Freedom42

Has anyone sat for the certification exam in gerontological nursing? If so, how did you prepare for it, and over what period of time? Do you recommend a particular review course or study guide? I can't find any info on the ANCC website regarding how ...

New nurse here. Last night I was caring for a patient in CHF whose 02 sat plummeted into the seventies while she was on a cannula and receiving 5 litres/minute. The on-call physician ordered a nonrebreather and said to push her up to 10 litres/miute ...

I'm about to start my first job as an FNP. I did an accelerated BSN to enter nursing as a second career and worked as an ER nurse for four years while pursuing my master's degree. Some thoughts as I read this thread: How much you'll earn depends on w...

The largest private psych hospital in Maine is at St. Mary's in Lewiston. It's a unit of the larger hospital, but it's around 88 beds plus a psychiatric ED. They hire ADNs.

I don't have the option of belonging to a union at my hospital. I haven't had a raise since 2009. I have no guarantee of health insurance, retirement benefits or paid time off. I can be fired at any time without cause. The doctors at my hospital, how...

This isn't rocket science. I pick up my meds at a supermarket. The pharmacy has a sign posted that asks other customers to respect others' privacy by coming to the counter only when called. There's a small rope line just like at the bank. The pharmac...

I had a curious encounter at the doctor's office today. When I went in for my physical, a woman in scrubs came in ahead of the doc. She was wearing scrubs but no name tag. We hadn't met before, so I asked if she was a nurse. Yes, she replied. I ...

Room them somewhere north of Siberia, without a phone or a TV. When they ask for a meal tray, tell them that you only serve meals at designated times. Period. The doc will more than likely recognize the patient's name and, presuming it's the usual sy...

No, I don't see any incongruity. As I've indicated in my posts, I consider my BSN education valuable, but not all of it is relevant to the education I am now pursuing to become an NP. Much of it is; however, I don't believe that an NP needs bedside e...

I presume you're referring to my post. As an RN entering my fourth year at the bedside -- including two in the ED -- yes, I do count my BSN education toward my clinical hours. The PA student has not accrued those hours prior to the start of his or he...

As an NP student, I will have completed 1350 clinical hours, including BSN clinicals, by the time I graduate. Classmates who are in the three-year entry-to-practice program will have accumulated the same hours. Although they do not receive the BSN, t...

People who think they know everything -- or who are not secure enough to admit that they don't -- are a problem in any setting or profession, regardless of the initials they have after their name or how many years of experience they have under their ...

Again, the issue was not the quote from a 14-year-old. It was the praising of the quote by an adult. And I'm quite confident that neither the teenager nor the adult considered "retarded" anything but pejorative. However, I'm sure the posters on this ...

Thank you. I understand why kids use the word that way; after all, they hear adults use it that way, unfortunately. What bothered me was the poster's "well said" response to the remark.

I don't mean to digress from the topic of this thread. Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer my booze in a glass. This quote, however, is troubling. It's offensive. Can we please stop using the word "retarded" to refer to things that we think are...

Do I have this right? Obstructive lung disease: FEV1 is low, FEV1/FVC is low. Restrictive lung disease: FEV1 is low (?), FEV1/FVC is high (latter ratio may be normal or high, actually). I can't find an answer to the FEV1 status for restrictive (inter...

It's true, some people are nearly impossible. But I'll say this, as one of my patients recently pointed out: My charge nurse could start an IV on a dead man. She's that good. I have never seen her miss. When I started, she told me to find a man with ...

The lower the albumin level, the tougher the stick. My supervisor gave me a good tip: Use two tourniquets, one in the usual place, the other about three inches above that. Works well with hands to really concentrate blood in a small area. You might a...

I admire your perseverance. It takes a lot to fight your way back from what you've suffered. It's a shame that we don't take better care of our nurses after they've spent so many years giving care to others. What about volunteering? It might not fill...

I would check the website for the department of labor of a particular state. They do frequent wage and salary surveys, although they don't necessarily break them down by level of experience. I do think they're a lot more accurate than sites like mons...

It means that the people who sued lost. A defense verdict is returned in favor of the defense, the people being sued.

You need to look beyond your scenario to understand the complications. You're almost there. If the blood cannot meet the body's metabolic demands, what happens? What happens if organs are not adequately perfused? What happens if the heart cannot move...

What does your pathophysiology text tell you?

I read nothing in the OP's post that suggests s/he thinks CNAs are beneath her or that she is unwilling to do what she asks of aides herself. What I read was that she expects professional conduct. I don't think a nurse has to have worked as a CNA -- ...

A course in statistics enables the nurse to read and appraise research in order to make informed practice decisions. It is crucial to evidence-based practice. If you think chemistry is "questionable," I'm guessing you haven't pursued courses in phar...