bluetack

I couldn't imagine doing anything else but nursing! I have always enjoyed it, but have only come to love it since moving to the emergency department nearly 6 months ago. My only regret is that I didn't start my nursing career sooner than I did. :)

Thanks everyone on my behalf as well, I am due to take ACLS for the first time in a few weeks. The workbook isn't available at my hospital yet as the guidelines for ACLS have just been revised here, so that website will be great to have a look at!

715-1545 or 1000-1830 (early) 1245-2115 or 1445-2315 (late) 2100-0730 or 2300-0730 (night)

Hi jojojo76, JVP = jugular venous pressure NAD = no acute distress or no apparent distress? Good luck and don't stress, you will learn all of the acronyms quicker than you think!

I'd love to work in the UK, USA, UAE, China (if I ever manage to improve my Mandarin).

A 20-something woman came in c/o severe pain in her thigh. She then proceeded to tell me how she had "lost" a tampon inside of her a few days ago and was convinced that it had travelled to her leg and was the cause of the pain. She did not speak with the quietest of voices either, so most of the patients within earshot were chuckling to themselves. It was so hard to keep a straight face with that one!

I am currently in emergency, and I am on my feet the whole shift except for breaks and toilet stops. When I was working on a medical ward, as a nurse on the floor maybe got to sit down 20-25% of the time. I did an admin role for a time as well where I was sitting about 80-90% of the day, and I found that I had more problems with my back with all the sitting. Goos shoes are an absolute godsend, and I have a foot spa at home that I can use if my feet are a bit too achy when I get home (doesn't happen that often though).

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I'm with you, cheshirecat! I tend to do the Miss Sweety act to the foul patients too. I am a very tolerant person, and it takes a lot to get me cranky. The very few times that patients have been really obnoxious or abusive to me or staff around me, security are in close proximity and have read them the riot act. The patients either settled down and behaved themselves, or got booted out.

Apologies if this has been posted before, but I couldn't find any posts on this in my quick search. Australia is only about 1/2 way through season 3 of Greys, and in the episode just shown, Ellis Grey goes into SVT and she tells Christina to massage her carotid artery instead of getting drugs. ????????????? Sorry if I sound really stupid, but I have never heard of this before. Would someone actually do this in hospital? I just assumed you would go straight for drugs like adenosine.

Here are some of my favourites: Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore dream discover - Mark Twain Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came, he pushed them ... and they flew. - Guillaume Apollinaire Quo vadis (where are you going)

I would love to wear Crocs but my facility has banned them also. I have some New Balance walking shoes that I absolutely love, wouldn't wear anything else!

I was 27 when I graduated in 2003. I would say about 1/3 of my class was my age or older, there were a lot of people who were coming in nursing after doing other degrees or as a second career.

mslema, I too would go for med-surg over ER for your preceptorship. I agree with everyone else's posts here, you will get a solid grounding there, assessment, time management skills etc etc. I went from med-surg to ER and found the transition quite okay, but I've had friends who went the other way who found it difficult to adjust to a ward environment. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with whatever you choose!

Don't think my workplace has a specific policy about fake nails, but I would presume they are not desirable. I have had them for a special occasion only, but I wouldn't be able to tolerate them doing patient care. I like my nails as they are, short and non-fussy!