trauma_queen2010

I all depend on where you work and your management. I work in the ER at a hospital in KY and and do all the gerneral stuff, toileting, cleaning, EKGs and what not. I also have been trained and signed off to read heart monitor and EKGs, do phlabotamy, insert folys, pull iids. I have been trained to do these advanced skills. This is legal and i am insured to do them. I also have to do yearly compatencies to maintain my ability to do these things. If it were not for the paperwork I wold not be allowed to do such things and would not be covered if say someone got a util due to the cath. Anyone doing them needs to insure that they are covered to do so or if a malpracticve suit occurs you will be out on a line by yourself.

Well I have worked in home health, Assisted living, and hospitals. Personally I love working in hospitals. Home health was ok but schedule was inconsitant and a lot of traveling. Assisted living i would never do again. The home that I worked in we did the med passes and everything. I have always worked night shift so we did q 4 toileting, moring showers, and morning med pass along with a crap load of cleaning. THe biggest down side is there was no nurse and 2 cnas for 36 residents. Hospitals offer a lot of benifits and depending on the hospital a lot of room for advacnement and learning advanced skill which in turn means more money. I currently work in the ER and have been trained to read heart monitors and ekgs, the secratarial stuff, phlabotamy, and how to insert catheters. If you are planning on going on with schooling you will also find that nurses love to teach and have a wealh of knowledge to share. good luck to you.

It all depends on how well staffed your hospital is. I work at a hospital and depending on the schedule and census I was getting one extra shift a week until they cut off overtime and bonuses for working extra shift last month.

First off in NS you do your clinicals at a hospital or other medical facility. Hospitals generally require anyone working in any capacity to pass a drug screen. Yes this is legal. If there are medications that could show up in the screen you can usually show proof of the prescription when you do the initial screen without haveing to explain anything. If it is prescribed thats all that really matters. Depending on what medical condition your friend may be trying to keep in the bag so to say it may be something she should disclose anyway. Especially in the instance that it can be spread to a patient. Those things are kept on need to know basis anyways. Some schools require a full physical also.

Well I work 7p-7a in the ER and I absolutely love it. I only work three days a week which right now is wed, friday, sat. I am a single mom but my mom keeps my my daughter for me during the day sat and sun so I can sleep. I still have a life and am also going to school for nursing. I like my scedule because I work the nights before my days off of school so the two dont interfere with one another. and for the record I am never bored at night. We keep busy pretty much 24/7 in the er so even on night the time flys.

Thank you both for the advice and insight!!! I start the 2 year program in 12 days!! I will try to just blend in... the down side is I work in the ER of the hospital we are doing our first semester clinicals in... it shall be interesting.

Ok so I start the nursing program in Jan and am wondering what I can expect. I have been an EMT for 5 years and worked in hospitals since i graduated from high school the last few years in the ER so I have a very firm grasp on what is going to be expected of me when I get to the real world of working. My question is has anyone else made the trasition for emergancy medical to nursing. There are a lot of differences between the two mainly working in the field we base everything on protocols and personal experiances without a doctor telling us what to do. Im worried about the scope of practice issues if I do something in clinicals that we havent learned yet but I do on a daily basis out of pure routine. Any advice would be appreciated!!

cardiology IIIs are very good! I would take it to a place that sells them and see if you can get you name engraved in either the tubing or on the bell itself plus get a tag and put your name and school on it. They tend to walk away if you dont keep an eye on them. Ive had 3 litmans disappear in the 5 years ive been an EMT and it can get expensive to replace them. Good luck in school!

I would go with the traditional resume. List your currnt and past jobs education and any certifications you may hold (CPR, CNA, ect). Another good idea would be to get letters of recomentaion from nurses you currently work with and if possible your instructor from last semester. If you are applying at the hospital where you did your clinicals and you got to know any of the nurses talk to them and see if you can use them as your reffered by person.. (some hospitals give bonuses fo refering new employees and for the new employees that were refered by a staff member). Another tip if you get called for an interview research the facility, know its values and goals and keep that information in mind as you are answering questions this will show them you are interested in them not just a hospital position. good luck!!

At our school and the hospital I work at mind you it is a catholic hospital any tattoo has to be covered. As far as the nose ring. They are not allowed even a tasteful stud. Part of it is that it can be considered offensive part of it is infection control. When you consider it is an additional surface for things like MRSA to get into and not constantly cleaned like your hands are. Plus as previously stated someone could grab hold and possibly rip it out... just things to consider...

well Ive worked in hospitals in both states. Down here where im working right now the hospital and nurses have taught me how to draw blood and insert cathaters. I start my first semester of nursing classes in Jan. My other tidbit of advice is if you do get a job at a hospital dont pick up a lot of bad habits from the nurses you work with... granted there is the text book way and the real world way to do things but you will be tested on the text book way...

it depends on your sate. In IL for instance to work as a CNA/tech you have to have you CNA but after you first semester of nursing classes you can sit for the licenseing test without taking the actual CNA class. KY on the other hand does not require you have any license or certifacation to wor as a tech so they actually hire people off the streets with no previous experiance or education. My advice to you would be to contact the HR department at your local hospital and ask them what they require. If tehy require certification they would also be able to tell you how to go about getting it. Another person you could talk to to see where would be a good place to work other than a hospital would be your dean of nursing at yours school. Depending on where you live and the laws/requirements in your state some assisted living places hire med techs that do primarily med passes. Tht might be an option for you too.... I would start at the hospital first though. I have learned so much from the nurses I work with in the ER and they are always will to answers!! Good luck!!!

I am in the same boat as you are. I got my acceptance letter over the summer so have had time to get ready for what is to come. Yet the anxiety gets to me at times. Especially this last week while I was waiting for all my grades to be posted as all are pre-req classes.... I start in January and am excited and scared. I work in a hospital and have pick up a lot of thing some good and some bad. I know as soon as school starts I need to kick some bad habits really quick. (like removing the tip of a glove to be able to feel a difficult vein). Its not real world its ideal world in school. Unfortunately working in the real world emergency room noting is ideal. Ive decided not to buy the books and our module packet thing until a week or two before class starts. Though getting them early probably would be that bad of an idea... well good luck to you.. Yes it will be ok... I think the wondering what its going to be like is just and agonizing as the program is going to be... Try to relax and enjot the holidays