SpudID

Can anyone reply or PM me about getting laser training for a Lyrica 2000 in Oregon or in the NW? Have an opportunity to learn this, the laser is owned, but don't know where to start. Thank you, SpudID

I am looking for a Epocrates discount code that works for Spring term 2010. Any help? Our school gave us a 10% code but I heard that our affiliated medical school gets 30-50% discount. Thanks! SpudId

Thanks so much for the replies. It sounds like be careful with book purchases; I already have a Littman cardiology III steth; and buy "good" lab coats. I haven't used a lab coat since nursing school. What makes a good lab coat and how many, 3? THANKS everyone.

I have not received a list of what I need for FNP school. I am starting in September and I would like to start looking for used things since I will be watching every penny. Has anyone received their list and would share? Can anyone advise on what tools are needed for FNP school? For example, I don't own an otoscope? Do I need one? Thanks, SpudId

What would be the purpose of taking this exam? Is it only for credibility in the medical community or does it assist in billing purposes? Just curious as to why a person with a DNP would be motivated to take this exam?

Was accepted to OHSU Fall 2009 FNP class. Anyone else going? Congratulations to all!

Just heard from OHSU grad school and was accepted into the FNP program for fall of 2009. Anyone else go? Please contact me off list. Congratulations to everyone else.

Thanks for all your help. I looked at Goodwill and they were about $4-7. I looked online and found scrubs for $3.99/top/bottom from Lydia's. So got whole outfits for $8.00 and the kids chose their colors. It was more convenient and I didn't have to piecemeal it like I would from Good will. You are all great!

I am nurse in Portland and my scrubs are provided by the hospital. My family and I are going on a family medical mission trip in January. I am looking for some cheap scrubs (4 pr/person). I only have two sets of scrubs and 4 others that will work. Does anyone have ideas on finding cheap/used scrubs? Thanks so much. SpudId

Just my two cents, I feel that OHSU RN New Grads come in with a lot of floor experience. I graduated from Linfield and felt my lack of clinical experience was disappointing. Having said that, I chose Linfield because I wanted a school that would embrace balanced living and the fact this was a 2nd career choice and I had a family. I felt they did do this for me. Spud ID

Although the two hospitals are in close location, they are two different buildings with different ways of running, charting, benefits, etc... I work at OHSU and continue to hear good things about the VA, their orientation and their benefits. While I would have considered it, they don't have a maternity floor! :-) SpudID

I'm looking into Nursing as a second career, and am starting my pre-reqs at Portland Community College... they have a Nursing Lottery to enter the ASN program, so my questions are these: 1. Once I'm done with my pre-reqs in a year and apply to the ASN at the Comm. College, if I don't get in, what would you recommend I do? Apply to everything. That is what I did. I was accepted to 4 local programs my first year. 2. Does anyone recommend going for a LPN diploma, work and do the LPN-RN bridge instead of sitting around waiting for entry into ASN? I think, an LPN takes 1 year, a RN takes 2 years and my BSN took 18 mo. (accelerated program). Most hospitals (At least OHSU and LHS, do not take LPNs but many function independently in geriatric facilities.) 3. Should I just bite the bullet and transfer my pre-reqs and get into University Nursing school and get a BSN... the only issue I have with this route is the time it takes to get a BSN. I have a Master's in Communication, and don't want to spend 3-4 years in school!! By the time you do your prerequ, it is usually 1 year, full-time (stats, 1 yr chem, 1 yr A&P, 1 psych class, 1 speech, etc...) at least 18 mo-2 years ASN/BSN. We don't have an accelerated BSN program locally in Portland, OR, i think. I believe Linfield, OHSU, U of P. I did Linfield's accelerated BSN program. I was accepted to OHSU's accelerated BSN and accelerated CNM Midwifery program and Clark Community College ASN when I was going to nursing school. Hope that helps. I think that some new schools like George Fox and Concordia have started straight 4 year programs but I am unsure.

I know you asked this awhile ago. I work at OHSU and our NPEC does a lot of the skutt work that the manager does not want to do. It is not necessarily bad but some of it can be a bit time consuming. The upside is you are involved in a lot of management meetings and it can be the beginning of a good career in management. You are required to receive your master's within 5 years of acceptance. Also the hours are varied. (Our NPEC sets her hours.) You will be required to do a certain amount of hours each week but some projects may require more time. You are salaried and so that extra time will not be compensated. The RNs on our floor appreciate the NPECs that have recent floor experience because they feel she/he does a better job of representing reality when discussed what "they" [staff RNs] should or should not be doing. I have greatly enjoyed our NPECs but I do think their jobs are a bit thankless. Warmly, SpudID Hope that helps!

Salem Hospital recruits heavily, has a relocation package, offers mentoring as well as precepting, and offers loan repayment options (or at least they offered all of these in 2005).

I work at OHSU and love the client population. We serve largely disenfranchised populations and it is always a challenge with multiple languages and cultures. The residents are usually good to work with and give as well as receive new information often. The benefits are good but all of the Portland Oregon hospitals seem to remain very competitive. I also worked for Good Samaritan and loved the nursing staff.

My answers are for OHSU 1) I work at on L & D. I don't know med/surg/tele ratios. On my floor we are 1:3 but we are considered emergent care. 2) $27/hr with $6/night differential. I think those areas you may actually have a chance at days. It is impossible to get days initially on L & D and 1 did 1.5 yrs before getting a day shift. 3) What is the culture like at these hospitals in general? Each floor works very independently. My friend in CICU had great help and preceptorship. Her team seems young and helpful. My area has many older, well-seasoned nurses and so I cannot say that it feels young. People are friendly but we are always very busy and I wouldn't call my floor especially helpful to each other. I would characterize them as independent.

