gaia1214

Wow. Is this a nurse writing this? A new nurse, or nursing student? "Gluttony" is a word better situated in the Old Testament or in a house of worship than in a scientific community. How about addiction, or binge eating disorder (if appropriate), or even poor eating habits. Certainly there are choice elements to overeating, but the addictive elements are complex, ranging from our poor food quality to the uptake of sugar by the same receptors in the midbrain that take up heroin (yes, it's true). Educate yourself... 1. Food, Inc. (incredible documentary about the health impacts of our industrial food production) 2. Fat: What No One Is Telling You (PBS documentary about the individual and social complexities of obesity) 3. www.weightcenter.org - Mass General Hospital's Weight Center site. Dr. Lee Kaplan is doing great research on why it's so dang hard for some people to manage weight, especially long term.

Um, did you say "body bag" or "barf bag"? Because I will need the latter if I have occasion to see someone vomit poo. Just sayin'.

Hi all, I'm starting NP school this fall and we're being told we should "plan on spending at least $100" on a scope because it is "an important investment." I don't disagree with the latter, but having read some of these threads, I am seriously concerned about dropping well over $100 for a Littman III (which they are strongly encouraging) if it's just going to get borrowed/swiped/stolen at school or clinical. Also, is there a case to be made for learning the skills on a less wonderful scope, in order to really be able to detect sounds no matter what I'm using? I welcome any thoughts. Thanks all!

Here is what a friend of mine, a recent grad of MGH Institute here in Boston, told me about the job market and the interim RN job problem (at least here in Boston): "What you hear about getting interim RN jobs while in school is spot on. It takes a lot of $ and time to train a new grad (about a year). Of course, that new grad is going to jet when he/she gets their NP and hospitals have caught on. Nursing jobs are generally challenging to get in Mass because it's so saturated with medical personnel. There is a nursing shortage...but not in Massachusetts. A lot of my friends ended up getting jobs in nearby cities such as Manchester. Unquestionably, the best way to get a good job upon graduation is to network well at your clinical placements. Most people would do a clinical placement somewhere for several months and would fit in so well, they just worked there when they graduated. In considering clinical placements (you get more choice as you progress in the program), ask yourself in the back of your mind if it's in a setting you can see yourself working in one day. "One more tip in getting an RN job: some of my classmates got entry level positions at a hospital (i.e. a patient care attendant, LPN, etc) and would apply internally for an RN job when they got their license. The point is to get an "in" any way you can. "NP jobs are available everywhere but the demand is strongest in more rural areas or smaller cities. One search strategy I can vouch for is searching NP/PA recruitment websites. They give an accurate idea of where the demand is strongest, what's available, and who's looking. When you get your NP certification and post your resume on monster or similar sites, you'll be inundated with calls/emails/letters from job recruiters who will notify you if they have positions available in other areas/states. One year later and I'm still getting contacted. "If you're willing to relocate, finding a job is a piece of cake. The demand is insane, though it's strongest and you'll get the best offers in more rural areas and small cities (i.e. Green Bay, WI, where I landed a great job). Ultimately, finding a job should be the last of your worries. You'll be fine." So there's the experience of one person who just went through the market. He said his fellow classmates had similar experiences for the most part. He also said via phone that he suspects the market will be stronger in all nursing and midlevel areas within a few years, when the overall economy starts rebounding (which it will; that's how the market works). One caveat, and it pains me to say this...but it might be relevant. My friend is an African-American male, which may be a factor in terms of improving workplace diversity. I hope this helps! Good luck.

@cam2006 -- I heard via email from the program coordinator. I had emailed her asking for an ETA on decisions being mailed, as I had the MGH offer to accept or decline before April 1 (I didn't mention MGH specifically). So she gave me the info via email. But I don't think that is standard practice on their part; she and I had been in touch on a number of questions and I think she was being nice in accommodating my timeframe. I did interview at NEU, and emailed back indicating that I wanted to stay on waitlist until I send MGH my cash. (All about the cash!). Good luck!

Hi all, Woo hoo, got my acceptance letter to MGH! I also just got word that I was waitlisted at Northeastern, but that was my second choice anyway so my decision has been made for me. Apparently NEU got over 300 applications for 24 slots -- isn't that crazy? That's more competitive than Harvard undergrad! Oh well, I'm just thrilled that MGH worked out; it was my first choice. Now I just need to scrounge up the admission deposit (sigh...) Good luck to all who are still waiting for word!

"Haha - your family sounds like mine! Mom's a DON of OR/PACU, Dad's a general surgeon, uncle's an internist, aunt's a MSW, their daughter's a paramedic, and there's two or three drug and device reps in the mix too. It's even money whether you'll get poo stories or surgery stories on any given night at our dinner table, and holidays are just a free-for-all." Ha, that's hilarious! I'll bet dinners with company are really, um, interesting! :)

Dear God in heaven. I thought it would be bad but this is pretty bad. Thank goodness, as you all say, you get used to it. Leecy, great advice about changes of...well, everything. And "poo ponds"? Wow. Just, wow. Loved this!... "You will become an expert in the many colors of poo, able to identify infection, GI bleed by smell before you even see the poo. It will not bother you at all. You will eat lunch discussing poo. You will talk about poo, while eating to non-medical people who are also eating on slow days to amuse yourself." My poor squeamish family. I fear I'll be permanently disinvited to holiday dinners if I can't control my mouth. Keep 'em comin' if you've got 'em!

Okay, nursing veterans...help out this newbie nursing student. I've talked with a number of nurses and NPs and, in the course of conversation, an alarming number of them have told me I will encounter more poo in my clinicals and first year of nursing than I ever imagined was biologically possible. Are they right? I fear they are. Go ahead, warn me. Terrify me. Tell the stories you definitely can't tell at dinner parties. Make sure I know exactly what I'm dealing with. Any and all stories of grossness are welcome--if I'm gonna do this, I really, REALLY need to know. Thanks!

Now in an NP program, I remember when I was an oncology chaplain intern and, in a particular case with an incarcerated cancer patient, saw a clear need for a team meeting to coordinate his care. I will never forget what my chaplaincy supervisor said to me: "You are not a 'chaplain intern.' You are a chaplain. Call the meeting." It wasn't often that chaplains called meetings like this, but it ended up making a huge difference in managing this patient's care. Bravo to you for being willing to step out of "I'm just a student" (a variation of "I just work here") and really take ownership of your role. We're all here to support you!

OP...I have a master of theological studies from Harvard, and am now career-changing into nursing full-time because jobs teaching religion are HARD to get. PLEASE do not kid yourself that you can teach in a college or university setting and "do some nursing" on the side. I'm sorry to be tough-love about it, but unless you pick a joint MDiv/MSN program like they have at Vanderbilt, and work harder at interweaving the two, you're going to have a very tough time. It sounds like you're thinking of the nursing piece as more of a money generator than anything else, and I suspect nursing is just too hard for that kind of approach. Just my .