T123G123

What kind of person should become one? I know you need to get a university degree or college diploma and pass the exam and you are in but what kind of a person should look into being a nurse? What are some "traits" or personal characteristics th...

I just wanted to say I really enjoyed reading these "rules" comments and I am full of admiration for you for the type of crap you put up with and the fact you still care about your patients. I'm a teacher and about to go into nursing in 2 years and I...

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I am in my first year of teaching but plan to change careers in a few years and am thinking of becoming a nurse. I am most interested in working in pediatrics. T123G123

Hello, I'm wondering if there are any nurses here who have worked as teachers before switching careers and choosing to become a nurse. Why did you do choose to leave teaching? Why go into the nursing profession? How does it compare to being a teacher...

Hi everyone, For those who are pediatric nurses, some really general questions I'm curious to hear you share your thoughts and experience: 1) What are some really positive components of your job? 2) What are some really negative components of your jo...

Hi everyone, I know this post will sound kind of dumb, but I was wondering if there are any nurses who went on mission trips to conflict zones. I am a Canadian Christian and have done prison ministry in El Salvador. It was only for 2 weeks and I was ...

Thank you, GilaRN. I'll definitely get my nursing degree first, though wouldn't it make more sense to go before settling down in Winnipeg? If you get a permanent position in a hospital, would it be even realistic to go away for a year to a country li...

Hi everyone, Just wondering if you've ever came across an unco-operative patient that had to be restrained. What happened? How did you respond? Is there a procedure you are allowed to use or do you call security? Thanks in advance for sharing your st...

Hi everyone, I'm a teacher who was told when I entered education that when I graduate there will be a teacher shortage. In fact, everyone I entered the program with was told the same thing and from my girlfriend I heard that students who enter the Un...

The nursing shortage in Manitoba is real. They are recruiting from the Philippines again, despite the less-than-satisfactory results of their last recruitment drive there in 2000. (Most of the nurses recruited at that time left after a year to pursue...

Thanks, Janfrn. When I volunteered in Children's ER I remember seeing this little guy who I would see every time, he was getting some kind of treatment that involved a lot of injections. I didn't see much since they usually kept the curtains closed b...

Thanks for a really detailed response! I'm a teacher and though I don't think that dealing with kids in a classroom setting is what I want to do with my life forever I do like working with them so I'm considering becoming a nurse and am looking into ...

Hi everyone, I talked to a friend who had an operation and one of the nurses wasn't informed and gave him a solid meal afterwards, he was throwing up for about a week since the stomach couldn't digest it. This was a terrible accident and of course nu...

Out of curiosity, what kind of mistake would be considered a "major" mistake? I heard that as a nurse you get instructions written down about what you need to do with each patient, is that correct? The reason I'm asking these seemingly random questio...

That was what he told me (the throwing up part).

Hi everyone, Just wondering if anyone has had a really unco-operative or hostile patient. What do you do? If they are physically aggressive or very loud and disturbing other patients at night, how does a nurse respond? Thanks. T123G123

Thanks for clarifying that! T123G123

"I worked in an ICU at theHealth Sciences Centre; we worked 12 hour shifts, Th-F-Sa-Su nights, Th-F days, M-Tu-W days, Sa-Su days, M-Tu-W nights then a week off." Sorry for a really greenhorn question, do you mean: week 1 Th,F,Sa,Su night week 2 Th-F...

Hi everyone, I heard that to become a nurse you have to write an exam. Once you write the exam you will have a license to work as a nurse. Just wondering, is this similar to the MCATS exam? Do most people who write the exam pass it? I was told nursin...

For the nurses who do humanitarian work, do they usually go for 2 weeks during their break? Has anyone that you know of or heard of went overseas for a year or more? Thanks and take care. T123G123 BTW another question that just popped into my mind, ...

I am sure there is a lot of need in the cities of Canada and the US and other developed countries so nursing is humanitarian wherever you are, but I am thinking of working with an NGO in a developing country, possibly a conflict zone. Has anyone here...

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and even more new to the field of nursing, in fact I haven't entered it yet. I am a teacher at a junior high school and even though my job is going well (I actually don't have any horror stories to share about my e...

Thanks for the answers everyone! I will check out the international forums as well to hear about nursing in Canada (not that your input if you are not Canadian is any less important). Drifternurse, you mentioned hazards and responsibilities of the jo...

Hello redefinition, Thanks for getting back to me! Just some more questions... If you work 12 hour shifts, that means there are only 3 shifts a week? That is really great! How much do most nurses make? I'm currently making $22,000 this year. It's no...