Dear Mike, My best friend works in Cardiac ICU at OHSU and loves it. OHSU is union run. Benefits and pay is good. I work in L & D and we were both hired as new grads. My friend had a better preceptorship than what I received and she is happy with her coworkers. She feels that the doctors collaborate well with nursing staff. We work with residents all the time. For the most part they are trying to learn and are usually receptive to any new ideas. OHSU serves many disenfranchised populations and another language is helpful. The weather is rainy but mild. Winter may have one snow or none at all but it stays gray from about December to May with rain and/or cloudiness. Temp rarely gets below freezing during the day. Summers are wonderful with low humidity and mild temps rarely getting into the 90s. There is lots to do. You are about 1-2 hrs from skiing or the ocean. Cost of living is high. Starting nursing wage at OHSU (I think) is around $27/hr with a $6 night differential. OHSU has NP programs that you can look up at http://www.ohsu.edu. If you work for OHSU (at least 20 hrs/week) you have discounted tuition ($60 or $65/credit hr a year ago, which is really reasonable for grad school. Hope that helps, SpudId

Thanks for your help, everyone. You have all given me good advice. Just to followup. I use a paper towel because I write notes on it and it is handy (like 2 pillows, extra blankets, water-no ice). Stuff that I wouldn't chart but may require me three extra visits if I don't get it down because I forget which room wants what. I am going to be more proactive with the careproviders about increasing the pit. One medical student said his job was to insure that I was going up according to standard protocol according to the resident. I am learning to find my voice and, unfortunately, err on the side of being too obsequious because I feel continuously humbled and ignorant. The above comment about the student RN was funny. We are actually parting ways. We are not a good personality fit. We both agreed on that and I contacted her instructor, our nurse educator and the nurse manager. She will leave soon. I don't know anyone that is willing to take her on. She has difficult interpersonal skills and I felt she was ungrateful as well as disrespectful. (See the above paragraph on finding my voice. I shouldn't hae allowed it.) Thanks again. I thought I would quit nursing at each mo.end. I am starting to like it a little more. I had no idea that the stress load would be so incredible. You all have been a wonderful support. I felt relief from just reading your responses. I guess I am feeling isolated. Kudos!

Wow thanks. That is great. I have been grabbing a paper towel to write down things; so I can group my care but I will make it a goal to actually group my care better. I will try to make a list of priorities and then I can go down and ask them and do them while I am in the room; so I can run less. Charting is what is the killer. Can anyone refer me to a website or book that helps you chart more efficiently? I took a EFM charting course and it made me paranoid aftewards. They wanted nurses to chart everything for liability concerns. I started to do this and was actually reprimanded by my RN manager that it was too much and taking too much time. Thanks again! Spud

THANK YOU Nurse 79. That is exactly how I feel. I am overwhelmed with two patients when they are on pit. I was also just wondering about prioritizing care. How do I get in and see each patient within 30 minutes of coming on shift? Spud

Just to clarify, we often take 2 laboring patients. That night I had 2 and then a walk in. Of the 2 I had, they were early in labor with slow progress, being induced (1 had a gastrochesis baby) and one had IUGR. The 3rd walk had 3 prenatal visits total and her due date was 1/22/07. (Her baby had little variability and nothing that met an accel). She was Spanish speaking only. I was able to give #3 away because one of my pts (the iugr baby) was having repetitive lates and they were consenting her for C/S. (The baby also had no accels.) We were understaffed that night. This is not a usual scenario but I am feeling a snowed under. After a pt reaches 2nd stage or just prior to, we do go down to 1:1 care. I am precepting a student (I later found out) because many of the staff did not like her and so I was assigned to her. We are not a very good personality fit. The new nurses are often paired with immersion students because we are a teaching hospital. Any suggestions to how I can get organized and how to precept a student? Thanks, Spud

I would love to see some practical, doable, time saving suggestions here. I am in high risk OB and it is hard for me to chart patient progress every 15 minutes on multiple pts receiving pitocin, assess CTX pattern, FHTs and run to rooms upping the pumps. I am thinking that I need to just make a copy of the MD orders and place them in ea room, do my initial assess and then wait until 0400 or early morning to try and get my paper charting done. (We do a mix of computer and paper charting often causing at least double but more like triple and s/t quadruple charting.) On top of this I have a student, who I am trying to keep challenged but I cannot trust to reliably do things because she is just learning. It is so stressful. Any advice? Oh I am 14 months post graduation. (And my student nurse is actually really stressing me out.) Thanks.

I would love to see some practical, doable, time saving suggestions here. I know that I struggle with this as well. I am in high risk OB and it is hard for me to chart patient progress every 15 minutes on multiple pts receiving pitocin, assess CTX pattern, FHTs and run to rooms upping the pumps. I am thinking that I need to just make a copy of the MD orders and place them in ea room. Do my initial assess and then wait until 0400 or early morning to try and get my paper charting done. (We do a mix of computer and paper charting often causing at least double but more like triple and s/t quadruple charting.) On top of this I have a student, who I am trying to keep challenged but I cannot trust to reliably do things because she is just learning. It is so stressful. Any advice? Thanks.

Dear All, I would like to troubleshoot some issues. How do you treat pain for hair removal when EMLA is not enough? How do you treat for Restylane which seems more painful for Botox? With the Botox, are you just using ice or you also using buffered lidocaine prior. What can be done to make clients more comfortable. I have some opportunities to go in this direction but the pain element is really holding me back. I spent clinical time in different offices and kept coming back nauseaus about the pain that clients experienced and what I would have to inflict. Help? Thanks Spud ID

We do Foley bulbs in OR and from my experience they can be painful for the placement. Many times we will give them fentanyl prior, vistaril and morphine sulfate or nubain. Just another perspective.