muffins20

http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/content.do?rc_layout=bottom&subchannel=-536893594&programid=536913940&sc3=null&sc2=null&id=-536893080&agency=NursingBoard From the MN BON website, there's an Education tab that will bring you to the above linked page, then once you're there on the very bottom is a list of online websites providing CEU's.

Try your local friendly dermatologist clinic. I did a health promotion presentation in school on this topic and was able to find some samples from a skin care clinic. Also try asking the product company directly, not the stores, and maybe even ask other experienced nurses as they may have connections. Maybe even the makeup counter attendants at the mall may be able to help you out a bit.

While job searching I've seen straight days offered at assisted living facilities, clinics, home care, and at a LTAC facility. You never know, but I don't remember seeing any bedside nurses working straight days in the hospital I used to work at. Some have worked straight evenings or nights though, which may be easier for one's sleep schedule rather than rotating shifts.

I was actually just thinking about a song from Charlotte Gainsbourg about being in a MRI, called IRM (french abbreviation). And... Momma said there will be days like this...

Congratulations on the job!!

I worked with a lady who would always smile, "You're so beautiful," while reaching her hand up to try and touch my face... after she was done wiping herself. :uhoh21: I also worked with a man who was very demanding and whenever I said, "patience is of virtue," he would always reply, "not for men!" Another lady had a bedside plaque that said, "The queen sleeps here." After reading it she would proudly say something along the lines of, "It must be talking about me," or "that's right."

I actually just asked a career counselor about this situation the other day... the answer: Don't disclose the fact you're pregnant until you are offered the job. That way you can protect yourself from discrimination, AND you can help alleviate any of management's fears by promptly planning (preferably you should have plans in place at this point) what you plan to do when the time comes to take leave. Management is concerned about different things- how long you'll be gone, ordered bedrest if there's a complication and being short-staffed, and if you'll even return (some new mommies decide they want to stay at home), and what you'll do if the baby is sick- will you have a sitter? They can't legally ask you if you're pregnant during an interview- so you don't need to tell them/disqualify yourself. Best wishes.

My first thought was no due to lack of experience, but on second thought I really learned a lot from quite a few newer nurses at my old job (they weren't clinical instructors tho, just staff nurses). They really took the time to explain the diagnoses, treatments, procedures, charting, organization, and were very supportive. A few of them even had really strong leadership skills on top of the knowledge. Not too long ago they were new nurses themselves, and they could remember/teach what helped them learn the ropes. So it is possible it can be done well.

When I listened all I could hear was the vent pushing the air in. It kind of reminded me of watching a war movie and hearing rapid gunshots firing in the background. I couldn't really hear anything else besides that loud noise. Is it possible to hear regular or adventitious lung sounds when the vent is running? Does it just take practice? Any audio files online to listen to help become more familiar with this situation? The client also has the ability to frog-breathe for a little bit (diaphragm muscle has atrophied) and I listened to that while being off the vent and it sounded very faint to me, just like wisps of air, yet O2 sats are still good, is that expected or do I need to listen better? I plan on asking the client's longtime nurse about this but was wondering what any pulmonary nurses had to say. Thank you!

Well maybe the patient would actually appreciate you freshening up the room. Reassure them to something along the lines of; it's not their fault, they didn't do anything wrong, their body is just out of balance. Or you can be covert and help them wash up in the bathroom and spray the room while they're occupied.

Tzatziki sauce (cucumber and yogurt sauce) with warm, lightly salted and toasted pitas. It's also good as a veggie dip too. Cold pasta salad with Italian dressing, pepperjack cheese chunks, pepperoni, black olives, etc... Spinach dip in a Hawaiian bread bowl. Fresh salsa... or Tabouli Pizza!

You totally did the right thing. You put the patient's safety above your fears and that was the mature thing to do, and it shows that you have integrity compared to those other med passers who don't report their mistakes.

Yea, there is definitely a lot more to consider before taking this job. Thanks, you two for your input.

