kathi yudin

i am in the anaheim area.. where are you going to school??

i am also in california.. orange county to be more specific.. we definitely have a shortage.. i am looking for nurses and all i get are applicants fresh out of nursing school.. or those from foreign countries... i see very few american applicants.. we have a nursing shortage... and one that will continue for many more yrs to come..

there continues to be a nursing shortage.. unfortunately most hospitals will not look at you until you have a minimun of 6 mo experience.. many ltc facilities also want experience.. it is very expensive to train someone.. it means 2 nurses for 1 job.. and then.. following that.. after maybe 3 months.. the new nurse knows it all and decides to move on.. this makes facilities wary of taking new grads.. look for bldgs that welcome new grads and want to work with them.. also.. look at ltc .. it is a great way to learn.. it hones your assessment skills and critiical thinking.. i relish new grads for their thirst for knowledge.. desire to succeed and sense of adventure..

as a new grad in 1975.. i SWORE i would NEVER EVER work in one of those big bad nursing homes!!!.. i wanted to be where the action was.. and how sad to be in a nursing home with old people.. and patients/residents that family has forgotten!!.. has my attitude changed!!.. i have worked long term care now for 8 yrs.. and can't think of anything else i would rather do!!.. we can learn so much from our elderly.. and from being there.. you truly enhance your assessment skills because who else is there to do the assessment for you??.. there are no interns.. residents or staff doctors.. it is you and the other nurses that you work with .. you learn to use everything you have learned and than some including your "gut" feeling!!.. i think you can learn alot and that will prepare you for the future.. hospitals are sending sicker and sicker patients to the nursing homes because insurance will only pay for so long.. there are sub acutes where you work with vents.. iv's.. gt's.. there are regular otc where you do iv's.. gt's.. rehab.. you give emotional support to families.. and to residents.. you use every skill and to hone it well.. i wish you luck what ever you choose.. i for one don't want to go back to the acute.. this is where it is especially as us baby boomers get older and retire and get sick...

cape cod mermaid!!.. couldn't agree with you more!!.. and that is exactly what i tell new nurses when they interview as well as the students that i teach..!!.. in ltc we are it.. we have to hone our assessment and critical thinking skills and go with our "gut" feelings because we don't have anyone else such as docs to rely on.. rather they rely on us!!.. ltc is actually the place to be as more and more the hospitals send the residents to us sicker and sicker to recuperate.. ltc is THE place to be especially for new nurses!!...cudos to you!!..

i am don at a ltc facility.. our orientation is 30 days.. however.. we have kept new nurses on longer then that.. also.. while they may be off of orientation.. they always have their mentor near them and we don't expect them to know everything for as much as a year..!!

i am don of a ltc facility in newport beach california.. i am originally from ny.. born and raised!!.. i have a 96 bed facility.. i do admissions.. sign off on the mds's.. do skin rounds weekly.. daily stand up meeting.. wgt meetings.. safety meetings.. psychotrophic meetings.. deal with the doctors.. and family problems.. dept head meetings.. qi meetings.. do the scheduling.. when we are short.. if i have to ( and i rarely have to do this).. i offer bonus's to my day staff to stay.. usually i just give them the schedule and they fill in the blanks!!.. they love overtime.. especially at holiday time.. i do not do a budget... lucky there.. i don't have an assistant don.. am on call 24/7 and work approx 60 hrs/wk!!!.. hope that this helps..

hi there.. it is not easy to change old ways.. it takes alot of work and alot of reinforcement..i tell my staff to pick a good attitude!!.. i also tell them that they don't have to like me.. take me to lunch.. be my best buddy.. or socialize with me.. however.. they have to respect me and the position that i hold.. if they can't.. they don't need to work here.. also.. they are here to do a job.. not to socialize or gab.. and that they need to leave the problems at the door.. while this is hard.. family probs or g/f.. b/f problems.. must be left at the door!!!.. i am there to talk to and to help but.. not to do their jobs.. set your expectations high and it will follow but you have to be determined and committed to it!!!.. it takes lots and lots of time and perseverance.. won't happen over nite.. and as old staff leaves.. they always do.. you will hire new and that will also help.. show no favoritism and be consistant.. hope that some of this helps.. stick with it.. it is worth it!!!

