catlover13

I have found the smaller hospitals to be a more nurturing atmosphere. Yes, they may consider a less experienced nurse. The med surg may be a very appropriate area for your level of skill.

Yes, I currently work in Gonzales. Hubby relocated in april, and I did not look for work until i finished the semester in mid June. I've not heard a peep from seguin, but was able to begin working in gonzales.

Gonzales is hiring. The pay is good, and so far the staff and facility have been above average. They have er, med surg, ob, and surgical areas. Pm me if you'd Like more information.

Hi, I landed in rural west Texas as a new grad LVN in December 2006. I settled in, took (and passed - yipee) boards, and began working at our local rural hospital in November 2007. I found that the personal introduction works effectively at some of the rural hospitals. I'd plan a trip out to meet and introduce yourself to the DON's in several counties that are within driving distance. Dress professional. Drop off your resume with the DON. Ask to speak to the DON, but don't tie up a bunch of time, just spend a bit (maybe 10 - 15 minutes) introducing yourself and relaying your strengths and what shifts you are available for, etc. Any extra training and certifications, I'd bring documentation, and point these out as strengths, as you need to be able to do a bit of EVERYTHING! That would include ACLS, PALS, IV certification, etc. What is a reasonable driving time for you? For me, it's up to one hour. I work PRN at two rural hospitals, and plan to apply PRN at one more. I love the variety of the work and the work environments. I learn something new every day that I work, and I can flex my schedule. I also like helping the hospitals fill their work call offs and gaps in scheduling. At all three of the hospitals, the DON is always looking for additional PRN nurses, both LVN and RN. Often, the PRN position may turn into a full time offer. For me, I prefer to remain PRN. I love the rural challenges and opportunities. I think that I have found my nursing "niche," and plan on remaining in this specialty. I hope this helps to give you some ideas. Good luck in your job search.

Hi, I graduated from Ivy Tech, Fort Wayne in December 2006 through their LPN program. I passed my boards on the first try in Spring of 2007. I had a wonderful experience with my education and clinical experience through Ivy Tech. I think you get out of the nursing school experience what you put into it. Are you willing to work hard? Ask extra questions? Look for opportunities to observe and/or participate in procedures? I've since gone on to complete my RN, and am now continuing on for my BSN/MSN. I rely on the skills and knowledge that I gained at Ivy Tech every shift I work. I've not heard of anything wrong with Ivy Tech Nurses. Just the opposite.

I know that the rooms are supposed to be stocked, but... I always try to check at the beginning of the shift... IV tray full? asst sizes of cannulas? an open ns, and a full ns. Tape, alcohol pads, etc. And do I have all sizes of bp cuffs on the dinamap? And is there a cuff, in case the dinamap is misbehaving? Pedi supplies. O2 cannulas, masks, etc. Hope that helps give you a direction to go...

What about WIC? Women, Infants and Children?

Sorry, I thought of more...grin. How does your center handle children with medical needs? Asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis? Are there medication administration areas? How is this governed by the State and your RN license? And you could help move your center to be more inclusive. It can be hard to place children with special needs. Your expertise as RN could really shine to develop a center that cared for special needs children. And what an opportunity to help all the children you care for learning about the needs of others. Good luck!!!

Hi, What a great place to post this question, here on allnurses. And welcome to the world of child care. :-) I'm a new nurse, LVN, now working on bridging to my RN. Before attending nursing school, I was a licensed child care provider for 7 years. After that I worked for 7 years at a social service agency that held a contract with the CACFP (the Child and Adult Care Food Program). I worked for 5 years in the field with other child care providers, and the last two years as director of the program. It was nice to take my hands on experience and use it to work with other child care providers. Now, with some nursing education behind me, there are some areas that you can bring your RN education and experience and have an impact on your child care business. Food - it's a huge part of the kid's day. There are tons of resources through the CACFP, and I think that if you are licensed you are already using their guidelines? The CACFP is part of the USDA FNC - the food and nutrition service. This is the food pyramid, the alternate food pyramid, and I think now they even have an exercise pyramid? It is also the overseeing body for what is served in school breakfast, snacks and lunches. The licensed centers in the States that I was active in were, and the guidelines are federal, so I'm guessing that you have guidelines as to how often to serve and what types and quantities to serve. But, here's the neat thing, and where your RN experience can make a difference. You and work with your food service staff and help make your menus the healthiest. Eating, overeating, and unbalanced meals and snacks are a huge issue in the US, and our kids are subject to commercials with all sorts of unhealthy choices. You can review your meals and snacks and bring a higher nutritional standard to what you are serving. You have most of your children for breakfast, am snack, lunch and pm snack, so you are feeding them the majority of their nutritional needs for the day. There are some great resouces regarding kids and food. If you've never read Ellyn Satter, she is awesome regarding children and development of food habits. (not affiliated, just a FYI). I've seen her speak, and if she's on dvd, she'd be a great resource for you and your staff. I also got my kids involved with food and their food choices. It was fun, and kids as young as 3 enjoyed having input as to what foods would be served. Kids can grasp the choice of two of the old four food groups to choose for snacks. It also is a good opportunity to discuss what healthy choices are. As director, you can work away from the traditional cheese and crackers, (nothing bad with that), and help introduce the kids to new tastes and textures and combinations. Food is also a great way to explore other cultures. You can also work with your staff on how to incorporate more gross motor movement into the kids days. Another component in our overweight US is our lack of exercise. And our kids are getting bigger, and reaping the negative health benefits. Odds are, your kids spend a fair amount of time outside your daycare time sitting. In the car, in front of the TV, etc. While you may have children in your care 5 days a week, from 7a - 5p, you can have huge impact on just getting them to MOVE!!! And kids are designed to move. Culturally, we spend a lot of time getting kids to sit still, but really, kids want to get moving, wiggling, etc. And wouldn't it be great, if you and your staff could incorporate exercise/movement into your program. With the hopes of bullding some lifelong habits and enjoyment of exercise? Staff development and retention are another huge area. There are some really great people who dedicate their lives to working with children. Mentoring them and encouraging them to continue their personal education goals will only enrich the environment of your center. Educational standards may be quite low for the qualifications of your teachers, having staff that continue to learn and grow will impact the quality of your center. Hope that makes sense....and have a a great time with your new position!!!

