Meri333

I was in a patients room once changing an IV bag... my patient was a SUPER confused little old lady about 85trs old. I was standing next to her bedside table and knocked over the chart I had with me. She says, "What was that?!?" I said, "Ma'am, you just farted" and she says, "Oh my! I'm so sorry!"... I ran out of there laughing sooooo hard! Isn't that horrible of me? But it was sooooooooooo funny! I went to the nurses station and told everyone... everyone was rolling on the floor!

Thank you for the advice. I understand what you guys are saying, it's just really hard for me to settle with one thing without thinking about the next step. I've been like that my entire life and it's driving me crazy not knowing. You made a really good point about making sure that what I plan on doing is completely worth it and something I'll be happy doing. I just wish I knew what that was right now. I know everything will happen the way it's supposed to happen, I just like being in control of that. But I guess I don't really know much about anything yet and that I can't really decide because I don't really know the different roles that well. My future fiance would love to travel... his job on the other hand won't be there for him if we move around. So that's another thing we need to discuss. Some people tell me I should just do what I have to do now and not really think about "us" right now since technically we're not married and we're not a 100% sure thing in this point in time. But I can't travel alone, I don't want to. What I really want is to travel and finish school before I have kids. Marraige I can do while working and doing the whole school thing... but children...no. I feel like my time is ticking away which is ridiculous because I'm on 22!

Congrats! I've been on my own for about a month now and it's great. I love my unit! The only downfall I have is the techs that work on the midnight shift with me. But I'm going back to days the last week of March! Back with my day crew that I love love love so much... haha. It's great to hear stories about other new nurses that are happy with what they're doing too. Good luck!

Hey everyone, I'm super stressed out! Here's the deal... I live in Michigan and I have finished school in October 2007 and have an associates degree of nursing. I sat for my NCLEX in January and passed (Woohoo!) So now I've been working for a little over a month on my own and off of orientation. I'm working in a step-down ICU which is usually quite hectic! I'm 22 years old, single, no children. I do have a boyfriend we're going to be getting engaged around this time next year... SO NOW ON TO THE QUESTIONS!... What do I do now? I'm thinking about getting into anesthesia or even NP... but I can't really decide. I know I have to get my Bachelor's degree... but I would love to travel too. I don't really know much about travel nursing or if it's the right thing for me. But I've also been thinking about nursing in Australia for a few years. I mean, should I stay home for the next 2 years while I get my Bachelor's, then nurse in Australia for a few years? All I do know is that I want all my school done before I try having kids. I'm so lost! I guess all I need is some good advice. Should I stay home? Travel around the US while I do an online BSN program? Then maybe move to Australia? I don't want to stay in Australia forever either though. I want to have my family right here in Michigan, but I'm young now and I want to travel! Ahhhhh!!! Please help, maybe I just need some insight from some seasoned nurses with way more experience! Thank you everyone in advance for any advise!

1st question: If you're using a pump it doesn't matter where the bags are.. they can be at the same height because the pump is doing all of the work. 2nd question: If an MD wrote an order for 100ml to infuse at a rate of 100ml/hr then you set the pump for that. There is a little extra in each piggyback bag, but it doesn't matter. The doctor ordered 100 so you give 100. 3rd question: Say you have IV fluids (IVF) running like .9NS. Then at 6am you have an IV piggyback (IVPB) to hang. You're primary solution is the .9 and your secondary is the IVPB. You set the pump accordingly. Now if your IVPB is supposed to hang over an hour, that is all that the patient is receiving for that hour -just the IVPB not their IVF. Now when the IVPB is done (an hour later) the pump automatically starts to infuse the IVF again. Simple.

Code Brown's for poop... really... haha. I think it's weird that every facility is slightly different. I think it should be a universal thing within the US that all hospital "codes" are the same.

Hey everyone, I'm super stressed out! Here's the deal... I live in Michigan and I have finished school in October 2007 and have an associates degree of nursing. I sat for my NCLEX in January and passed (Woohoo!) So now I've been working for a little over a month on my own and off of orientation. I'm working in a step-down ICU which is usually quite hectic! I'm 22 years old, single, no children. I do have a boyfriend we're going to be getting engaged around this time next year... SO NOW ON TO THE QUESTIONS!... What do I do now? I'm thinking about getting into anesthesia or even NP... but I can't really decide. I know I have to get my Bachelor's degree... but I would love to travel too. I don't really know much about travel nursing or if it's the right thing for me. But I've also been thinking about nursing in Australia for a few years. I mean, should I stay home for the next 2 years while I get my Bachelor's, then nurse in Australia for a few years? All I do know is that I want all my school done before I try having kids. I'm so lost! I guess all I need is some good advice. Should I stay home? Travel around the US while I do an online BSN program? Then maybe move to Australia? I don't want to stay in Australia forever either though. I want to have my family right here in Michigan, but I'm young now and I want to travel! Ahhhhh!!! Please help, maybe I just need some insight from some seasoned nurses with way more experience! Thank you everyone in advance for any advise!

Totally agree with everyone.... I'm a nursing student 8 weeks away from graduating and still refuse to call myself a nurse. Patients mistake me as a nurse ALL THE TIME and I explain that the nurses wear a different color and have different responsibilities... if they need something I can help them with I will... but if it's a nurse they want I go find one. I don't think people understand how difficult becomming a nurse is and if they did they sure wouldn't call themselves a nurse!

Hey there... I'm also in nursing school.. I have 8 weeks left and I'll be done. All I have to say is I know exactly how you feel... but just hang in there. All you have to do is do one thing at a time to the best of your ability... and for the time being school is your life. If you feel the need to quit your job because it's enabling you to give 100% then quit... I know how stressed you are... I've been there... still there actually and working 40 hours a week... it sucks... plain and simple... but the further on you get the more things make sense and it truely does get easier... there's still a lot of work, but there has to be... people's lives are in our hands... we need this pressure because when your out working in the field, you're going to have to know how to deal with the same type of pressure. Anywho... just hang in there, find a friend to vent to... and stay active... if you're stressed, go for a run! Good luck!

Hey everyone, my name is Meri. I'm currently enrolled in a community college nursing prgram. I'll be finished in October with an Associate Degree in Nursing... here's my dilemma.... I've been thinking about moving out of Michigan for 2 years or so. Now, when I take my N-CLEX I'm only licensed in Michigan, right? How do I become licensed in another state like Illinois? If I go to Illinois and work while I get my Bachelors degree for about 2 or 3 years will my BSN count when I come back to Michigan? How do I find stuff like this out? Because I can't find anything about this online... am I looking in the wrong places? Someone please help!