RedRobin8

I work in Endoscopy and we stock the standard scopes, including the Bronchoscopes. The ICU recently purchased disposable bronchs, but rarely use them because the Pulmonologists state they don't have a sufficient diameter for large plugs. (So we still have to come in on call now for ICU plugs)

Thanks for each of your replies! A lot of good info for me to consider.

Hi all, I have been a second career nurse going on five years now. Love the field, have been in two different hospitals with a great resume full of well-rounded experience and references. My concern is more social than professional. Where are all the nurses around my age? (40's). I am guessing some move up into management, but I am still working on my BSN. I'm ready to settle into something long term, and would like to work where there is some social connections among staff. It's an odd feeling to discover that among so many 20 something's I could be socially irrelevant, since I am not currently dating via social media, drinking, planning a wedding or having babies. I'm viewed like the mom on the unit, but that makes for mostly one-sided conversations. It's an unfamiliar feeling to feel lonely in a crowd. ( I'm not a hermit, mind you, I am very active socially outside of work.). I'd love your suggestions.

Ditto to both of the above comments. It takes a little while to discern whether these are normal growing pains or perhaps not the unit for you. No one tells you how different nursing school is from the real nursing world. Nothing can prepare you for that. One of my very good friends went through the exact same experiences as you, and she recognized that she had poor preceptors and no support in a high turnover unit that had been decimated by half of the staff leaving in a mass exodus due to very poor management changes. She also struggled with the charting, which she came to realize was because 1) she is an extremely detail oriented person, and 2) we have a ridiculous amount of electronic charting which keeps us in front of a computer for more time than at the bedside. Additionally, I can think of very few reasons to "write up" a new grad...we are there to help each other to grow, not point fingers so quickly. I have been an RN for one year on a step-down (neuro) unit this month, and only in the last few weeks did I come to realize that I am starting to find my own comfort level...but I still ask questions for anything about which I am uncertain (daily), and I also strive to reassure the new grads coming behind me with their own uncertainty. I have had nurses with 5 years' experience tell me they learn new things every day. Confer with your fellow grads, and you will find that some will spend the first 6-12 months somewhere in misery, only to discover it is just not suited to their skills and strengths. The experience is not a waste, and it is okay to take your experience to another unit. There is no wrong answer...just keep putting one foot in front of another, you will find the path that is right for you. By the way, after 9 months my friend applied to a critical care unit after she could take no more negativity, and has found a friendlier, detail-oriented unit with 1:2 ratio that suits her perfectly. Best of luck to you!!

If you want to work in the hospital, it sounds like you might be better suited to be a unit secretary.

I love my 12 hour shifts, although we do have some 8's sprinkled in here and there. I heard from a former California nurse that one disadvantage of ever becoming a unionized hospital (not a risk here) is that only 8 hour shift are allowed. I would work elsewhere if that happened.

Personal characteristics needed: compassion for the scared patients and families; patience for the talkers and frantic ones; tough shell and ability to hold one's tongue for the manipulators and rude patients or staff; persistence, listening ear and ability to give a decent, hot bath for the ones who express fear as anger; and insight to determine where the patient is psychologically. Very few patients bounce through the door with a genuine smile, happy to be there. You need to be flexible enough to apply pertinent characteristics to the current needs of the patient...this tends to make application of nursing skills a lot more effective.

Hi ICBBG! I chuckled when I received the e-mail referencing a response to this 3 year old post, because I JUST FINISHED school last Wednesday! Woohoo - what a ride! I read through all 15 pages again for a bit of nostalgia, and recalled all of our excitement and anxiety at each anticipated step in the process. Do not even think about other GPA's and TEAS scores, because every class is different, with a different pool of applicants. I'm not sure what you mean by non-traditional students, but the fact that you have a college degree puts you at the head of the pack. Best of luck to you and let us know what happens!! Robin

One teacher taught us that the pitting edema ratings of +1 through +4 correspond to puddle, pond, lake, ocean.

These are great ideas. I entered nursing school with the plan of hospital work, but after the economy tanked, my husband had to extend his hours to 11-12 hours per day. Both of us cannot work these hours with 2 active teenagers, so I have started to consider niches with more conventional hours for when I finish in February 2010.

I work on a cardiac step down unit, and the frequent flyer senior ladies LOOOOOOOOOVE their 'murses'. Strong, protective, heroic care in their eyes. While I was giving one little lady in her late 80's a bath, she told me her 'murse' was easy on the eyes. I nearly choked.

What's a GRE? I'm a low 3.x student, and might need whatever that is to continue my studies.

