Nurse Izzy

The ONLY difference between an ADN and a BSN is the years of schooling. The fundamentals are the same, a BSN often receives more management-type courses than the ADN. Some ADN programs require Chemistry and Statistics, but most don't, whereas most BSN programs do, yet not all. Regardless of training - hospital based (which is almost completely phased out), ADN, BSN, MSN direct programs for students w/ degrees in other fields, we ALL have to take and pass the EXACT SAME NCLEX exam. And no, I'm not opening up the which degree is better can of worms. I'm just speaking from personal experience. You can figure out which degree I have on your own if you like.

For many of us who smoke or who have smoked in the past, it is a method of stress relief. A coping mechanism. Yes, an ineffective coping mechanism in that it is unhealthy but so is the stress that we inflict on ourselves in the nursing field. The effects of stress have also been proven to have ill-effect on our health - so much so that I've known of an OB who told a pregnant woman NOT to quit smoking during her high-risk pregnancy because the increased stress could have led to miscarriage. Not the ideal and certainly not something you'd want to see every day, but it still serves to prove the point. As for smokers getting to take more breaks - I have to call malarkey on that one. It's only because they allow themselves to take those breaks that they get them. The rest of us sit by and complain about it to ourselves or amongst other non-smokers. The time spent muttering could be spent on a break as well. It's because we CHOOSE not to take the same breaks as a smoker that we don't get those breaks. I know from experience that many smokers are just as happy to watch your beds while you take your non-smoke break, you just have to ask.

In our ED only RNs were allowed to triage. Techs could do vitals for us if we got slammed, but it was usually easier and faster to do the vitals while asking questions. I'm not sure what the experience level had to be - I wasn't put into triage until 6mos in our ED. If a patient waited in the lobby for more than 2 hours they had to be re-checked, inlcuding a full set of vitals. Again, techs could do the vitals. We had a few techs who'd been around for so long that they could ask questions that I hadn't thought of, as well, so there is a fine line to allow for experience. That said, I was under the impression that our state's BON required a nurse, preferably an RN to triage, that it was beyond the scope of a tech.

It all depends on the hospital, too. In Alabama, I worked at one hospital that paid new grad $17.25 base. $4.00 shift diff for nocs. No diffs for bachelor's degree or certs. Another I work at pays $18.03 base plus $1.00 for bachelor's plus $2.00/hr shift diffs for evening (3p-11p - you get the diff if you work 3p-7p on a day shift as well) and $3.00/hr shift diff for nocs. They also pay extra for certs - one for ACLS and another for any national (i.e. TNCC) cert. A friend will graduate this year and will start out making $28/hr working Baylor weekends.

I started out in the ED directly after graduating nursing school. My facility had specific requirements regarding certifications, but those were addressed after hire. What I mean is that, as a new grad, yes you could work in our ED. In order to take the trauma beds, however, you had to have the TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Curriculim sp?), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and ENPC/PALS (Emergency Nursing Pediatric Curriculum or Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certifications. Our facility paid for and scheduled you for those classes - it wasn't something you had to do on your own. Until you had those certs, you simply didn't take those beds. You could assist but weren't responsible directly, per se. Many Critical Care areas require these or similar certs, usually being ACLS, but will hire without with the condition being that they are obtained. With that condition, again, many hospitals will either pay or reimburse for the classes.

I could fill up pages with stories of the violence I've seen just in the past year. I personally am waiting to go to court over a patient who attempted to kill me. I've seen co-workers lose body parts to human bites, I've had shooting victims come in through the lobby only to have the shooter to come in later - looking to finish the job. I've had Hep C patients spitting at us, nurses grabbed by the throats, etc. Why? Drugs, anger, drunk, just plain stupid. I truly believe that ED nurses deserve hazard pay. It is scary and frustrating when it happens, but it does make for some great stories later on. And yes - there are some nights where you just *need* someone to act the fool. Not at my ED, but recently there was a nurse who was assaulted at work - the guy tried to rip out her vocal cords - literally. He was caught, but I haven't heard any more about the case. Do I love what I do? You bet. Why? Because of all the lovely patients I have the good fortune to take care of when I'm not fighting with the idiots. I've come in contact with some great people and have learned a lot about myself and life in general. That makes it all worth it.

A nib is the point - back then, the writing instruments were such that they were actually dipped in ink - hence the use of the blotter - to blot off extra ink. You could whittle the nib (usually a piece of wood or even a feather!) to create a fine, medium or wide writing instrument. http://members.tripod.com/~quillpen/

in addition to caring for your 50 patients, each nurse will follow these regulations: 50 patients!!!?!?!? daily sweep and mop the floors of your ward, dust the patient's furniture and window sills. maintain an even temperature in your ward by bringing in a scuttle of coal for the day's business. dude - i have trouble even dusting at home!!!! light is important to observe the patient's condition. therefore each day fill kerosene lamps, clean chimneys and trim wicks. wash the windows once a week. umm - how do you clean a chimney??? the nurse's notes are important in aiding the physician's work. make your pens carefully, you may whittle nibs to your individual taste. oooh - thanks for the allowance!!! i get to whittle my own nibs! whoo-hoo! each nurse on day duty will report every day at 7am and leave at 8pm except on the sabbath on which day you will be off from 12 noon to 2pm. graduate nurses in good standing with director of nurses will be given an evening off each week if you go regularly to church. each nurse should lay aside from each pay day a goodly sum of her earnings for her benefit during her declining years, so that she will not become a burden. for example, if you earn $30 a month you should lay aside $15. yeah, because during the declining years we're just not any good to anyone, right? any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in any form, gets her hair done at a beauty shop, or frequents dance halls will give the director of nurses a good reason to suspect her worth, intentions, and integrity. whoa - no beauty shop???? the nurse who performs her labors, serves her patients and doctors faithfully, serves without fault for a period of 5 years will be given an increase by the hospital administration of 5 cents a day providing there are no hospital debts that are outstanding. oooh - thanks for the favor!!

