jcgrund

I just talked to the adviser about the PMHNP DNP program. She said we would have to meet on campus once a month for 8 hours (on Mondays, she thinks) for clinical courses only. And that our instructors would help us find preceptors and clinical sites. It's $528.41/Credit hour.

I was accepted for the PMHNP full time program. Does anyone know if it's mainly on-line, or are there some classes in Gainesville? Have you heard anything about clinicals? I am also accepted at USA, so I'm calling for information next week before I make a choice. I'd prefer UF, but I live in Tallahassee, and work and have kids, so I really can't travel too often.

I feel the same way. I was working in an E.R. once and a coworker commented on a patient that had attempted to OD. She went on and on saying how this young person should have "just done it," and was "just whining" and was "wasting everyone's time." I went into the room behind her and saw a person that I knew. It was a friend of mine. It may be difficult not to become jaded, but we must remember that everyone is someone's friend, daughter, son, sister, brother, or something.

Yes, they do what they are ordered to do because they took an oath to do so. They have to do things whether they agree with them or not because they took an oath to do so. They are not allowed to quit if they don't like it. You do not have to think that people in the military today are heroes. I really don't care if you do. But they do not deserve your disrespect. I only took offense to your idea that the military members of the past are somehow more noble because you agree with their wars and you don't agree with politics of today. The military members of today have taken the same oath as those of the past regardless of the politics. Whether you agree with the war or not, these people are still willing to risk their lives for your freedom.

Ok, here's the deal...the folks in the military do what they are ordered to do. Just because you don't agree with the politics of a specific war, it doesn't mean that those same people have not taken an oath to defend the freedom of the country. The men and women serving in the military today are no less defending freedom than whatever you meant by "not current" military.

Excuse me...current military? OK, I get it if you don't consider the military to be your hero, that's your prerogative. But, the current military has taken the same oath to defend freedom as any other military you may be referring to. I take offense to your comment as I, and my sister, have recently served in the military and my husband is currently serving.

Too long.

Such a great thing that you didn't let life's road blocks stop you from working toward something great! All too often, people give up.

Congrats on finishing high school and being accepted to college! I can only speak from my own experiences and perspective. I went into the military after school, then got married and had a kid, then made it back to nursing school. If I had it do over, knowing what I know now, I would have gone straight to college after high school, if I had the opportunity. School is a lot harder when you have a full time job, a husband, and a child at home. If you know that you would like a bachelor's degree you might as well start on it now. My four year degree is going to end up taking me about 14 years. It was great for me to go to LPN school first. I was able to get through school and start working, while I finished my pre-req's for the nursing program at the community college. I plan to finish my bachelor's degree, probably on-line.

I am prior U.S. Navy. I was enlisted for 6 years, as a CT. Didn't love the job, but I have massive love for the military in general. Now that I'm a nurse, LPN soon to be RN, soon to be BSN, I am seriously wanting to join the Air Force...eventually. Any tips related to being an Air Force nurse are greatly appreciated! Thanks, JC

I am interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, someday, and I have worked with a few great NP's. I was wondering what do you tell your patients to call you? One NP I know introduces herself by her first name, Sally, (not real name) and I have heard the patients call the NP lots of different things, including Dr. Sally (not real name), Ms. Sally, Dr. Smith (not real name), Ms. Smith, etc. It seems the patient isn't quite sure what to call the NP unless they give them a title to go with the name. So, what do you tell patients to call you?

I am currently an LPN, working toward RN and beyond. I work in a primary care clinic and I love being a nurse, but if it were at all possible for me, I would go to med school. I'm afraid for me, though, that's it's just not possible right now. I'm 31, have a 5 year old son, and a husband in the military. We are stationed in a town where the closest 4 year university is 2 hours away, and the closest med school is 4 hours away, and we can't move to be closer to school. The numerous on-line based nursing programs make nursing education accessible for me. If we happen to get stationed somewhere with more opportunites for school, I may still go for med school, but for now, I am excited for the opportunites that nursing offers.

