amyb2684

Sorry if I repeat; I did not read replies. On my unit, out charge nurses started doing shift change @ 6 & their support to answer call lights has helped tremendously. We also switched to bedside report, which shows pts we are actually doing something & it decreases their anxiety they get from the shift change. Something I do personally that we ddn't implement as a unit; I amp my pts up for the shift change by mentioning it somewhere around 4 or 5 by telling them about the upcoming change & letting them know that between 6&8 we need time to review their charts & make sure we can pass on a sufficient report about them to the oncoming nurse so they can do everything that is needed for them. I just find the right combination of words based on the pt to make them understand that taking care of them well isnt always at bedside & it takes us time away from them to adequately care for them. I also tell them to make any requests now....pain, water, questions, etc. It doesn't always work & some pts will still call to have their feet covered, but some pts will respect that time frame. Hope this helps!!

Did I log on under a different name & post this?? I know the delirium is setting in, but didn't know it had gone this far!!! Despite all of this, I still know that I do have a passion for my job.

State TX City Ft Worth Unit worked TRAUMA/TELE (PCU UNIT) Patient load 3-4 Shift TRAINING ON DAYS ~GOING TO NIGHTS~PT LOAD SAME We have a 36 bed unit with 2 charge nurses who do not do pt care, 2 unit clerks, & 2 techs who collect all vitals including BS. The techs also do baths & linens on good days, as well as other delagated tasks.

I was doing a postpartum rotation a couple of weeks ago and my instructor pointed out to me that I charted. "Pt plans on bottle feeding, but will breast feed for benefits of meconium. While in room infant passed colostrum."

We were told about it last semester and I am guessing this is when it all started. My instructor told us that they were including more questions dealing with that on the tests, which I have already seen. Also, they were going to incorporate more into lectures. They promised we would be prepared so I am trusting them with this. I would deffinately ask your instructors though.

I will be one of the first classes to take it since I grad in May 09 and when I found out about it I will have to admit I was POed, but now that I have actually thought about it I am kinda ok with it. I am in my last year and have taken a class that was called "legal and ethical issues in nursing" and even though I passed with an A, I am constantly seeking aswers to questions of that nature. I think that it is important to get a foundation in the beginning, but as I have proceded through the program, much of my foundation has dicipated (sp??). Now that we are required to take this test, we will be prepared for it. Just the act of preparing us for it after having the info we didnt have when 'I' took the class will hopefully draw those lines and make everything more concrete. I personally dont want my license in question after I have worked so hard to get it (assuming that all goes well this last year).

I took it Feb 2007. My college offered a prep course for it. I have never had trouble with grades, but I took it. I found it very helpfull. They did very little teaching about the subject matter, rather they did teaching on how to take it. There are different sections and they are all timed. The point is to get to answer all of the questions, but not to rush and make mistakes. Tricky, huh?? Not really. The math is pretty much a process of elimination. Don't work the problems; either plug in the answers and see if they work or just actually look at the answers. You should be able to eliminate 2 without even doing any math. Then you can plug in the 2 remaining and there you go. The reading portion is stories and then questions about main idea and so on. I always have trouble with these, but surprisingly they were pretty simple. If you dont take the prep course (it was 2 hours for 1 day), find something that has examples and practice a few. They are not the really challenging ones, they just want to know you can comprehend what you are reading. I cant remember exactly what else was on there, but I think there was some english. Also, there is a thing that test how fast you read. I actually forgot about it and was closing my eyes and sighing because I thought I was on one of the 5 minute breaks. Mine ended up ok, but they dont count that. I dont know why they do it though. That is all I remember. Hope this helps. Oh yeah one more thing. I wore earplugs because when I am anxious I am easily distracted and remember it is timed. Good Luck!!

