njbikernurse

njbikernurse specializes in LTC, Sub-acute, correctional.

njbikernurse's Latest Activity

1. 

   how do you NOT get overtime and get done?

   njbikernurse replied to dcnballmom's topic in Nursing

   In my experience, it's impossible to do all the work you're supposed to do and still get out on time. Wherever I've worked, the nurses who got out on time were skipping tasks but signing that they did them. Sorry to be so blunt, but it's true. I only signed for things I actually did, and I never got out on time. If management complained, too bad. They knew the truth, and tended to not get on our backs too much about OT. Your administrator sounds like a real peach..............
2. 

   What are the most laid back nursing jobs?

   njbikernurse replied to kgard7777's topic in Nursing

   I'd say corrections. If the setting itself doesn't stress you out, the job itself is the least stressful I've ever had. I usually get to completely finish all my intended tasks by the end of my shift, and always get out on time! Plus there are always a lot of laughs along the way, most days, anyway.
3. 

   Why inmates do not deserve free healthcare

   njbikernurse replied to feb06's topic in Correctional

   Some inmates have absolutely no access to even a couple of dollars. I work in a small county jail, and the inmates get money from one of two sources: money earned themselves if they are able to get on the work block (this is for minimum security inmates only), or money put into their commissary accounts by family & friends. If you can't get on the work block, and have nobody to put money in your account, you literally have no money.
4. 

   Woman with nursing license advertises as "Baby Nurse"

   njbikernurse replied to BethBSN's topic in Headlines

   Jeez, this really does annoy me. People are already confused about nurses. I've had several people ask me if I'm a real nurse because my badge says LPN, and they don't know what that is. Hmmmmmm, there's an email address. What if a few people sent her a few emails asking her to stop calling herself a nurse? Is that some kind of harassment or anything?
5. 

   Paramedics in Nursing

   njbikernurse replied to csistudent's topic in Nursing

   Well, since you asked: 1. Yes, I sense a little jealousy. But hey, I'm jealous of lots of people who have it better or easier than me! My main consolation is that I'm grateful for all I've learned, and proud of doing things the proper way and not skimping on knowledge. It tends to some in handy, this knowledge thing........... 2. I don't think the bar can really drop below a certain level. Hey, we all have to pass the NCLEX to be nurses, and I think any program that was truly inferior would have horrible NCLEX pass rates, and maybe lose their accredation. I'm ignorant of what kind of licensure exam there is for paramedics, but I'm guessing it's along the lines on the NCLEX. So no matter how fast your program is, you need the same knowledge base to become licensed. I've had the pleasure of working with bare-minimum educated nurses who were fantastic, and BSN prepared nurses who were certified idiots and truly scary out on the floor. Not many of my jobs have cared where I went to school or how long it took me. They ask about my license, and my work history. You sound like you have a great background to become a great ER nurse. Good luck.
6. 

   EC study question

   njbikernurse replied to tapstry's topic in Online Learning

   I highly recommend taking Microbiology first if that's a class that you don't already have credits for. It just helps sooooo much in understanding the infectious disease processes that are covered in all of the nursing exams. I also suggest taking lifespan developmental psych before the nursing exams as well. It makes a very good foundation for studying nursing care throughout the various populations (infants through geriatrics). Finally, I have taken all the nursing exams in order instead of skipping around, and it seems like one builds on he other nicely. Good luck!!!
7. 

   Patients with interesting occupations (or not)

   njbikernurse replied to FireStarterRN's topic in Nursing

   At my first job out of LPN school, I had a patient who was a nun. Whenever I had to do a dressing change on her sacral wound, I felt so weird looking at a nun's butt. She was alert and oriented, maybe it was weird for her too!
8. 

   Would you be a patient at your place of employment?

   njbikernurse replied to Catys_With_Me's topic in Nursing

   I definitely would not want to be a patient at my place of employment. I work in the county jail! All kidding aside, I did run into this situation where I was offered a job at a doctor's office where I used to be a patient, and even that made me uncomfortable. Current patient, even weirder.
9. 

