do anything about her. I think my advice would be to learn your material well, be prompt to class, particpate in class, and be nice. Good Luck to you.

I am at the stage of my life where I can pick and choose what I want to do. I do not have to work for a living, but I am looking for a position such as ADON. I have been a DON a few times, as well as a ADON, and I prefer being able to work directly with staff and residents. I've always been a 'hands on person' and this position lets me have a lot of input on resident care. Here's an update on the facility that I interviewed for the ADON: They still do not have an ADON and are still advertising for one. I wonder if it's because when people find out that the DON is a new nurse, they become disinterested? You think?

Mine was chemistry. My brother, who is a "brain" tutored me and I passed, but I really hated that subject. That's probably why I had a difficult time grasping it, I have to enjoy a subject to do well in it.

Talk about disruptive? When I first started working as a nurse in the late 70's, I worked at a very small hospital in my hometown. Except for two or three docs, the rest were, jerks and demanded I turn all my attention to them whenever they came on the floor. I had trouble with three of them trying to get me to go out with them (I was married with three children), and making sexual advancements towards me almost every day. One of the surgeons actually came into a pts. room, while I was helping the aide with a dying pt., and wrapped his arms around me from the back. I told him to get out, which he did, laughing. Whenever I called him about a pt. he would ask me personal questions and make remarks about my appearance such as: are you wearing a dress to show off your pretty legs? I reported all these behaviors to the Director and all she would say was: "Oh, just ignore them." I stayed there about 8 months. I was so angry and almost left nursing, but I decided to find another job and leave. It was the best decision I ever made. I have never found another work place as bad as that one was. My favorite place to work was the Cleveland Clinic Hospital.

The administrator has been around the area for years. I recognized her name. So, she should know better than to put a new nurse in the DON position. I could have taken the job and for a while thought I might, but having gone around the block a time or two in my career, decided not to step into a hornet's nest. I have worked in long term care since 1979, with 8 years in between working in clinical research, and have seen it go steadily downhill. The state regulations have gotten ridiculous and there is no way you can possibly complete everything and give some quality time and attention to the residents. It's a shame.

I gave them an answer of "No Thanks" already. I can't believe that they would put a new nurse in as DON. She told me the first DON left and the administrator gave the job to her. She had been the ADON there for a few months prior to this, (her first job after graduating!!). I feel sorry for her because she really is green and I told her that she can get an experienced ADON, but in the end she is responsible for what goes on there. Her interview techniques are rough also. She brought up the age factor. If I was a mean person, I would turn her in for discrimination, but I'm not. And-- the state is due any day!

Recently, I applied for the position of ADON at a nursing home. I have been to three interviews--one with the DON, one with the administrator and one with the corporate nurse. I have about 25 years experience working in longterm care. The concern I have is the DON is a new nurse and has admitted not knowing very much about longterm care and would like to hire someone who has the experience so she can learn from that person. This place has 109 beds and the DON mentioned she had worked 3 shifts that week due to call ins. The DON is not supposed to work as a charge nurse if there are over 60 beds. She didn't know this and the administrator didn't tell her. I'm not sure if I want this position now, as I am worried about the liability that may be involved and other things. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

The others are correct. A DON cannot be a charge nurse if your bed count is over 60. Besides that. Why stick around and have to deal with this administrator's rantings. I can guarantee you that things will not get better and this person may cause you to get into trouble and lose your license, possibly. I would not be able to trust her after this episode. Personally, I would find me another job and leave.

At the last place I worked, each department head, unit nurse managers and others met every am for a short time to discuss residents. The 24 hr report was used and others' observations about the residents was discussed. For example, the activities people often picked up changes and important observations in the residents and reported these in the meeting.

Sounds like this nursing student has problems dealing with people and getting their work done. I would help up to a point, but if this person has issues now, how are they going to deal with all the people and problems that come up while working as a nurse? Maybe he's not cut out to be a nurse.

