kmenningen

There are many reasons why nurses go into the profession and some of them are due to life experiences that forever changed them. I feel I changed my goals in health care after having a child with spina bifida. Somehow it changed me, definitely for the better. Once I graduated from nursing, I seemed directed towards working in neuro and especially in the pediatric population. It is a way for me to give back in some way. It does get to me some days, but I have an understanding about situations because I live it everyday with my son. I can relate to the families and treat my peds patients as if it is my own child. I know what it is like to see your child in life threatening situations. Having that connection with a family and child and knowing how it feels allows me to emphasize and care in a way that is unique and worthwhile to me and hopefully to them.

I am an EC grad and I find it difficult to explain my education to someone who has never gone through a program like this. I have a varied educational background: 1. completed my bachelor of science in respiratory care in 3 years (taking 18-21credit hours per semester) 2. sat for 7hrs worth of examinations for my RRT 3. went through 3 semesters of traditional nursing school with straight A's (7 credits left to graduation) 4. Went to Excelsior college and took all the written examinations 5. Passed the CPNE 1st time (with tremendous hours of studying and practicing) 6. Took the NCLEX and passed the 1st time with 75 questions 7. currently in grad school for nursing in will be taking my 4th class next monthh What do I think I felt was the most challenging and worthwhile towards my education???? It was completing the EC exams and taking the CPNE. It was almost like a right of passage for nursing. I feel I gained more from this experience then all the time in the traditional brick and mortar nursing and respiratory therapy school. It takes a special person to complete. You must be self motivated, disciplined to study and set timelines, and enjoy reading tons of books and tap into your previous or current experience of being a nurse(LPN)/RT/paramedic/etc. It is a great way to cross over to another area of health care. I really didn't enjoy the elementary feel of traditional nursing school and sitting amongst other nursing students without any health care background. I didn't want to come across as a 'smartypants' but didn't want to sit and waste my time learning stuff I already knew. That is the joy of distance learning, it is tailored to what you need to study and learn and then test with examinations on what you know. It is very efficient that way. I also homeschooled (online instruction) my 4 children for 8yrs until this year and there is so much wasted time in learning in the classroom and then spending hours at home doing homework. I would instruct my children and teach them within a few hours everyday and they are quite advanced in school academically this year in the traditional setting. Time in the classroom/clinical is not always a measurable way to evaluate how well a person has learned and knows material for children and adults. So what do I tell people: I am not apt to freely share my EC experience unless I really know a person. I explain I attended nursing school in Nebraska with one more semester left and then decided to finish my coursework online since I moved out of state in order to graduate. It is true. I don't have to explain my educational decisions and if I do decide to share my entire experience and have time, then I will. EC is a great program and I will stand behind it when needed. FYI: my example of why I don't choose to share my EC experience all the time is because: sometimes I don't like to justify or explain my educational background. I have a child with spina bifida and I don't always like to explain to people I don't know very well my experiences with it. I usually tell people I have a child with special needs. I don't tend to go into the specifics unless someone is really curious or I am in the mood to share. The same goes with my education. I am not ashamed of my schooling or my child, it is just a unique and different path not shared by many and one I sometimes like to keep to myself. Hope this explains my experience. Also, the respiratory therapists I worked with all knew I was attending EC and were skeptical of the process. After they watched me go through it and obtain a RN position in critical care in the hospital setting I work in, 2 of them decided to enroll in EC. They wanted to see if it was possible and I set the course that it is. Kirsten

Always ask what the policy states, if you go beyond this in a facility, it is not being a "good Samaritan" and you would be held liable for your practices. Ambubag is quite sufficient in a code situation and waiting until proper practitioners are available to provide assistance with advanced airways. Even if you are ACLS certified, it does not qualify you to intubate and place advance airways. Check with your policy and guidelines. Kirsten RRT, RN (BLS/ACLS instructor)

I am also in the same situation and have my BS in resp care with an ASN. I have researched many schools that would be a good transition into this situation. My conclusion is: 1. I am not going back for my BSN, period! I have a BS degree from a nursing school that I attended for my BS in resp care. It seems crazy to pursue another BS in a health related field. 2. If you are serious about going for NP, you will have to take some prereqs in order to enter. There are some schools that will take you in if you have BS in a non nursing degree. 3. I opted to go this route: I went back to the school I did my undergrad in resp care that has an online program for MSN in education. I was accepted last summer and I am in the program currently. I was only needing to take 2 additional classes prior to entering. Many schools require up to 4-6 courses for eligibility upon entrance. I decided to go about it this way because I am not 100% sure what type of NP I would like to pursue and getting experience in the meantime is will be a great asset when I am all done. Many schools are going towards DNP and once I complete my MSN in education, I can continue on for this or with an MSN obtained I could continue on for NP with much fewer courses to complete. This seemed like a win/win situation. Less requirements and I have time on my side. I don't want to be a NP or work as a nurse educator for a few years until my kiddos are older. Good luck, Kirsten

