5860TomCat

I don't think there is anything you can do about it. I often have patients tell me they have a salty taste in their mouth when I flush with normal saline. Specificly if they have a central line vs. peripheral line. When a person is really sensitive they will tell me it makes them have nausea. It is important to flush the lines and no other solution is going to work. You and the patient are both just going to have to deal with this. I am sorry.

Does your resource team/float team do basic training on each floor? At the hospital I work at they pre-assign new floats to each floor for three days with a buddy (preceptor) so they are comfortable on each unit. If you are a quick learner and flexible you should do fine. We (floor nurses and charges) always appreciate extra help, if the float/resource nurse was not there... it means (well at least on my shift) four nurses will have to take an additional patient; which is stressful. Good luck and congratulations on your little one.

1. The Community Nursing class/clinical is a waste of time. In school it is important to take advantage of getting a feel for each kind of nursing so you can know which direction to take your career and what things you do not enjoy at all. You get out what you put into your classes/clinics. 2. The clinicals aren't in anything I want to specialize in. Clinics teach us what directions we do want to go in our careers and what kind of nursing in your career you will want to avoid. It is like getting the variety pack because when you get a job most employers want at least a 1 year commitment. Also Clinics teach you skills and flexibility. Even if it is not in your chosen field there are bound to be useful things you learn about people (communications), the human body, how the system works (hospital/management/floor), medications and skills (assessing lung sounds, heart rhythms, chemo interactions.. what ever) 3. Too many classes each semester. (It's a full time program where all your core credits have to be completed beforehand so there are 4 nursing classes a semester, 3 in the last semester) This is hilarious!!!! My first semester of Nursing school I had 9 classes including clinics. School is Monday-thru Monday. If a person can't deal with this go to a school that does part time. I know of at least two programs that are part time. I am sure there are more out there if you do your research. 4. You have to take med math tests every semester and pass with a 90. Some people do not have good math skills. Giving the wrong amount of medication can kill someone. The math may seem easy or redundant to you, but the goal is that you don't accidentally kill someone giving to much of a medication. 5. Having to write research papers. This is about two things. (1) There is a lot of junk information out on the internet and "research" articles. By learning how to do research and how things are measured and recorded you will be able to see what information is accurate and what is B.S. that has been skewed to fit the writers opinion. This can also be helpful when doing patient eduction. Or when your patients bring in articles/research and want to know how accurate the information is. Patients/people are researching their own health care options now. You need to be prepare to converse over new research and how accurate it is. (2) Advancing the field/professionalism of nursing. This is also preparing you for a master's program if you choose to continue your education. Ask any other major; most masters programs require students to do research. 6. Leadership Management and End of life care class aren't easy A's. Why should they be easy As? End of life care is some of the hardest most emotionally/ energy draining Nursing there is. How would you feel if a loved one was dying and you loved one's nurse just wanted to do as little as possible for that family member? As a brand new ( one month) charge nurse I can tell you "leadership" or management is not easy. I am sure if you want to go into administration in the hospital it gets even harder. 7. Having to take exit hesi's every semester. (I think the minimum score you can get on it is 800 and if you fail you take a remedia class). Sad, but it is about making sure you will pass the Boards when you graduation and helping improve the statistical pass rates for the schools. 8. Making careplans. I think every one hates doing these. However they are actually important for a few reasons. Setting up a group plan (with Pt/OT, MD's, Nurses and family) about what we are going to do to get the patient better and on there way home. For legal reasons we need to show what we are doing, it is very important if the patient re-lapse and things go wrong. Last, but my least favorite for insurance reimbursement. (this means so you get a paycheck and the hospital gets it $) 9. You need 100 hours of community service before graduation. Nursing historically is based on helping people and community service. 10. The lecture exams are too hard. (I wouldn't say this is dumb but some students say this and then laugh about how their books are still in the wrappers they bought them in.) Maybe they need a tutor or group study. Everyone has different learning styles. You need to find what works. the point of school is to learn. Not pay money to be given a degree ! In school Everyone is stressed, tired and frustrated. I know I ******* about things in school. Some of them are still valid for me to ***** about. Other things as a more experienced nurse I can see the value now.... 2 years down the road.