I started working at a local LTC facility as a Staff Dev. Coord./Infection Control Coord. in late Feb. and the state was in there the next week for the annual inspect. Well, we failed. There were so many tags I can't begin to tell you what they were. They returned in early April and we failed on some more, mainly paperwork--namely the MDS assessments. The corporate bunch came in last week (4 of them) and had some of the managers with them looking at the MDS and careplans. They tore apart the MDS person and all I heard was "I am so sick of this sh....t" and "she is so stupid". I am ready to quit. I have never worked in such a place as this and you can't even get needed supplies. I was never oriented and am expected to train others, even though I don't know what the procedures are. No one wants to co-operate with you and the administrator talks down and is rude to the staff. I have worked in LTC since 1979 off and on but this place takes the cake. The DON is also new and talked me into staying longer (she is looking for another place to work). In this area I don't know of a good LTC facility. I am seriously thinking of quiting because I don't want to be associated with a bad facility and I hear it has a history of not doing well with the surveys. Most of the staff do seem to care for the residents and some of them have been there for years. Just had to vent!

Just a suggestion but If you are a detailed person, try research. I worked in clinical research for 7 1/2 yrs. and enjoyed it. You have a certain degree of independence and the hours are usually good and you have weekends and holidays off.

I hated watching the babies be circumcised when I was a student nurse. They screamed and turned purple. By that time I had two sons and a daughter and the boys were circumcised. If I had known how painful it was for the them, I don't think I would have allowed it. On the other hand, my husband wasn't circumcised at birth and when he was 35 he HAD to have the surgury and he said it was very painful. Either way it's a traumatic event.

Hey 4 daughters, you can start your own business. When I first moved here from another state, I advertised my services as an RN and the ad was answered by a wonderful family who had a brittle diabetic elderly mother who needed care during the day while they worked. I really enjoyed this job. Now, I am researching starting a health care business of which I hope to start by later this year. I'm at an age where I just can't see myself going back to LTC, etc and, I want to do my own thing my way. There are numerous resources online to check out and decide on what type of business to start. The small business admin. in your community will also help you. Our community college offers "How To Start a Business" and other helpful courses. Go for it. Good Luck.

I have worked in LTC for 30 yrs. off and on and the same problems described above existed then as today. It seems to me that the public has been part of the problem. They can't/won't take care of grandma/grandpa and expect miracles from the facility. Also, part of the cause of the mountains of paperwork is the beaucracy which responds to complaints and just adds another piece of paper for the nurse to complete. I've always said that when the surveyors come to a facility, they get some charts go sit in a room with coffee, snacks & socialize. There could be patients rotting in bed and all they are concerned with is that every item on a checklist is checked. It seems that priorities are all mixed up in our society. I used to work my backside off helping the aides complete their work & a don or administrator would chew me out and wonder why I wasn't doing the paperwork instead. I did work for one (God bless them) nursing home that cared for the patients and staff and gave the nurses great support and lots of help. There was a union there. The nurses weren't in it but we received raises and other benefits whenever the cna, housekeepers, etc. did. We had a wonderful facility and I would still be there today but moved out of state. I love the elderly and they are not getting the best care and we that care for them are also getting treated badly. Just had to vent some tonight.

During my first year of nursing in a hospital, about 29 yrs ago, a woman in her fortys, who was not acutely ill, told me she saw an army of men on the ceiling in her room. I assured her that there was no one there but she insisted that they were there. I telephoned her dr. and informed him, charted it and passed it on to the next shift. When I returned the next afternoon, I was told that this woman had coded and died during the night. This was my first experience with deathbed visions. About 15 years ago while working weekends in a ltc facility, a night nurse and cna told me an eery experience they had. They were in a room with two patients and were providing care to one of these men. They said they heard a scream from the other man in the room, turned to look at him, and said his face was distorted in fear and he quit breathing. He was a cancer pt. I thought they were joking, but both swore this happened. They said the supervisor said he saw the devil. I was working in a ltc facility in the early 80's and came in that morning and was talking with a nurse from another unit in the building. I told her that I had a dream that night that this certain pt., an elderly man, was lying on his bed all in white and he was dead. When I was telling her this, the man was still alive. She went to her unit and we started working. About 2 hrs. later she called me and said: "You will not believe this, but he is dead, I walked in his room and he was wearing a white gown with a white sheet over him and as white as the sheet." This scared her and she told me please not to dream about her. One of the good dreams I had was about a friend of our family in another state. She was sitting in a beautiful meadow with a lamb in her lap. When I spoke with my mother, I ask her how this women was? My mom said, "Oh, she's doing well, but her husband has cancer". I told mom about my dream, and suddenly I knew the meaning: "God was saying that the lamb of God (Jesus Christ) was with them and everything would be fine. Our friend had chemotherapy and he was healed and still is in excellent condition. I am a born again Christian and I don't live my life by the dreams I have had, but the Lord speaks to his children by them soemtimes. I haven't had these type of dreams for years. John 14:6.

