elppaym

Hi, Did you go through this program? Thoughts?

Your on the front line. Go with your gut instincts and like others have said, if your in doubt over triage. I wold rather have an over triaged patient than an under triaged patient. I would have put Epigastric pain, which in our system we have a free text area to add in Chief complaint. Be able to back up why you did what you did, and CYA with at least the EKG and sending the labs. I would have made him a 3, had the tech do a quick EKG, send his labs off and thanked him for waiting patiently till we had a bed for him.

Solid plan, go for it.

Good advice, and I agree use your time in school to get a better understanding of what each area does etc. When your doing your rotations/clinicals ask questions. When your studying certain topics in school (OB, Critical care, etc.), make a note of which areas you find yourself more interested in come back here and browse the specialties threads. Good luck!

Stress, we have to deal with it healthy ways. During work: I step off the unit when on Lunch, get away and take a break and zone out. If the wife is off I'll have her send pics of the kids (8yr, 6yr, 3yr) or call and talk to them. Alternatively I do the same when she is at work (Nurse also). Great stress reliever even if its for 10min or so, they can always make my day more. I go in the doors positive and I leave the same way. I am going to remain positive throughout the day, if something bad happens or an issue pops up, I'll deal with it the best that I can. I work in the ED and things can go from fine to crap in 30 seconds. Deal with it, do what we're trained to do and do the best we can, that's all we can do. Leave it at the door, don't bring it home. Same with home issues, leave them at the door and don't bring them to work. Home life: I exercise, I run, I swim, I cycle. I do triathlons, Ironman etc. 5ks, 10ks etc. I have a stroller that holds one, we had two...I invested in a stroller that holds 2. When we had 3 children, the oldest was able to ride his bike while I ran and pushed the other two in a stroller. We found a gym that has child care, and we take advantage of that. A lot of people say they have no time, there is time you just have to make the time, IMO. I trained for an Ironman...while having a full time job and having a full-time family and going to grad school full-time for my FNP. I didn't watch TV, I spend more time outdoors with my family, my days off were spent being more productive, I was in better shape than when I was 18, and I would sleep like a baby. However you decided to manage your stress, it should incorporate some type of exercise, eating healthy, and ways to include the family. Good luck!

Start on your sciences that you need to retake, main ones they are looking for: A&P I/II, Microbiology, Math, Chem. Check with a admission counselor on what they specifically require. With your previous non-nursing bachelor you should have all the other general education courses required for a Bachelors covered. Your accelerated classes will be strictly nursing classes that are required for the BSN. The same goes with the accelerated MSN, once in the program you'll only be taking nursing classes. Accelerated programs are fast paced, my class mates that got rolled back a semester had issues with trying to work and not having enough time to study and pass exams. You'll be taking a class the traditional undergraduate student would take in 16wks compressed down into an 8wk format, you still have to do all the papers, quizzes and exams that the 16wk class would cover. I remember sitting in the library and listening to a group a traditional students complain that they only had 2 weeks to prepare a paper, we had 4 days. I was a PCT (patient care technician, EKGS, Phlebotomy) prior to Nursing school, no instructors really asked and I didn't volunteer any of my past experiences. I listened and learned and some things I already new, but learned it again. As far as "frowning" on paramedics I have never heard of that or encountered it when in school or from my professors. I would say go for it, it was my second degree and during my last orientation for a group of accelerated students (my school has me come back and talk to new students and give advice) 2nd career ages are all over the board and older students are the norm. Good Luck!

Very good advice posted so far, take note of it. It's going to be hard, it's not going to be exactly like they taught you in school. Is there a way to make it easy? Stay motivated, staying on point and learning as much as you can. Make every opportunity to learn and even if you think you know it, listen and you may find you learn a little more about it. Good luck!