$20,000?!

Good point.

Let me say Welcome to Panama City to travelcrazy! My hubs is in the AF, stationed at Tyndall for 5 years now. He works jets. I am working diligently to finish my BSN, so that I can join the AF when he retires.

Wow...that's exactly what I thought. This prescriber was trying to be a smart***, because I didn't write his scripts, but seriously... One of our 5 prescribers uses EMR, and it seems to be a lot easier, even for calling it in, because at least it is a complete prescription.

I don't think it makes you snotty. The fact that you care if you seem snotty indicates you are probably not snotty. Go for it, and celebrate your hard work. J.D., LPN

I am a recently licensed LPN in FL. I have been working at a small primary care clinic for about 2 months. Some of our practitioners prefer the nurse to write the patient's refill Rx's on the prescription pad for them so that they can just sign it. At first, I thought it was no big deal. Just writing the prescription over, as it had already been written, and just the long term meds, like for HTN, or DM, not pain meds. When patients request refills by phone, some prescribers do not complete prescriptions for call in, omitting the strength, quantity, and amount of refills, expecting the nurse to figure it out based on previous prescriptions. I now feel like the prescribers are expecting me, the LPN, to write their prescriptions for them, and I do not feel comfortable. Today, I had some patient's requesting pain medications and psych drugs that I did not feel comfortable writing, so I didn't. The prescriber sent the patients back to me with a blank, signed prescription slip, telling me to fill it in. I really want to know what the rules are about this. Has anyone ever been in this situation? I have looked at the FL BON Nurse Practice Act, and I can't find it. I don't want to lose my license because the practitioner doesn't feel like writing.

OMG, awesome.

Panama City, FL $12/hr, Federally funded primary care clinic, 8-5, New Grad.

I am a recently licensed LPN and I just started working at a clinic a week ago. My grandmother, who was visiting, kept telling me all these crazy home remedies she's heard of, like that dark plums will cure varicose veins. I tried to explain to her what was true and what was ridiculous, but she wouldn't listen to me. At one point, I actually found myself shouting, "I am a nurse!" Then, a friend's little boy got a second-degree superficial burn on his arm and the parents were looking to me to take care of it! And I thought, "me? I'm not really a nurse, I'm brand new." I loosely dressed the burn, told them to give him some Tylenol, and watch it for infection. Then I second guessed myself for the rest of the weekend!

Pain is a tricky thing. I am an EXTREMELY new nurse, and don't have much clinical experience with this sort of thing, but I have had personal experience with a family member. My husband had a problem with chronic pain related to fx vertebrae and ribs because of Cushing's disease. He was going through Vicodin like candy, saw a pain specialist and eventually had to have some nerves deadend. Luckily now, after surgery and physical rehab, he has recovered completely. He was not drug seeking. My view is, a pt might be drug seeking, or they may have chronic, uncontrollable pain, and there is no way to know for sure. So, I would do my best to help control the pain.

Hope things get better.

Hi! I am a new LPN at 29 too. I start my first real job on Tuesday, at a community health clinic. I am excited and a little nervous. But more excited! I'm just trying to focus on the happiness of getting a job, and looking at everything as a learning experience. I'm sure if you do your best, you'll do great! Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were really good nurses.

I'm so glad I'm not crazy! I am lucky. I finished an LPN program at the start of September, took the NCLEX and had my license a month later. I have been looking for a job since graduation, about 2 months, all the while my friends telling me "everyone's hiring, and they're paying a lot." So, I didn't think I would have a problem finding a job. I applied for every open position and every LTC, with positions or not. No one called me back, at all. Through a friend's relative, I found a job at a clinic making much less than I expected I would, but it's a full time time, so I am super happy to have it. I don't know why this myth of a nursing shortage is being perpetuated. Good luck to everyone!