But as a home health RN, is this normal to take a case just to ensure certain treatments are done, like trach care and suction, and be there in case of vent failure. Don't I have a duty (as an RN) to monitor more of his overall health status to prevent negligence?

Well I have an interview for my first job. The client and an RN, are going to train me on the necessary skills I'll need to know to care for the client who lives with a chronic, degenerative condition. I feel hesitant that the main purpose of this position seems to be to monitor and ensure a proper airway. As a new RN, I want to protect my license, and I feel like there's a risk for negligence with that. So to minimize the risk I want to ask if there's anything I can do to protect myself or ask about during the interview. This is a whole new world to me. I feel like I need to assess and evaluate the respiratory system before and after the interventions, and document. I feel like I will also need to implement and document measures to prevent risk for infection and injury. And I feel like it'll be important to assess overall health status because of the degenerative condition. Is there anything I'm missing? The company should have Policies and Procedures to refer to, right? I'm not sure what to look for. Thank you

The PVT worked! I passed!!!

Definitely apply while in school. It's not fun to study for the boards AND job hunt at the same time (when you're a grad w/o a license it probably doesn't look good) AND deal with whatever life wants to throw at you.

Transition = stress. Take some time out for yourselves, and relax. Don't be too rushed to talk and see what's working and what can be improved. As for the food situation... There's a few things you can try looking into. See what he wants/likes to cook and go grocery shopping for that. If he's into grilling, try that. Also, does his mom have any recipes that he really loves? Maybe he'll enjoy cooking his favorite childhood meals for his children, and enjoy what he's eating too. Also worth thinking about- is he stressed out, or doesn't want to do the cleaning up afterwards? Maybe he needs a plan, some people just can't make a meal from scratch off the top of their head. I have a recipe you can try that's really easy, yummy, quick, and only uses one skillet. Knorr Brand Pasta. It's bags of dried pasta you can find at the grocery store for usually only a dollar. Love it because it already has the sauce mixed in with the noodles. So just add milk and simmer for a few minutes. To make it more of an entree than just a side dish, add whatever vegetables, meat, or seafood your family likes. For example, try the spinach alfredo and cook it up with a bag of frozen spinach mixed in there. Then top it off with parmesan cheese and chicken. You could buy the packaged pre-cooked chicken that's found over by the lunch meats section. Or you can grill some chicken, or even make some fried parmesan-crusted chicken breasts (dip in a bowl of egg, then cover in a parmesan/flour/bread crumb mixture).

The WOCN I followed for a day as a student nurse said to "put your time in the trenches," when I asked her what would be a good area of nursing to start out in if I was interested in following that path. She was referring to working in a med-surg floor to get a foundation. That way you can see how medical diseases can impact wounds/wound healing, and get experience with the surgical wounds. I know it doesn't really answer your question, but it could be helpful to know.

You can work any shift, you're just required to work 1 weekend a month. Of course you have to keep in mind if the unit is already fully staffed, your manager may appreciate it more if you worked an eve or night instead of day shift, and to work more weekends. It's really a beneficial job and I'd say if you go for it, get your experience while you can and work as much as possible. I would think any VA hospital would have a SNT position, so look at their website to find the nurse recruiter. There's no benefits, you're a temp, but there's weekend/night shift differential. And it probably pays at least $12/hr depending on where you are.

Sounds cool, I'm glad your employer helped you to pursue your interests. My dear old dad sent me an email with agency job listings and I was hesitant, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. At least it worth checking out. Thank you!

Good to know, thank you for the info. Time to start planning then.

I've wondered about this before too. I imagine it'll happen to a nurse sooner or later. While the ethics committee is trying to resolve the issue, how does the nurse on floor carry out care for the patient then? Follow MD orders even if they are against the AD or continue being an advocate for the patient and their AD?

I had the Davis Drug guide in school and in the front it had a section for the different classifications that covered side effects, action, purpose, etc. There's no easy way to do it, but try repetition, teaching, or thinking of real-life examples from clinical to help you remember the drug.

With the economy the way it is, is it possible to get into a RN-BSN program without RN work experience? I just graduated in December and the market doesn't look too hot for an ADN.