stinger530

My daughter got sent to an out of network hospital because there were no beds at the one our HMO covered. I wrote an appeal letter, sent it certifed and my claim was paid. It really can work!

Yup. I'm an NP and from the outside it looks easy. Get to wear street clothes and "carry a clipboard" and round on 80 patients everyday. Charting endlessly while answering questions and looking up drug interactions only to hear the ADN say to the Charge nurse," If she knows so much why does she have to keep looking things up?" And I don't get paid hourly so I can't get overtime but I sure can work it and then when I get home I'm on call. Mgt forgets you on nurses day. Nurses don't think you're a real nurse. Docs think you're just trying to find an easy way to play doctor. AT my former facility the ADN has dressed herself up in a white coat and is now introducing herself as an NP. She's even writing narcotic orders and practicing independently with diastrous results. Why can't we nurses just be happy being what we are? Why is there so much jealousy and misunderstanding in this field? We are all nurses whether CNT,RN,ADN,BSN,ANP. Those patients need every one of us, don't you think?

Thanks. My "little" boy is all grown up now. A college man. ANd now my eyes are full of tears remembering the sweet little guy he was. Cherish these rich, terrifying, swiftly moving days of your children's childhoods. Those were great days, but man was I ever tired! I'm holding out for grandchildren now!

Not until I was over 50 did I figure out what all the shoutin' was about! You don't have to be agespot free and skinny to be lovable!

I would have done exactly as you did. Let me guess the doctor you save in the ER was a hospitalist? I would appeal and use evidence based citations. I took my son to the ER the night before my first anatomy exam because he choked on a raisin, spit up and sounded hoase and I was afraid he had aspirated emesis.

Hang in there. If you are not the first nurse this has happened to within your organization it would make me wonder about their manner of orientation. It's rough making the transition and it takes a while. There's a great book called "From Novice to Expert" by Patricia Benner. I found that helpful. And I agree too with Pagandeva2000, just get well and start fresh. When you orient a new grad someday your experience will be very valuable and you will be able to help someone else avoid what happened to you.

What would you do if you knew of a situation where an ADN was representing herself as a nurse practitioner? She told the manager of the nursing home that she could do the same job as the NP for less money so they got rid of their NP, and now the ADN tells families she is an NP. She "practices" like an NP but without an understanding of pathophysiology or critical thinking skills her clinical judgment is so bad patient deaths are way up, of course it could just be that the patients are old.....When one old man with terminal cancer became short of breath, instead of following the palliative care plan she just crushed up several morphine tabs and fed them to him in ice cream. Would you tell somebody or would you keep your mouth shut and hope somebody else blows the whistle? What would you do?

You go girl! When I decided to become a nurse I was older and already had a BA so I went for a bridge program to get my MSN. Believe it or not, in my community it was the fastest way for me to become a nurse. BUT I had the same problem you do all the way through and even to this day there are nurses who want to rag on me for not having my BSN before getting my MSN, but it's funny that none of them have done the work to get their MSN. Some of the best nurses I have ever seen are LPNs. One of the best NPs I know came as a CNT to LPN to BSN to MSN. She has adepth of experience anda feel for patient care that no BSN right out of school would have. We have to do this thing the best we can given our our particular circumstances. There's too much negativity in Nursing. Too much criticism of our fellow nurses. You just keep eating that elephant one bite at a time and you WILL get there.

I don't think you are referring to being sexy at work are you? I think I know what you mean. I work at my upkeep to stay sexy. I shave my legs and pits q day, keep my short nails polished even if it has to be clear or a pale pink for work, keep my hair colored, keep my eyebrows up and work at keeping my face clear and moist, keep fit and at a healthy weight with exercise. When I am well groomed, well rested and healthy I feel sexy and strong. I am proud to be a nurse and that's empowering which is sexy too. I also favor solid scrubs because they look more professional and slimming. When I feel sleak, slim and well groomed I walk taller and actually feel more confident and that's sexy tooo, or at least that's what my boyfriend tells me. It's easy to feel neutered when you wear pajamas and sensible shoes to work, but with just a little more effort you can get past it.It's a head thing more than anything else. Good luck girlfriend, you can be a nurse and be sexy too!

I ran into some of the same kinds of comments when I was a new nurse working with dying patients. "Aren't you worried about getting HIV from your patients?" was the question. "I don't plan on having unprotected sex with my patients or any other kind!" was my answer. Universal precautions are just that. Universal. I take a flu shot every yearand practice Universal Precautions with every patient every time. When I get home I leave my shoes outside and take a shower. During my work day I wear gloves at the appropriate times and wash my hands before and after each patient encounter. I avoid touching my face at all times because the eyes are the most common place that cold viruses enter the body. I am almost never sick. Can't remember the last time I had a cold. I am healthier now than before I went to nursing school. I really do believe that you are at more risk grocery shopping than you are going to work in the hospital. Your husband, as a police officer is probably exposed to more dangerous people than you are! I also agree that you may have issues in your marriage that need talking about. My husband (now ex) was able to understand and go with safe sex for six months at a time times 3 when I had to deal with dirty needle sticks on three occasions. He was less able to deal with my increased confidence and autonomy once I became a practicing nurse. Keep talking with your husband. His fears may be more complex than either of you realize.

Go for it! There's a huge need out there. You will have a job. Especially if you go into acute adult, adult, geriatrics or specialty care like oncology, diabetes or hypertension. I wasn't a nurse before I went to a program like the one you are considering. I was lucky. My first preceptor treated my first year of employment as a residency. He opened the door for questions and included me in care conferences usually reserved for medical fellows. I stayed in that position for over 10 years. Remember, nurses are famous for eating their young and shooting their wounded. There's a lot of jealousy in our profession. Don't let the naysayers bring you down. Only 10% of nurses are APNs. Sometimes that causes problems. Do what you know in your heart you want to do. Be honest about what you don't know. Keep reading and asking questions. You will have a job. Promise. As long as you put the patient first you'll bevfine:yeah:.