I dont know how demanding RT school is, but if it is like RN school here are some pointers. Find a job that is willing to work with your schedule and let them know that school comes first. Also, I suggest finding an easy job that you can study at. I have a couple of fellow students who sit for a home health agency overnight. All they do is sit in a chair and make sure that pt has on clean depends, have needs met, and they are safe. This allows them to do lots of studying. There are lots of people who cant handle it, they either quit their job or quit (fail) school. It all depends on your support system and how willing you are to LITERALLY have no time for fun.

Have you thought about doing it over the summer before the program starts?? I know one girl in my program who called the director ahead of puting her app in and she gave her specific info on how to submit app if pre-reqs not completed due to planned enrollment prior to the program. We have a program that only accepts 74 out of 300 so even though it is demanding on those pre-reqs and GPA, she must have fit the criteria. That is why they have alternates, for people who back out last minute or people who didnt live up to their word. That allows those spots to be filled. Anyways, I think you should look into that because I know my college does not offer it in mini semesters due to its content. I know my college offers another form of a semester though. It has 16 week semesters that are considered 'normal', then we have 8 week semesters. Those semesters are called respectively "Fall I & Fall II" because there are two in a semester. You might be able to find a college nearby that has something like that. You could do them in the spring and complete them; however, since they are only 8 weeks, you have more class time and study time to make up for it.

You need to contact the New York state board of nursing to apply for your reciprocal license. It will probubly cost some money. Here is a website that has lots of good info and the contact info. http://www.op.nysed.gov/nurse.htm Hope this helps!! Good Luck!!

Although you are correct in assuming that employers would rather have a well rounded nurse, they also want to hire somebody who is going to be around for a while. Your work history shows that you often move from job to job for whatever reason. These reasons could be ligit and honorable; however, they are going to hire somebody that is in there best interest to hire. They will hire somebody with not experience in nursing that has held a job for many years, because they expect them to stay with them. They are not going to hire you for 'your' interests; to learn a new style of nursing. Also, having experience in an area takes years in that particular area before they look at it as good experience. It may seem like a long time now, but speaking as somebody who has held jobs for 4, 2, & 2 years, 2 years in one job is just now settling in. My best advice is go back to a hospital where you know they will hire no matter what your work history is like and work there for a couple of years and build up your dependability. Hope this helps!! Good luck!!

I will graduate May 2009 with my ADN license. I am planning on going to work and getting somebody to pay for my BSN. I have looked into the programs and they seem fairly simple, but they just dont answer all the questions I have. After graduation of BSN, do you have to take NCLEX again; or some other test?? This brings another question to mind. Do ADN and BSN graduates take the same NCLEX?? I know the schooling is only different in the aspects of BSN teach more of a leadership position and have more 'community' involvement, but we get that; it is just abbreviated. I was hoping that somebody who has done this could shed some light on this question for me. Also, this might be too general to actually have an answer for becaue schools vary so much. I heard that most ADN-BSN programs are designed for you to be working full-time or almost full-time. How does that work?? It would be nice if they would count your work as clinicals, but I am only dreaming. I am thinking that maybe most classes are online and the clinical load might be less, but with all the difference in schools it is probubly too hard for somebody to give me an answer on this one. Thanks to all that reply!! I will try to add a thanks to everybody.

No waiting list here, but it can take a couple of years to get in. Acceptance is based on GPA and grades in A&P (also completion of pre-reqs). If your GPA is decent and you have ALL pre-reqs you shouldnt have too much trouble. I got in first try; they accepted 74 out of 300. My GPA was only 3.2, but I had A's in A&P. I also know some people who got denied, so they took that year to take other classes and brought their GPA up. They got accepted with the higher GPA.

The programs that I have looked into do award you a BSN, but do not allow you to do a graduation. You must walk the stage all at once. That allows you to work with your BSN while further working towards your MSN and cuts the cost of graduation. I am sure every school has their own ways though. Check and see if you can opt to only do the ADN-BSN and then once you do that, you can do the BSN-MSN. They would never know the difference.

There it is. HAHA!!!