KristinWW

If you mean as a hospital CM, then no while in school because you will be working 5 days/week, and you will not be able to adjust your schedule for clinicals. Insurance companies have CMs, but while your setting will be an office (sometimes work from home) you still need to be present 5 days/week and your pay would be substantially reduced.

Periop 101 is great IF it is the branded AORN Periop 101. There are many hospitals and community colleges that purchase products from AORN and are not allowed to use the term AORN Periop 101 because they are not. You'll know because they will call the program perioperative training course or something similar. Sadly, these programs also skimp elsewhere, and the training is a waste of time. Good luck, Jojo!

I think the pony tail caps are attractive, but they sit on my neck and make me feel hotter than I already am. When I circulate for fast cases, I work up a good sweat running around :)

Pay: If you are taking a pay cut with the Ashfield position, add pay to your decision. Schedule: The OR will likely have you working M - F, 7 - 3:30, unless they are a trauma center. Does that schedule work for you? Stress: OR stress is still high, and you will have many more eyes watching and critiquing you - you will never be alone with your pt. However, you'll be a pro at pre-op assessment, fast documentation, and procedures such as Foley insertions. Nursing skills: You'll lose skills from the ED in both positions, and employers wants nurses with RECENT experience if you decide to go back to an ED or similar position. You began by discussing your anxiousness, then stated you want less pt interaction/less risk. Could it be the pace is too much for your current skill level, and not the latter? I tend to agree with the other responses; I would hate to see you leave just to get into another position that makes you miserable. What was it about the ED that prompted you to choose it?

Do you mean a program where you don't have to visit the campus for a skills check-off? When I was researching programs a few years ago I believe I came across some but the names are escaping me now. Hopefully someone can help...

I agree with everything except PACU. The above was true in the past; today, there are never beds available so family members are always brought to PACU to see pt, and it turns into a freeforall with families asking for chairs, beverages, food, and yes, the dreaded small talk. In fact, pts are often held overnight. It's tough but I liked the night shift NICU idea.

"Prolly" for probably. "Anyways" for anyway. My wrath is quick and fierce when these two hit me. As for cursive, I had a special education asst. director tell me that OT wasn't necessary for my son with autism, because cursive is never needed anywhere. I asked about learning signatures and she told me that all he has to do is draw an X as his signature. Yes, she still works at the school.

I did take matters into my own hands and asked - 2 different charge nurses said "too busy" and I asked preceptors at the start of each shift to practice on anyone and everyone, but I'm constantly told "things are crazy, not now", and "we've never been this busy before".

I assume this is normal but I'm seeking input. I'm an experienced RN but coming from an ED with a 1:5 ratio with a triage RN, techs to start IVs, draw bloods, clean rooms. I'm now in an ED with the same 1:5 ratio, but we do bedside triage, start IVs, draw bloods, clean rooms when no one is available (most of the time). Charge constantly circulates and prompts us to hurry to d/c and take the next pt back to triage in a room. This is a community hospital with an FT area, not a trauma center, but I have been with a different preceptor every shift, and most of them have been too busy to assist me/answer questions at all. I have not been signed off on anything, have only had 1 opportunity to attempt an IV, and I'm supposed to go off orientation after 1 month, which will be the end of this week. Thoughts?

I agree completely. I graduated from my BSN program with a current CRNA. She received the worst grades in the class, but she got into an ICU orientation class as a new grad, was a fabulous RN, and got into NA school after 2 years of ICU. Good luck!

The only classes I know are in-house. Are you trying to change jobs and need to know one of them?

I think it is wise of you to consider your options now. The OR is tough, has one of the longest orientation periods, is not critical care, and has little transferable skills. I absolutely love it but I was one of those who panicked and wanted to try something else because I was afraid I could never go anywhere else. It is extremely difficult to transfer and think about it from a business point of view - a lot of time and money invested in orientation for you to possibly change course again and leave. That's why units want either new grads or experienced. I'm assuming you've shadowed an OR nurse? You have to like the everyday work and environment, or you'll be miserable. Do you already know and like the ED environment? Peds?

I have had mixed experience with online programs; it depends on the school. Regarding Grand Canyon, be sure to download their student handbook and check the grading system. An A used to be 97% and up, making it unnecessarily difficult to receive high marks and easier to fail bec it is easier to drop below a B (the cutoff for a B was higher than other schools). This unusual grading system only applied to Nursing, too. Independently verify anything the admissions reps tell you. Hope you find your match; best of luck!

Chris, you probably already know this, but many sites have contracts with surrounding schools and can only accept those students. Is your school local?

At $1,100 a month? No thanks. Wish it really was "affordable".