You can complain to the dean, during those sessions that happen on the lani (I forget what they are called, or you can write a formal letter of complaint to the school) However and unless you can show that the person has violated some rule or ethical standing they are not going to be dismissed. They are to short staffed to get rid of anyone unless they absolutly have to. They will make a note of the complaint and put it the teacers file. The good news is; if and others make a formal complaint and later down the road that teacher breaks a rule or does something not to the standards of expectation. There will be a record of problems agaisn't the teacher before that incidence and help support and disaplanry action that is taken. Sorry that is about all you can do that I know of.

I went to Hawaii Pacific University. Tution for nursing was $8,000 when I started. When I graduated I was paying over $9,000 a semester. I have check with some other students Tution is now over $10,000 a semester. So I guess what I am saying is although the econemy is not great. Tution is going to rise not fall. Also Nurses are always in demand. Depending on where you live (what part of the country) you salary will be different, but you should not have a difficult time getting a job. By the way I owe over $80,000. Most of it in private loans through sallie mae. I pay about $780 a month for my loans.... However I make 1,500-2,000 every two weeks.

No worries. My class was the largest Graduating nursing class that HPU has seen 122 of us graduated. Usually it is about 60-90 student's or at least that is what I am told. Work together with the other student's (study groups, reminding each other of assigments due) it will make things easier : )

No worries, If you have more questions, just reply back on this thread again and it will pop up to my e-mail. Good luck, it sounds like you are a very intelligent person and will get through the program just fine. (You might have a little bit of a headache, but so does every nursing student going through HPU)

The teachers won't change the class or curriculum overall, however during the semester the class might fall behind in the lecture or in the schedule. Sometimes teachers will cancel assignments. That is when to be cautious. If they say things like don't worry about it or we are going to focus on this right now. Some teachers will honor their "canceled" assignments, others will say it was in the syabullus... You should have done it and we should not have to tell you that. Also just because a teacher doesn't explain an assignment or never even brings it up. It is still expected to be turned in. They will say, " It was on the sylabul, if you had questions you should have asked." The main part is do your assignments, early if possible (some are not) do what reading you can, or form a study group for tests. I remember they were switching the order of classes when I was leaving so I am no longer sure of exactly which classes are on which level. However, therapeutic communications will be your easiest class (clinical), The lecture depends on your teacher for the test answers; follow lecture, then the "bible" that thick packet of information about the rules of communication and then use your book. It is not hard, just details and getting caught up with technicalities. Health assessment clinical was fun. Don't stress about you video in the end. Just practice with a friend and remember head to toe. Take your time, you have plenty of it. - Also even thought the class seems easy/simple to understand take you time and practice because it will help you feel more confident when you do assessments in you med-surg clinical. Health assessment lecture- study accordingly. You can't read everything for all you classes. so I recommend a study group and practice flash cards. Nursing concepts and processes clinical- Never be late (had a friend do that and had to make an appeal to the dean not to fail.) Do your paper work how your instructor wants it done-even if other clinical are doing theirs slightly different. This clinical is really weeding out who is willing to work hard, deal with the fluids of human body and help people who need it. Versus those in nursing for family tradition or money. Nursing concepts and processes lecture- attend lecture, study accordingly, if needed for a study group for tests. Nutrition is boring, but actually kind of hard in that you have to remember all the details of vitamins what food gives what and how much you need and what exactly it does for your body. Math for meads. If you struggle with math do your practice sheets over and over. If you are good with math you should have no problems. Pharmacology. Study! flash cards read the chapters I thought that this was one of the hardest classes in first level. After that it is second level: It never really gets easier or Harder at HPU, you just get new frustrations and challenges. I personally think Level 2 is the hardest, because patho can be really easy or hard depending on your instructor. Also I hear David Dunham is not teaching Med-surg I any more and the teacher who replaced him does not do power points or notes or allow you to record in class it is just her voice and you hand written notes. Level 3: Altered mental health is not bad, can be a boring lecture, but the teacher tries. Med-surg II, David Dunham is awesome teacher. Clinical depend on your instructor. Level 4: there are really no bad teachers for child bearing/rearing both in lecture and clinical. Because the nurses who do this for a living really enjoy their job and have a passion for it. (some not great instructors, but no scary or bad ones) Level 5: Start Your final paper as early as possible!!!! It is so hard to complete with midterm, clinical and everything!!! Turn in your rough draft. You will need all the feedback you can get. Take you Critical care clinical very seriously, not only are you learning things some schools don't offer their nursing students, but you need to pass you paper work in lecture and clinical to graduate. Get things done and out of the way as soon as possible... Your life will be so much less stressful. That is my long winded advice....... IF you have specific questions... let me know : )

