annabeap

From what I understand, in the Active Duty Air Force side, Family NPs are the workhorses in the clinics, and they deploy. Peds NPs again are workhorses BUT no deployments- as of yet... they only send one pediatrician down range for the ICU/ward. And Mental Health NPs get an HOUR to spend with their patients, and from what I've heard, they absolutely love it. They deploy, but honestly, combat stress is the most relaxing place in the whole hospital (at least when I visited, haha)! Running will become your life, unless you get a profile and get it renewed (by some scumbag doc that doesn't care) for the rest of your service commitment. And really, it's the push-ups/sit-ups that kill PT tests. As a commissioned officer there's a sad little "boot camp", but nothing to cry over. Weapons training is badd@ss and required for deployments (there you carry a weapon on you 24/7). Believe me you- nothing is as terrifying as seeing medical folks pull perimeter duty, but it's even MORE terrifying if they don't know their weapon and don't want to know it. And depending on your service commitment- maybe you wouldn't relocate ALL that often... and it would depend on what type of NP you are. OR if you have a special needs child- they'd have to be near services, so you'd be stuck there too. Definitely do some soul-searching! It's a wonderful job to be in if you love it, or it will make your life miserable. Attitude is important, but don't convince yourself you're something you're not. It's really not for everyone. Good luck! :)

Oooh! Now that the cold/flu season is almost upon us, perhaps another review on infection control practices. Or how 'bout reviewing chemo precautions for the home? Destressing techniques? Our sickle cell kiddos would seem to have a pain crisis around stressful times (especially at the end of the school year!). It could even help parents! AND staff members! :) Good luck!

Considering I was deployed for 6 months at Craig Joint Theater Hospital, I have a different perspective than a nurse on a FST would. Overall our "traumas" were very much patched up by those teams... already vented, trached, washouts, woundvacs in place, etc. I'm sure you'll go through all the range of emotions while deployed... it's totally normal to feel them all AND be tearful. I was super frustrated taking care of the local nationals- we had docs that ran our ward like a longterm care facility sometimes. And I was so excited to see our boys(and ladies) get patched up and sent back home or returned back to the fight- helping them contact home was always emotional... Definitely loved my work over there. I only know that Bastion was hit hard while I was there- lots of blown-up Marines, soldiers, ANA and NATO soldiers... many bilateral AKAs. The ICU staff called those the "Bastion special". I pray that things slow down and those little Taliban f-er's get pnuemonia this winter and die. :) My experience was limited ( I worked on the 28-bed inpatient ward) but I'd love to answer any questions you might have! Enjoy your time at home and if you don't get any packages, shame on your home unit and let me know!!!!!

Your recruiter knows all about your paperwork- I feel like it should all be completed before you graduate (even by Jan2012), and then you just get your last set of transcripts sent after you graduate. My recruiter was pretty clear on what paperwork was due and when. If you aren't getting your answers taken care of, keep bugging the office and maybe you'll get a hold of someone else. As far as going the med/surg route and getting into CCU/ICU- it really depends on leadership and who else is applying with you. You might be stuck on the med/surg floor for 2yrs first before you get a slot. And it's a ICU fellowship right now at Lackland AFB. So you have to pay attention for the "call for candidates", apply and wait. The fellowship is classes, PT formations, tests, and clinical- I wanna say it's 12 weeks, but I could be mistaken. It's intense, I've heard, and it could be frustrating if you're already experienced. And actually, I think they're combining our AF ICU fellowship with the Army's since they're going over to Brooke Army Medical Center soon... If you already have your 2 yrs civilian CCU experience, and you know you want the CCU/ICU route, make sure your recruiter is putting you in for that. Your ticket in may easily be your prior experience already. And be ready to deploy! Good luck! :)

Woah, that's a pretty intense first clinical site. You'll be seeing a lot of different medications, and they'll differ pt to pt depending on their diagnosis. You won't be able to help administer chemotherapy, but do your research and perhaps get a broad sense of how most work. Timing is very important, medications are given exactly as ordered (no 30 min window), and protocol may require checking for blood return every so often for longer administration times. Scheduled labs are very common, and we have specific orders to call MD if labs are out of range. And before you do any pt cares, make sure to fully understand all chemo precautions, for your own safety too. You definitely will have plenty to think about when you care for these complex pts. And that's not even touching the psychosocial/spiritual side of those families. Enjoy it, ask questions, and learn as much as you can. :)

We've been seeing a lot of morphine/dilaudid PCAs- itching is a common side effect of narcotics, and when they're getting it at a basal rate, it makes 'em all the more itchier. Benadryl and bed baths usually do the trick.

