StakRN

Hi everyone, while waiting for the manufacture to respond, would like to know your opinion on our debate at work today. Does the expiration date (indicated by the manufacturer)on a disposable, single use sterile item mean that the the item is no longer sterile or sterility is compromised? Would the sterile field be considered contaminated if the expired item was opened on the sterile table/field? thanks in advance ( expiration date was only 2 years after the manufacturer's date).

Hi everyone, just need some advice on where on the internet is a good resource for surgical draping. I have alexander's, but in need of additional resources, pics and videos. background: I have been a surgical nurse for 2 years , 90% of the time circulating. I will have to scrub a case tomorrow and very anxious about draping, it's like draping is my nemesis . I have done this particular case a lot of times already but mostly circulate. I can handle the case itself but for some reason I simply cannot drape. I will have to do an abdominal drape and upper extremity drape. I have seen and observed and really paid attention the scrub persons drape in the past but my learning style is different, I have to actually do it a million times. I am expected to do this on my own tomorrow, and also by now I expect especially myself to know how to drape, If only i can get thru the draping then I'd be fine. I appreciate any help. thanks.

Hi everyone, I was wondering if someone can help me , I am being trained to scrub and tomorrow I will be doing a aaa. I do have Alexander's but I need to get into specifics. Like for example when to get the shods ready, or when to get the vascular clamps ready, what to have on the mayo after clamping the aorta ..etc.. I know it may seem like common sense to some but I am really nervous, I have circulated AAA but have not scrubbed it. Or if someone can direct me to a website that has those step by step type of thing. Any help would be greatly appreciated and will help me go to bed tonight Thanks !

thanks for the replies..i would surely look these up ...it will be good to familiarize myself with these medications as I haven't encountered them before in my school clinicals...

Hi ! I am new to the OR - about 3 weeks into orientation, and I was wondering if anyone could help me out and make a list of what the commonly used medications are in the OR. I haven't got the chance to really look over the meds in our med room. I know that I would need to look up meds before giving them or putting them on the field but I would just like an idea of what is commonly used so I can look them up on my spare time and have the info ready on hand when I need them. So far I know of 1. Marcaine - to inject to trocar sites 2. Marcain with epi 3. Lidocaine 4. Fibrin Thank you very much in advance..

new grad base is 23.10 plus x 1 1/2 after 8 hours , so that totals to 26.95 ( plus night diff - I dont know how much). Then after 6 months goes up to 28.00 something -total.

hi ! i work at huntington, and I agree with RNDUDE, it is a great place to work..i just started as a new grad last august. Their new grad rate is low compared to others but for me I think that it's okay, they give lots of support for new grads, staff is great and helpful, welcoming and benefits are good too, also in a good area -so that I think that is a big factor - I would rather work in a place that gives slightly low wage than in a place where you get paid more but not get the support that you need and be "healthy working environment". Also, I was told a lot of staff members use the hospital to get their own medical services done - so to me that means they trust the hospital and its staff. - hope this helps..thanks

hi thank you everyone for the support and encouragement, just an update - everything is going smoothly so far, just started my perioperative nursing classes at a junior college -where we also have labs where we practice gowning,hand scrub, skin preps, etc . and I love it ..staff in our unit are all very nice, welcoming and helpful - and the surgeons I've met are so far are nice - one even really took the time to tell me about the whole entire surgery. I know that it will not be like this all the time especially when they give me more responsibilities and when cases get hectic or stressful but at least I know that I'm in a good place.

hi nurselatino..just like you I start tomorrow..i am very nervous and also excited because the OR is the unit that i've always wanted to be in..Graduated last december and got my license on april - I do not have any OR experience - only the 2 observation days that we got in school. I don't know if I can sleep tonight...=...

As a new grad in Pasadena, CA , Operating Room, they start me at 23.10 base pay and after 6 months 24.75 - very low for California - but OR is hard to get in ..so I took it. And since it's 1 year training i'll be working mon to fri /8 hours so I don't get night/weekend differential and no 1.5 after 8 hours Other hospitals like med/surg unit or DOU offers around $27-30 an hour plus night/weekend differential

correction to the ncsbn review price that I posted few days ago : it's 3 weeks = $49 5 weeks = $69 8 weeks = $99 15 weeks = $159 http://www.learningext.com/products/rnreview/review.asp the questions they had are very challenging , which is good because it really trains you to think .."nclex" way....

hi! what i did was I just mostly did practice questions..thousands of them.., i used kaplan and ncsbn -http://www.learningext.com/ - i paid $99.00 for 3 weeks access, they have questions and also content- which gave me good practice, most especially on how to attack the questions..kaplan also has an online question bank

Hi ! I am also in the same dilema. I got two job offers. Hospital A - is a 153 bed hospital, offered me a position in DOU (which is my 2nd choice) pay is much higher, with shift and weekend differential, even the day after thanksgiving is considered a holiday. Everyone that I talked to really likes working there,,even my friends that are still students. hospital B - which is a bigger hospital is hiring me for the operating room (which is my "dream job" and passion), base pay is $10 less..but has sign on bonus, employee referral(my friend will give me half ), tuition reimbursement. has better benefits. Both hospitals have a great new grad programs and both managers - I can tell will give me great support during my first year as a RN. and from talking to employees from both hospitals , both really take care of their RNs. I've been really thinking about it and I chose the OR because like what they say "find a job you like and you'll never have to work a day in your life" even though that it's a $20,000 a year difference which was very tempting coz I have a lot of student loans and debts, I chose the place where i would really be happy and like what ukstudent said being happy is important, I want to wake up each day knowing that i'll be going to a place where I want to be. thanks.

congrats !!! I too got a hired at a unit where I've always wanted to be in - the operating room ! congrats on your engagement too !!!

hi thanks everyone for the congratulations. Anyway, I got a call back for the OR position and they offered me the position..yipeeee..! I start orienting most likely mid june or july. Can't believe that there were only 2 positions open and they picked me. I'm very very excited... By the way I am also 5'1, does anyone any "comfy" shoes that will also add height? hhehe sorry I know it's a silly question. thanks.