82airborne

Having served in the military my advice would be to go into the Airforce. Not sure what the reg is on hair length but as long as you have your BSN you can join. You dont need ROTC if you are going into the medical field. Medical officer are not completely the same as other officers. Don't get me wrong you will still have all the privliges as other officers you just don't have to go through all the BS as other officers that and you get paid more. As for training I believe all you have to do is go through a 6 week officer training course. Nothing like boot camp. I say go for it I would be an Airforce nurse if I could talk my wife into letting me go back in.

Our ED doc's preach that everyone that comes to th ED is a surgical candidate until proven otherwise so if they get an IV it starts at an 18 if their veins will hold it. It also depends on the complaint anything that you think may get CT'd needs at least a 20 for contrast. True CP gets an 18 and a twin cath, trauma 2 14s or 16s. Our docs are also big on nurses starting large bore EJ's if the pt needs a line and has crappy little veins.

Shawna... I take it you don't have much experience starting IV's. If I'm wrong please don't think I'm talking down to you. I've learned that when you start an IV don't worry about hurting the pt. it sounds mean but if you do you will go slow and it will be more painful to the pt. that and don't be too hard on yoursef if you miss some days you get every one on the first try other days you couldn't hit a drinking straw with a 24g

Have seen maggots in several wounds you just have to flush them out

suctioning a trach gets me every time thank god for RT's, but the worst has to be pt's that have magots in wounds.

Some of the things that irritate me are the person who call the ER to ask how long the wait is. My standard response... there is no wait for a true emergency. Pt. who come to the ER by squad for some minor complaint thats been going on for 47 years( yes we had a man come via call 911 get the chopper on standby squad) for a bump on his face thats been there for 47 yrs. and the migraine pt. who is in 10/10 pain, N/V and photophobia allergic to everything but dilaudid who I can't triage because they have the TV 6 inches from their face and eating McDonalds and talking on a cell phone.

1st born male 1 younger brother , etoh single mother who wasnt around much.

Thanks for your response. I have an interview in a couple days. I guess I'm just nervous at the idea of leaving my comfort zone (ER) being such a new nurse. I've been searching the web to try and get an idea of what to expect. The facility I have the interview with has approximately 2000 inmates with the majority being security levels 1 and 2. So it doesn't sound like too volatile of an environment. I feel confident in my nursing ability and hopefully my time in the ER will help me if I decide to go into correctional nursing.

Hello all. I am considering going into correctional nursing in ohio. I wanted to ask for everyones input on this. I am a recent grad, have worked the last year and a half in a medium sized ER. I have also heard that male nurses are not taken to very well in the prison system, is this true?