Also saw this report. It does not mention the Red Lake, but it is a picture of health care in many Indian Reservations. Broken promises: Reservations lack basic care Health clinics don't have enough money to deal with high rates of disease http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31210909/ns/health-health_care// Dr. Lynelle Noisy Hawk examines a patient Oct. 14 at the Standing Rock Indian Health Service in Fort Yates, N.D. On some reservations, the oft-quoted refrain is "don't get sick after June," when the federal dollars run out. Again, not about Red Lake, but it seems to be a timely article.

Red Lake is an independent Indian Reservation area. They have their own government, law enforcement, etc. There are several Indian Reservations in the area. Red Lake is much more of an independent area. As for weather, the winters are long, cold and dark. My daughter lives nearby, and although the last freeze date was listed as June 1, it froze 4 nights after that. All her tomatoes are dead due to the freeze. If you enjoy gardening, the season is short. If you enjoy winter, there is an abundance of winter snow. If you enjoy daylight, and summer, those winters are long and isolating. There is heavy snow, and the counties routinely close for a period due to the severity. Also, because of the extreme cold temperatures during the winter, many businesses close. You do have the opportunity to see the northern lights. Hope this helps!!!

Just to clarify: Even though you are administering one injection, that injection contains two different drugs. Regular insulin and NPH insulin. That's why there are two peak times. Hope this helps!

It's not just this question...all your questions will follow this same format. The question will give you information. Take the time to read it! And then the question will ask you for something. Figure out what the question is asking for. It just takes practice. And a different way of thinking about testing. And it will help you when you do sit for the NCLEX. :paw:

First, all of the questions will be formatted in somewhat the same manner. Your nursing instructors are using your time in nursing school to help you understand how to decipher the questions. Nursing school is different from any other school that you've had. You've got to think about the answer! So, don't panic. What does the question tell you? A diabetic client receives a combo of regular an NPH insulin at 0700 hours. So, what do you know from the first part of the question? You've got a diabetic client, that receives insulin injections. The 0700 insulin injection contains two different types of insulin. What does the question want you to answer? The nurse teaches the client to be alert for signs of hypoglycemia at: What causes hypoglycemia? The peaking of the insulin... Now, apply what you know about insulin. Each type of insulin peaks at a different time. When does regular insulin peak? 2-5 hours. When does NPH insulin peak? 6-12 hours. So, your patient should peak, with the regular insulin between 0700+0200=0900 and 0700+0500=1200. And your patient should peak, with the NPH insulin between 0700+0600=1300 and 0700+1200=1900. Which answer fits these two parameters? That is with hypoglycemia risk r/t peaking of insulin ? That is, which answer peaks between 0900 and 1200. And peaks between 1300 and 1900? 1.)1200 and 1300 hours 2.)1100 and 1700 hours 3.)1000 and 2200 hours 4.)0800 and 1100 hours It looks like B. Does this help?

Hi 3kittiesRN, This is my first position as a new grad. In a small, 22 bed, critical access, rural hospital. I love it!!! Hospital was always my first choice, but I was scared to jump into the world of nursing. But, this position has been a great learning experience. You never know what will come in thru the er door... A snake bite? Gunshot? MVA? Sore throat? And, if there is trouble, there is no one else to call. Pulling a bell to notify of a code blue? Nope, you and your colleagues are the code team, trauma team, and whatever else is needed. I would not trade the experience for anything else!!!