skislalom

TIME to actually USE it!

After working 8's and switching to 12's, I would have to say YES! I am not rushed, I have more time to review labs, H&P, diagnostics etc. Working 8's I felt rushed through my shift and never had the time to look at the history of most of my patients. I love to tag team (I work 12, the relief RN works 12...we can discuss how the patient has progressed or declined...etc). I have more time with my patients. I would never go back to 8's. Yes I sometimes have a lull in my shift (if I'm lucky) but by 0500...we start rolling and are running until we run out the door by 0800. I work med/surg/tele and have 4-6 pts w/ or often w/out an aide.

LOL, I never claimed to be normal...you'd think after 17 years he'd know this.

I'm sure many of you who work nocs have experienced this... HOW in the heck do you get through to people who think that you are out of your mind for working nights and "normal" people would never CHOOSE to work the night shift...that you LIKE night shift, it is not a punishment, and HELLO nursing is a 24/7 operation and MOST of us knew that when we went into this profession. My FIL is the worst, I'm sick of making excuses as to why nights are OKAY to work. In my previous career, I also chose to work nights (law enforcement). I have explained all my rationale to him and now I just need some good comebacks. Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy...I really like him. He is just very opinionated and I'm sick of the comments! I know I'll never change his mind, I'd just like to shut him up for a while! LOL

congratulations tweety, rn, bsn for a job well done!!!

When I was in nursing school, we practiced in open lab with pads, then we checked off by injecting each other (IM's), then we did a flu shot clinic at the state prison. NOoooo problem! It's really not that big of deal once you realize that it doesn't hurt you a bit! Oh yeah, with the intradermals...we practiced making "blebs" on sausages.

We red-bag them and dispose of them in biohazard. Re-using containers...YUCK!

In many cases, you should be able to apply in person at the HR department. I do not believe that online is the ONLY way to apply to all positions. It certainly couldn't hurt to go to HR and let them know that you are interested in applying to "x-position", you can bring your resume' and cover letter and let them put a face to a name. Good luck!

Wow, that's alot of dough for a pinning ceremony. We made up themed baskets and sold raffle tickets a couple weeks before and during the ceremony. "Beach Basket", "Night at the movies", "Garden Basket"...etc. Each clinical group was responsible for a "theme". We had over 60 people in our class though.

Second born (have a bro, raised apart) only female, now matriarch...to an alcoholic father (who committed suicide). Was in law enforcement for YEARS, went to nursing after I cared for my mom when she had BC (and passed away).

Aww don't beat yourself up, it's an interesting topic worth "re-exploring". at least it wasn't a 6 year old debate

I'd love some questions (and answers) as well... Oh, and BTW this thread is 6 years old

Ours was 75% for exams (and 75% total end of term) so you could bomb a couple tests and still pass if you aced the final, EVERYTHING else was pass/fail (care plans, skills check offs, papers, clinicals and alternate clinicals etc)

4.5 years for my ADN...including all pre-req's (133 credits total)

Well, I must admit...my kids don't like me grumpy. They don't ALL get it though. I have 4 kids ages 6-15.

What is keeping you from sleeping? Kids, noise, light, neighbors? I worked nights for 10 years, YES get a box fan...I have one outside my bedroom door set on medium. Put up NO SOLICITING signs. I have NO phones in my room at all and I can't hear them or the answering machine at all upstairs. Cover your windows (I used dark sheets...so my room didn't ALWAYS have to be dark). I had almost an hour commute home, so that was my wind down time. My biggest thing this spring while working nights...I'd only sleep 2 hours at a time. So, I'd get up, use the bathroom and make myself go back to bed. I had to arrange for my kids to be gone during the day on the weekends "be quiet mom is sleeping" does NOT work. Good luck, believe it or not...you will adjust. Well, most people do. :zzzzz

yes i do. i have seen some horrible suffering happen at the end of life, even with hospice care. as a resident of oregon, i feel i should share the state of oregon death with dignity act link with you. check out the faq's. death with dignity - the physician is not euthanizing the patient, it is only at the patient's request that it can be pursued, it is quite an involved process...not merely finding a doctor that will prescribe the medication. the physician may or may not be in attendance, that is the choice of the patient. the patient must be able to administer it (usually a mix of barbituates) to themselves without the aid of another human being...it is not euthanization. so, here are some of the "guidelines" required for the death with dignity act. http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ph/pas/faqs.shtml http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ph/pas/index.shtml q: what is oregon's death with dignity act? a: the death with dignity act (the act) allows terminally-ill oregonians to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose. the act was a citizens' initiative passed twice by oregon voters. the first time was in a general election in november 1994 when it passed by a margin of 51% to 49%. an injunction delayed implementation of the act until it was lifted on october 27, 1997. in november 1997, a measure was placed on the general election ballot to repeal the act. voters chose to retain the act by a margin of 60% to 40%. there is no state "program" for participation in the act. people do not "make application" to the state of oregon or the department of human services. it is up to qualified patients and licensed physicians to implement the act on an individual basis. the act requires the department of human services to collect information about patients who participate each year and to issue an annual report. q: who can participate in the act? a: the law states that, in order to participate, a patient must be: 1) 18 years of age or older, 2) a resident of oregon, 3) capable of making and communicating health care decisions for him/herself, and 4) diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six (6) months. it is up to the attending physician to determine whether these criteria have been met. q: how does a patient get a prescription from a participating physician? a: the patient must meet certain criteria to be able to request to participate in the act. then, the following steps must be fulfilled: 1) the patient must make two oral requests to the attending physician, separated by at least 15 days; 2) the patient must provide a written request to the attending physician, signed in the presence of two witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient; 3) the attending physician and a consulting physician must confirm the patient's diagnosis and prognosis; 4) the attending physician and a consulting physician must determine whether the patient is capable of making and communicating health care decisions for him/herself; 5) if either physician believes the patient's judgment is impaired by a psychiatric or psychological disorder (such as depression), the patient must be referred for a psychological examination; 6) the attending physician must inform the patient of feasible alternatives to the act including comfort care, hospice care, and pain control; 7) the attending physician must request, but may not require, the patient to notify their next-of-kin of the prescription request. a patient can rescind a request at any time and in any manner. the attending physician will also offer the patient an opportunity to rescind his/her request at the end of the 15-day waiting period following the initial request to participate. physicians must report all prescriptions for lethal medications to the department of human services, vital records. as of 1999, pharmacists must be informed of the prescribed medication's ultimate use. q: what kind of prescription will a patient receive? a: it is up to the physician to determine the prescription. to date, most patients have received a prescription for an oral dosage of a barbiturate. q: must a physician be present at the time the medications are taken? a: the law does not require the presence of a physician when a patient takes lethal medication. a physician may be present if a patient wishes it, as long as the physician does not administer the medication him/herself. ~t

I have a couple teenage daughters at home, here are some more suggestions, in addition to the great ones you already got. Books Magazines (teen or fashion) Journals and nice pens Make up (she'll need a good pic me up to make her feel better about herself) If she likes to draw, art supplies Scrapbooking supplies Clothes or cool athletic clothing to wear for jammies or instead of jammies Hats, bandanas, etc if she'll be losing her hair. If she'll be allowed a laptop, maybe gift cards so she can "go shopping" online. I could go on and on, but I think any of these would be appropriate if she is hospitalized. My prayers are with you and your grand niece. ~T

Did ya'll realize the original post is almost 3 years old? :wink2: Wonder if he passed :)

I have a Sony ICD-ST25, I absolutely love it (I got it 3 years ago, I'm sure there is a newer model but this one works fantastic). I download it to my computer...put on my headphones and listen to lectures while I study. I also speed up the lecture (it does not distort at all because it is digital) so I can listen to 2 hour lecture in a much shorter amount of time. I can burn it to CD or upload it to my website. I've never had a problem with background noise at all. I always ask the instructors if I may record thier lecture, so far I've never been denied my request...I'd never record a lecture without asking permission however.

I too am at high risk of ovarian cancer (heredity) - I have had children, am about as old as you (40) and my OB/GYN still does annual U/S and CA125 tests on me. I also have a history of ovarian cysts so I'm on BCP too. I've been screened annually for about 8 years now. I did have to go to a couple doctors before I found one that took my risk serious enough to start screening me. My mom was 38 when she was diagnosed and had an 8lb tumor removed. It was her doctor that recommended that I start being screened. Be proactive and ask him about your pelvic exam, ask about an ultrasound, get a baseline CA125 done so they have something to compare it to later...whatever it takes to give you peace of mind. I imagine that if he had any concerns from your pelvic exam, he'd have sent you to U/S for a look see...? This isn't meant as medical advice, just from a fellow "at risk" patient, from personal experience. Thanks for reminding me, it's "that time of year again". I don't know anything about the IVF and number of eggs produced and what risk that shows, sorry. That's my 2 cents worth. HTH ~ski

My OR rotation (as well as all my classmate's) were all terrific. The surgeon was great, the circulating nurse was fantastic (and amazing!), as was the anesthesiologist...not a word from the scrub nurse...he was busy tho. The PACU nurses were great and everyone welcomed me and all my questions. They explained everything being done, why it was done, who was responsible for it. The anesthesiologist talked to me through the entire surgery, told me which drugs he was using and why, followed me to the PACU to make sure I had all the information needed/required for the paper I had to write. The surgeon even came back and said, "OH YEAH, A STUDENT, lets dissect this tumor for her before we send it to path". Seriously, every nurse I met from admit to d/c was terrific. Sorry you haven't had as nice of experience as I did. ~T

You aren't there to be popular, you are being a great patient advocate, which is what nursing is all about. Hopefully very soon...the nurses and doctors will be required to take continuing education (we are required 8 hours of CE) about pain relief. It's VERY eye opening. There are so many options and different ways to treat pain, a patient doesn't HAVE to be in pain. We may not be able to get thier pain down to a 0 out of 10, but if we can find what number (say a 3/10) that they can live with...it's sure better than letting them suffer. Was it Tweety (and me) that said, chronic pain patients are some of the hardest to treat. We need to know GOING in, what meds and what amounts they have been using to treat the pain they are finally getting surgery to treat. You can't just treat them like the opiod naiive and expect 2 percosets to do the job, when they are taking 45 (or more) of morphine (+ whatever else they take) at home just to get along. kwim? There may be "toxic" levels on non-opiod drugs, but to those that are long term opiod users - there IS no ceiling to the amount that they can take and often, they are on HUGE doses PRIOR to surgery (I can remember saying HOLY cow they really need THAT much!?! and questioning orders...to find out that they've been suffering for years and have been on these meds for years..that does NOT make them an addict). In addition, it is so much easier to control the pain by staying on top of it, not just trying to treat it after it is out of control. Just remember that sedation precedes respiratory depression...if they have a RR of 6 and are nearly obtunded, it's not the time to up their dose..but if they are talking to you and say "hey my pain is an 8!" Geez, let them have their meds. I've been lucky enough to usually have patients that have numerous pain meds for us to choose from PRN, in addition to the scheduled meds. When in question, go to your RN, if no luck then, go to your instructor...then go from there. Remember, this isn't a popularity contest, you are there to treat the patient and be their advocate. I better get off my soapbox now... :behindpc: Oh, and Visteril IM? Can you say OUCH!!!! It feels like a freaking branding iron, they usually do an IV push now. (having btdt) Not all pain patients show those increased RR and HR, and just because they are "sleeping" doesn't mean they aren't in pain...would you wake a patient to give them thier insulin or anti-infective? Of course you would...so think the same way about pain control meds. Shutting up now

I just thought of something else I don't know how her syllabus is, but ours are about 500-600 pages long and we end up splitting it into about 4 binders. In case you haven't looked lately, GOOD binders are spendy...I've got (I think) one 3" or 4" binder, three 2" binders. I split it into theory, (only 2 tests worth of syllabus at a time in it), clinical, skills lab. I re-use the 2" binders each term, but the big one I have to buy a new one each term. Good ideas on the bandage scissors (buy two they go missing), penlights (again, more than one...they too go missing), a nurses clipboard with a calculator and misc labs, normals for vitals, dosage calcs etc is good (spendy but good) or you can get one that closes to hold all her papers. I like the idea of a gift basket...add a good reusable water bottle to it, we never drink enough water and always too much coffee or soda. I'll keep thinking, I know there is more As far as the rolling backpack, I found that a laptop bag works better for me, the other ones I've tried tip over-I also use a separate one for clinicals (not rolling) ~T

Well, Littman is my personal fave as far as stethescopes (and almost my entire class has Littman) Littman Classic II(about $65-70), some opted for the cardiology III (about $150). Blood pressure cuff is another idea, you can get good deals on them-not NECESSARY for nursing school, but you gotta practice practice practice. Gift cert for the book store...great idea. Gift cert for a digital voice recorder, great idea, gift cert for SHOES, good idea. What else, a good watch (with second hand, Timex indiglo works great for night clinicals), office supplies...post its, post it tabs for marking books, highlighters, paper, a spiral bound calendar to keep track of EVERYTHING, how about a STARBUCKS gift card - even better...something other than nursing supply related, so she can remember to still be herself and not just a student, you really can lose yourself in nursing school. Good luck to your friend! ~ski