jasmine4494

Originally Posted by suanna BE careful what you wish for- either you are going to be a great nurse with an open mind and a compassionate soul or you are totaly nuts to want to deal with the squirl balls that plague our ERs. My favorite story from ER- and one that is so common in our ER- is the poor guy who, while naked, "accidently" sat on his wifes' hairbrush, vibator, a lightbulb, various veggies..... and the next thing you know it was lost in his colon. I hate it when that happens! hahahahhaha When I worked as a clerk at the hospital I was walking down the hall while they were taking this man down to endoscopy while his male friend was running alongside screaming "i'm sorry, I'm sorry" and then I got his x-ray and there was the infamous gigantic potatoe he "sat on." Hmmmmm..........maybe he forgot to ask for "fries with that."

I confess--it cracks me up every time I hear someone say "I'm really nauseous" when they really mean to say they are nauseated. It's the equivalent of saying, "I'm really sickening." (Big smile!)

My feet require a lot more tendering than they used to, but my Klogs and Thorlos socks go a long way toward getting me through 12 to 15 hours of continuous walking. http://www.klogs.com http://www.thorlos.com

Personally, I believe that most nurses enter as idealists. The truly successful ones are able to make the transition to pragmatism. The journey between can be a rocky one. Take comfort in the knowledge that insight into your own limitations makes you a safer practitioner; it keeps you teachable and protects you, your patients and your colleagues. Few people are scarier than the novice who neither seeks nor listens to the advice of more experienced colleagues.

Generally, Stafford Loans are not awarded for subsequent bachelor's degrees. This is true for all courses of study. You are correct that Stafford Loans are available for advanced degrees, but not for multiples of bachelor's degrees. I do not consider myself expert in matters of student financial aid, but I do know that if I had actually completed my BSN (which I was working on when my husband died unexpectedly), I would have been disqualified from the Stafford Loans I needed to obtain my bachelor's degree in Biology. I expect that I will be utilizing more Stafford Loans when I start medical school in the next year (or two.)

If you recognize at the beginning of your education that your personality may not be such a good fit with the profession, you are already miles ahead of the game. Perhaps the Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory will help you decide if you should take nursing or go straight to medicine. I took this test as part of a nursing preceptor course. It revealed more than I expected, but explained why, despite a successful career, I have felt like a square peg in a round hole. The temperament type judged to be best suited to nursing is the ISFJ. One of the first professions listed for my temperament type (the INFJ) was "Physician/Dentist". (Epiphany!) *Anyone interested in this typology test can find it here: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp Way better than having your palm read! (Or, as one of my friends said, "Get outta my head!") If you know of a medical school that has a residency program in your area, check to see if it might be possible for you to shadow for a day or two. Most academic medicine programs are more than happy to give prospective students the opportunity to be exposed to a day in the life of a physician or resident. (Be aware that there is often a waiting list, and your shadowing opportunity may have to be scheduled weeks or months in advance.) Visit the web sites of some medical schools. Request information; you'll soon have a plethora of helpful information about what classes you'll need to take, necessary GPA, etc. Find out if they may be holding an "open house" that will allow you to come and tour the campus, speak with currently enrolled students about student life, financial concerns, etc., view demonstrations of simulator training for their physician students, and get a feel for the educational philosophy of the school. You have LOTS of questions; these people have answers for you. If you are willing to make the commitment, and you have what it takes, IT CAN BE DONE. Regarding the enormous debt incurred from going to medical school, paying off a loan that is anywhere from 50-100% of your annual salary doesn't sound nearly as scary as the dollar figure itself. If you purchase a vehicle that is 50% of your annual salary, what do you have after paying on it for 5 or 6 years? Invest in yourself and your future earning potential. You're only 30, and you still have MANY years of work ahead of you. (How old will you be in 10 years if you don't do it?) Make the most of your financial and intellectual resources! If you live in an "underserved" area, or are willing to practice in such a designated area, scholarships may be available to augment or cover the entire cost of tuition and books. Your commitment may be as little as the approximate equivalent of the time you spend in medical school--5 years, or so--not a bad deal at all. Once you have completed school and residency, there will be an array of repayment options from which to choose. (Many healthcare organizations agree to pay towards a physician's student loans as part of recruitment and retention.) Nursing will provide you with amazing insight and experiences, and will probably prevent you from writing many ridiculous orders (as we all have seen residents do,) but it's not necessarily a practical plan if you are truly intent on pursuing a career in medicine. You can probably accomplish as much by simply keeping open lines of communication with the nurses with whom you'll be working. If you do decide to continue on the nursing track, but still have the remotest inkling to go on to medical school, DO NOT obtain your BSN before attempting to complete the rest of the prerequisites you'll need for the MCAT. As I understand it, obtaining a bachelor's degree (in ANY field) will disqualify you from obtaining a Stafford Loan (both subsidized an unsubsidized,) and may also affect additional financial aid for which you would otherwise qualify. I hope you gain from the collective wisdom of your peers here, including the feedback you would have preferred to not hear--it is instructive and has the power to inform your future working relationships. Best of luck as you strive to actualize your potential! *Some additional resources: http://www.oldpremeds.org http://www.studentdoctor.net http://www.mommd.com

