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Is anyone taking classes in WCU, 2021 in Los Angeles? How is the school? How do you like the teachers? Any feedback would be appreciated

Hi All, Have you applied to WCU this Fall, 2021?

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, but, in my opinion, 2-3 weeks is a very short time for getting ready for this exam or for any exam. Purchasing the webinar is a great idea. That what I am going to do too. That what I did when I was getting ready for my PCCN and it was very helpful. The second time will be better for you. Good luck.

Darling, You are in the best age: fresh brain and enough of life experience will bring prolific years.

Thanks a lot for this information! I am glad to hear that. My plan is to work as long as possible. I did found one school that is not extremely expensive, and I am not planning on taking a loan. Not in my age :). Moving somewhere else to make the education cheaper is a good idea, but I am not that adventures, plus I still have a husband that I have to think about ? Start playing golf. It is not too late ?

Thank you, FullGlass. What kind of patients do you have? What exactly do you do?

You just don't think about it at all. Now, as my joints ache (Sometimes. Not all the time, thank God!) and there are other changes, it is difficult not to think that I am getting older and older every year, every day. I am taking care of my elderly patients and it makes me think that it will be me in ten-fifteen years. ***. And I started to understand that time is flying very fast; I don't have luxury of wasting my time; I don't have time to be indecisive ?

Thanks a lot for your support. I had never felt my age when I was in Nursing school doing my BSN. But now I started to think about it... I do have my ten years experience; not exactly the one I wanted to have before applying for NP. The plan was ICU. Never happened. Just tele-stroke. It feels that I was waiting for too long because I wanted to get into ICU. Med-surg -a few years, tele -a few years... ICU - a few years ... And now this COVID19 thing. LOL. Nothing is easy or as planned. First I Need to take the English test before applying for NP program. That is their requirement. must take it As soon as possible ? no time to be wasted. I wasted enough already. thanks everyone! stay safe.

Thank you, FullGlass, for support and helpful information! It is good to meet you.

Great sense of humor! Love it. LOL. Now, for real, any thoughts? I am not young. Nursing is my second career. I graduated from nursing school when I was 42. It took me a while to realize what I want. Now I am afraid, maybe it is too late to become an NP...

Hello all Advanced Practice Nurses, What is the age limit to apply to NP program in your opinion? When do you think is late to do so? Is 50 late? 55? What is the rate of success in this field for the nurses older than 50? Thank you! romanti

It just means that you didn't study enough. that's all. Take a good webinar online. You have access to the videos for about 3 months. You can review every lecture as many times as you need. I did it 3 time per each lecture. And since it is a webinar, you have an access to the instructors, so you can clarify any information and any question. Plus they will explain how to pass the test, what to expect and how to study. It was very helpful. Next, buy a book or CD with as many questions as you can. And practice. Practice every day. Start with 20 questions and increase them to 100. Do it for a few weeks prior to the exam-- it will help you to concentrate and not to get easily tired during the exam. If you do these two things -- I guarantee, you will pass the test. Good luck. God won't give you more than you can handle...

Very well said and so much true! This year during NTI conference, I attended a few classes for Nurse practitioners. That was the issue that was discussed. New FNP who never were trained to work in critical care, who never had experience working as a nurse in ICU were hired to work in critical care.

Hi. She is very lucky to have you. I took care of the patients after mastectomy. You are right-- pain will be the main issue. But as a nurse you are an expert in this area. In addition to the medications, ask her not to raise her arms above her head for a week-- let the wound/wounds heal. So, no hair brushing for her ? Another important thing to watch as you said-- drains for output and developing of hematoma. Watch for hematoma, a bad and dangerous thing. Too much bloody output, too much pain-- bring her back to the hospital. What does define us as women? Our breasts? or there is something else, much deeper within us... Here is a small abstract from New York Times: Twenty to 30 years ago, women with breast cancer worried that even if they survived the disease, the loss of a breast would somehow diminish their femininity and sexual attractiveness. Many women hid their mastectomies, disguising their single-breasted figures with cumbersome prostheses even around family members. Today, women are less likely to perceive breast cancer as an attack on their innate feminine nature. For one thing, more and more women are having surgery that removes the malignancy but spares the breast. When a mastectomy is necessary, more and more women are having reconstructive surgery using an implant or their own fatty tissue. And while breasts are still viewed in many societies and cultures as a symbol of womanhood, nurturing and sexuality, many men no longer consider the loss of a woman's breast as having lessened her physical attributes or sexual desirability. 'We Are What We Are' "When it comes to self-image, you can't let cancer dictate who and what you are," said Jean Ettesvold, a 60-year-old retired social worker from Grand Rapids, Mich. who had a mastectomy just over a year ago. "We are what we are, in spite of the trauma we have suffered." I wish your stepmom fast recovery.