As roser & Skips states wherever you can depending on your location and market. Additionally RNperdiem makes a good point on a strong unit where new grads are welcome. I started in the ED, had a job before I graduated. Networking is key to my getting my first job and would also say it helped in every job since. Alternatively some of my classmates were 8 months post-graduation with no job in sight. Every student I precept I try to tell them the importance of networking. Back to your original question: "What department do you think a new nurse would benefit starting from and why?" Tough topic, many will have views on where a new grad should start, getting a foundation for a specific amount of time etc. I even heard them when I started as a new grad and a few nurses felt that new grads shouldn't be in the ED. I would say it depends on the new grad, other factors can be location, make up of department etc. I started as a new grad, thrived and grew in the ED, I became a preceptor to new grads, new hires, and a mentor for my organization. I became a FNP with a passion for ED/Urgent care and it's where you'll find me today. The ED experience I gained was very valuable in my graduate studies. When studying certain topics, disease states I could correlate that with my experience in the ED and even see the similar cases while at work. I would say know what you want to do, know what your passion is and go for it, if your motivated you'll get to where you'll want.

If your putting in the time studying, the next thing is to be focused on what you need to be studying. I started out with the Leik and Fitz Review books and using text books also, doing questions every day also. Felt like I was studying all over the place, felt like I was retaining anything, ugh! Talked to some class mates who recently took the test, some took both...everyone used the online Fitz review course. Here's what I finally did and what worked for me, hope it helps: Main study would be Fitz online review course - I would study each topic for 2-3 days watching the video modules and following along in the work book. At the end I would then cross reference and make notes using the other two books (Leiks and Fitz review books). I would re-do the modules, look at notes, use text books and internet to get further clarification on a subject (Kahn Academy has some great videos). I quit doing questions everyday and focused knowing the material. I did the online practice exam that is included with the Fitz review a week or so before my exam date, did well and ran through my notes and re-watched some modules (they eventually became very monotonous and I realized that I had the information. Test Day: ANCC Used the highlighter tool to highlight pertinent information in each question, allowing me to slow down and focus on what the question was asking...it allowed me to even pick out the "gothca" answers for most of the questions. I would take a break every 50 or so questions, get up stretch, get a drink of water, use the bathroom, etc. I marked a total of maybe 10 questions, went through and answered them and hit submit. I took 3 breaks and felt I went slow and finished in 3hrs. * Make a plan and stick to it * Study one topic at a time (not multiple topics a day) * Know the material, don't memorize * Test Day, slow down, use highlighter tool, take a break to relax Good Luck!

Another like for New Balance :) Having wide feet also, I love my New Balance. They are my go to choice for running shoes so that my feet can naturally expand while running and walking. I would say your best bet is to go to an actual New Balance store if you have one in your area and you can actually try on all the different width to find the most comfortable.

I would have to agree, practice. If you don't have experience with interviews, then like kraken suggested practice. Research what the company is about, the missions and values so if it is brought up you can effectively discuss it. Know the company that your going to interview with. It does get easier with practice and as you gain more experience with interviews. Good luck!

If you took "A" you need to take "B" and so forth, just keep going down the list every 2 years :) • ONLY COMPLETE ONE (1) TEST GROUP AT A TIME. Certification with one test group (1) is good for up to two (2) years. [h=4]001A- Certification TEST GROUP A[/h]– The suggested certification period for this group is 12 to 24 months. After passing Group A, you must wait at least 6 months before taking Group B. [h=4]001B- Certification TEST GROUP B[/h]- The suggested certification period for this group is 12 to 24 months. After passing Group B, you must wait at least 12 months before taking Group C. [h=4]001C- Certification TEST GROUP C[/h]– The suggested certification period for this group is 12 to 24 months. After passing Group C, you must wait at least 12 months before taking Group D. [h=4]Additional test groups such as D, E, F, G,H, I J, K, etc.[/h]These test groups will be distributed and released to your personal account based on the expert panel's suggested time guidelines.

I would also agree, make sure your going slow enough to get what the question is asking and be able to pick out the "gotcha" answer. I did the Fitz online review, went through the modules 2-3 times, compared it with the leik book. I would only study one content area at least 3 days in a row before moving on. Did the questions towards the last week leading up to exam, while going through the modules one last time. During exam I would use the highlighter tool and highlight the significant a parts of the question. I took my time, able to spot the "gotcha" answers and had an hour to spare. Went over the questions I had checked and submitted. I also used the other Fitz review book and supplemented with my course books on subjects that the others were vague on or I needed more information to better understand. I found breaking it down and studying only one area of content was more beneficial for me. Hang in there be positive, make a study plan and you'll get it. Good luck!

Awesome, congrats!

apayne8508, makes a very good point, you can learn a lot from your fellow staffers, CNA/Techs, the ones i work with our amazing. I used to be one also :)