If getting into medical school is competitive (and it IS!), how is taking an undergraduate course that is "easier than nursing" going to advantage one in such a competitive field? As difficult as the nursing curriculum is, it does not rise to the same level of academic rigor required for the premed degrees (usually the B.S. in either biology or chemistry.) If anyone doubts this, a quick perusal of Kaplan's Comprehensive MCAT Review may prove enlightening.

As unbelievable as it may seem, I was 16 when I started the LPN program and graduated at the age of 17. (Had to wait until turning 17, so I could take the GED.) Turned 18 just in time for the state boards. Graduated from the ADN program 7 years later. After more than 25 years of nursing, finishing up a bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in chemistry...........premed major at the ripe old age of 43. (Life is really funny sometimes.)

Give me a new grad who does not suffer from an excess of self esteem. Uncertainty paves the way for teachability. There's a term for cautiousness in the absence of experience; it's called "prudence." With experience comes the ability to discern and to intervene appropriately. Some, through careless, will also learn by experience, much to the detriment of the patients under their care. How about motivation? Could I also have someone who understands from the beginning that hospital nursing is not a desk job? I know it's important to be able to delegate some tasks, but someone should explain to these prospective nurses (before graduation--so we don't have to) that it will not likely go over well when they attempt to delegate all their most unpleasant tasks for the purpose of spending more time warming a chair. Conversely, it is incredibly rewarding to share knowledge and experience with new grads who are motivated to learn and to expand their understanding, incorporating what they have learned into their own practice. In my experience, deficits in knowledge, experience or organizational skills are much more easily corrected than disinterest and/ or lack of motivation.

BEING A NURSE MEANS: You will never be bored You will always be frustrated You will be surrounded by challenges So much to do and so little time You will carry immense responsibility and very little authority You will step into peoples lives and you will make a difference Some will bless you Some will curse you You will see people at their worst . . and at their best You will never cease to be amazed at peoples capacity for love, courage, and endurance You will see life begin . . and end You will experience resounding triumphs and devastating failures You will cry a lot You will laugh a lot You will know what it means to be human and humane ~Melodie Chenevert

The purpose of the filter needle is to trap both macroscopic and microscopic glass shards released when a glass ampule is broken. Discarding the used filter needle (and its accompanying bits of broken glass) before administering the medication seems the most reasonable action.

I'm currently faced with this same issue, and have thought a good deal about whether to give the professor a "heads up." If the professor applies a curve to the grading scale, then the behavior of these other students certainly stands to impact the grades of all the students in the class. I don't think any clear-thinking person can blame honest students for speaking up. However, if these people feel they have to cheat to pass the tests, the lack of foundational knowledge necessitates more cheating, just to keep up. Things have a way of catching up; eventually, they will be discovered for the frauds they are.

Just a few points of interest: 1. Premarin = PREgnant MARes' uRINe, from which the estrogen is extracted. 2. Drinking urine exacerbates dehydration. Urine entering the gut is a hypertonic solution that pulls water from the interstitial space via oncotic/ osmotic pressure. So, if you think you might be dying of thirst in the near future, definitely ditch this idea. 3. Throwing away any beauty products containing urea may be a bit premature. It is unlikely that the urea has originated from an animal source (unless you paid extra to have the REAL thing! LOL) It was the synthesis of urea (an organic compound) from ammonium cyanate (an inorganic compound) in 1828 that revolutionized the field of organic chemistry. Since they've been able to do this for well over 150 years, it seems unlikely that animals would be used for this particular ingredient. Slap on the night cream and rest easy. 4. As for saving your urine in fruit jars in the basement........ The nitrogen is great for growing plants, and (unlike farmers with tanks of anhydrous ammonia) you'll never have to worry about meth manufacturers trying to steal your urine. Trivial pursuit, anyone? :smiley_ab

From the review of the journal article cited: Selection of the donor is of crucial importance to avoid infecting the recipient with a separate disease. The donor should be tested at least for HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus, with stool negative for any detectable parasites or bacterial pathogens. In our experience, choosing the patient's partner offers a theoretical advantage that any transmissible disease would have been transmitted and emerged by now.