freezin

Thanks for the feedback. Plenty of patients come in with IVs on the DVT side due to other complications such as a fistula or mastectomy on the opposing side. Perhaps something other than a peripheral is warranted for these patients?

Thank you for posting this story. As a newish nurse I am sometimes afraid to push the providers when I feel they are not taking taking my concerns seriously. This story highlights the importance of our role as a patient advocate and seeking out expert advice from our colleagues when we don't know what to ask for.

Is it ok to start an IV in an arm with a DVT? And, if it is ok, is there any reason not to run heparin into that IV? There has been a little controversy over this at work. Thank you!

Just passed the PCCN. I am a tele and not a step down nurse so at first I felt I was at a disadvantage regarding drips, etc. However, if you are on a tele floor that gets pacemakers, cardiac cath patients, PE's and COPD then you have plenty of experience to pass this test. Here is what I recommend studying: Cardiac, Cardiac, Cardiac - know ACLS, pericarditis, murmurs - stenosis and regurgitation, heart failure, WPW, Brugada, EKG - what vessels supply what parts of the heart and which leads monitor which part of the heart, endocarditis, heart failure, vascular disease, arterial occlusion and PAD. ABGs, COPD, Sleep Apnea, and status asthmatics Diabetes, esp hypoglycemia and DKA Surgical concerns The questions that were most representative of those on the test were these from the AACN PCCN Exam Handbook. Also did questions from other sources, but they were not as representative as what you will actually see on the test. Practice PCCN Exam Questions Good luck. Hope this helps.

I second the need for a planner so that you can keep all your assignments straight. Also, since much of nursing school is NCLEX prep, get an NCLEX book and start quizzing yourself as you learn things. I have one by m. Hogan and found I could use it even for fundamentals. Others like Saunders better. The sooner you master the "NCLEX style" questions, the happier you will be. I had to seriously retrain my brain to answer these questions!

I am also in an accelerated program and struggled on the tests. My recommendation is to practice NCLEX style questions as often as possible. I have 3 books and get together with a group to do nclex questions every week. It is time consuming but has increased my scores from the 70's to the 90's.

Thank you all for your responses. I am very new to nursing school and still figuring all of this out. I did not know that you had to get orders for a culture and I really appreciate all of you pointing out the reasons that the patient is exhibiting serious signs. Like I said in my original post, I really want to learn what happens in actual nursing and why. You all have taught me something that I am not likely to forget. Thank you for taking the time to answer my post.

Thank you. It seemed extreme to me to call the provider when the lab values were pretty close to normal.

I hope this is the right forum for my question. I am a nursing student and have a question about a test scenario. The test is already over and I am mostly curious what would happen in the real world if you were the nurse for this patient. Here is the question: A man has a wound that is red and is starting to have visible pus. His temp is 100.5 and his WBC count is 10,500. What should the nurse do? I can't remember the exact choices but one was to take a culture of the wound and another was to call the provider and use SBAR. What would you do?

Hey, Has anyone heard anything yet? The NAU accelerated program is the only program I applied to this year and I am starting to get really nervous. I know last year they had over 100 applicants for 30 spots. Yikes!

Hello, I want to become a midwife. I am 30 and have a B.A. in Liberal Arts and a M.S. in Biology. I live in northern Minnesota and was just accepted to a LPN program at the local community college. I am not really sure how to step up to midwifery. Here is my current plan. What do I do next? 1) Complete LPN in 2011 2) Complete Associates RN in 2012 through a distance learning course 3) Get experience nursing (I'll try for L&D but I'm not sure how to do this) 4) ? -- Here is where I get stuck. I know that many states require you to have a Bachelors in nursing to apply for CNM and some require a masters. Will it be difficult for me to move up from an associates to a bachelors or a masters? In a few years my husband and I should be able to move to the twin cities or (possibly) Denver for me to continue my education but I am not sure if I will be a competitive candidate. I am at a unique point right now where we can afford for me to spend a few years as a volunteer or take a low paying job if neecessary. Since I am just getting started I thought I might get a few tips on how to become a strong candidate for schools and for the workforce. Thanks for your thoughts.