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.

I think everyone has at least 1 bad clinical experience, some of us more than others. Try to stick with it and stay calm. Trust me, by this time next year, you will laugh about how nervous you were to give a pt a bed bath. Things will not always go as planned, in fact they rarely do (for me at least). IVs come out. We had a seasoned paramedic accidentally pull out an IV while transferring the pt from the stretcher to the bed. It happens!! No one died!!!! Foley bags are placed on a pts legs while in transit. Granted, that's increasing the risk for infection, but you simply placed it on the bed rail, no need for panic! Be patient with your instructors. We are practicing under their licenses. Medication can be a sore spot for many instructors. I have had both types, one that wouldn't let me do any meds, but I still had to research them. And one that would watch me pull them up, verify pt, and then leave the room while I administered them. Go figure, everyone is different. You will eventually figure out what each instructor wants. I tend to take the, "Yes, ma'am, You're right, ma'am. I will try not to let that happen again" approach. But again, Stay Calm!!

My instructors explained it like this... they are in 'YOUR' home (meaning your hospital, your rules). Don't be rude, but explain that these interventions must be done. It doesn't matter if you are a student or not. If you have a lack of confidence in your patient care, fake it while you are in their room! Ask your instructor/preceptor questions BEFORE you start a procedure, never think you can 'figure it out' on your own. You CAN do this!!!!

I'm in my 4th and LAST semester (for my ASN). I was also an A student going into the Nursing Program. Since then, I've made B's consistently... but I kind of had rollercoaster grades last semester. I either made A's or F's on my tests. Luckily enough, it worked out to be a B in the long run. I passed my final with a high B. It all depends on how you study, staying organized, and not changing your diet halfway through the semester. (My F's came around the time I quit drinking sodas... go figure.)

BUN can be elevated from dehydration. It's not the best test to determine kidney function.

Here is how I would rationalize this... Yes, babies have immature thermoregulation. BUT they can maintain their temp if properly kept warm. (Swaddling, heat lamps, etc.) IF, a baby is placed on a cool surface or kept unwrapped and not under warming lamps, their body temp would drop because they are losing what heat they did have. In other words, if they aren't actively losing heat, even though they have an immature thermoregulation, the external factors are keeping them warm.

Is it bad that my 11 yo son is doing my laundry? LOL. Only sometimes...

Ugh, Go-Lytely + Big lady + Active GI bleed + measly ER curtain = Really stinky ER. Just wait until you need to roll a 300+ pound person on a stretcher to clean them up. FUN times!! Oh, and funniest poo story was from a LOL with pneumonia and diarrhea... we had her turned and was cleaning her up, every time she coughed, more poo shot out at me. Learn to dodge.

It used to be a commercial. I think there was one with a guy in surgery and another man smiles down on him... I'm not a doctor, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night! Cheesy...

This is an absolute MUST!!! You will get hard core burn out if you don't take time for yourself. I am in my last semester (Thank You, Lord!!). I take either Saturday or Sunday as MY time. Sometimes, I don't even get out of my PJs. LOL. Also, if you have assignments that aren't due for a while.... go ahead and do them if you have free time!! It will take some stress off. I have a critical care paper due at the beginning of March... done! Now I only have 4 more to do. *I hate writing papers.*

Our school has us do a 'mock' bed bath on each other. We keep our clothes on, but we were asked to wear shorts so that we could practice putting on TED hose. I was uncomfortable with the TED hose thing just because I have very ticklish feet. And I think feet are gross and wasn't really looking forward to having a foot in my face.... but it really wasn't / isn't that bad!!!! At least I had the chance to practice my 'nursing mask' before I offended a real patient. LOL. We also did this to help us understand proper body mechanics of rolling someone. Not all patients can move themselves. Trust me, a 400 lb patient's leg is HEAVY!