This is a system that the hospital I work at just transitioned to and it is a big adjustment. It would be frowned upon to have a nurse putting in all the orders. Once a doctor know the system and work orders and flows, they do pretty well with it. Have you thought about work in informatics? Many nurses are needed to implement this and are hired for managing and evaluating this type of medical software. Kirsten

1. Name your school: Nebraska Methodist College 2. Degree you will be working on (including specialty): MSN in education 3. whether you will be working full time, part time, or not working at all: part time 4. Will you be attending part time or full time: part time 5. And any other pertinent info: This is the school I attended for my undergrad 18yrs ago and can't wait to get started. Great school and this time it will be online, even better. (I hope)

you asked: do hospitals take new grads into telemetry? yes where do i get this training? on the job with classes and if i complete a telemetry class, will that help me land a job in a hospital? maybe basically, is telemetry a good class to take to step my foot in the hospital? no it sounds like if you are interviewing for this job, you might as well wait and see if you get it before taking any classes. after being hired, you will be paid for taking these classes. much cheaper. if you are interested in taking a class, i would recommend being current in acls and cpr. this is mandatory on a telemetry unit. good luck, kirsten

I agree that the CPNE is so expensive and anywhere to cut down costs was important to me. I bought everything second hand. I also didn't attend a workshop. I also practiced like mad at home and decided that the expense of travel and a workshop would be about the same cost as the CPNE. I choose to look at the CPNE as my practice run, rather then attending a workshop. If I passed in the end, then I am even better off. Fortunately, this worked out in my favor. SKills kit materials are essential to practice prior to the CPNE. Buy from another student or gather the supplies on your own. I believe there is a list you can obtain in the study guide for what is needed in order to practice. There are demonstrations on you tube that can show the steps and vannesaman has the best ones. I videotaped myself and posted as well, but it was for peer review and I do have mistakes on them. Kirsten

My thoughts in how i studied: Excelsior Skill kit (a must for passing) Double stethescope (skip this!!!) wound kit (make one or buy one) injection pad (skip this) CPNE DVD and workbook (only if not attending EC workshop) Online Documentation conferance, online skills conferance, online care planning conferance. (important if you feel really lacking in any of these areas) *I bought my materials second hand from another EC student. Check out ebay or ask on the epn board if anyone is selling anything. Good luck, Kirsten

I can relate on so many levels and coming and reading on here all the struggles of starting out as a new nurse can be comforting as you are going through it. I haven't cried after a shift, yet. Even though, I felt like crying on a couple occasions. I love a challenge and that is what keeps me coming back for another shift. I also like the variety of not knowing if I am walking into a good or bad shift. You just have to make sure it all balances out in the end. Too many rotten shifts in a row can really be demoralizing. So we don't get as much breaks as the seasoned nurses, eat dinner on the run, and wish we were faster, but we will get there. It just takes time and perseverance. Also, try to remove yourself from work when you get home. Give yourself the drive home time to unwind and think through your shift if you have to and then let it go. Again, it is that balance thing.

Well said medic 2033 and that is exactly what I am doing. I start my MSN in education this spring and it is a great base for future pursuits if I choose to go that route. I am also uncertain what focus as a NP I would be interested in and of course, I also love teaching. It is a great avenue for me to continue school and also have a great degree with options in the end. Kirsten

Meg, I am also a RT with a BS and I am not going to go for my BSN. I am bridging at the school I received my resp degree from for a MSN in education. It is only 34 credits and will take me 2yrs to finish. I found out by mail yesterday I was accepted into the program. It is online with a special federal grant that will pay for up to 85% of the educational costs. It is a sweet deal. Plus, I really like this school and they are bending over backwards to get me in. I guess they like their alumni. ) If you want more info, I would be happy to assist you. I know once you obtain a MSN, you can cross over to other fields of nursing for certifications at minimal credits needed. Kirsten