Dude,RN

Sorry it has taken me a bit of time. I graduate in August of 2014. Took my boards and passed Sept 2014. Then took a job on the east coast and spent a few months in limbo waiting for credentialing and that to go through. I am back with a stable internet connection and replied to those of you who sent PMs. Sorry it took me so long, my deepest apologies!

I've sent you one, determinedgrl! Hope that helps :)

Buggysmom, I've sent you a PM. Hope that helps :)

No problem. I am glad that I could help.

Solitaire, I've gone and sent one. Sorry it took me a few days to get back to you.

Nels2186, I am graduating in August from my PMHNP program. I've started now reaching out to recruiters and things like that. I've asked if this is too soon, and been told that it isn't, in fact that I am right on target. I would start looking around and making some connections just as your final semester starts. That will give you some time to test the waters and see what is out there. At least, that is how it is working in my experience.

My first experience with death was a 38 week fetal demise. Mom was Ok that AM in her OBGYN's office and then later that morning didn't feel the baby move anymore. She was rushed onto the unit for an ultrasound and it was confirmed that there was no longer a heartbeat. The family did not speak English and mom needed to deliver the baby lady partslly. She had her small family there with her, but no other support system. I drew the demise straw that night in the nursery and was assigned the patient. I was only about 6 months off of orientation and on my own. It was a calm night that evening as I remember it. What sticks with me was how, even through the language barrier, I was able to help that family heal- if even just a little. As the nursery nurse that night, I helped that family give that child a bath, dress her in her christening gown, take photographs, and even get hand a foot molds with plaster. And not to be morbid, but keep that baby wrapped and on a radiant warmer for as long as that family needed to say goodbye. The whole ordeal lasted about 4 hours, but has definitely made it's mark on my practice and my memory. No many words were spoken as I did not speak their native language, but the peace and calm and utter stillness of that room will never leave me. I like to think that I have one angel baby looking down on me to guide my hands and my heart as I work to help others. I am not a NICU/nursery nurse anymore- but I still carry my angel babies with me everywhere I go. But that one, it sticks with me the most.

Ack! I feel you there. You have my sympathies...nobody likes feeling disillusioned or less productive. I would tell you, just as I have done previously, to take stock and really decide if this facility is for you. If it isn't don't waste time trying to make something happen where it won't, you know? Lots of good advice here- and a safe place to vent as well- but at the end of the day, remember that this is YOUR life. YOU need to be in charge of it, and if you are feeling stretched too far, or there are some real practice issues that you don't like or won't change- don't feel bad for walking away. That being said, make sure you expectations aren't too high or unrealistic. I know it can feel like an eternity to get "that job" that you really really REALLY want...but sometimes plugging along gets you further than you can see at the time. Spend some time asking yourself some tough questions. Really give it some thought and then decide if you want to keep doing this or if it was just a bad day. Can that other part time job become full time? Have you asked if it will be full time or is a possibility? And nothing wrong with exploring other options. Hang in there!

OUCH! Ok- let me try this again. I didn't judge you. Nobody here did. I came here to have a conversation with you- same as everyone else. And I didn't ascertain how you did your job. Looking through the posts and replies, you agree that you needed a new job, had a bad night, etc. As a new nurse, I am giving you some advice...from someone who has been there. I speak from experience when it comes to practice philosophy and taking stock of where you want to work and done. I've been in burnout mode and things like that. Been there, done that, and switched specialties and moved states in order to combat it. Nursing is a lifelong profession...and one I hope to be in for quite a long time. I'm just trying to help you out, my sincere apologies if you don't see it that way. Best of luck to you and I hope your shifts go better from here on out.