i started w/a adn.. in 1975.. got a bsn in 2004.. only because i wanted it.. am now going for an msn to obtain my gnp.. again because it is something i want.. has nothing to do w/better education or adn vs bsn..has to do with desire for self gratification..

no insult intended to you.. however.. i do feel that your instructor has insulted every nurse that is working and every student when saying any monkey can be taught to do... we are not monkeys.. we are trained professionals that have gone through yrs of schooling to learn and understand... while we may be descended from apes.. i truly do not believe we can teach a monkey to start an iv.. watch for the side effects of medications.. the start of illness prior to it actually being evident.. any teacher that can say that.. should not be teaching.. and by the way.. i do teach lvn students..so i am aware of what goes into preparing students..

i don't believe that it is the degree that makes you a good nurse.. it is common sense and attitude.. i started as a nurses aide.. went to a diploma program and then an adn program back in the 70's when nurses did team nursing and emptied bedpans.. gave bed baths and back rubs.. in 2004 got my bsn and am now in a masters program going for my gnp.. school prepares us for nursing dx .. caring for patients.. it does not prepare us for the real world.. that comes after graduation.. and with experience.. as director of nursing.. i work w/ many new grads who come out of school thinking that they know it all and can do it all.. they are looking at care through rose colored glasses.. and are not prepared for the actual workload.. book work may be there.. skills may not.. in an adn program there is more emphasis on skills.. in a bsn program.. emphasis on books.. however.. the actual learning does not take place until they actually get a job and have to work in the real world.. lpn..lvn.. rn.. adn.. bsn.. doesn't make you a nurse.. it just gives you the tools needed.. what makes you a nurse is how you handle the pressure.. the skills.. the patients.. in the real world.. remember that attitude is everything.. being open to learn from those who have been there.. that is what seperates the nurses from the wanna be's.. no matter what the preparation..

I trained in ny 30 yrs ago at a aas program.. 4 yrs ago i completed my bsn and am currently enrolled in an msn program for my np.. my bsn has not made me a better nurse.. it is the clinical time that makes the nurse.. the book work is great but.. applying what you learn.. having the ability and knowledge to use critical thinking skills.. that is what makes the nurse.. it doesnt' matter if you have an rn from a diploma program.. an rn from an aa program or a bsn.. it is how you apply your knowledge.. i am not against bsn trained nurses.. however.. i do believe that those with an rn prior to when and if it becomes a law.. should be grandfathered in.. ny was talking of doing this 30 yrs ago when i was a nursing student.. and those who already had a degree w/ i believe a set # of yrs would be grandfathered in.. that never came to fruition.. i don't know in this day and age w/ the nursing shortage as bad as it is.. that that will happen yet again.. it would be a devastating mistake if it does!!!.. good nurses will be lost!!..

many of the medications used for psych are not used for their labeled use.. depakote and that grouping were originally used as antiseizure meds.. they have been found to work well on stabilizing moods and decreasing impulsivity... seroquel.. given at night is to help reduce the side effect of sedation.. it should be started slowly and increased as needed...while being used for bipolar.. it is more seen as an antipsychotic to help decrease the striking out and yelling behaviors..

he does... i work with the elderly that have behaviors.. we take those that other facilties either won't take or can't handle...through the use of medications we are able to give them some form of quality of life... while i love tom cruise.. and respect his work as an actor.. he should stick to what he knows.. ACTING!!!.. i can't act and would not profess to tell an actor how to act.. he should not tell a doctor.. and a psychiatrist for that matter.. trained in these matters .. how to doctor!!!...

i was acute hospital trained... i have to agree with you.. ltc is the best experience you can get.. i couldn't have said it better.. the assessment skills.. the organizational skills.. dealing with the pressures of getting it all done on time.. you see it and get it all in ltc.. !!. the best experience you can get!!!.... :balloons: