OriginalWmn

Do you have any friends that work in acute care and could give you the name and number of their manager? It sometimes helps if you can bypass HR.

I'm looking for advice on re-entry into NP practice. I graduated from a bridge program in 2000 as a FNP. I've been working since then as a acute care RN and have been travel nursing for the past 6 years. I've kept up my ANCC cert, but when looking at a few state's requirements to get their NP certificate/license you have to have a certain # of practice hours w/i 2 or 4 years. What advice do you have for me? I've thought about finding a program and retaking certain classes and clinicals as a non-degree seeking student. I'm just not sure what to do. Thank you.

"I have a challenge for you"---translation: "I'm about to ask you to do something that isn't humanly possible." I just hate when I hear something out of a manager/charge nurse's mouth that sounds like they learned it at some sort of management seminar.

Doctor Guazzo, You don't need all of these certifications to work in the US. Are you looking to come here to work? Usually the 2 main tests to pass to be able to work here are: 1. TOEFL= test of english as a foreign language. This tests your English language competency. 2. NCLEX= our national licensing exam. The other certfications you asked about can usually be obtained on the job and are dependent on what area/specialty you are working in.

I didn't watch Sicko, but remember see that preview before "Waitress"--good flick if you haven't seen it. I remembered Laura Linney played the sister and found it from that. The name of the movie is "The Savages".

Ego amo latinam. I took two years of latin in high school and have a mother who teaches latin. I found latin helpful with medical terms. Learning any language is intellectually stimulating, but I think latin helps with learning additional languages. Also it's just cool to go to Rome and be able to translate Latin phrases on the monuments and buildings.

15 months and then started traveling!

My fav is Mosby's Drug Guide. The way it's laid out just makes sense to me and they include herbals. And has a pretty good IV compatibilty chart inside. Check it out.

You are lucky to be near Philly. CHOP is an excellent hospital. I didn't work in the NICU, but if I had a premie I would want them to go there. It's just all around a top knotch children's hospital. I hope your baby doesn't have to go there, but if she does it's one of the best.

The first facility I worked in held tylenol before cultures. HAven't seen this is any of the subsequent facilities I've worked in.

There is a nursing shortage in TN. Don't let them fool you. They said the same thing to a friend of mine. I worked in TN last winter and there is definately a shortage. The place where I worked was just willing to have a higher nurse to pt ratio than most places deem safe. I also interviewed for a travel position for a different city/facility in tennessee for this winter.

I looked into going there. Many of my military friends had been there. Evidently power can go out for weeks at a time. Third worldish conditions. But you may not care about that. I just didn't want to make a 2 year committment when I wasn't sure if I could handle the conditions. Definately would make a visit first.

Hi Medgirl! I know they are desperate for RNs at the new children's hospital. It's beautiful and I think you would enjoy working there if peds is your interest. I do not think you will have trouble finding a job in any of the depts. Good luck!

In all of the facilities where I've worked we never give phenergan with suspected gastroenteritis. We don't give anything to stop diarrhea if they have that either. We make the childe NPO, start an IV to give a bolus and then start maintanence fluids. Then maybe we start attempting po with pedialyte, if they continue to vomit then we make them NPO again and maybe try later. I'm talking with the toddler age set. I work peds floor so maybe in ER with kids that are not as dehydrated as the ones that get admitted to the floor they try this so they can send them home. I've understood that with Gastroenteritis we just do supportive care until the virus (most likely cause) runs its course and the body's way of getting rid of it is vomiting and pooping it out. If stool cultures come back with something like salmonella or if it is suspected antibx are started too.

Just to throw some of my own observations into the mix. I'm from the southern united states and went to a small college there as an undergrad. You couldn't walk across campus w/o several people saying hello and only some of them maybe knew personally. When I went to nursing school "up north" as my Daddy liked to call it, people were not as friendly. Not as likely to make eye contact and say "hi" in passing. No one starting a conversation out of the blue in a cafeteria line, etc. Of course some of my friends who have lived or gone to school in the South (esp female friends) complained that they felt like everyone was nice to their face, but probably talked about them behind their back. I had one friend tell me she preferred being in the North b/c "if someone hated you you knew it and didn't have to wonder". So, are you at a large university and maybe you lived in a small town or attended a smaller school previously? That could make a difference.