Looking at the message the OP posted once again, and digging though replies on this thread, I am led to the opinion that Nola has come upon a fundamental roadblock in caring for his/her current patients. It is time to get out. Find a new job, find a facility that you practice in and agree with, and find some room for yourself to breathe. While patients can be demanding and rude, reality is that your job really DOES revolve around them, their needs, their meds, and their demands. If you are that cynical and jaded as a PRN nurse, I would caution you against going full time. My humble advice is to look at what you are doing, decide if you want to keep doing it, and then figure it out from there. Addiction is rare- really. We assume everyone who "needs" a pain med is addicted, but in reality that isn't the case. What you are experiencing is a huge shift in practice philosophy and environment. If you have problems regarding the giving of a medication, please take that info to the doc/prescriber. That information is valuable. And yes, we all have bad nights and crappy patients and families. Let this part go, apologize for the lateness and move on. If you can't...it's time to rethink working there and with that particular population.

dstrong2, I've gone and submitted a PM to you. It seems to be the best way to talk about my experiences in the program.

Hello all, I am looking for some information regarding the end of my program. If you've graduated from MidWestern State University, great! If not, I am sure you can still provide some information for me. As I wind down, I am looking for information regarding the ANCC authorization to test. More specifically, who fills this out? Do I need to do it and then have the University verify the information, or will this be filled out at the school and sent in on my behalf once it is complete? I've contacted some people there, but have gotten the answer of "call the ANCC to find out." Helpful right? I'm just wondering how this works because I've got some transfer credits and things like that to track down. With a short summer semester being the final one, I would like to avoid any problems so that I can sit for certification when done and move on to the next phase. Any help or advice would be welcomed- either as a PM or a reply to this thread. Thanks!

Hey Cool1- I have been with Walden since March 2009, and I had to do some prereq's as well. I did take a statistics course, and like you, lined up a friend who was excellent in math- so that helped. I snagged a "statistics for dummies" book too. What I found helpful was that the instructor at the time told us to use "all resources available to us" for our tests and course work- so I often consulted my friend the accountant, my wife, and several books and websites for help on figuring stuff out. So- you can do it- its not as scary as it sounds- use your resources and just know it's a 6 week class...goes by super fast! I love Walden. I can honestly say that while it is expensive (compared to schools in my area), it is worth it. The courses are challenging, immediately relevant to my work experience, and have taught me to look at nursing and the profession in different ways. I have found the support staff to be very helpful- everyone from my enrollment adviser to financial aid has been wonderful. I get my questions answered quickly and the people are very easy to contact. I use chat support as well, and frequently email my enrollment adviser for updates and to keep in touch. I know Walden might not be for everyone, but I can honestly say that I have love it and am so excited to be almost done (16 weeks for course work and then a 16 week practicum to go!). Good for you- hit me up anytime and I'll do my best to answer your questions and help you out with what I can. You can do it! Big congrats for deciding to go back to school- thats the hard part you know :)

Suni, so far- from what I have read and I have been doing, I need to have my POS (hahah that they call it that), and my portfolio assignments. Checking the website also states these things as needed for the final portfolio: *A current resume: the first part of your portfolio will be an updated resume or a curriculum vitae (CV) *Professional Development Plan (PDP) - written during NURS 6000 *Plan of Study (POS) - developed during NURS 6000 *Portfolio Assignments from each of the courses. S *Continuing Education - you may include any continuing education activities you participated in during your MSN program *End of Program Outcome Evidence Chart is part of the Portfolio. This chart lists activities and/or experiences that prepared you to meet the MSN individual student learning outcomes. *Final Reflection - a short paper describing how portfolio assignments enabled you to meet the individual student learning outcomes and a selection of activities that demonstrate how you achieved service, scholarship, and social change. Hope this helps. For the record, I have never seen the End of Program Outcomes Evidence Chart- so I am assuming that one is to come. I have 16 weeks left before my practicum...so I can almost taste the end!!

Thanks for the reply! I have all the portfolio assignments, the plan of study, and the goal statements all saved. I have 4 weeks in this class and then one more class- after that I have the case study and the practicum. I was thinking of something along the lines of a disaster plan for my facility or an educational course the student there can take about self-care and things like that. (I work inpatient residential psych treatment for adolescents) I am in the leadership/management tract and so I am just trying to plan early and see what I can come up with. 'Grats on your graduation! Whats life like post MSN?

I am looking for any fellow Walden University students and alumni. I will finish the classwork for my MSN around Christmas this year and then have a synthesis project to do for the next 16 weeks. Has anyone done one of these? What are they like? Any pointers? Any hints or tips to start? The university has very sporifice info at this time and I don't have any graduates or fellow students close. Any help/tips/ideas/info would be more than appreciated! thanks in advance. p.s.- Im NOT looking for someone to tell me how to do the project, but rather ideas on what to expect and things.

Snag a pair of dansko or snaita clogs. One of the surgeons at our hospital was wearing 'em and I was surprised as I had never seen a male wear the shoes before. Did some research and the "professional" model is more unisex 9read: marketed to men) than anything...and I think they are bar none- the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. I wear them everywhere- and have even gotten a pair resoled 'cause I love 'em that much. Its an option if you want something to last longer than a pair of tennis shoes. (at least mine have).

Oy- stress is a killer. O.o At times like this, I have a little mantra: 'I can't care for others if I don't take care of myself first." Its easy advice to follow and won't ever steer you wrong.

Yup- I wear it proudly. I am a man, a husband, and then a nurse. My family and my wife are important to me- they supported me through school and through all this crazy work stuff- it only seems right for me to leave it on. I wear gloves when I need to- wash my hands often (and move the ring to get under it too), use hand sanitizer, and if its really goopy- wipe it with disinfectant wipes. It goes where my hands go.

Snow-Bear, This can be a challenge, as I know from personal experience. I survived bone cancer about 11 years ago, but at the cost of some hearing due to mega doses of chemotherapy. I, too, have problems when I can't see a face (I lip read kinda sorta due to being self taught). When I was working in the NICU and had to attend C-Section deliveries in the OR, or help with hists, D & C's and the like, I made it a point to tell people if they needed anything they needed to let me know in a loud voice because I couldn't see their faces. They knew where I would be standing, and I made my self adept at studying their patterns and needs too. I never got a bad response or anything- in fact, most of the OB's and other nurses appreciated that I told them and was willing to do what I could to fit in where I was needed. Hearing aides don't help my kind of hearing loss, so I am stuck telling people I work with that I'm half-deaf. I have learned to pick up visual cues and stuff like that. I look at IV pumps instead of waiting to hear them, etc. I have had great co-workers now and in previous places where I have been. I have worked level III NICU for a while and made it a point when I interviewed to explain that I can hear out of a stethoscope for heart/lung sounds, but the higher frequencies don't work for me. (alarms, monitors, etc.) I just needed to be more aware of my surroundings- and that is exactly what I did. I looked at vital monitors frequently, didn't rely on alarms, and developed a great habit of rounding more frequently on my lil kiddos. Not one boss, manager, co-worker, or otherwise has batted an eyelash or thought I was less able than anyone else. Im just up front about it- and after that if anyone has a problem with it- it's theirs..not yours. Docs and circulators will appreciate your skill and how well you practice, learn, and adapt to the flow- and that is more important than what you "hear" quite a bit of the time. You'll be surprised at how quickly you will adapt- you will expect communication, come to know body language, and develop a great rapport with your co-workers...the hearing won't even be an issue in a few weeks once everyone learns how to work together! And you'd be surprised at how you "make up" your own sign language with you co-workers...in fact, I can remember and neonatal code we ran where not a single one of us spoke a word- my dept director was completely dumbstuck- as was the flight team that was on standby...in retrospect I am sure it looked quite hilarious! PS- and I'm considered the best listener on the block. I get told so many secrets...partly because I can't hear half of the whispers...and the other part because nobody knows I can lip read with a passable rate of ability. lol

Ask to meet with the DON and have the uniform policy explained to you. In that meeting you can tell your DON that you thought you could wear what you chose- but if the policy states differently you will be more than willing to comply. Ask for a copy of the uniform policy and see if there is anything in there that states what you have to wear. If you don't feel comfortable asking your DON, just place a call to HR and ask for the dress code policy to be explained or clarified for you. Best of luck!

I investigated Walden, Regis, and Univ of Pheonix, as well as about 5 campus based programs when I decided to get my MSN. I was looking for a program that went from ADN to MSN and was accredited. I haven't had any issues with Walden the entire time I have been with them. I have about 1 year left and then I'll be done. I chose an online university so that I could work anywhere and still go to school- and it has been great. They accepted most of my ADN credits from my community college, but I did need to take a few foundational courses (math, humanities, english) which wasn't a big deal at all. During the time I have been with them, I have called enrollment, financial aid, and advising like 20 - 30 times and each time, my questions are answered and I get what I need. I can honestly say I have worked my @$$ off in this program with the research, the applications, and the course work. I thought it was going to be easier than brick and mortar classrooms...boy was I wrong! I even switched from the education specialization to the leadership/management one without any hitches. I moved my family about 600 miles across the country and never saw a hiccup in school work. I haven't had any issues with the university like the OP and some other posters have, but thats just my experience. I have a year left and am getting calls and emails and letters from headhunters and recruiters who want to place me into jobs in case management, NICU (my previous experience) leadership positions, unit leadership/management positions and so forth. My "online" (soon to be) degree hasnt been a stumbling block at all...in fact, far from it! I won't say Walden is the best out there, but I will say that it works for me, is accredited by the CCNE, and has quite a bit of work to put into it. If you think that going to online school is just about diploma mills and stuff...thats a poor assumtion. I will tell anyone interested in going back to any school be it online or campus based- do your homework. Call admissions offices, chat with academic advisors, speak to former students, and even preform some of your own P.I. work in checking them out. There are quite a few viable options out there for advanced degrees, but it is not a "one size fits all" marketplace.

I worked in a level II NICU for 4 years before moving to to a new setting, adolescent psychiactric nursing. I LOVED every moment as a NICU nurse, and being the only male on the floor- had a wonderful experience. I only had one family that didn't want me to be their nurse because of my being a male (at that facility we went to the delivery too- we were nursery/NICU nurses) due to a sexual abuse issue the patient had in the past. Other than that- I haven't had a problem at all in the field of NICU. Loved every minute of it and am in fact getting my MSN in education and planning on going further in order to be able to teach- I would love to teach the neonatal aspect of nursing to students.

If I wasnt a nurse, I would have gone to culinary school. Seriously? who has a 4am emergency cheesecake crisis?

One of our docs now wants the Rt to come to every delivery and be in charge of the baby, after all they have taken NRP. I don't know what standard of practice is elsewhere but I don't think respiratory therapists are trained to assess, APGARs, ect. a newborn. Makes me want to just quit OB........[/quote] As a neonatal nurse and an NRP instructor- the guidelines put forth by NRP state that one person trained in NRP should be at each delivery whose total focus is the infant. Now, with that being said, I think that person should be an RN, but the guidelines arent that specific. Thats what gets me about the guidlines...we play with people's lives and in my opinion, the AWOHHN standards for staffing are too vague, management uses them as an excuse to "skeleton crew" the place, and then you end up in a hot mess if the crap hits the fan. I took the issue to my management the other day about a staffing level being unsafe and was told "well, we didnt have a bad outcome." and "we just staff by the standards" and my favorite "what, do you want nurses to just sit around until something happens?" Well, if it was my wife, my daughter, or my friend having the baby that could be a potentially dangerous outcome...you bet your rear I would want a nurse "just sitting" around until something happens. Just my two cents worth. :nuke: