mb20and151

OB nurses, did you start out in OB? Did you know you wanted to get into OB from the beginning even if you didn't start there? I'm doing adult med-surg right now and I'll stay here for some time since I'm still relatively fresh out of school. I know it's not where I want to stay over the long term but everyone tells me it's the best place to be as a new nurse. And so I'll be here for probably another year. However, to my surprise, I really enjoyed the OB rotations during school (especially NICU). How does one go about getting to OB eventually?

I've always been intelligent and able to pick up things quickly. I've never had difficulties training for any job I've had. It's really bothering me feeling so horribly stupid after a full month into my first job. Anyone else felt this way? When does it let up?

If the patient does not speak English, not much you can do about that. However, it still seems rude to me. Why not do your report outside in that case? If the patient speaks English and you choose to stand in front of them speaking another language that is totally unacceptable in my book. When I was in school we had nurses regularly give report in Tagali (sp?) specifically to exclude the student nurses and the patients. Fortunately, I have not seen that type of behavior since.

I've heard some of my former classmates talk about these quizzes during their job search. I have yet to experience one in my own job search however it may be on the horizon. It seems like an ethics quiz would be very easy for anyone with a conscience. On the other hand, I know a few people who have not passed. What are these quizzes and what should I expect if/when I see one?

Just passed NCLEX last week (75 Q - yay!) and have been applying for jobs for about a month now. I've only had one interview....but then again I've only applied for one job. There aren't ANY to apply for! My parents are on my butt about it but what else can I do? I've been searching hospitals within a 60 mile radius. I check their websites every day. All hospitals in the area except one are on a hiring freeze. My dad thinks I should put resumes out even to hospitals that aren't hiring for RNs right now. I'm not so sure about that. The one I did have an interview for was about 2 weeks ago. I thought it went really well. I sent a thank you note, I made a call back 1 week later....but I haven't heard anything, not even a return call. It would be a great place to start and I know I could do the job well. The job is still posted on their website. Would it be too much to send them an e-mail early next week letting them know since the interview I have passed my test? Also, any overall suggestions on finding jobs? I moved from where I went to college (Vegas) back home to the Midwest. It seems too early to consider moving to another state again but maybe I should if there are no jobs here...

Graduated with my BSN a few weeks ago. Moved across the country. I'm still waiting for my new state to get their stuff together and allow me to take the NCLEX. Hoping to take it by the middle of October at the latest. In the meantime I've been thinking about the future and jobs and where I want to end up. However, I know that as a new nurse in our current economy I'll probably start out at whatever hospital within driving distance will have me. During school my favorite rotations were OB and, my preceptorship, in ICU. So I'm thinking I might want to work in either of those two areas eventually. I could also see those molding together to be PICU or NICU and being ok with that as well. My question is how do I get there? My first job may very well be a med-surg or med-tele floor, which is fine for a while, but how does one go about getting to OB, PICU or NICU eventually? Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

I'm almost done with my BSN, only one semester left. I should be thrilled. I'm a perpetual student and I'm finally graduating...with two degrees and a boatload of student loans. I should preface this all by saying that I've been unsettled with myself and humanity as a whole lately and maybe that has something to do with the way I'm feeling now. Regardless, here goes: I got into nursing mainly because I wanted a job that I could make a difference with. The prospect of decent pay and available jobs didn't hurt but it wasn't my main priority. I have always found the body fascinating and have no aversions to bodily waste/fluids. Nursing seemed to fit the bill. I enjoy my classes and am always in the top 5%. I don't particularly enjoy clinical but I don't hate it. The only rotation I've felt excited to attend was OB, particularly postpartum. Always have preferred infants over older children and adults even in everyday life! I have been told by many patients that I will make a great nurse. The only problem is, I don't know if this is for me. Let me expand upon that. I've found that I don't agree with much of medicine. Why the heck do we spend so much time trying to keep someone alive just a little longer with little regard to their quality of life? I know it's not my place to say who wants to live and who does not, but shoot, I can't imagine many people would say lying in a nursing home bed for the last years of their lives is how they want to live. It's not only that though. Overall I don't feel that the nursing I've been exposed to so far is really "making a difference". In fact, I've come to believe that the idea of making a difference is a big facade. There really isn't a choice in the matter for a few years at least; I've got to pay off some of these student loans before I decide to embark on anything else but I'm worried that it's going to make me a crappy nurse. So far, thankfully, that hasn't proven to be the case. And, no, my other degree wont help. I need a job that pays somewhat decently for these loans. I don't know what to think or do about it all. I apologize for such a lengthy post. Any words of encouragement, advice, even reasonable criticism are welcome. Thank you in advance.

