tbanurse

And the results are????? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you & hope you are out celebrating tonight!

I think scrubs are some of the most comfortable clothes I have ever worn, but I do agree that the cutesy prints are rediculous! I refuse to wear puppies, neon colors or any number of other children's patterns. These do have a place in pediatric care, but please, when caring for adults, dress like the professionals we really are!! Cargo pants are the greatest for stashing all those supplies and save us from multiple trips when in a pinch. They don't have to be lime green or fuschia, however! Black, white, navy--you know, the same colors you would find any professional suit or traditional nursing attire. And then there's those plastic shoes, but that's another thread entirely!

I had to smile at the sweet lady who, unfortunately, had dementia, and decided she would "just wash out a few things"--go back to her room a few minutes later to find her briefs soaking wet, hanging from the shower bar to dry. She had washed them out in the sink and hung them to dry. As y'all know, those things are filled with that gel that absorbs moisture and consequently end up weighing a ton! Bless her heart, she was doing the same thing she had done her whole life, she just didn't know the technology has changed!

I can honestly say that I read every chapter of the Med/Surg text and every assigned chapter of all of the other texts, all prior to attending lecture for those subjects. I felt prepared going into class that way. I have to say that a major pet peeve of mine was having to listen to questions from other students who obviously had not read the material, and the instructor had to spend 3/4 of the lecture time covering what they should already have known. I felt it took time away from those of us who were prepared, and did not allow for further in-depth discussion of the subject or the ability to apply the information to real-life scenarios. I have never been a great reader, and it always puts me to sleep, but I felt it was my obligation to obtain the information prior to lecture, rather than just relying on the powerpoints provided by the instructors.

You're missing your "as evidenced by" part for all of these. You need to identify exactly how this patient is presenting for this part. "Disturbed energy field" r/t decreased K+? This nursing dx is used for emotional disturbance, from my understanding. There are much better dx for hypokalemia--keep trying! I know these nursing diagnosis can drive you crazy, but you'll get it--it just takes practice (and lots of it!).

I feel your pain! It took me 5 months of searching and applying to every position, every facility I could, before I finally landed something as a new grad. I can tell you the same thing that has been posted here many times--be persistant, call the recruiters, ask for the dept. manager's names, make contact with them, set up a time to bring your resume' to them face-to-face, call every week to follow up on the application and resume' status. I felt completely deceived about the nursing "shortage" in CA. It appears there is a shortage of experienced nurses, but unfortunately there is a huge glut of new grads (Sacramento alone had over 200 new grads in May/June, but only 75 new grad positions offered in local hospitals--as per a recruiter from one of the large hospital systems in the area). Patience and a LOT of persistence will eventually land you something. There are new grad programs starting again in January in this area, so it may be the same where you are, too. Good luck!

Aaaahhhhhh!!! That explains it! Being a California girl, I'd never heard of it! Thanks!

I think the refresher course is a good idea--it shows potential employers that you have gone that extra step to make yourself more marketable. Considering how competitive it is in some areas of CA to get a position with little to no experience, I would think the refresher course would pay for itself in the first couple of months. This, in addition to your previous experience, would at least give you a leg up on the flood of new grad RNs that are deperately looking for a position. Which would you prefer--1) spend the money for a course and get a job in the next 3 months, or 2) spend the next 5-6 months looking for a position? I know it doesn't guarantee a position, but it makes you appear more motivated. Good luck!!

I'm not sure if I'm the only one who doesn't know, but what is TPAPN?

Oh, and by the way... Sunrise has only recently started hiring RNs in the HCC position--they have traditionally been filled by LVNs because California does not even require assisted living facilites to have a nurse! Because of that, the pay for RNs is typically much lower than other positions that you will look at. If they can not find an RN willing to take the pay that they offer, they will hire an LVN for that role. I did make a good salary for an LVN, but I would not even consider going back at what they offer the RNs. They do offer fairly decent benefits though.

