luvbug080688

If you are working an inpatient unit, you will most likely work 12-hour shifts. Most facilities try to do a panama type schedule where you work 14 shifts in a 28 day period. Additionally, you will, most likely, flip between day shift and night every three months. The only way you were able to avoid that was if you and another person on the opposite shift were willing to stay how things were. Clinic nurses work different times, but all day shift. Currently I work APU/PACU and work 3 various shifts, 6-3, 730-430, and 8-5. CRNA school is an AFIT slot that you apply for. I do know that you need at least a year of ICU experience, but I don't know if they require the identifier to apply or not....I don't believe so, but I'm not positive. It is possible to apply and go from there and see if you make it or not.

It's really hard to say how likely you will be to get Germany. Where you are stationed at the time all depends on what the Air Force/Army needs at the time. There are definitely locations in Germany that both the Air Force and Army place nurses though. I have been fortunate enough to get stationed in England, where I am now.

Where I work, we have 2 phases to our recovery: 1) PACU: they hang out with us there on their gurney for a minimum of 20 minutes.... ....after that.... 2) APU: they then hang out here for a minimum of an hour. the first 30 minutes they are there, they remain on the gurney, unless their need to pee is ridiculously high and they are capable of getting up. after they get up at the 30 minute mark to pee, they get put into a chair for the last 30 mintues of their stay. Obviously, if they aren't okay to move after the minimum stay in either of the rooms, they stay for how long they need. But for those that are doing swimmingly post surgery, they only have to stay with us for 1:30.

Hey All! Two questions for you: 1) What is the best place/accreditor for a medsurg certification? 2) My two year mark for experience is in October. I had been in a medsurg setting unil a month ago when I was transferred to the APU/PACU of my facility. Will this still be okay for me to pursue my certification? Many thanks in advance! Sarah

i am in the air force currently working as a nurse : )

]Does anyone have a favorite regulation pump that they wear that isn't one you can buy from AAFES??? ] ] ] ] ]Low cut, rounded throat shoe, with a raised heel no higher than 2 ½ inches (measured from the inside sole of shoe to the end of heel lift), without fastening. Tip of heel cannot be less than ½" and no larger than the body of the shoe. Wear must be plain, black, smooth, scotch-grained leather or man-made material, patent or high gloss finish, commercial design without ornamentation such as,buckles, bows, straps. Black satin optional for mess dress and formal dress. Faddish styles will not be worn (extreme toes -- pointed or squared or extreme heel shapes). ]- AFI36-2903 pg 70

Like it's been said a billion times before on here, COT is what you make of it. If you have a good attitude and don't freak out over everything, you will be fine. Your flight is going to make or break it for you as well. A good flight and a good flight commander are the two most important things you can have while you are there...besides a good attitude. Do what you need to do to survive while you are there....if you are tired and can't possibly think of doing anything else but sleeping yet you need to practive your briefing....go to bed. Ha. If you have any more specific questions, PM me.

@tee_byrd for the comissioning? everyone is different as to how big or formal they want theirs to be. i didn't want anything big or showy or busy. i did mine in my living room wearing shorts and t-shirt, as was the lt col who was comissioning me. we chatted beforehand, i called my recruiter to make sure everything that needed to be signed was signed, and then i did the oath in front of my fire place. signed all my lines and sent the papers back to my recruiter via fedex. some of my friends have done their comissioning at the recruiters offce....some have had a big family party/get together.....some have had a whole community party. to each their own. i was also only given 2-3 days warning before i had to comission, not that it really mattered because i knew enough people who could do the oath for me. all in all, it can be as grand or as low-key as you want it to be.

i comissioned 8-july-10 for the cot 10-06 (august) last year with no issues. : )

Lakenheath has an SCU technically, not an ICU. : )

thanks for the tip. unfortunately, due to my current situation and placement, picking up shifts at a psych facility is out of the question. i will have to just do research and reading for now then.

Hey All! I am interested in the possibility of pursuing an advanced degree in mental health nursing. However, I currently am unable to switch out of my MedSurg environment to seek placement in a psych setting. Having said this, is there anything that you would recommend, either classes, reading, book work, etc that may help prepare me for a possible move and to mainly give me more information on this path. Thanks!

i am back : ) ha. so whenever you want to chat. or if you have facebook or whatever works best for you. let me know!

Hey Texas- I enjoy England. It's not as busy as Lackland would be obviously, but I like it here. I can give you a more in-depth view on it via e-mail or PM if you would like to do that. Feel free to e-mail me at my screen name at yahoo.com : ) It may take me a few days to reply though since I am going on vaca. Ha.

It's all about who you know and using what resources you have available to you to the max. Do what you need to do to get a job, as long as it isn't illegal.

As a Dec 2010 graduate of the NTP program, I must admit that I fully enjoyed my time in a civilian location. The experiences that I was able to gain theire as opposed to what my cohorts were able to get at an MTF are not comparable. Civilian locations you are able to complete your "checklists" much faster and see much more such as trauma. I will concede that being in a civilian facitily you do not get the comradery and leadership guidance that one could gain at a MTF. However, having said that, I would not change the fact that I was at a civilian site to go to a MTF. In fact, I would encourage everyone to complete their NTP at a civilian site. luvbug080688

please ignore the shady way the question came out....this computer hates me.

Hey AllNurses!!!Quick question for those out there today/tonight. What is your hospital's procedures on documenting IV fluids for your shift?Thanks!luvbug080688

I am in the Air Force and besides when I took it in high school, I was told it wasn't a requirement for officers.

http://www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2903.pdf page 87 in the document or page 88 according to adobe.

i had all big hospitals that would have up-to-date technology on my dream sheet for conus and i got an oconus assignment. there are no guarantees with your dream sheet, but it doesnt hurt to put them down at least.

the echo what was already said to some of the questions....- My roommate and I woke up before we were supposed to be allowed every morning. You will learn that to be on time is frowned upon and you need to be early...for everything practically. - PT in the morning was stretching, abs, Insanity/P90X moves, running, etc, etc. - The earliest I ever went to bed at COT was 2200 I believe and that was a night I should have stayed up much later but threw in the towel because I was too tired to stay up. 5 Hour Energy will become your friend. I had one on me at all times. - Ages were all different. I was the youngest in my flight (22) and my roommate was old enough to be my mother. - No mods for females. Just a lower minimum. Start working on them now. Do 5 a day for a week, then 7, etc, etc. The program mentioned is awesome.- Don't expect to be able to the OTS complex for a couple of weeks and then you probably won't leave Maxwell at all until the last weekend you are there- Uniforms are a must. No ifs, ands, or buts about it- Curriculm is intense. Study when you can. It's a lot of information in a small amount of time.

i oddly would love to be able to go to asbc...lol....

mid, did you like ASBC? anything like cot or different? ha.

Oh la la. No, no. No other country guy at all. No intentions to watch out for at all.