LINUS

I keep hearing people talk about their tests shutting off at 75 questions. This may sound stupid, but mine shut off at 78 or 79 questions. Is that a bad sign that it shut off just a few after 75? I feel like I guessed on the entire test... I'm a n...

You're right. I'm talking about the suction catheter, not probably the type of deep suctioning they use in L&D. Sorry!

I've been working in a mother/baby unit for almost a year now. I love my job, but on occasion a baby in the nursery will start making choking sounds out of the blue (in their sleep sometimes). Usually turning them on their sides and patting their b...

Thanks for the help. We have to do NRP every two years too, but I think we have to take a refresher course every year. I've already signed up for one, but it still scares me when the babies choke. I've deep suctioned twice (with a more seasoned nu...

I know how to use the bulb syringe and I do teach parents how to use it as soon as they're admitted to my unit. My hesitation is when to use the wall suction to deep suction. I don't want to use it if it's not necessary because I've heard horror st...

Not to sound harsh, but speaking for the other side, I work midnights and was working the night of a huge snowstorm (17 inches) and when I got off in the morning after working 12 hours, only two day nurses showed up for work, which meant we were requ...

I lived in Wilmington for five years while going to RN school. The big hospital there is New Hanover Regional Medical Center. It's a trauma hospital, so they get trauma cases flown in regularly. New Hanover also owns Cape Fear Hospital, which is o...

We aren't allowed to push supplementing with formula, but if a mother requests it, whether she's BF well or not, we will give her one. It's the mother's decision, not ours. If the baby is not BF well, and is jaundiced and under bili lights, the doc...

I worked med/surg for a while in Charlotte and now work Mother/Baby in the midwest. I really like Mother/Baby and would love to do travel nursing but it doesn't seem like there's much need. I loved Wilmington, and even though one bitter charge nurs...

Starting pay for new grad nurses is $17.56 plus there is a 3p-11p shift differentials (15%), as well as a 7p-7a (20%) and weekend differential (I think it's 10%). The shift diff's make up for the low starting pay. Good luck! Hope that helps!

I went to nursing school in Wilmington and worked at New Hanover and Cape Fear (they're under the same umbrella-- New Hanover Health Network). It's a great hospital and I have a lot of friends that work there still. Wilmington is a booming town an...

I work in mother/baby now and am interested in travelling, but the websites I've looked at don't seem to have much need for this type of travelling nurse. Is there not much of a need for Mother/Baby travelling nurses? If so, what firms should I loo...

I can totally feel for you! I worked med/surg for six months, then moved to a new hospital to work in PP. I feel likeI did when I started med/surg. I've been here a month and I still feel pretty overwhelmed. Assessments just drive me crazy. I fi...

Well, after five months of feeling totally overwhelmed and uninterested in med/surg, I'm finally moving to a new hospital and to a new department-- mother/baby. I've always wanted to do this since nursing school, but thought I needed the med/surg ex...

Oh great, if this doesn't work out, will I be totally unqualified for another job? I really think Mother/Baby is my calling. I hope I'm making the right decision!!

Med/Surg... I absolutely hate it! I'm a new grad, and I've only been doing it for five months, but that's five months of pure hell. I can't stand it. I've taken up smoking just for the mere fact that nothing else would calm my nerves before I go t...

I've always thoguht of doing LTC, but then I heard that the ratios are 40 patients to one nurse, and it scared me to death. That just doesn't seem safe! I know you have CNA's to help, but where I've worked in the past, good CNA's are few and far be...

I am a new grad and finishing the fourth month into my nursing career. I can honestly say I hate my job. I hate the chaos, I hate the stress, I hate crying the minute I walk into the door just because of sheer terror of what might happen during the...

I gave Dilantin IV to a patient the other day. He had D51/2NS going through his IV, and since Dilantin isn't compatible, I had to stop the IV and give the Dilantin through his saline well. I'm still a new grad in training, so I asked my preceptor h...

You have all been so great! Thank you so much for the helpful hints! I feel much better now.

I'm thinking of transferring into OB or Post Partum. I had clinicals there in school and loved it, but really didn't do much but observe for three days. It was also my best subject in school. Can someone please tell me how their days go in that d...

Yeah, everyone did tell me to start there. THey did warn me that I'd probably hate it though. I think for some people who like the chaos, it's probably OK. But, for me, a choatic environment just adds to my stress. I learn better doing something ...

Thanks for everyone's congrats! I took my test on Wednesday at 10am and found out by calling the Board of Nursing's verification line at 9:30am Friday. I was suprised I found out so quick, but what a relief!!!

Hey yall! I passed. I'm soooo happy! I still don't understand how I passed, but I'm thrilled. I had another girl in my class that had around 120 questions, and one who had 180, and they both passed too. So, it just goes to show that the number ...