I would go to your local book store. Look up algebra or go to nursing section and get a Math for meds book. Buy a math practice book with formal conversions for ml, L, oz etc.... The reason for the pass or fail is that if you screw up basic math and give the wrong dosage to a child or even a dose you could have serious health consequences, even death. And yes in the real would you have to calculate it out your self, though it never hurts to get a 2nd or 3rd nurse to check your calculations if necessary. At the school I attended. MATH for Meds was a class you took. You took a Math test each week and you had to get a 90% or better. By the end of the semester IF you did not have a 90% or better average you FAILED. If you had a 90% average you were allowed to take the final. Which you also had to receive a certain percentage on to pass the class. It seems sill when it is just math problems. But when the question is something like this: The patient is light weight, has an allergy to morphine, but is narcotic sensitive and in severe pain. The doctors have ordered 0.5mg of Diluadid (a strong narcotic) for the patient. The vial comes in 2 mg per 1ml vial. How much do you draw up and give to the patient. Answer: 1/4 or 0.25ml of Dilaudid. If you were to give the patient to much you could sedate them, cause them respiratory distress, and cause complications to there recovery. I once knew a new graduate you gave a patient oral 15mg oxycodone (narcotic) and the patient's pain was not reduced... so a half an hour later when the nurse gave the patient his nightly sleeping medication she also gave him IV morphine. This nurse failed to realize that oral medications can take 30 minutes, just to work and that the sleeping medication also had some narcotics in it. This person ended up in respitory distress (I came on night shift and found respirations up to 30 a minute and blood pressure very low and the patient completely disorienated. we had to call a rapid responce and start oxygen and give Narcan. I know math is a pain in the Ass, but it is very important in your job as a future nurse

Besides the in depth justification of care maps written above me. What you are going to have to understand is that when you get into the nursing field there are going to be a lot of processes, or documentation or politics that you might find frustrating or unnecessary. You need to learn to deal with these things you think are unnecessary now, because you will face things like that on a daily bases. Also although some hospitals use caring plans (maps) and others don't. There is a legal responsibility of the hospital to have a written plan of care for patients with different diagnosis. Sometimes these are pre-written for common surgeries or procedures and recovery. Sometimes these are written by the nurses and doctors. Well come to a land where if it isn't written/ documented it did not happen and you are open to be sued.

