ImMrBill3, RN

Just an FYI, the trick was accurate in my case...

I'll be seeing if the mask seals around my beard in the next two weeks. If not I'll shave it, but the hair stays.

Good Luck!!!

The graduating class of summer 09 from WVU SON now has their ATT's and temporary permits. Mine arrived with my name mis-spelled so I am in the process of getting that fixed. My ATT has it correct so I am going to schedule my NCLEX soon. Those of us starting at Ruby begin on Sep 14, wish us all luck!

I just graduated from the WVU traditional RN program and thought it was great. Of course not perfect but its a great school and a good school of nursing. I know a bunch of the students doing BS (in another field) to BSN and they seem to think its OK. Many of my instructors have been involved in graduate programs there.

Good luck! If you have applied at Ruby also make sure to give HR a call.

I got my CNA in GA and took only CNA course. The classes you are taking will be of great benefit to you though, especially if you decide to pursue nursing.

My suggestion is call security and notify your supervisor. I don't think a triage nurse can walk away from a room full of patients to find one who has left.

Best of luck to you all. I thinking nursing school is like a Dickens novel, the best of times and the worst of times. Remember your enthusiasm it will serve you well in the difficult to deal with parts. The advice to save some money on textbooks is good. Cherish these times and the friendships you will build. Don't allow yourself to get too frustrated with the inanities of the SON. And it can be done no matter how hard it seems. I just finished officially on Friday!!!

My first one was very rough. I was working as a CNA doing home care for HIV pts. I arrived at a patients house within minutes of his committing suicide by shotgun. I entered the house with my key and searched for the pt. There was a faint smell that reminded me of hamburger (sorry that's the closest I could come). I the last place left to look was the shower of the upstairs bathroom. He was there (what was left). I knew it was very recent by the odor and color of the blood and the lack of any clotting or drying. It was a traumatic sight, it looked like a v-neck sweater with nothing above the v, everything else was completely disintegrated. On top of it all there was no phone working in the house and I had to run to a payphone to call 911. The responding police officers stopped the other police officers from going in... I also had a pt pass while working in a nursing home. Right at end of shift the LPN was doing med pass and I was doing last round. I was right behind her in this pts room. I was struck by the coldness of her skin. My first witnessed death was just few weeks ago towards the end of my senior leadership experience in the ICU. It was one of two pts assigned to me at begining of shift, then my other pt was reassigned due to the increasing level of care needed for this pt. My preceptor was adjusting a drip to get her BP up and I was on the other side of the bed. I looked up at the monitor and watched her HR go from the 50s to the 40s. I told my preceptor she was bradying down, she looked up and said check her pulse, it was not palpable. I started compressions my preceptor called for the crash cart and we proceeded to run a full code, twice. The family was present and agreed to have us stop when the second resusucitation attempt was not acheiving results after 20 mins. We had gotten a pulse back and with all the drugs it took another 30-45 mins for her ECG to flatline. It was strange to me that even as I closed the bag I still considered her my patient.

Good luck! I think looking at the job sites info on "behavioral interviewing" might be useful. The basic idea is to find out how you handled something in the past as an indicator of how you will handle it in the future. Go over your nsg school experiences and previous work/life looking for concrete examples. I have been asked about dealing with difficult pts, conflict w coworkers, what I feel proud of, when I caught something small but important etc...

Study groups can be invaluable. A great group will boost your grade an entire letter. I had a fantastic study group in Chem and we would all take turns explaining and working problems on a dry erase board. In nursing classes it was essential. Don't worry about group members who aren't at the same level as you, that provides the best learning experience. Try explaining to someone who is genuinely trying but doesn't get it, you will know the material better than any other way. Listen to someone struggle to explain what you already have down and learn how to be clear and recognize difficult or important aspects. Be humble and realize that others can understand the material in different ways that may have substantial clinical or test taking value. Use study groups as a way of getting used to working with others, taking report, giving report and making suggestions to providers for pt care can all be improved by having experience in discussions with others.

You do documentation in your ER? Just kidding but when we get patients up in S/M ICU the documentation is pretty bare bones and very much acute condition focused. I agree with the previous poster to read others notes and learn from the example. I also applaud any nurse who works to get good assessments and history you might consider putting the "extra" information at the end of the note and using that crazy documentation shorthand...

I always wore mine in a ponytail with multiple bands to keep it together and in place. I don't think the bun or claw look would have gone over too well since I am male. I wonder what they would have done at some of the places mentioned? I have noticed that many of the working nurses wear their hair down. I always put several bands in so it stays tight and down my back, I agree with the previous poster and don't want to think about what gets in long hair that is loose down the back. I have seen nurses drag their hair across a number of surfaces and substances I really would not want my hair in. I think it is actually sometimes a risk to patients as I have seen hair dragged across wounds. I have never said anything since I am already in a difficult position as a male with long hair.

If you decide to continue at this institution I would strongly suggest you document as much as possible. This might include keeping your own notes but will certainly include official documentation of the patient care. Many of your issues seem to concern what has been done for the pt before you take over, make sure you do what you feel is needed and document doing it. As others have said it is fairly common (in my limited experience) for there to be things that need to be "caught up" from the last shift. In the most serious of cases it would probably be appropriate to fill out incident reports. In the case of the nurse who said "not my pt" the issue should be taken to the charge nurse and a system for transfer of pt responsibility should be made clear to both.