NurseNighting

I am currently attending UMass-Lowell (UML). I notice that the posts here are from a few years ago and pertained to the undergrad program. My experience has been very different from those portrayed here. I actually am out of state at UML because during the application process, they were VERY organized and there were no time delays when I was waiting, waiting, waiting for the next step as happened with other schools I applied to. I was eventually accepted to all the schools I applied to and chose a school different from UML. The school I chose was extremely disorganized and I had delay after delay during the acceptance -> registration process. When I got an email from them that indicated classes would not run if they did not have enough students enrolled, I jumped ship. Luckily the UML boat had not already sailed and I was able to switch. I have not regretted that decision once! :redpinkhe Everything at UML so far has been smooth sailing and I feel like I am getting a good solid education. I guess everyone's experience is different - maybe it is a good idea to apply to lots of different schools so you have a basis of comparison when deciding where to go.

i agree. write her up! there is no excuse for that kind of verbal attack and racist comment. that being said, what you experienced is probably a typical systemic problem. if you are that busy then you are understaffed. i had a similar situation a few months ago, except my lna was not rude and disrespectful and she genuinely was drowning in all that she had to do. i was drowning as well! it is a lose(rn) - lose(lna) - lose(pt) situation that can be dangerous. what i am seeing go on does not even make good financial sense on the administration end of things. if they could staff enough lnas/hucs then they would not be paying an rns wage to fill water pitchers and answer phones. sure it is great when we have surplus time to run around and do things like that and it permits us to spend more time with patients. but we only have 2 hands and 2 feet and one brain. we cannot do it all unless nurse:patient ratios are in the range where this is humanly possible. nurses have to do the meds and other things in our scope that lnas/hucs can't do, but often we get stuck with all the rest too because someone has to and the buck stops with us. then we leave late and rack up overtime. we need to realize that we are not "angels" who can magically swoop in and make it all right. when we put up with this type of chronic understaffing and high ratios, we are placing our patients at risk and this is not a very "angelic" thing to do. we are not advocating for the best interests of our patients when we do not address the problem of chronic understaffing with the powers that be. it also adds greatly to the cost of healthcare and that ship is sinking fast! lnas where i come from are to be directed by the nurse. i feel like the system that has developed though is one where they get their assignment and do their own thing - we get ours, and do ours, and away we go. at my hospital there is very little interaction between us and we do not help each other at all except with a lift here and there. we are not working as a team - we are each drowning in our own mess of a busy day where you have time for nothing. i don't think this system works. let's face it some lnas are wonderful and others aren't - same with nurses. but nurses should be overseeing lna work to a greater degree, that is if we have time! i think lna's should work in teams too (1lna a bed 1lna b bed). then they have help with lifting and they will have each other to learn from and model behavior too. it helps with accountability too. we had a patient complain because she had been there 3 days without clean linen, gown, toothbrush, nothing! she was waiting for someone to offer and we nurses just assumed that the lnas were doing this. it was a terrible situation and very embarrassing. good luck working with this person - it will be hard. document everything!

Congrats Mex. It is so exciting to be on your way! I have decided I am changing from the school I originally accepted. I begged another to take me back even though I had turned them down - they have been amazing from the start and everything is so organized and clear. I like that - it works for me. They sent me all the classes I should take for fall and I am all signed up! I am sleeping easy these days knowing that the school I am going to is solid as a rock. UML here I come!

help!! so i have been accepted at a few schools and thought i had my mind made up about which np program i was choosing. but now i am finding myself sitting here with all the little acceptance/refusal response cards, unable to actually make my hands drop them in the mailbox. i love the school i settled on, but they seem to be a bit disorganized about exactly what the periodicity and the sequence of courses is. they still have not sent me a packet with the program details and very little program info is available online. (two of my other schools have been very specific about details, sent giant packets and have tons on info online.) it seems that there are only 3 fall courses offered that i will be able to take that do not require pre-requisites. (i am verifying this.) also, i will have to arrange my own practicum experiences. this is the student's responsibility at this school (not at two of my others). i am getting cold feet and very anxious since i cannot just keep these other schools (which seem way more organized and have all the required courses available/offered in the fall term) in my back pocket just in case. i chose the school i did because of the low cost, local networking potential, geographical location, beautiful and safe® campus . all schools seem to have the same quality of their programs. what would you do? could you live with the unknowns and ambiguity?