   I passed Excelsior's A&P exam!

   njbikernurse replied to Drysolong's topic in Online Learning

   Congrats to you! It's funny, there have been three Excelsior exams that I was thinking I failed, then the grade comes up at the end as an "A". Lotsa critical thinking questions on the Nursing Concepts exams, not so much cut and dry memorization type questions. Good luck with your continued studies.
10. 

    Distance Learning

    njbikernurse replied to bewell's topic in Online Learning

    I am currently enrolled in Excelsior. I have only two exams left, NC6 and NC7, plus the CPNE. If you truly believe you will make yourself study (even when the weather is beautiful), then I highly recommend this program. You don't need the outside publishing companies like College Network or Rue, as long as you can read nursing textbooks and comprehend the info. Other study supplements I recommend are the practice tests (excellent feedback, and point you in the right direction for the actual exam), and Lisa Arends CD study guides on eBay (not endorsed by Excelsior, but I find them logical and helpful). One caution, it's easy to slack off since nobody is watching your progress. I have a friend who started at the same time as me, and guess how many exams she has completed? Zero! As long as Excelsior is your priority, you'll do well! Good luck.
11. 

    Not able to continue orientation, feel terrible.

    njbikernurse replied to Jo Dirt's topic in Nursing

    Nobody is really that understanding, in my experience. They need a position filled and if you're not it, the the next person in line is. The question is, are you it? Maybe I'm wrong, but nobody ever offered to go out of their way to accommodate my needs when I'd only been there a week of less. Now, after a year of good service and work history, then they would work with you. I just don't know. There's only one way to find out. Ask....................
12. 

    PRN wages

    njbikernurse replied to busy-bee's topic in Nursing

    At several LTC facilities I've worked at, the PRN nurses had no benefits but made 10% more that the part time or full time staff.
13. 

    Not able to continue orientation, feel terrible.

    njbikernurse replied to Jo Dirt's topic in Nursing

    It doesn't sound like you're at all up to taking on a new job at this time. It's hard enough when you've got no other problems. All I can say is, accept that you may be kissing this opportunity goodbye forever and will need to look elsewhere when you feel ready to try again. Focus on your immediate needs and worry about the rest later. If DHS is your #1 option then do it, fast. Get that out of the way, then get yourself some support and help to figure out the next step. One thing at a time. Think Maslow's hierarchy of needs........ you can't worry about self fulfillment if you aren't safe and your family isn't fed. Best of luck to you.
14. 

    OMG!! You guys are right!

    njbikernurse replied to banditrn's topic in Geriatric

    The more I hear about long term care, the more I think there's just no safe place in it for me. It's a rare facility where the nurses have all been on the job together for a long time, and being together for a while is what makes teams work. My best job in LTC was with a group who all started together, and all looked out for each other from shift to shift. We really, truly did worry about leaving something undone, or not properly following up on something, because we knew very personally the nurse who was going to pick up the slack. It wasn't just about personal liability, but the liability of our whole team. I miss those days. It's the only time I ever felt that I gave really good patient care in LTC. My other jobs left me feeling like it was me against the world, and how fast do you burn out when you feel like that? Just my 2 cents..... P.S. "Run, forrest, run" is exactly how I felt at my last job! Great words to capture that feeling of OMG, get me out of here before somebody ends up dead. Sad but true.
15. 

    Does size matter.

    njbikernurse replied to mommie2bodie's topic in Correctional

    I'm pretty small myself, just under 5 feet tall, and about 120 lbs. Nobody thought twice about hiring me! It's pretty funny standing next to a 6"4" inmate who weighs about 300 pounds, especially when I'm taking a B/P and can barely see the gauge! Some of them have actually crouched down to help me see it. Seriously, size doesn't matter. There's always a C/O right there who's a lot bigger than me.
16. 

    Excelsior? Which guides/books on e-bay?

    njbikernurse replied to sunnyjohn's topic in Online Learning

    Well, I'm up to Nursing Concepts 6 now, and I still firmly believe in following the Excelsior study guide and looking at all the recommended reading. But this is also the first exam that I've bought the Lisa Arends notes for, and I must admit I like them a lot. The CD for each exam is about $10, and I got it maybe 3 days after I ordered it. I wouldn't use that alone, but it's great with the regular reading. Just go to ebay and type in Lias Arends, and it comes up right away.