couchdogs

Your agency is not giving you accurate information that is in your best interest. If I were you, I would call your state licensing board to verify but in my experience, unless you have a compact license that covers that other state, you are not to practice nursing whatsoever unless it is an obvious emergency. I worked for a call center and we had to be very careful when people from out of state called with medical questions and concerns. Perhaps they were traveling on vacation or were snowbirds that lived out of state for part of the year, and we're calling their primary doctor or specialist for medical advice. We had to direct them to seek medical care locally due to state licensing restrictions. Do not let your agency bully you into doing this. If they will not assist you in getting licensed for that state, then the parents are responsible for taking that child to their out of state appointments by themselves.

Please tell me which school/program you are entering because I am in the same situation and would like to go on. Thanks

So Walden has a BS (or BA) to MSN program? How long does that take or how many credits? How expensive? Sorry if this is off the maian topic.

Just curious, where are you taking classes. I have a BS (not in nursing) and also want to get my masters in education. Have you worked anywhere else beside OB/nursery? How long have you been a nurse? Where and what exactly do you want to teach? I have worked psych, OB, nursery, some skilled and longterm care. I feel that it would be a disadvantage that I do not have med-surg experience. Do you agree? As far as your students go now, just be honest with them if you do not know something. They will relate to you more that you are still fairly new. Just teach them what you know and be grateful for the teaching opportunity.

There is no written policy on the 12 hour rule, just something that all the staff was told and have been practicing. Sometimes units get stuck in a rut doing something one way and not questioning it because they are not aware of what other hospitals are doing. In order to give the vaccination we just get a verbal consent and then they must sign a decline form if they refuse it. I usually approach the patient with the decline form and then explain they have the option to have their baby vaccinated if they want but I in no way push for it. They start the series at the peds office around 2 months anyways.

At the hospital I am currently working at we are to ask the parents if they want the optional newborn hep B vacc. and try to get it administered (if they want it) within 12 hours of life. Many parents do not have a preferrence one way or the other about it and seem to rely on the nurse to tell them what to do. I want to provide my patients with a clear picture of the pros and cons of getting the vacc that early and in which situations would you definately want to or not want to give the shot. And why the 12 hour deadline. I know we have given it after the 12 hours before when the mom wanted to discuss it with doctor the next day but for the most part we are told to rush it. Any help out there with this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Just knowing what kinds of things are said about patients (opinions) in report, I'm not sure I would be comfortable giving birth in my own unit. But in the past, anytime we had a another staff member or their family member as a patient, everyone went out of their way to give the best care and withhold their opinions (for the most part, lol)

Any suggestions or feedback out there in cyberland?

I'm in Central Illinois also, In Peoria. And you?

I worked in long-term care in Iowa before moving to Illinois. I both loved and hated it, as most people do. When I cam to Illinois I took a hospital position for the experience but after six months I really miss the LTC environment, even with its troubles. I have now accepted a position as ADON fo a 90-bed skilled, rehab and LTC facility. I start next week and would love some helpful suggestions or feedback. Thanks.

Please, I'd love a response!

Hi All, I have a Bachelors in Health Science and am currently going through an ADN program. I want to keep my education options open for me down the road but am not sure what path to pursue. At first I thought I might get my BSN which would take about 1 1/2 - 2 more years after the DN, but I already have a Bachelors Degree. I have learned about some programs aout there that allow you to earn your Masters in Nursing (if you have a non-nursing BS degree) by taking a few bridge classes. This sound more appealling to me and it's something I could wait to do after I've been working in the field awhile. Can anyone answer these questions: 1)Are there any Masters programs, besides Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, that would be beneficial when working in NICU? 2) Has anyone been in the same situation as me and gone from a BS to a MSN. If so, where did you attend and how did it work out? 3)Does anyone have any opinions about online MSN programs offered or have any recommendations (the ones I've checked out seem well-rounded but are usually very expensive) Any suggestions would be great Thanks, Couchdogs in IOWA

Thank you all for the helpful information. It is great to hear what nurses already working in the field have to say. I love this forum for exactly that reason Couchdogs

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting. I have a BS degree in health science and recently went back to school to become an RN (1 more year). I have been trying to learn more about possible nursing fields that I would like to work in. My top three include nurse anesthetist, pediatric and (#1) NICU. I am not ready for another 3 years of school to go into anesthesia, even though the money is great, but I really want to find a field I love. I would love it if some of you would mind answering a few questions for me. 1. What are your average daily duties? 2. Are most days hectic and busy or calm and controlled? 3. Is working with the tiny babies so rewarding or does your heart break all the time? 4. If you don't mind, what sort of salary can be expected? New grad? and experienced RN? (I'm in the midwest) 5. What types of advacement are available (charge nurse, extra certification, masters for NNP) and how does those effect a nurse's desirablilty and income? I hope it doesn't sound like I'm just concerned about the money, because I'm not. I just want to pick a field where I can become very specialized and have the opportunity to grow and advance both my skills and income potential. My compassion lies with the children and babies, but I think I have the strength to deal with the hard cases. I would love some feedback. Tara in Iowa