Laird215

This has worked for me........ 1. keep calories most days in the 1,800 to 2,000 range 2. limit the simple carbs (sugar, corn syrup, and white flour). I have little of these except for my weekend pizza. 3. arrange things as best you can to avoid making food so central to you. Most days, food shouldn't be a way to entertain yourself or bust boredom 4. You need 45 to 75 grams of protein a day but not more than that unless you are a competitive bodybuilder 5. If you drink pop regularly, you are hosed. 6. If you eat some avocado regularly, you are the opposite of hosed. 7. Most days I have a smoothie in the blender with plain yogurt, frozen fruit, ground flax, torn up kale or collard greens, and enough milk or water to thin it. You may be getting enough exercise as a nurse. But ideally you need to get your heart rate elevated a couple times a week (check w medical professional to make sure you are OK for this). Also do exercises that give you a strong core. Longer duration, less intensive exercise is best for fat loss (and you may get this just moving in your job). Shorter, more intensive exercise is good for keeping your heart strong. Also, there have been times (as in periods of a few years) in my life when small kids and work schedules made the above impossible. Just muddle through as best you can during those times until things pass. If your life is ALWAYS in this mode, reexamine your priorities. Our culture makes high demands but you don't always have to go along if the end result of the demands isn't something you value.

THANKS SO MUCH. I am just astounded by all you who take time to provide this helpful input. I'm lucky to be located close to the major med center. It looks like I can work it so I can, over time, get the prereqs and experience I need to be a competitive applicant. If I don't get in, I'll have enjoyed the process. Thanks !!

I am 47 and have worked in business for 25 years. For the past 12 years I've lived exactly one mile from a major teaching hospital. There is an outstanding medical college, a great nursing college and a top-ranked PA program located around this hospital. I've gotten to know a lot of medical professionals, including PAs, nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists. I've wanted to make a change from my business career and am interested in finding out more about working in an OR. I'll be asking the people I know questions, of course, and have good shadowing opportunities. In your opinion, would my best option to eventually work in surgery be to pursue a nursing program or physician assistant program? Btw, I feel 30, live clean, exercise, treat people right, and don't do recreation well. So my expectation is that I would enjoy working far into my 70s. Please accept my gratitude for your thoughtful reply !!

At age 47, I might be settling on a decision not to pursue medical school and surgery. Age is the deciding factor. Briefly, my background is a degree in math and economics. Then went into business where I've had a mediocre career because I never really valued what I was doing and don't have great leadership skills. I can make myself do anything but can't always inspire others to do things. I was a naïve farm kid before college and was never exposed to medicine growing up. My thinking when I was 22 was any mediocre job would be great. As the years have passed, I have yearned for more (not financially but want to be challenged and do something I value). For the past 12 years I've lived exactly one mile from a major teaching hospital. There is an outstanding medical college, a great nursing college and a top-ranked PA program located around this hospital. I've gotten to know a lot of medical professionals, including PAs, nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists. I'll be asking them questions, of course, and have good shadowing opportunities. Since aspiring to be a surgeon is probably not possible due to my age, my thinking is that the next best thing would be to work for a surgeon. In your opinion, would my best option to achieve this be a nursing program or physician assistant program? Btw, I feel 30, live clean, exercise, treat people right, and don't do recreation well. So my expectation is that I would enjoy working far into my 70s. Please accept my gratitude for your thoughtful reply !!

the job of surg tech looks good to me and would lay a good foundation to possible later work as a nurse. i was looking at some job descriptions and one of the duties common to most positions is something along these lines: 1. recognizes and communicates breaks in aseptic technique. is this as challenging or problematic as it sounds like it could be? this sounds like the tech is put in the awkward situation of calling out the surgeon or other senior staff members, for example. am i making too much of this? also, is this position at much danger for needlesticks? thanks for the info.