xstarsfallingx

If you have a proven track record of flying through courses, and your mentor isn't letting you move at your own pace, request a new one. My mentor is very familiar and comfortable with my pace, and I have never had a problem accelerating classes. Als...

I too am unsure about what the new curriculum requires, but I completed 27 units at the end of February and began November 2012. Six months is definitely doable. If you can think of a community health issue and look at the coursework for your practic...

In regards to monitoring ovulation, an early morning basal temp before you get out of bed is much different than what it is later in the day. I personally run 96.6 as a basal, but if you checked me any other time after being up I am back to normal 98...

A death is still a death. Some people watch a new story about someone dying and they cry their eyes out. How are you expected to care for a child for months and not feel a loss? Nurses are not stoic robots who lose a patient and move on like they mis...

your personal health info is protected by HIPPAA just like anyone elses. Your employer cannot discriminate against you for health issues. As long as you perform your duties and are not a danger to patients...but if you mentioned it to a manager, that...

I agree th the other responses. Kaplan does not have a great rep in the medical field. Schools like Kaplan can be good for the tech industry and others like it, but you cannot beat the experience that So Cal CCs have in nursing. If you are willing to...

Personally, I enjoy teaching students, interns, and new grads...BUT, I work nights and rarely get the opportunity. This also means I do not see them over and over, and I can understand how that gets difficult semester after semester. It is nice for n...

If you prime with saline, you need to wait until the blood hits the patient to begin your vitals...otherwise you are not accurately monitoring. I have always primed the blood down to the bottom so that it hits the patient when I begin the infusion. T...

Parents generally do not know more than the nurse about their child's illness...yet they often THINK they do. Sure they know whether their kid is acting "right" or not, but that is often as far as it goes until YOU teach them. Education is aimed at b...

I have the same problem as you, but only on the opposite spectrum. I have been on nights for almost 2 years now and suddenly I cannot sleep at a decent hour on my nights off. I usually work two in a row and then have 2-4 nights off, so I try to go ba...

I think it is a combination of two things: sick role, and the fact that at that age, we finally start to really comprehend mortality. Even adults, to a certain extent, regress in the hospital or when sick. Even at home, most people want someone to ma...

Times like that can be both situational and dependent on your hospital's policies. I have worked peds at two facilities and neither had written rules on what to do in this situation. More often than not, parents stay. Sometimes they do leave for the ...

Personally I would recommend any hospital that has a Versant Residency program. There are several childrens hospitals in California that do. Without your location, it is difficult to recommend...unless relocation is not an issue.

Having grown up in LA, doing clinicals in several hospitals in the area, and working at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles for two years before moving out of state, my very first gut instinct is to tell you to avoid Cedars. They are great at PR and custo...

Just to clarify, that list of colleges is the same available in their FAQ headed as colleges that have accepted students from WGU. This does not necessarily mean that it was in nursing, or a MSN program. Just because a college is willing to take a bu...

I am relocating to Champaign and currently have applied at both Carle and Provena. They have been slow at getting back to me post-HR interview, and I need to line up a few more options should my first-choice hospital positions not pan out. Has anyone...

i took sign language in high school instead of spanish. seemed like a fantastic idea at the time. now, i am working in a hospital where the largest demographic is spanish-speaking and i feel as though i am at a huge disadvantage. i would recommend th...

Thanks for the input. Carle didn't pan out, but I am waiting to hear from Decatur Memorial and Provena in regards to a few spots I applied for. I also have an interview later this week for a clinic, but I am worried that the salary will not be enough...

I am wondering if anyone has knowledge or experience with changing jobs prior to having a full year under your belt. I currently work at a pediatric hospital where I have been for 7 months. I work nights. The acuity of our patient population coupled ...

I think the biggest hurdle for me to tackle as a new RN was dilution. The truth of it has become, it is more dangerous to underdilute than overdilute. In fact, I often dilute past pharmacy recommendations, especially if I am administering a caustic a...

We are not considered a step-down ICU, but generally all the floors at our hospital are of step-down unit acuity. We are a large pediatric hospital, so we get the sickest of the sick. We do not get intubated vent patients, only those with trachs on h...

I am a new grad working at a children's hospital on a fairly acute floor where we often give triple abx, have home vent/bipap patients, etc. I am considering travel nursing this Fall (after a year) and have been curious as to how that transition woul...

I'm feeling much the same way. My preceptors have been nothing but positive. They have told me that those of us who are new on the floor are a pretty competent and high-caliber group of new grads. That's always nice to hear... Yet, I still worry. Alw...

Agreed. I am in SoCal myself and my classmates spent 2-6 months after graduation trying to get jobs. Some are still looking. Those of us that worked as CNAs got picked up immediately with no problems. Not only that, but it helps in the transition. Yo...

To be honest, if you're only worried about failing clinicals (not lectures) then don't let that stop you from going the direct RN route. The point of clinicals is to TEACH you about all the medical aspects. They know you are learning, and that is wha...