maeyken, Like you, many of my classmates dream of the "perfect" OB or Pedes job. I'm curious to see what their ideas will be when they hit the "real world". Sure, it would be great to be with one pt all day, but so far, none of my classmates have had to endure an IUFD or any other thing other than a happy, "normal" birth and have only been around "healthy" babies - to the sickest of the NICU tykes, etc. Not that some of them won't love their jobs and hoepfully that's exactly what they're cut out for, but reality does set in eventually!

Med-Surg is exactly where I want to be. I know I'm crazy for saying this, but am actually a bit disappointed because it looks like I'll "only" be able to get on in the ICU at our local hospital (as a nurse tech) and was really hoping to get on the med-surg floor! How's that for sick and twisted!!! I find it interesting because there is so much going on and you see so many different types of patients (and I don't just mean Dx's - I mean personalities also!)

We deducted them from our taxes, too. Everything from shoes to books to the HEPB vaccine and titer. Just SAVE your receipts. Even the drug test we had to take before clinicals was deductible. Any class you take, whether nursing related or not, also! If you think you can reasonably show that it is learning related it can be deducted - even down to pencils and paper - take advantage of it!

Hey! When I took it the only SE I noticed were the vivid dreams and insomnia. The insomnia problem was solved by taking the second dose around 13:00 - then I moved on to the dreams! I was well worth it for me! Have you considered Sarafem for a Paxil replacement? I use it for PMDD (I really do turn evil with little horns sticking out of my head - it's like Jekyll/Hyde with me, not just PMS) and it's been a life saver, plus I don't feel like I HAVE to have it.

Hi! Does anyone know anything about Nurse Externs? What exactly is it and who is eligible? Is it for the BSN program only or are ADN students also eligible? Thanks!

I agree, too - usually clearish, sometimes tinged with yellows, greens.

My orthodontist was Dr. Silver My pediatrician was Dr. Metzger - doesn't sound ominous unless you learn German and find out the translation is Dr. Butcher (Metzger is the German word for butcher)

Hey guys - just re-read my post and realized it may sound like I'm upset with MICU or something. Please don't flame me - it was meant to be nice and I'm not sure it came out that way???

It's funny, MICU RN, because I went to college, got a 4year degree in German with a minor in International Trade and worked in the import/export business for several years and decided I hated it. I've always loved nursing/caring/human body/poop cleaning, etc :) and feel completely at home in the hospital. I think a lot of it has to depend on your personality and what you want out of life. If I wanted the BMW I'd be doing something else, but I get to leave each day knowing that I've made a difference in someone's life, no matter how small. Yeah, we get to put up with a lot of crap, but what job doesn't? Off that topic, I have heard rumours (from a friend who lives in TN - can't verify personally) that RNs in lower TN, near AL are making $40/hr because they are in such short supply there. They're hoping to draw nurses from the Huntsville and Nashville areas to cover their shortages.

Best: Having a patient ask me to give her a hug before I leave and telling me that I've brightened her day. Also, having an agitated patient calm down and focus on me so we could carry out an NG insertion and morning care when I "discovered" the magic elixir she needed - the human touch. It's amazing what a little stroke to the hair and a warm touch on the arm can do! Worst: Going to check my grades after our finals (they were posted each day for that day's final) and running into people who hadn't passed. That's a terrible feeling, especially when they ask you what your grade was...makes your heart break for them.

Robin - we know how you feel! Hang in there, it will get better. At our school, they accepted 100 applicants and the lowest GPA this year was 3.5 - now we are all of the opinion that they took a bunch of average/above average intelligent people and turned us all into a bunch of blithering idiots. You're not alone and it will make sense!!!

I think it's a health hazard to not have showers in every room - who is going to make sure that they are disinfected properly and what happens if a patient has undiagnosed TB or staph or MRSA, etc?? A common shower sounds disgusting to me. With all the precautions we have to take with linens, etc, I cannot fathom a common shower.

I guess this isn't that old, especially when compared to fifty with twins, but my mom was 38 when I was born in 1974 - that was considered really old for the time. I have a brother ten years older, too, and it really was like starting over for my mom. Fortunately, she didn't have any complications with the pregnancy or birth and I was a normal (well, some may question that!) and healthy child.

Hi all! First of all, I'm pro-choice. I don't think I could ever have an abortion myself but I can't make that decision for someone else... As for being able to refuse - as long as it is not an emergency situation, I believe you have the right to refuse. In an emergency there is no refusal - stabilize and then ask to swap out with someone. As to whether or not you can be a L/D nurse and be pro-life, sure. There's enough situations out there where you can swap patients with someone (depending on departmental policy) plus most ETOPs are done in a specialized clinic rather than the L/D floor, thank goodness (even being "pro-choice" I can't handle the thought of assisting, either.) God bless! Elizabeth

Hey guys! Thanks for all the wonderful stories! I know now for sure that I can handle being a nurse (I'm a student right now) because only the earwax story made me queasy. Thanks for the reassurance!