I'm having a hell of a time finding good research articles to attach to my care plans. They have to be nursing intervention based and fit my patient (this week: adult in his 30's with peumonia, my dx is impaired gas exchange). I spent 3 hours searching the other night with no luck. If anyone has any tips on finding intervention articles I'd really appreciate it!

I know it has been a while since I posted this, but maybe someone is still checking it. I too am at UNLV however I'm further along than CasterJ. A word of advice to you, CasterJ. I was an A student as well prior to the nursing program. In fact, I have another degree in which my GPA was right around 3.9. Even first semester of nursing I was A/B. Your standards will change as you go through! B's are just fine with me at this point. Prepare for second semester! On average, we lose 25% or more of each class during second semester. That number may be even higher next semester if they put OB and Peds as two entirely separate classes. Anyway, if you don't already know someone further along and you want more info on what to expect, feel free to shoot me an e-mail or a PM.

I moved to NV from Wisconsin 5 years ago. I am near finished with my BSN degree and would like to move closer to home. I've been 2,000 miles away from my family for half a decade. I feel like I would prefer to be within a 2-3 hour drive of home (pretty much leaves Madison, Wisconsin or Minneapolis, MN as prospective cities). Do I need to stay in Vegas and work for a while before moving or can I head back to the Midwest as soon as I graduate? If I need to stay, how long would you suggest?

I am trying to put together the required medication record for my patient for tomorrow morning. I have taken care of all of the medications except the K-riders and I'm not entirely sure what some of this means. It said: PRN K-rider 10 mEq run over 4 hrs mEq per hour x 5 hrs IV PRN K-rider 10 mEq IV x 5 hrs WF NS @ 250cc/x(with a circle over it) 2L then D5 1/2 NS c(with a line over it) 20 mEq KCl @150cc/hr I know the K rider is potassium since she's dehydrated. I know the mEq is the units and it however long to let the IV go for it. We're supposed to include the brand and generic names for each of the medications - I can't find K-rider or potassium rider in my pharm book. Also, I'm not sure what WF is, what the x with a circle over it is, what the c with the line over it is or what the D5 means. I'm sure I must sound like a complete idiot. This is our first time doing this and no one ever mentioned what those abbreviations mean. Most I could figure out on my own but that one in particular is baffling.

Good morning, I'm thinking of becoming a nurse. Ok, well, I've pretty much decided; it's just the particulars that I'm still working out. I began college as a biochemistry major then changed to anthropology. I will be graduating very shortly from the University of Nevada - Las Vegas with a BA in anthropology however I've also taken a bunch of the organic chemistry, biochem, microbiology, anatomy, psychology, etc. Since I am so close to graduating it seems stupid not to finish my BA. As much as I enjoy anthropology, being a professor is just not for me. I want a career that means doing something more than babysitting affluent 18 year olds. From what I've read online, there is a debate about whether nursing students should complete the ADN or BSN program. I also read that many positions require a BSN. Is it the case that most require a BSN? Or is it that a BSN is required for specific areas of nursing? If so, which areas? I'm trying to think of anything else I would like to know but at the moment am drawing a blank. Any other suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your time. Tracy mb20and151