I don't know if this will qualify for what you need, but here is my story I am a new RN, I graduated Jan 08 and passed the Nclex Feb 08. I have been working for 5 months on a medical surgical floor at a large hospital. This story happened after I just got off training and had been working about 2 months. I was switched to night shift. I was taking care of an elderly women (70's) who was scheduled for surgery tomorrow. She was confused and only oriented X1, she had a necrotic toe (black and shriveled) and a lot of dying tissue you on her feet. her surgery was going to be for her foot. She had an IV that was not connected to anything, but her blood sugars where in the 300's and we had to start an insulin drip on her. Now she let me get her vitals and check her blood sugar, but she would not let me hook the IV up to her. She also denied anything was wrong with her foot. I had to get the doctor to come assess this patient, because I did not know what to do. When he came it became apparent that not only was she orientated only to her self, but she was having hallucinations as well. She saw people in the hallway, she thought the doctor wasn't real and a that I was something Evil. She also was thrashing and throwing her arms in bed and grabbing her self. Which puts herself and the IV in danger. So that she would be safe to have surgery in the AM, we had to hook her up to an insulin drip, but with her mental state there was a risk she could hurt herself or pull out her IV. We had to restrain her with soft wrist wraps. First of all I felt bad restraining a elderly women, but the doctor helped and it was for her safety and so her blood sugar would go in range and she would be ok to have surgery in the AM. Now the dilemma: As the night went toward AM and her blood sugar started to go with in normal range. The patient became more alert and stopped having hallucinations. She stopped thrashing and wanted to be unrestrained and said she would not pull out her IV. She became orientated to her self and the date. I wanted to un-restrain her: It was the last hour of my shift. But she was scheduled for surgery early (like 7:30). But she still has in a state where she could hurt herself or in the very least pull out her IV. So I asked my charge nurse to re-assess the patient. My charge nurse re-assessed her and said for safety leave her in the restraints. I went home that morning feeling so guilty and worried. I had to call my dad (an old EMT) and a friend who is a mentor to me (she has been an RN for a while). To make sure I had done the right thing and was not evil. Turns out when I came to work that night. The patient surgey was canceled (because the doctors where worried about her mental state) I was so upset I restrained her for nothing!! If we had not had to had an IV running then she would not of had to be restrained. HOWEVER, That shift I found out that as soon as she was unrestrained she did pull out her IV, and then had to be supervised for the rest of the shift for safety and she tried multiple times to pull out the new IV they put in her. So the ethical situation; use of restraints for patient safety and when to stop using them. Hope this helps. If this is not what you need, Sorry

I hope this new Dean Lasts. I am a graduate from HPU Nursing program, it took me 5 semester (2 and 1/2 years to graduate going full time) We went through 3 deans during my time (if you count the temp ones) I aggree with your assessment above of HPU. Once you are in the program, your commited (unless it is your first semester) Learn flexability Always read and look ahead (course info, expectations etc... HPU will not accept the excuse you did not inform me, you have to be proactive. Also if the sylabus say's one thing and the teacher says you don't have to do it or don't worry about it. Follow the Sylabus it is you contract in writting of how you are graded. Get use to your clinical changing at the begining of the semester with no notice. I would not recomend the program to anyone, but people who have to go to school part time (6 credits at a time) Few schools offer part time. I will grudging tell you a few good things about HPU. When I graduated I found out that I did things in clinical that some of the RN's I work with have never done. ABG's, the time in the ICU, PACU, Surgery, watching a c-section and helping deliever a baby etc.. I am not sure what you guys are gettting to do now, But I did get exposed to a lot of different types of nursing and that was great. For instructors: There are the good and the bad, 30% good - 90% bad. Sorry If you have questions about who to take if you have that option let me know. Hope this helps you in the future.... reply if you have more questions, Sincerly a graduate of JAN 08

I graduated from HPU in Winter (Jan 08), is there any questions I can anwser for you?

Depending on the lender you use, you shold have no problem as long as your co-signers credit is good. My brother took out a private loan with Sallie mai (Tution anwser) his credit is bad, but my grama who has great credit co-signed... He did not have any problems. The question is calculating out how much you really need, plus safety net. Remeber private student loans run from 6% to 15% and higher.... so make sure you know your interest rate. I the company only offers you 15% or some other similar higher interest rate, you might want to see if you can get a line of credit through your bank or another resource. Good Luck. I did 40,000$ in private loans at a rate of 8.5%.

I am taking the online version only. The classroom sesions where during times that I had already made other commitments months in advance (family, ceremonies, jury duty)... My friend is in the classroom in a different state (I am in WA she is in HI) and she siad when she took their "are you ready" intial test, they siad she was boarder line with a 50/50 chance.... I feel like I have the general knowledge in my head and I should be ready, but seeing 50's and 60's doesn't make me feel good... However, I DO FEEL BETTER if Kaplan say's 65% because I do understand why I got the questions wrong and my score is almost a 65% ... Thank you!! I guess I will take test 7, start on the Qbank and hope for the best next teusday..... We know it is not impossible, others before have passed and so will we Good luck to you too.... : )