Mannursemike

Sounds like I can't go wrong either way. Any other opinions? Anyone work at either? Thanks!

Which would be the best place to work in an ICU? Scripps La Jolla or Hoag hospital in Newport Beach??? I have asked many people and i always get totally different answers. Funny enough, the Hoag nurses I spoke with said that Scripps La Jolla is a GREAT hospital and they'd love to work there. However, the Scripps La Jolla nurses say the SAME thing about Hoag!!! Basically everyone wants to work at the other hospital!! Any suggestions for chosing between the two? Which has a better reputation, making later employment easier? Which would offer better training program for new nurses? Thank you in advance for any info/advice provided.

As we all know, there are many nasty bugs in the hospitals we work in. I am always concerned with 1. Disinfecting scrubs 2. Not passing bugs to family through washing machine/drying machines. I usually wash the scrubs in laundry soap with 2 measuring cups of pine-sol, then double rinse. Dry on hot. I figure the pinesol should kill most everything, and the high heat will take care of the rest... What do you think? What are you guys/gals doing to keep scrubs clean and family washing facility safe from hospital bugs?

I'll soon be externing in the SICU. I am required to have my ACLS cert. before starting the new position. I have two options for ACLS courses The first course is 200 dollars from a small company(seems like MINIMUM requirments will be met) Second course if from a very well known and respected school but cost 50 dollars more. Is the ACLS course going to be the same no matter where i take it, or will it be worth the extra 50 bucks to attend a large and respected school? thank you for your time and opinions.

Unless i missed something, i don't see where the OP specified which machine he/she is using. This should be clarified as potentially dangerous advice may have already been given. As LACrn has already explained, some machines have a separate setting for a piggyback, HOWEVER, the machine does not know which is which and only pumps certain MLS/hr. The height of the bags determines what bag gets used first. Bottom line- We need to know what machine/style machine is being used before advice is given.

Everytime I get the opportunity to pick a CRNA's brain, i do so. Recently I was basically told "the secrets out and you will need to be lucky to get a job even IF you get through school". They gave the impression that in 5 years there will be far more CRNAs than there will be positions. I wasn't sure if the CRNA was simply sick of being spoken to or honestly believed this to be an issue. As if that didn't concern me enough, there are a few posts in another thread that claim there is ALREADY an overflow of CRNAs in school-cities such as Philly and New Orleans. This talk is concerning for someone who has been dedicated and working for years towards the final goal of becoming a CRNA. However, I also understand that the truth isn't always what we want to hear but must be dealt with eventually. Can anyone else comment on this? Is it really "too late" to get into this fantastic field? Will rural postions be the only ones left? Thank you in advance for any time/opinons/concerns shared.

Aren't you obligated to kaiser for a while after you graduate though? Did you work there before school or does Kaiser have a teaching institution totally separate from its hospital/work section? Thanks for the replies. Much appriciated.

Title pretty much says it all. I am curious to know about how much CRNA school cost you/is costing you. It would be great if you could give a basic cost for school enrollment(and what school you went to), and if you used loans to "servive" as well(meaning, did you pay for rent, food, etc. with the loan, or did you work to support those needs?) Thanks!

Being the brilliant student nurse that i am, i recently asked a man with an ostomy "when was your last bowel movement?" He looked at me like 'you gotta be kidding me'! He then replied, "before my surgery"

Great. Thanks a lot for the info and encouragement! There's still a hope!

Oh my!!! What an adventurous night you had! All i can say is thanks for the humerous write-up! I laughed a few times throughout that read!

I'll try to keep this short and sweet. My GPA from my AS degree is barely over 3.0. During those years i was very young, working at least 40 hours a week, and content with a 3.0. However, my GPA from the RN program is about 3.8. (got serious about school, cut back on work). I'm confident i will be able to get through the accelerated BSN program with similar grades as the RN program. Based on the above grades, do i have any shot at being accepted into CRNA schools, providing i do the remaining steps correctly and above average? I have read many of the different schools' MINIMAL requirements(most for a 3.0 or higher) and I fit most of them. However, i know it is very compettetive and am wondering if my lower AS degree grades will leave me in the cold. Thanks for any time, consideration, or opinions you may give.