Psilant

LOL. I have had several pts ask me where the nurses sleep at night.

Two different pts.... two different hospital stays... same room. Both pts pushed the Code Blue button claiming they were looking for the light switch.......... (it looks NOTHING like a light switch!) Another pt, continuously presses the call bell throughout the day. I decide to save the nurse a trip and answer it. I go in, the pt starts berating me for not answering sooner (literally, it rang 2-3 times) and when I ask what they needed, the pt said, "Nothing, I just want you to answer my calls faster!"

Congrats! I have an interview tomorrow... wish me luck! *says a little prayer*

There must have been something about the night of the 23rd/24th... because my shift was he77 too. Had one that was ripping out IVs, climbing out over his bed rails, pocketing his meds.... added to the others that I swear had to get up to go poop/pee every hour. I was constantly rounding rooms, get to the end and the first one would start again. Something was in the air I tell ya!!!

It feels like eternity sometimes.... and I could swear I have aged 10 years over a 2 year time span!!!!!!

People with PD can walk you through their procedures, too. Some of them are VERY particular about how you do it. Which is completely understandable. I'm still a student, but my instructor was helping another student with one while I observed. The hospital is using a new bag system and my instructor wasn't familiar with it. The patient had to tell us how to do it. It was no big deal. I guess the patient is use to it.

Hey! You just described our school's scrubs!!! *Less than two months... can't wait to get to wear real scrubs!*

I get irked with students that have been dismissed from the program for unsafe practice... and then they turn around and blame the instructors. I'm sorry, it's obviously the instructor's fault that you have been on probation for the past TWO semesters. I'm shocked they didn't boot you out sooner!

I'm in school now. I have to say, I'm kind of disappointed in the fact that we only have clinical ONE day a week and it is only an 8 hour day. I still hear classmates complaining about how exhausting clinicals are. HELLO?! This is nothing compared to what it will be like after we graduate and get REAL jobs!!!!

I live near Pensacola. I won't graduate until May, but from what I've been hearing, they are only hiring GNs that have already been a tech or LPN at that facility. Which means I might be S.O.L. A couple of the nurses I have worked with have been telling me to go talk to the DON before I graduate. One even tried to drag me to her office while in the middle of clinicals. I had to stop him so I wouldn't get in trouble from my instructor. Hehe. So, my only suggestion is to talk/introduce yourself to some of the DONs around the area you want to work. That way, when they get the influx of applications, they MAY recognize your name as someone who took the initiative before the others.

I wonder if anyone tried 'watering' the flowers...... Ok, I admit, that was a bad joke.

I guess I didn't get my point across. The OP was worried that IF her doctor divulged that she may be bipolar, that it would affect her getting into nursing school. I was trying to help reassure her that if a state board of nursing doesn't have a problem with maintaining licensure for people with mental illnesses, then I would hope that her school would not hold it against her. The drug use really had nothing to do with it, but I was trying to show that I didn't just pull it out of thin air and that that particular nurse wasn't in front of the board for her mental illness but for something separate. Maybe I didn't explain myself well. *shrug*

Go ahead and start working on ABGs and Acid-Base Balance. I don't know about other schools, but mine has this stuff on EVERY test. It affects EVERY system! As far as care plans go, I use All-in-One Care Planning Resource by Swearingen. You still need to know what you are talking about, but it helps to give you a 'nudge' in the right direction. And I agree with the others on the meds. It can be very time consuming!!!!

As part of our nursing program, we have to attend a board of nursing hearing. At the hearing, a nurse that was in front of the board for drug use had to tell them that she was Bipolar. She is compliant with her meds, and her doctor as well as the state psych evaluator said she was competent to practice. I would hope if the state board is ok with bipolar, that your school will be as well.

We have a few hospitals where I live that do not employ CNAs. They feel that the RNs need to actually assess every inch of their pts body to make sure they don't end up with pressure ulcers. They ensure this happens by having the RNs do the bed baths and linen changes. That way, the blame stays on the nurse, not pushed off onto a CNA.