I just completed several years as Healthcare Coord. with Sunrise. The two positions you are looking at are very different, so that's the first thing to be aware of. HCC is a salaried position (= more hours worked than paid for, and on-call 24/7) while the wellness nurse is a part-time (usually weekends only) hourly position. Depending on the community you are looking at, you will most likely be the only nurse, responsible for the health and wellness of anywhere from 70-100 residents. You will supervise unlicensed personnel who pass meds (aka Medication Care Managers), be responsible for the medical aspect of the resident's care, coordinating care with outside providers (Hospice, PT, OT, ST, case managers), communication with MDs regarding change of condition, med changes, communicating these changes with families, assessing all residents prior to move in and at regular intervals, oversight of the medication program, training of staff on resident care, and the mountain of reports/forms/charting required by the state and corporate office. The job as HCC is very demanding, requires hours beyond the 9-5 that they may tell you about (you can count on the first 6 months being 12 hour days), and can be very stressfull being the only nurse for all of those residents. Many of these residents are very frail (aka as skilled nursing -type residents), and the biggest majority have some form of dementia (yes, even on the assisted living side!). Many of the frailest residents really do belong in skilled nursing, but you will not be able to admit that! Your regional team will make you find a way to keep them within your community and care for them. With that being said, it was a great place to work (depending on the Executive Director), and I developed great time management and conflict resolution skills! The key really is how well you fit in with the team, so when you interview, ask them lots of questions about how you would interact with them and what your role would be in relation to theirs. The other thing... You may want to look at the company porfile on any of the financial boards to get some insight on the company and its fundamentals. It has had some major financial issues for the past several years, and with all of their recent changes, it is looking more and more like they will be sold to another company to improve their overall status. At one point within the last year, they were so far behind on their accounting, that they were only days away from being de-listed from the NASDAQ. There have been some restructuring moves within the company, voluntary separations, all in order to make it more "productive." It is a very large company which has had issues with the bottom line and it's ability to maintain its customers. It is all out there on the financial boards for you to find. Just out of curiosity, which community are you looking at? Good luck!

Wow! Where to start!? First of all, being responsible for other people's lives is a pretty stressful position to be in. If that was not enough, take into account the hours that you put your heart and soul in, the years it takes to become a good nurse, the vast amounts of knowledge that you need to retain, being abused by patients and their families because you can't cater to their every whim, poor attitude from others in the healthcare field, the feeling of being powerless to help people due to flaws in the healthcare system or the patient's lack of desire to help themselves, lack of staff to provide safe, effective nursing care... I could go on and on. With that being said, nursing can be the most rewarding career ever. I can't imagine doing anything else. The satisfaction that I get from helping someone in their greatest time of need brings me immeasurable joy. Being given the opportunity to identify a problem and come to a solution for a paitent is satisfying. Helping someone comfortably pass from this life to whatever lies beyond is the greatest honor I could ever be bestowed. Caring for someone who is critically ill through difficult days, only to see them heal and move on with their life's goals is amazing. Yes, nursing is tough, there is no doubt. It is, however, what so many of us are called to do, and can't imagine doing anything else. It is not for everyone, and those who are in it soley for a job are looking in the wrong direction. Only someone who understands this can truly become a great nurse!

Are you referring to a concept map format or something else? I have not heard of a pathoflow, but in my mind it may be similar to a concept map. If you do a search on AN, you'll find lots of great examples. Hope that helps! Good luck!

I think you need to be a little more specific on what you're looking for. There are so many different scenarios with a patient on a vent that could happen. Besides the patient's diagnosis, there are vent settings specific for that patient (why...?), safety issues (what if...?), patient and family education (coping...?), current medications (side effects...?), as well as what's going on physiologically with this person (which can lead to...?). All of this in encompassed in the critical thinking that you need to be doing in order to provide safe, competent care!

The letters that I included with my resume' were not in envelopes, but let me give you a tip-- I presented my resume' in a folder (you know, the two-pocket kind?), with my resume' and copy of my license and CPR cert. on one side, and on the other side, my reference page along with copies (color) of my letters of recommendation on the other. I used nice, bright color folders (so it wouldn't get lost in a stack of papers!), and let me tell you, it made QUITE an impression on the interview teams! Anything that can make you stand out (in a positive way!) is a good thing when applying for that new grad position! Remember to use high-quality paper for your resume and reference page, and make plenty of copies to take with you for the possibility of multiple people interviewing you. You would hate to leave someone out! Good luck!