2011NursingStudent

What a fun job =) Nurse in the "Happiest Place on Earth" =)

Sorry, but you are misinformed. There is no law that requires healthcare providers, off the clock, without PPE to perform mouth to mouth, which would endanger the responder. The responder's safety is first, victim second. (In addition, there are only four states with "Duty to Rescue" laws for nurses and they are Vermont, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Minnesota. I have no idea what the details of those states' laws are, as I don't reside in any of them. I am assuming it is also Responder's Safety First in those states.)

Also tuberculosis, bacterial menengitis and others.... I live in a major metropolitan city and TB is so common they've identified high-risk zip codes. I'm a volunteer CPR instructor and was extremely happy when our curriculum got switched to "hands-only" without a barrier. I would not feel comfortable suggesting to people taking the course that they "would probably be okay" coming in contact with the saliva and vomit of someone they don't know, b/c its just not true.

You can act without risking your life. I would do compressions only until paramedics arrived if I had no barrier. If I had a barrier (which I do, as I've stated I carry two masks and a barrier in a small red bag in my purse), then I would give breaths. At no time would I put myself at risk of contracting a disease. There is no way for me to know what that person lying on the floor is infected with. The police officer in the story I posted lost his life contracting an infection from giving CPR to an infant. I think that should be a wake up call to all healthcare personnel to carry barriers so that not having a barrier doesn't have to be an issue. The keychain barriers cost a few dollars, if that.

I've been trying to get a CNA job as a side job, and I tried contacting a few hospitals using non-traditional routes - calling, etc and they always say the application process is online. Even at the school I attend, the hospitals come in for job fairs, but just refer people to go online. One thing I wish is that they could at least send rejection letters, even if only via email, because some of them seem to be open after months, and its hard to tell if the job is still a possibility or not.

A shirt is filled with holes, if they exhale or vomit, there is no protection. That's fine if people are willing to accept the risk, but healthcare workers do not have any increased responsibility to give mouth to mouth with no barrier.

..Also, compression only is not "worse" than risking your own life - you understand that without a bag valve mask you are mostly breathing carbon dioxide into the person, right? The compressions are enough to circulate oxygenated blood until paramedics arrive with a BVM if you don't have a barrier.

http://www.policeone.com/health-fitness/articles/3440667-Cop-dies-of-infection-after-CPR-with-baby/ Stories like this one are incredibly heartbreaking, and I would never risk my own life by doing CPR without a barrier. For that reason, I walk around with CPR masks and a barrier...I have an adult mask, infant mask and also just a cheap breathing barrier in the same bag that I wouldn't use b/c I have the masks with the one way valve.

Try to find a place that will just let you retake the clinical portion if your school is having you pay again...at my school it was a $700 class, but I found a place that renewed just the clinical portion for much less expensive about 10 miles away. That's too bad they couldn't just show you and have you do it again =(

I have to pay cash, 4 payments per semester. I'm just working as much as possible, but its hard because that is still only part time.

I've had to learn just to say "no", and I'm much happier now that I do that. I don't know what is with people that they still ask to see other people's work like in grammar school or something, but its such an awkward position to put someone in. But just say "No, sorry." and have that be it. I actually had to do that at the beginning of the semester and the girl didn't want to sit by me after that....Great! LoL, saved me a headache the rest of the semester =)

As a parent, I would say to at least hear your dad out. If he is willing to be there and support you through medical school, its worth taking a long, hard look at the situation. You just don't want to find yourself in 10 years saying "Ugh, I wish I had listened to my dad..." I'm hoping my own boys will take my advice when they get to college =)

I have no insight, but congratulations!!!!!!

I've been on the fence about spending the additional $$ for a phlebotomy course, and I may for this exact reason....

If you don't have any previous student loans, you could take out a little extra to help you with the bills. Also, if you can work a CNA job even at a nursing home, they still offer tuition reimbursement.