Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    Back in school MSN

    Meriwhen replied to dagobah's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Best of luck in grad school, and glad things are going well for
  2. Meriwhen

    Does is ever end?

    Meriwhen replied to dekyrn's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Congratulations and best of luck at the new
  3. Meriwhen

    Identity Crisis

    Meriwhen replied to AntelopeTongue's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Don't know how long you've been sober, but be kind to yourself right now. You're learning to live life in a whole new way, and it's going to take some getting used to. And it will take time. As...
  4. Meriwhen

    Good grief...I came up Positive

    Meriwhen replied to SororAKS's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Another thing it could be is improper handling of the specimen. Not uncommon for false ETOH positives to turn up that way. Hopefully you can get this straightened
  5. Meriwhen

    Psychiatric Nursing Certification

    Meriwhen replied to Betsy Keller's topic in Psychiatric

    I know this response is very late, but a BSN is NOT required. I got my certification as an
  6. Meriwhen

    Lowest stress (still great pay) nursing specialties?

    Meriwhen replied to Aliens05's topic in General Nursing

    The problem is that what is considered stressful is rather subjective. I love psych but I've seen nurses lock themselves in the med room crying because they couldn't handle being on the psych unit....
  7. Meriwhen

    Can I become a RN with a general discharge from the Army?

    Meriwhen replied to ApacheRomeo95's topic in Licensure: Criminal History

    Tough one. You will probably need to ask the BON of the state you wish to be licensed in. Do it anonymously if you prefer. Also, if you haven't gotten any depression/anxiety/other psych issues under...
  8. Meriwhen

    Applying for RN in California with Speeding Ticket

    Meriwhen replied to Jzt1004's topic in Licensure: Criminal History

    You have to disclose it if it was a felony or misdemeanor (and if your speeding was classed as reckless driving, it could very well be one of those two). If it was just an infraction, you only need...
  9. Meriwhen

    New Graduate Positions

    Meriwhen replied to justdesserts's topic in Job Search, Interview, Resume

    Moving to First Job Hunt Assistance Forum to help you get more targeted responses. If you only graduated a month ago, don't be disheartened. The job market is better than it's been in recent years...
  10. Meriwhen

    Past medical history

    Meriwhen replied to Dim83's topic in General Nursing

    I can't tell you how to answer questions for nursing school or job applications. But IMO, honesty is the best policy...that being said, there is no need to volunteer information that isn't requested....
  11. Meriwhen

    Pros and cons of psych nursing?

    Meriwhen replied to AngelusLapsus's topic in Psychiatric

    How often does one work with a violent/aggressive patient? (daily, weekly, monthly?) Varies. A lot of it depends on the unit I'm working on as some units are typically a higher acuity than others...
  12. Meriwhen

    CPI for a New Grad?

    Meriwhen replied to m0ntyburns's topic in Psychiatric

    Yes, definitely apply even if you are not as experienced as they desire. If you sell yourself the right away, you just might be able to get in. Especially since the nursing masses aren't flocking to...
  13. Meriwhen

    CPI for a New Grad?

    Meriwhen replied to m0ntyburns's topic in Psychiatric

    I agree with everyone else: save your money. If your employer uses CPI, they will pay for you to take it. Also, not every employer uses it BTW--mine does not. They use another program instead....
  14. Meriwhen

    Immediate advice needed!

    Meriwhen replied to allensn's topic in Psychiatric

    Even though you have likely made your decision...for the record, I agree with the others: if going the NP route is possibly in your future, you really need the acute/inpatient
  15. Meriwhen

    SoCal Psych Hospitals/Departments. Any suggestions!?

    Meriwhen replied to gmb1206's topic in Psychiatric

    I will presume you are not using any drugs :) Only because I've never heard of an invalid result d/t nitrites. Usually it's dilute urine that is the cause. Interesting. Some causes of elevated...
  16. Meriwhen

    SoCal Psych Hospitals/Departments. Any suggestions!?

    Meriwhen replied to gmb1206's topic in Psychiatric

    It seems as though you've settled on Mesa Vista...excellent choice, but stil here's the list in case you want to search more. Most have inpatient and outpatient AFAIK. Sharp Mesa Vista Sharp...
  17. Meriwhen

    Need a desk job

    Meriwhen replied to jhill134's topic in General Nursing

    Consider outpatient nursing. It's not 100% desk work, but it is much less physically
  18. Meriwhen

    showering: before or after work

    Meriwhen replied to peachypurple's topic in General Nursing

    I shower before work, but that's because I usually work out before I go in. If I'm working on the psych-med unit, dealt with patients on contact precautions, and/or have been dealing closely with...
  19. Meriwhen

    Who Should Clean Up, Offgoing Shift or Oncoming Shift?

    Meriwhen replied to Kooky Korky's topic in General Nursing

    In an ideal world, they would. But this world is far from ideal, so we're treated as though we're the ones who made the mess, not the MD. Regarding the specific situation...technically, after 1530, I...
  20. Meriwhen

    Does Kaiser (in or near Sacramento, CA)hire ADN nurses?

    Meriwhen replied to dejo1290's topic in General Nursing

    Speaking as someone working in California...the BSN is strongly preferred by most hospitals. The main reason I got hired as a ADN was because I had both prior experience out-of-state and specialty...
  21. Meriwhen

    Nurse License Revocation

    Meriwhen replied to TSWeaver's topic in General Nursing

    OP: only the CA BRN can accurately answer your question. Call/email them and ask. Best of
  22. Meriwhen

    Do I have a chance in getting back into the Nursing Program after being dismissed?

    Meriwhen replied to k3ndallee's topic in General Students

    Depends on the school. Some will let you retake a class once, some will accept it you take a comparable class at another facility, and some will tell you to walk after just one failure. The only way...
  23. Meriwhen

    Med surg psych unit?

    Meriwhen replied to cherryblossom2108's topic in Medical-Surgical

    I started working nights on a psych-medical unit a few months ago. It's not all gero-psych as one might think--I've had patients as young as 18. It's about an even mix of acute and chronic medical...
  24. Meriwhen

    Reapplying for a job

    Meriwhen replied to Bkre8iv2's topic in General Nursing

    IMO, confirm you are eligible for rehire before you proceed any further with interviewing. Better you find that out now than after you quit your current job for one here, just to be told, "oops,...
  25. Meriwhen

    FitBit at work

    Meriwhen replied to blah_blah_blah's topic in General Nursing

    I have a Charge HR: it was a gift from my mom. I wear it to work and haven't had any problems with it--when it comes to handwashing, I just push it up my wrist. I also have a silicone sleeve/cover...