Superman07: Lincoln Military Housing is on Post at Ft Sam Houston. I don't know about the eligibility, but it doesn't hurt to contact them. http://www.lincolnmilitary.com/lmh/installations/fort_sam/index.cfm Since you're not technically attached to Ft Sam Houston, that might be where they wouldn't/couldn't accept you. Brooke Army Medical Center isn't even inside Ft Sam's gates- it has its own separate security ~1 mile away from post. And I have no clue about getting on base housing at Lackland... but with a little google search, I found this... http://www.lacklandfamilyhousing.com/defaultFamily.aspx?cid=20 Hopefully, you'll be notified on which unit you'll be assigned to by NTP at least! By then, our new med/surg floors should be up and running. AND, the walkway from the parking garage to the new wing of the hospital could be open!!! Good Luck! :)

Please don't beat yourself up over this too much. We are all only human. We can do only so much in one shift. You are doing your best, which is over and above as it is. You're not falling short.

I bet with more exposure it'll slowly resolve. And as long as you are sincere, I'm sure the mom and family won't mind. Or, perhaps you ought to try some coffee before the birthing? Coffee lets me handle anything. :)

Many apartments offer a military discount. I have a one bed, one bath, 755 sq ft apt @ $770/month- I think it usually runs in the 800's. My friend lives by the Quarry (Alamo Heights area) and she found an awesome summer special for a 2bed/1bath for $820/month or something crazy like that... needless to say, she isn't able to get the same rate when her lease ends and is now looking around for another place. I'm sure you can shop around or find a roomie to save on rent, but remember lower rent ($500-600) usually means a shady neighborhood, or older apartments. I'm spoiled where I am. I moved into a brand new place and didn't have mysterious stains on the carpet, or nightmares about what lurks down the shower drain... ewww. And remember, a military clause is a must. Make sure you understand what they require for you to use that- like notifying them in writing 60 days prior to moving out. Good luck on your search! :)

Yeah, I saw this in the news. Thinking of his family during this time. :redbeathe

Haha, I doubt you're too old. Sure the running around all day, lifting/repositioning can get to you, but it's about multi-tasking and delegating too. You gotta work smarter, not harder. :) Good luck!

BAMC's parking garage is open, finally! So that alone saves you ~15mins of parking on Ft Sam and being shuttled in. I have friends that live in Converse, Universal City, and Schertz, (far NE side) and they like it. There's a bunch of shopping at "The Forum" which is 1604 and I-35. But, that I-35 traffic is a killer sometimes- all it takes is one accident and the highway's blocked, traffic is directed onto an access road, and your 15 min commute is an hour. Now, if you want to get all fancy pants, you could live in Stone Oak. It's outside 1604 on the far far north side. There's a bunch of shopping up there too. Plus, on Blanco and 1604, they have Orange Leaf- a self-serve frozen yogurt place that's pretty much heaven on earth.

So you need to find complications for a child with CP? And think of a med that could help with the complication? Don't get distracted by the pt's history too much. He is non-verbal, in a cast. I don't know if he's really a risk for compartment syndrome just because he has altered sensation. But your second complication makes more sense. Try looking at what a normal child in a cast might take as a medication. I don't know 100% what your prof is looking for either, but I think the significant history is a distraction. Good luck on that homework :)

Well, is he wheelchair bound? What's his weight bearing status? Why did he get the casts in the first place? What kind of seizures does he have? Isn't he a fall risk? What could happen if he falls? Can he communicate with any pain? Can you see his toes? Check a pulse? What are basic concerns of having a cast? And what are you most concerned about in a patient that may not be able to communicate well? Don't let these kids with a significant history scare you. :)