Tornadochaser

Hey guys I know there are lots of people out there with threads about prereqs, just thought i would throw this one out there too: Some of these schools say "organic chem recommended (strongly)"-I was wondering if having 3-5 years ICU exp along with CCRN (lets say this isnt a prereq for the school) would actually look better on paper vs organic. I guess basically im asking would CCRN look better than organic chemistry? Thoughts?

At our hospital, we are staying busy: radiology, lab, pt, nurse assistant, clerk are all being cut back, they are even laying off the morgue transporters. nurses have been told our jobs are the only ones which wont be cut, good i guess but from my point of view we'll be doing alot more: drawing blood, inputting labs in computer, taking deceased body downstairs and arranging funeral pickup, i better not complain though :)

thanks guys, i go to an inservice on iabp next month, i'll question them too

In our ER, after a minor MVA, the pt was totally ok and had only a minor cut, a, sorry to many of you, "blonde" nurse was doing an initial assessment. The patient, who was still in shock and terrified, asked "am i going to die?" The nurse wasn't paying much attention and answered "yes"..... 5 seconds later "oh wait no you're not!"

Yeah I agree. Air in an NG is pretty much a comfort issue. IF you think a pt is bloated, you can open it up with the syringe, hold it high and lightly press on the stomach to "burp" it. Be careful though because if there is alot of pressure down there you could have a mess.

Ok some may say this is a dumb question, but we got into a heated debate the other day about this. IF a pt on IABP codes, do you turn it off? I obviously said yes but a fellow worker tried to say you could start compressions and have the machine sinc to them. Our CCU only gets a handful of them so we're not experts. Thoughts please.

Yeah it sounds like you did the right thing to me too! Im a new grad and if something doesnt look right and my preceptor isn't with me, respiratory is my next "yell for help" haha, they're a VERY invaluable tool. To add, I had a similar situation not long ago. A pt's lungs filled up quickly and she was in some resp distress with sats in the 80s. Doc ordered solumedrol and lasix. It is a scary situation though, especially for someone new

Yeah I applied online to the hospital that I wanted to work. Where it asked education/licensing info I just my graduation date which was of course in the future. I left the license number blank. I also attached a resume that explained my goals/experiences, etc. I was called the next day to set up an interview. But yeah, I graduated, got my temporary license to work until i took the NCLEX, I also just realized that some states dont administer temporary licenses, so that may not be the case for you. I think some hospitals will hire you as a nurse tech until you pass nclex

1) How quickly did you take the NCLEX and get your license? I was lucky enough to get my information sent in quickly; I got my ATT and temp in a week and a half. I then took NCLEX a couple of weeks later. My advice is to take NCLEX as soon as you can; although you will want to study alot for it, the longer you're out of school, the less fresh the material is 2) How quickly did you find a job? As your first nursing job, what kind of nursing did you do? Where I am from, I was offered a job a month before I graduated. It was nice to know where I'd be after I finished 3) Did your employer help with school loans? How quickly were you able to pay off you student loans? Kind of, you need to search around for different hospitals. Some offer sign on bonues, some offer "tuition assistance" and some will repay some of your loans. Toward the end of your program, you'll have hospitals coming to talk to you; I encourage you to ask MANY questions 4) What kind of classes are you taking for your required credit hours? How many credit hours are you required to take once you get your license? I am in CCU so I've been in many critical care/coronary class classes. To renew your license, you have to complete CEUs and get contact hours every 2 years. Honestly sorry, I havn't looked in to the amount yet 5) How often does an RN have to renew the license? Every two years 6) Has it been difficult to balance working full-time, taking classes, and managing your home life? I'll be honest and I want to hear what others say; A nurse told me once your first year as a nurse is the best/worse year of your life. I've enjoyed my job so far; still many questions and not enough confidence yet. Other nurses who have been out six months say it'll get worse, so Im just trying to learn all I can right now. My adivce to you right now is to get a part time job as an aide if you can. Most hospitals are very flexible since they know you are in school. I worked mostly through nursing school and felt more comfortable in the setting/with patients/with the equipment than others who did not work. Its almost like extra clinical time. Good luck and study hard!!

OK, I want to get this experience off my chest and have some reassurance from some other nurses. I graduated and passed NCLEX. When I first graduated, I was upgraded at a small local hospital that i worked in through school. After only a months experience, I was working in the night shift ER with another nurse. Ok remember that I was/still am fresh out of school. OK, so the ambulance brings in this teenager who had his throat cut. I was the one who ran into the trauma room and received him. Although I had another RN working with me at the time, the ER was full so I was doing the care. I held lots of pressure and bolused fluids into him. I had a doctor at bedside the entire time while we waited on the surgery team to arrive. He was losing massive amounts of blood obviously. I continued to hold pressure and squeezed NS in. I even had to hang a unit of 0 pos straight without blood tubing (of course I understand that in life-threatening emergencies the rules dont apply). I was the one who put him down with versed and succs for intubation. Now this guy was fully A&O the entire time until intubation. Make a long story short, he didn't make it. I am having a hard time getting him out of my head. I have seen many codes already. But this was different; this was a young man. Basically Im looking for reassurement that I performed adequately and has anyone else had a similar event? Thanks