captron74

Maybe my brain just isn't wired the same as the powers to be at my school, but I fail to see the merit of wasting time to draw silly little boxes, circles, and any other useless shape when defining a care plan. All of the information has been recorded in chart format elsewhere, and I am very capable of assembling the data in my head to devise a care plan. Am I the only one that is operating in the dark ages here, or is it common at all nursing schools?? It amazes me how a high tech profession teaches with arcane teaching methods, and continues to stay in business.:imbar Before anyone thinks that I am struggling or failing nursing school, I was in the top five of my class last semester, finishing with an 88 and still made the Dean's list, and that was after we lost over half of our class. I hate doing busy work!!

I tend to agree with the trust vs mistrust myself. I just had a simuliar pt that I put in that stage. Haven't gotten the paperwork back yet, so I don't know if I was on the right track or not. I will find out next week. R:icon_roll

I took any elective that I could apply to my BSN when I was doing my ASN prerequisites. I turn 52 tomorrow and will be starting clinical in ten days. After I graduate I plan on using educational benefits from where I work to get my BSN, which will only amount to six classes total. If I want to put myself into it, that could be done in a year.

OURS DO!!! It is strickly "Mrs. Miss or Mr. or Dr.

I am right there with you...spent 32 years as a machinist, am starting clinical in two weekes and will be 54 when I graduate as a RN in Fall 09. Age is just a number....it is your desire to succeed that is important!

As I am just going to start my clinical rotations, I really do not know what is out there as far as types of alarms. I do know what I have seen in use at different LTC facilities, and what they use where my wife works at. (noisemakers!) Sounds like your system is a step in the right direction anyhow.

I can see where you are coming from with the diginty side of the issue. An idea that I had would seem to satisify both sides of the issue. What if the alarms were of the silent type, something that would only sound at the nursing station, instead of the loud and attention getting audiable alarms that are currently in use? This idea could even be expanded on through the use of smart algorithms in the control unit that would eleminate the nusisance alarms of just having someone shuffling around in their bed or chair by only sounding if the input signal (pt weight on pad) was absent for a preset duration, say > 1 minute. I know that a lot of times there is not a person at the desk that would see the alarms, so what about a small pager type unit that staff could wear that would be programed for only the pts that they are responsiable for, say on their wing or floor? Yes, I know I am dreaming, but a product such as this could very easily be made with the technology available today. Use of something like this would preserve the diginty of the pt by not having a loud alarm go off every time they move, thus not drawing attention to them and disturbing others, and would provide the relative rapid response of the nursing staff in a fall situation. As it stands now with no alarms, someone could be on the floor for several hours during the night before they are noticed. So there is the idea, for any electrical engineers or medical product companies that might read this. Maybe it will be produced someday, maybe not, but all good products started with an idea.

I find this discussion interesting, because at my wife's LTC facility the powers to be that are not involved in the pt daily care mandated that ALL alarms of ANY type be removed, because they are a form of restraint and are not of the best interest to the pt. It has only been a short while, but I wonder when the first lawsuit will come up after a resident falls out of a bed or chair, and the COD is head truma?? And this facility is a county run one at that. Is this just something that is local, or has others seen this trend of removing alarms where they work??

Angie, we must have been typing at the very same time, because when I was doing my orginal answer, there were no other posts showing up, so I figured I would put my new found knowlege that was less than a week old to some good use! LOL I start clinical in the begining of January, so I am trying to get my mental ducks in order now. And yes I know who Rodney Dangerfield is.

My vote goes for NrsAngie's way of doing it, only because that is how we are being taught right now in Dosage Calc class. It is probably all in what you are used to and how you were taught. Whatever works for you is the best way.

I would first convert the order to mg/hr, which would be 60mg/hr That would be your desired amount. You have 1000 mg x 500 mL (Remember 1 cc = 1 mL). Convert the desired amount to mL using the standard D/H x Q, which would be 60mg/1000mg x 500 mL = 30 mL. Then plug the drip factor into the problem, giving you (30 mL/60 min) x (60 gtt/1 mL) = 30 gtt/1 min, or just 30 gtt. Remember that if you see 60 gtt, you basically do not have to do any further calculations, as your answer will be the same value as your volume in mL. People that have more experience could just put everything into one long formula, but I prefer to break it down into steps for right now. Hope this helps you. Ron

I am doing Nutrition 104 right now prior to starting clinical in six weeks, and the textbook we are using is excellent. It sounds like it has just what you are asking for. It is: Understanding Nutrition by Ellie Whitney & Sharon Rady Rolfes, Eleventh Ed. ISBN-13: 978-0-495-11669-1 Don't know how many might be out there in the used market right now, but maybe after December there will be some. Hope it helps. Ron

It was good to hear all the positive answers. I started college when I was 48, never went to college prior to that time. I have been on the Dean's list for four semesters now, and am a member of PTK. I will be starting clinical in two months and am ready to give it all, just like I have been. Younger students may be able to type faster that me, but after 51 years, there is a lot more in my brain to pick and choose from.

After spending 29 years in the industrial enviroment, and reaching the end of my ladder, I was burned out. Got divorced, met a wonderful woman who said she always wanted to be a Nurse, so I gave her all the support she needed to go to school and get her degree. As I was supporting her in her endevior, helping her with homework, etc. I started to think this is not that bad, I could probably do this. Never went to college in my life, and had D's in high school over 30 years ago, so I took the plunge and enrolled, not knowing what would happen. Well, I have been on the Dean's List for 4 semesters now, am a member of PTK, and still have a 3.68 GPA going into clinicals this Jan. To sum it all up, don't waste time in a dead end rut. Take the plunge and give it all you have, and enjoy every minute of it. I know I have, and still am. I have met some really great people, made new friends, and am really looking forward to starting clinical in about 2 months. Also I have 13 years experience as a waiter working full service at a very busy resturant, which proved my multi-tasking, organization, stress mangament, people skills. More than one of my nursing instructors have said that experience will be a big help in the future. I am not sure where I will end up when it is all over, but there are a lot more greener branches to explore in the medical tree than the dying tree I was in.

Forget the 30 somethings, I started my college at 48, I am 51 now and will start clinical in January. At the top of my ladder in my current job, so time for a change into a much more rewarding profession. If you put your mind to it, you can do it. I was a D student in high school, in college I have been Dean's list for four semesters, and a PTK member for just as long.