ceecel.dee

Technical difficulties never happen at opportune times. I feel for the instructor and the students! Ever have to request more time to post a discussion or hand in a paper d/t slow computer or down services? Happens all the time. Sorry for your frustration!

Really...it's not unusual for 1 nurse to be responsible for 53 patients?

No, I don't think you're wrong. I think that it was good of you to realize that your nurse wanted to wrap up her shift, but she should have come to you immediately after report to do your d/c if the oncoming nurse was not willing to d/c you immediately after your assessment. As you said, it would have only taken a few more minutes. Who wants to be d/c in the evening anyway, especially in rural America? It just doesn't work well!

Another nursing instructor here...you have no obligation to share your good news with the school. Enjoy your pregnancy! It's done all the time.

I find it slightly comical (sorry to suffering smokers) when the students on our campus are "busted" by my dear office-mate smoking just outside of the doors with our office window just a few feet away. The campus was in the preliminary movement toward going smoke free and made a rule that you must be 50' from the building. We put up a sign in our window that read "WE MONITOR BUTTS", and then she would knock on the window, shake her head and point to the sign. The students would give her a sheepish look and put the thing right out! I don't know...it just always made me smile. We never were clear on who we would call to enforce this...the poor maintenance staff?

Oh yes...this has annoyed (read infuriated) actual nurses forever! Many of them have very active telephone practices barely with even physician oversight (oh, the doctors are sooo busy)!

OK...married to an engineer. I don't think there is any person more polor opposite in occupations than a nurse and an engineer. Why nursing?

Well, what's your program schedule for Monday mornings? Students rushing in late only to doze on their fist in the back row do not impress instructors.

I do not know your work environment or the type of floor you work on. That said, I would tell the charge nurse that you must leave tonight by (exactly change of shift time), and then DO IT. If the oncoming relief nurse keeps her (the charge nurse) waiting maybe something will be done about her! This is also passive aggressive, and should only be used if everything else has failed. Everyone should fulfill their own obligations.

No, not unusual, but very stressful/frusterating! There may be computer training and/or general hospital orientation and/or training modules and/or background checks that the facility might require; if so, could you at least get your sessions scheduled as students probably won't be allowed to provide care without jumping through a few of the facility's hoops and the hoops may take some time. All this talk has me shifting gears into "fall semester"! I had better begin work on my packet!

I wear comfortable casual-dress pants, a simple top, a white lab coat, and comfortable shoes.

Schools don't require vaccines and/or titers to disqualify students. They do it so that they know you will not BECOME infected (or that you've consciously waived the protection). Proper use of universal precautions will protect patients from anything you may carry and protect you from anything patients may carry.

I am not freaked by blood at all, but I killed a mosquito that was attempting to taste mine in a store yesterday and splatted blood on my sleeve. It wasn't my blood....that grossed me out and I couldn't wait to get home to change!

There is a Regency, or is it Rasmussen, college with a LPN program also. Acceptance rubrics are common now with points given for GPA, prereq's completed, hands-on patient care experience, etc. Quite competitive with waiting lists for many programs.

Greater MN has lots of rural hospitals. They like part-timers because it limits benefits, but even more important, it gives staffing much more flexibility in scheduling. Census waxes and wanes, as it does in larger hospitals, but can be felt more acutely in small hospitals requiring more people on the roster to pitch in during high census. If most are full-time already, they can't give much more during increased need, but part-timers are usually willing to work more.