Healer27, There are some wonderful words of advice to you on this board. I really don't have anything new to add but much of the same advice. If you really want to be a nurse, then take some time off, enjoy your baby, and think about what you really want to do. Definitely, keep your license. I was really discouraged after I started working as an RN. I had given so much time, money, etc toward attaining this degree (blood, sweat & lots of tears) that I decided that I would just keep trying to find my niche in nursing. I absolutely hated the hospitals and it was because of nasty drs. and sexual harrassment. Back then women had no recourse against this and when I reported it to my don, she said: "Oh, just ignore them". But I couldn't, so I decided to find another job. Of course, I ran into more nasty drs but not so much sexual harrassment. I have been a nurse 30 years and looking back I'm glad I stuck with it. You will NEVER get away from rude and nasty people, but there are jobs in nursing where there is less of it. Over the years I have worked in LTC, dr. office, extended care facitlites, adult day care (which I loved), and clinical research (which can also be a good job- good hrs, a lot of indepence, which I like). I am a very stubborn person by nature and I feel this attribute helped get me through some very difficult situations over the years. Now, I am investigating starting my own home care business. There are so many options to choose in nursing. Good luck with your baby and good luck in whatever you choose to do in life.

I started nurs. pre-reqs at age 24, with two little boys ages 5 months & 3 yrs. I was on a waiting list at my local college and was called and informed I could start the RN program the fall of 1974. I told them, I wanted to have another baby first and would be ready to begin the fall of 1975. Well, I had my baby girl Feb. 3, 1975 and took the NLN a month later, with my breasts seeping milk. (I padded them real good & when I left the testing area that afternoon and removed the pads, you could have knocked someone out with one of them-lol). I started the nursing program the next fall. I often wonder now, What was I thinking! Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband and he helped me a lot with encouragement and everything at home. It was very tough getting through the program, but I was determined, and stubborn, and graduated in 1977 as an RN. My chilren are 38, 35, and 32 now. Being older and wiser now, lol, I don't think I would do it this way again. But I was young and felt I could do anything I wanted and I wanted to be an RN and am glad I did it. We had a few ladies in their 50's back then and I so much respected them. We also had 7 guys in the class. I would tell anyone who wants to be a nurse to follow your dream. It's hard work and sometimes you may feel like you want to quit, but hang in there. It is worth all the blood, sweat, & tears!

For a long time (I've been in LTC 10 years now) I worried about what other people thought about my working in LTC. It upset me soooo bad to hear people talk down about LTC nurses. But then I decided I could care less. I am where I'm supposed to be, at least right now. I left LTC for awhile and went to a med surg floor b/c I felt pressured to. I was sick of being asked why I didn't go to a hospital. I hated it. Not b/c I couldn't do it. It was different, but not hard. I just didn't like coming to work with these 8 patients, and at the end of my shift, they were likely 8 different patients. I looove my relationship with the elderly. No one could be more appreciative. Nursing is not just about how good you are at IV sticks (although you get quite good at them in LTC- if you can maintain a vein in a dehydrated, 80 lb. woman, you can maintain one anywhere). But nursing is about sooo much more. The relationships. It is such an awesome awesome calling and ministry to work in LTC. There are good nurses and bad nurses in every specialty.... We're all called to different areas. One day, the nurses that look down on us will likely find their loved ones or themselves in a LTC facility. I think then and only then when they develop that relationship will they see how wrong they were. Amen BShaw96! My feelings exactly.

We spent two days in Cleveland Taking 6 tests. The 6th one, we were told, was a "test test". I took the boards in June, 1977 and learned the results in Sept., 1977. In the meantime while waiting to hear, I worked as a staff nurse at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital, which was a great place to work as a new nurse. We were placed in an "intern nurse" program for 3 months and had mentors which were around to help us. There were plenty of staff back then and you never felt like you were left on your own to do everything.

Except for a few of the items, I remember all of the above mentioned. I worked at only one hospital in the 70's that required you to wear a cap. I hated wearing mine. While performing cpr on a pt one evening, it fell right on his face. I threw it into the corner and kept going with the cpr. At a small hospital I worked at in the 70's nurses did everything. Set up traction, started and maintained IV's, respiratory therapy, ultrasound treatments, to name a few. This is where I obtained most of my nursing skills. Guess I am getting old.