You mentioned working during nursing school as an EKG tech - is it possible to apply to your own unit, having a foot in the door already? It is not always the most appealing if you had another specialty in mind, but in this market that is what I plan to do. I am a PCT and EKG tech in the hospital, and I have worked my hiny off for the last 18 months for them, and have 10 months of school left. Upon graduation, prior to NCLEX, we can apply as an RNA (RN applicant), contingent upon passing the boards. Right now my unit knows without a doubt that I am a hard worker, dependable employee and that I already get along with my coworkers. I have seen previous PCT's successfully follow this scenario. Here's wishing you the best!!!

LPN's are being phased out of critical care and step-down units here in my hospital this year. Enroll in a bridge program or you are transferred out... seems unfair to some of our LPN's who have 10-20 years' experience. All the more reason I am glad I opted for the RN program.

Be sure of your school policy regarding receipt of gifts. Our instructors are not allowed to receive gifts (certificates, etc.), unless it can be shared with the entire staff (food). Seems silly to everyone, students and instructors alike, but administration doesn't want the appearance of buying partiality.

"What were those titers required for you? In our facility we are only required Hep B titers." We had MMR titers drawn for NS...mine were too low and I had to repeat this childhood vaccination. Okay, yet another stick, just get it over with. I had taken my 12 year old daughter with me, using the opportunity to show her that getting shots are not all of the drama she made them out to be. Instead, a nurse walking by loudly said: "Oh you have to get MMR? Boy, that's the most painful one you can get!" And indeed it was... My daughter had a slightly smug look suggesting "See, I told you!"

Nursing & UPS: heavy lifting, customer driven, very reliable. It's all good.

I will finish at the end of February 2011. I get to count down the months now, not years. How about you?

"Sounds like you have it tough. To be fair, there are plenty of single 20-somethings with alot on their plate besides just school (trying to pay rent, working a crappy part-time job or two, ect...)" Yes, you are right. Funny you mention jobs, I did quit a well paying job to have the time to go to school, and instead replaced it with...two crappy part-time jobs... Tech work in the hospital (for experience) and substitute teaching at my kids' middle school... Which means much less money to pay the bills. Hoping it remedies itself when the diploma is in hand.

Here I am, 2/3 of the way through my diploma program, second career, full plate with family, kids' sports, my homework, kids' homework, my job, etc., and I finally received my first substantial and helpful evaluation. I get pretty weary of reading "met goal, satisfactory, met competencies, etc." although I suspect this is the required verbage. I see these bland, neutral comments given to everyone that doesn't fail, and began to question whether I made the right decision to pursue nursing as a career. My clinical instructor, who is a tough cookie and great nurse, said I do a terrific job. She encouraged me by stating that my numeric grade (C+) did not reflect my ability in nursing, but my full plate with life and three difficult courses. I admittedly get envious of the single 20-somethings with all pre-req's behind them and all the time in the world to study one course and get A's like I used to get in high school. Ten months to go now, and those few words of encouragement make me want to do even better.

oh duh!!! guess that's why I'm still a student...

I have only seen EKG orders written for elevated ST segment. Troponin is cardiac cellular waste normally removed from the cell by lysosomes, presence of which in serum labwork confirms damage to normal cardiac cellular activity. I can't say that I have seen orders written to find troponins on the EKG. If you don't get any confirmed responses here, you may need to post this in the cardiac/telemetry forum...because I wonder if that is correct, and the seasoned nurses may readily recognize the accuracy of this order.

I too am experiencing a hubbie that thinks his support of my schooling is sufficient, but it really isn't. Yep, thinks I am a genius, and an hour or so should suffice to study. My kids are 12 and 14 - different type of needs, they want to go the mall, teach them how to cook something, need help on this science homework the teacher didn't explain well (which means I have to read, learn and teach it), can you run me over to BFF's house, can BFF come over here... The house? Shambles most of the time. One way to sneak in study time: I VOLUNTEER to take the kids to each of their sports' practices during the week, and study in peace in the bleachers, instead of staying home and doing laundry and dishes anyway. Kids want to go to a movie? Let them grab a friend, and I get 2 hours of uninterrupted studying in the lobby or in the car, and save money I would have spent on a teen movie I really didn't want to watch anyway. Halfway through school I figured this out. One year to go!!! I didn't fix the problem, because I really can't change my husband's (mis)understanding of my needs, but I am trying to work around him. You'll get through it, just don't let it build up into resentment and hurt your relationship. Get creative - maybe you need to stay 1/2 hour later at school (not enough to be a big distraction) in order to accumulate 2 hours' extra reading over the week. Going to the grocery store (alone)? Take 20 minutes extra and read in the car before you get out. It's bits and pieces, but it adds up. Blessings to you! :hug:

Our local university offers a direct bridge ADN to MSN. When completed, you have your bachelors and masters. Google 'ADN to MSN' and that will bring up the schools offering the program.

My grandma, who was a stickler for grammar, used to tell me: Hens lay (eggs), people lie (down). I never checked behind her, but it always stuck in my head.