Hi TheindecisiveRN. First of all, change your name (TheindecisiveRN) to something funny, or strong, or beautiful, or cool... You don't want to be weak and hesitant nurse... About your medical error. As a new nurse you will have your number of mistakes. We all had that period of learning curve when we made mistakes. Just prey that your mistakes will not kill your patient; be super vigilant, question any medication to be given by you, find your favorite person you can ask about the medication you don't recognize; do not rush yourself-- it is better to be late than to make a mistake. It is very good that you wrote yourself up after making mistake. It is better to reveal your mistake than let someone else do it for you. The mistake you made is not that terrible. I noticed a few times that nurses for some reasons were late with Anti Xa: or the patient is a very difficult stick, or something else happened. A few hours of delay will not kill your patient. It is very good that you called and notified the doctor. They need to know why the result is this instead of that. Tell yourself: "I can do it! I'll be the best nurse on my unit!" Do not let this incident put you down. study. study. study.

Hi all, Do you retract the foreskin to clean the member of your male patient? How much? completely? How do you assess the member of the patient with condom? Will you continue to use the condom if after retracting the foreskin you noticed the redness at the very base of the shaft of the member? Will you think that this redness was caused by the use of the condom even though the skin outside is intact? I got annoyed today when one of the nurses assessed my male patient and told me not to use the condom because when she retracted the foreskin she found redness inside. I usually tolerate criticism, remarks, etc, quite well. But today I felt really annoyed. Came home and started to search the internet for any information on application of the condom, complications, assessment. I couldn't find anything about this specific problem... Thank you, I am grateful for your input.

Agree! Meal break :) However, if you think about the word and its meaning, meal brake sounds more appropriate, since "brake" means to stop, while "break" means to smash, to hit... I am a second language speaker... so I think about this stuff sometimes...

Always, always question the order if you feel that something might be not quite right with it. You are the last resort. Last protection barrier for your patient. Your concern should be: As a new nurse, will I recognize when to question the order?!" As regarding your charge nurse/supervisor or whatever this person was: She is dangerous to be around new nurses. Patient's safety is the first priority. And we are the last resort.

sorry for my writing. I read the first sentence and realized that it makes very little sense :) I wanted to say that we don't have much of a proof.

Hello Juan, How long have you been an NP? You said there are 17 and 5 NPs; how many females NP are among them? Thank you.

Thank you for the good point. I know that in asthmatic patient lack of respiratory sounds is a bad sign-- complete obstruction of airways; though, I never encounter this case in my practice. Do you think it is possible to have RR in 30s with normal sats because of partial obstruction with thick mucous (that's why no rattle sound and lung sounds diminished)? You mentioned other findings that would indicate the need for suctioning. Please, clarify. Thank you.

On our floor we don't have anything to prove that you were on you brake except clock in and out, which works for your first half-hour; for the second half-hour, your word against the meal brake nurse. I would expect one to be honest-- we own it to one another. But I also expect you to give a good report to the nurse who will keep an eye on your patients. I want you to tell me: any concerns about any of your patients: "watch this one-- can be restless; can pull IV, etc, can get up and fall; this one can desaturate without NC; low BP in room 200 and doctor knows; etc" One time, I was helping on the floor. One nurse left for the meal brake and didn't tell me about low BP in one of his patients. Doctor called in 5 minutes asking about the patient. I was embarrassed, angry. How can you leave for your brake without telling me about low BP! Nothing bad happened, but could...

Thank you. That was my assumption, too. No "rattle". I thought, maybe I am missing something.

this patient is not considered to be in a critical condition at this time. the patient has been on neuro-tele floor.

Agree, there is no such a thing as too many certifications. But renewal is kind of sucks... expensive. I think, all depend how you like to study. I am a better learner when I know that I can test myself and get a prize -- a new certification.