I got in too. All 4 schools! I can't believe it! I need to pick fast - but have a pretty good idea of which one I will choose. I am so relieved. Like youknowwho above, I was persistent too. Even went so far as to email the department head. It seems these things take a lot longer to go through the whole process than one would think! But I found that they were not put off by someone contacting them in an assertive but appropriate manner. And it helped to move things along. The department administrative assistants too where a GREAT source of information. Phew! Good luck to those of you just starting this whole process! Hang in there.

I saw on CDC website a couple days ago that standard, contact, AND droplet precautions should all be used for Swine Flu. If this is an issue for you at work, I would certainly verify this and check for updates to this and other info at CDC.gov since things are changing rapidly. Might be good to also check WHO.int and your state health department website to get info. Third, be certain you are also following your hospitals policy and procedures as well. Always get facts from reputable/reliable sources.

I got in to 2 so far, 2 more to go!! I heard today about the 2nd school. I don't know why the others are taking SO LONG!! I am going to have to make a choice soon on the 1st two, but still don't have letters for the remaining 2. :-( What to do? Loganable, you have some good advice above. I think I will try to contact advisor and see how that goes....

Congratulations!! That is terrific!! I had an interview at one of my schools today. It went great!

i saw that some here are wait-listed. when reading up on admissions for my daughter's college aps i read a great great book called the college hook. i think i remember it had a while chapter on strategies to "work the wait list" and things you can do. for example, if you continue to send them news of accomplishments that helps you stand out. i will certainly try to do this if i am waitlisted. am not even there yet. still haven't heard from 3 out of 4 of the schools i applied to :-( . still waaaiiiittiingg. it is getting a little ridiculous at this point!

I know exactly how you feel Youknowwho. The minute I had everything done I started to go crazy. I always plan my schedule about 6-12 months ahead and I am just in limbo till I know exactly where I will go and what my schedule will be. The good news tho.... Interviewed at one of my schools yesterday and got my acceptance online today!!!! Finally things are starting to happen!! I am so relieved to know that I have a spot at a great school, no matter what happens with the rest. Hopefully I will know all soon, can plan my schedule and work, and will get a good package too!! :-} We will see.

You should be careful to read up on your hospital's policy and procedure if you are not certain. Steps can vary from facililty to facility and state to state. At my hospital, everything is online, others still have the old binders, some P&Ps state that policy follows a nursing procedure text book's procedure - and this book is available on the unit to refer to, but this information should be readily available to you. When in doubt, (i.e. can't find a P&P or your still have questions) I would ask for advice up the chain of command and possibly even contact education to see if they can help. By following your hospitals P&P you are able to best protect your patient and your license from harm.

from the way i understand it, the dnp focuses on learning to use research, while the phd focuses on conducting research. so, in nursing, if you want to do intensive/extensive research you need to focus on phd. programs. that being said you can be involved in research on some level in many programs including masters and dnp programs (sometimes even bachelor programs too i think), and this depends on what opportunities and programs exist at individual universities/colleges. this is a simplistic explanation so i encourage you to read some articles too that explain in more detail. to answer your larger question, the terminal (highest) degree in nursing is a doctoral degree, and the dnp and phd are types of doctoral degrees. you are smart to learn all this in the early stages of your career so that you can develop a plan. good for you!

CardioTrans - did they call themselves the "late decider"? If so, how did you interpret that. This whole process is like being in an episode of Twilight Zone!! LOL

Finally progress!! Had interviews and they went well. Another school will mail letters mid April, just a couple more weeks!! I felt for so long that I was completely stuck with nothing happening. Such a relief even to have these small bits of progress made.

I am waiting too. Applied to 4 programs here in the Northeast and should hear by mid April at lastest I guess. This wait is driving me insane! I feel like my whole life is in limbo until I can know. I need a new job too, but I can't know what I can reasonably commit too until admitted - but can't afford to wait either. My per diem hours are being cut to the bone because of budget issues and low census. If only a big white magic envelope would arrive in the mail tomorrow.