helicoptergal

My Excelsior College "shortcut" to nursing school, lead me to work as a Transport NICU RN in a regional level 3 NICU at a Magnet Childrens Hospital in California...

It really upsets me when people who obviously do not know anything about EC blast it. My adventure in getting my degree from EC was the hardest and one of the most rewarding tasks I accomplished. I managed my classes with 2 small children and 2 jobs as a paramedic. I graduated got a great job, and am so thankful I attended EC!!

Oh my GOD I love this!!! And god bless you post partum nurses

The point is that is our policy, and what our hospital deems as safe administration of narcotics and sedation. Yes time consuming, however it gets fast with addition into your daily practice.

Hi we use the 20% rule in the NICU. We only use it on administration of any narcotic or sedation medication. We draw up 20% of the total amount of the medication and do our medication drug calculations based on this to get the most accurate safe medication doses to give to the pts. For example 100mcg in 1ml the 20% or 0.2ml amt 1st drawn up is 10mcg. If the dose is 2mcg, then we will reconstitute the 0.2ml of Fentanyl with 0.8ml of Sterile water to = 10mcg in 1ml. Then we push out again to 0.2ml which = 2mg of Fentanyl and reconstitute with 0.8ml of Sterile water and then administer to the patient. This process is witnessed by another RN. Hope this helps.

We use the delee suction traps when on low continuous or continuous sxn, and a syringe with a 2x2 or some other dressing to entrap the contents at the top of the syringe.

Nursing wife Paramedic husband 2 kids somewhat stressfull, but wouldn't change anything.

I bought Lisa's study guides. I found them informative and helpful. But I also used a lot of other methods to prepare for the EC exam's. I think it is really important to evaluate your experience level and preparedness for each exam individually. If you rely on someone's notes for everything you may pass all the test's but it may come to haunt you once the CPNE comes. It doesn't make sense when you first learn the nursing theory and care plans and Assess Plan Diagnose Implement and Evaluate may seem easy to memorize and regurgitate on the test, but you must really know what it means and how to apply the concepts to the CPNE if you dont you will fail. Retrospectively I am glad I made use of my text books and different study material, I feel that helped me prepare and successfully pass the CPNE. Good luck to you all. Hope things are going awesome with you LUNAH GIRL :-)

Every 2 weeks. We have a form that is in our charting that we fill out everyday as part of safety checks where that info is placed. :-)

Nursing has gotten to lost in the BSN vs. ASN debate. A quality nurse, with good assessment and critical thinking skills, is a team player, and provides compassionate patient care is priceless. I am an ASN RN and plan to go back to get my BSN when I am ready. Right now I find attending advanced classes in my nursing speciality serves my patients and team members better than a BSN education.

We do not use PALS in our unit, and the concepts between NRP and PALS are similar. I remain certified in PALS and ACLS.

I took a report call once from EMS that made me just turn around, hang up, and have to go sit down. This old lady called 911 once on a busy Friday night because her cat peed on her leg. She just wanted to get checked out... TTTTTTT Triage...... :-) this made me laugh!!!

We also use Indocin as a IVH prophylaxis. In my own experience the 2 patients I have been involved with receiving it both had isolated ileal perforation, both had a pen rose drain inserted and antibiotics, but did well. And did not have IVH.

S.pecial H.igh I.ntensity T.raining LOVE IT. A NEW ACRONYM.

Thank god for you and fellow PHN like you. I often worry about these babies. Nice to know someone is fighting for them.

I work in the NICU and our vials are 2mg in 1ml so we always waste the majority of the vial, but we always have a witness to our waste.

We use swings for our chronic babies. Most of our swings are used and are donated by the staff. We always put a blanket or towel as a barrier between the pt and the padding. There has been been some comments made by our OT staff about speed regulation as it interferes in developing state control. However they are invaluable and I wish we had enough.

Rehab nurses rock!!! I floated to rehab the other day, and I tell you it may as well been the ICU. I had vents/trach's/central lines, a million meds. Definitely real nursing!!!

( I am replying from Calif) Jobs are hard to come by, however not impossible. I currently work in a Magnet Children's Hospital where I was hired as a new grad. I am thinking about pursuing my BSN, but I do not feel any less employable without one. Personally I would be very scared about spending 14k a semester for a BSN when I had a perfectly good ASN opportunity waiting in the wings. That is $70.000. You can always get established in a job and then go pursue your BSN at a later date. Good Luck!!

We are switching to a new system in July. I have worked with EPIC and was not pleased. With our new system we are encouraged to not right WNL as it is to ambiguous and cannot be specialized to fit pts with special needs. I live in the pediatric world so it will be interesting changing to computerized charting. Just have to keep the big picture in mind and know it will get better. Good Luck!!

Yep I do. Realized that although it is not always perfect as rarely things are. A little person smiling at you for no good reason, is reason enough to love my job!!

10-12 in pants, but a med in the waist for scrubs but a large in the length. I like the Cherokee scrub pants, they have a soft cotton waist band instead of the draw string which is nicer because when I wear the large pants the pants are always falling down. I like to wear a long undershirt so I don't give anyone the view of "the full moon."

Hair clip, a pen and a stethoscope, and a set of gloves.

Our NICU census is low. And we attribute it to many things. But interestingly enough a lot is attributed to the farm labor force having to go elsewhere for jobs, and the whole family goes.

Thank you to all the posters this post is awesome!!!