Sk8mannate

HA! That is legit. Made me smile, nothing I like more than coming back to work only to have my tubed kid out on the Peds floor!

PICU nurse here, I absolutely love my job and can't imagine doing anything else! What's other PICU nurses favorite experience/moment? What was special about it? Let's expand our ego's and remind ourselves why we are so awesome!

I currently work on a unit that can hold up to 16 patients, though the acuity is high your situation is still manageable. I feel that the idea of understaffed has been some what of a problem in the last few years. I just look at it as a cool opportunity to nurse it up.

All depends on the hospital, I was extremely fortunate enough to get a NICU job before I graduated, did my preceptorship and LOVED IT! Truly the best kind of nursing! I mean these hands, you mean Gods hands, ya these!

THE TRICK DEFINITELY WORKS! I got 265 and was in complete devastation, however, I tried the trick and it worked!

Our unit uses Core Curriculum for Neonatal IC Nursing by Verklan and Walden and I am personally bias towards it. I find that it is extremely in depth and thorough, no nonsense kind of material. It is a good read and has plenty of great info, I am just getting into it, I start a new position soon! I am interested in the book written for parents, Premies is it called? That seems like a great resource for teaching

WOW, looks like were in the same boat, I just passed my NCLEX a couple days ago and now waiting two weeks till I start my dream job in a level II NICU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I as just thinking the same thing and I have purchased the Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing and started studying transitioning, etc. This is a great resource, as is NEOfax. SO CONGRATS and go NICU NURSES!!!!!! we are definitely the best kind. Nate

Hey, I am currently in the NAU nursing program wrapping up my 3rd semester. For NAU Nursing admission the program looks only at the required courses for entry into the program. Only those classes that the school (nau nursing) requires will be figured into GPA. It was so long ago i was applying so i do not remember what are required. BTW - NAU has the best program in the state!

In all reality this procedure is not necessary. Yes, there are potential complications from inflating the cuff too high but its not likely. The easiest way is to look at the baseline BP's or ask the pt what their usual readings are and inflate the cuff 15-20 mm hg exceeding the rate, if a pressure is immediately heard just go another 10 up. By inflating the cuff only 10- 15 mm hg above baseline will not harm the pt.

Congratulations!!!! I am going to start 3rd semester in January with NAU. Nursing school has been the best and toughest time of my life. Med/Surg was the hardest course I have taken and being a 4.0 student who felt as if i was "smart" was humbled by testing. As you will find nursing tests are like nothing you have encountered, application level is an understatment. I think I have a couple tips that may prove extremely beneficial and I wish I had known in the beginning. 1. Know the evil words: the absolute words, always, etc. Never the answer. 2. Get an NCLEX book and sleep with it, love it, caress it, do not fondle however because thats weird. 3. Out source beyond the book, alot of times the book has so much information and test question can be very specific practices that the book does not reviel, never rely on the book for all informaiton. 4. Get good at IV math, I struggled alot at first but once I got it, it can be simple however very frustrating. 5. Be prepared to feel bipolar 6. As horrible as nursing school is I want it to be this hard because frankly someones incompetence may lead to death in extreme cases so it needs to be this hard. 7. Have fun, clinicals are awesome, exciting, nerve racking, however I have never felt so alive. 8. Do not challenge an RN's competence as a student nurse. Thats just stupid and arrogant. 9. NEVER over think a question, pick the simplest answer and stick with it, often times changing answers prove fatal to a test. 10. Dont be a wuss and stick with it! Well this isnt everything but some of the things that come to mind when looking back. I have my hardest semester coming up and can feel that knot in my stomach already rising thinking of whats to come. Enjoy school, they beat you down to bring you up, in a sense its like bootcamp all mental!!! Enjoy, hope this helps. Nate