jen1500

Yeah, at our hospital an HIV test in the third trimester or when mom comes in to L&D is actually required, not optional. I don't know what happens if they refuse, I haven't heard of that happening/I don't think they are specifically asked if they will allow the test, I would think it's covered under the general consent they sign upon admission since it's a mandated test. As for the mom who brought in another mom's frozen milk because she was delivering the twins early and worried about possible jaundice- I can kind of understand that, but wouldn't it have been better for her to pump her own milk for the babies? The benefit of breastmilk to preventing jaundice is because colostrom (the first milk) has a laxative effect which helps clear bilirubin, right? But the milk from her friend would have been mature milk, not colostrum, so would it be as helpful? And we know that moms are able to produce milk by the end of the first trimester, so it's not like she wouldn't be producing milk for her babies even if they were a few weeks early. On top of that, studies have found that breast milk composition varies by the age of the baby, so the milk a mom produces for a baby that delivers prematurely is actually different from the milk she will produce at the time the baby reaches full term, and the early milk is more tailored to the preemie's needs (higher levels of fatty acids, etc), so wouldn't her pumped milk really be better for the babies than her friend's? Unless she is physiologically unable to produce sufficient milk, of course, but that is pretty rare. It seemed like she would be dedicated to the babies' health/nutrition if she was bringing in milk before her delivery, so I would think she would be pretty good at consistently pumping and establishing a good milk supply fairly quickly for the babies. Just some thoughts.

The 'boots' sound like SCD's. Pretty standard for pt.'s after abdominal surgery, along with TED hose, at least until they are walking around. I've seen them at every hospital I've worked/been a student at.

Yes, there were a lot of people in my class who all got the email the same day, and others who did not. Another thing to keep in mind is to keep checking back at available dates, when I first looked there were only 8am spots open around the time I wanted to schedule my test, but when I checked again a few days later, other times had opened up. I guess people changed their appointment, so maybe that will happen and you can get the time/day you want!

My test is Friday....

Sorry, but what does SATA stand for?

Another possibility, you could look into hospitals in Temple, which is about an hour north of Austin (basically the same commute as that to SA). Scott and White has a huge teaching hospital up there, and I know a number of new grads who were recently hired there. If you get housing up north, like Plugerville or Round Rock, the commute might be shorter and the housing quite affordable.

Have you tried Harris County Hospital District? Specifically, LBJ hospital would be right up there at the north side of 610. I was hired last month as a new grad into a post-partum unit! That was through their RN Internship, but they might also hire new grads outside of the internship. Just a thought! Jenny