klgann

Welcome! Kelly (Native, Washington State, now in Bethesda, MD, courtesy United States Navy)

I know that this discussion is about outsourcing, but have to correct the statement about maternal mortality. The actual rate is 22 out of 100,000, or .022%. See the below quote from United Press International. Obesity and other health conditions may help explain why women in New York City are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth. User rating Not rated yet Would you recommend this story? Not at all - 1 2 3 4 5 - Highly A study by a medical group detailed in an advance copy of Crain's New York Business says in 2002 New York City's maternal mortality rate of 22 deaths per 100,000 births was 2 1/2 times the national average, the New York Post reported Monday. The figure was compiled by the state chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as part of an effort to lower maternal mortality rates to three deaths per 100,000. "Eight-point-nine is still above where we want to go, so to be higher than that is not getting us in the right direction," said Dr. Howard Minkoff, a spokesman for the medical group. He cited poverty, obesity and other health conditions as possible reasons for the higher death rate. According to the Crain's report, more recent figures indicate the problem is equally serious statewide with a rate of 21.2 deaths per 100,000 births in 2004. Copyright 2006 by United Press International

Follow this link for a plain english interpretation of politics and military law. http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/militarylaw1/a/milpolitics.htm yes, you can display a political sticker on your private vehicle. I have managed to write this reply several times and have condensed it to the paragraph above. Somehow I did give up my right to freedom of speech. Proud to serve the people of the United States of America

Not that I have heard, but with the amount of contractors over there, it really wouldn't surprise me. As far as I know, we are not back filling Military positions in Iraq with civilian nurses. Operational concerns always outweigh the needs of the stateside hospitals so I doubt there is a "shortage" of military nurses in Iraq to support our troops. But I could be wrong! V/R LCDR Kelly Gann, US Navy

Our Hospital supplies scrubs for OR/PACU/OB/NICU and most importantly of all, the place where all superbugs live, SICU/MICU! But I wear a Navy Uniform to and from work. Have a great Navy Day!

Appealing to Physicians? Not sure what you mean by that? Waiting for you to come back from Wal-Mart! -Kelly (yes, Kelly is a male name too!)

I wear a T-shirt and have a coffee mug that read "I'm a male, I'm a Nurse and I'm OK! I've had it since 92 or 93, can't remember that far back... :chuckle

Hang in there, in 1992, about half the students in our class were "non-traditional" students, I think the median age was 40 something. I waited 12 years to go back to college, first for my BSN, then for my Master's in Anesthesia. I suspect the median age in this course, which is all military and one Public Health student, is about 35. Bunch of young whippersnappers.. Again, hang in there, but night shifts don't get any easier... (one of the reasons to go CRNA!)

Was 35 when I finished my BSN, am 47, in my 9th month of CRNA school and loving it. Is it hard? Yup, in a word, humbling. Good luck! Grampa Kelly

Just spent about 10 months working PACU, in a normothermic post-op shivering patient, 12.5 - 25mg IVP Demerol works quite effectively. Some of the younger Anesthesiologists however, won't touch it with a ten foot pole secondary to the potential for seizures. I still see it used for pain control with pancreatitis patients, but rarely see it used for much else. Haven't pulled the study to find out the particulars, just see the change in practice... -Kelly

Listen to LT Dave, every Naval Hospital is a bit different in their opportunites for advancement/leadership. I have been lucky in my 12 years as a Navy Nurse to do the following: Med-Surg (10 months) ICU (2 1/2 years) Night Supervisor (not weekend duty) (6 months to fill a vacancy) Division Officer for Outpatient/Inpatient Endoscopy. (9 months) (sounds great doesn't it? Just myself and an LPN. :) ) Ship's Nurse, Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier (1-RN:5,500 Sailors) (best three years of my Naval Career) Cardiothoracic/Cardiac Intensive Care (1 year) Staff Education and Training (Resuscitative Skills and Computer Based Training) (2 years) Post Anesthesia Care Unit (10 months) Medical Intensive Care Unit (6 months- Sorry PACU nurses, I had to get back to more of an intensive care setting) Selected for CRNA program and start school 01 June in the Navy Nurse Corps Anesthesia Program. 2 1/2 years of free schooling, and I will be close enough after my committment is over to retire soon, if I so choose. Where in the civilian Nursing world can you find those opportunities and still get 30 days of paid leave a year? Have I had some poor managers over time? Hell yes! Very many? Nope. And if you get a bad one, they will either leave before you or you before them. If you have some inclination of staying in, please don't make your decision based on your first duty station (listen to LT Dave). Take an operational or overseas command and get a change of scenery. And, between you and I, if I had known that L&D was such a big business in the military, I would have had second thoughts about it.. and you can see I have managed to steer a course away from that rocky shore! Good luck with your decision, feel free to contact me at [email protected] LCDR Kelly Gann, NC, USN I am a male, I am a Nurse, Yes, I am OK.

check out the following letter i sent to shape magazine and physiciansformula.com: dear physicians formula why on earth would you use such a stereotypical demeaning representation of nursing for your advertisement in a magazine that looks to appeal to a mainly female population, in the may 2004 issue of shape magazine? the antiquated hat (another symbol of hated subservient symbology no nurse would be caught dead wearing in this day and age), the fishnet stockings, the plunging neckline and elevated hemline with the obvious phallic symbol in her left hand, is a stereotyped male fantasy right out of a xxx Media film. take note of these references: http://nursingworld.org/pressrel/2000/ltr0525.htm http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/create/create.html http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/media/commercials/commercials.html you should be ashamed of yourselves for promoting such rubbish. get with the program. then check out nursingadvocacy.org's campaign to help stamp this kind of demeaning representation of nursing: http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2004may/shape.html take care, kelly

Thank you all, I am the lucky individual who was just selected for CRNA school, and am still in shock And am currently on call just in case I am needed, so may yet escape that bullet! Having just shifted back to the ICU from PACU just this last week, I know that staffing is very tight, and being the understanding gullible optimist that I am, I know that they wouldn't have called me in unless they were desperate. Besides, as an active duty member, I must follow the last lawful order from my most senior officer. (remember HBS, seems I heard that from you!) Take care and Happy Holidays to all, I know my Christmas is going to be Merry!! klg