misscherie

Hi there! I have a similar question! I just got a job in pediatrics - I already have a Littman II Classic. Is it worth me investing in a Littman II Pediatric stethoscope? What do you nurses find, that it makes a difference? Thanks so much!

Hi all, Just a quick wee question for all you pediatric nurses! Where do you get your pediatric-themed scrubs from? I am looking to order several at a cheap price from overseas and would love to know your tips on high quality but well-priced scrubs? Thank you!

thanks imaginations! which hospital are you at? sounds amazing! am also thinking of applying to royal melbournes childrens hospital if anyone has any experience there? thanks!

Great news, congratulations! Let us know how you go and how you enjoy it :)

Distraction is key! Blowing up a glove and tying it then drawing eyes above the thumb (which is now the nose) or blowing bubbles (can help with children who need to breathe deeper). I find that if the child has 'stranger danger' (at certain developmental ages), talk to the parents first then they will warm to you rather than directly going to the child. If the child is friendly and relaxed then definitely talk to the child as that is who your patient is. I think patience and honesty goes a long way with kids! If you say it's not going to hurt (and it does), good luck trying to gain their trust to get you to do anything ever again!

Well done! Let us know how it goes :) So funny that there are nurses on here in the same ward!!!

Thanks for your feedback! Do you have a whole range of different surgeries rather than a common one? Any med ward people care to comment? :-) Thanks so much again :)

Hi there, Thanks for the advice - sounds pretty dire actually! Am thinking ahead for when I will be applying this time next year but sounds as though it might be tricky! Has anyone has any luck?

Hi there nurses! Just a quick question! What's the main differences between medical and surgical nursing in terms of a typical day and duties? Have you worked in both? And which do you prefer? And why? Just weighing up whether to do medical or surgical! Thanks so much in advance! :redpinkhe

Hi there! Has anyone done their new grad programme in Australia (I am a kiwi), and if so, where would you recommend as a new grad? There are soooo many hospitals and just have no idea where to start! I have a friend at a hospital there who says there are amazing staff-to-patient ratios in some hospitals. Have you had a good experience in a new graduate programme in Australia? Thinking Melbourne, Sydney or somewhere in Queensland! Thanks so much in advance! :redpinkhe

Oops sorry about that! I meant Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital! Thanks so much for the advice, much appreciated :)

Hi lovely nurses! Would appreciate advice on any good childrens hospitals or paediatric wards within hospitals in Oz for a possible graduate position? I have been told Royal Childrens Hospital is great. What are the big differences between private and public hospitals? I would be thinking of applying in Melbourne or somewhere in Queensland etc. I would be applying for a new graduate position and my passion is in paediatrics so hoping to apply to various places! Also - to the paeds nurses out there, which area do you work in? And which do you enjoy? Any advice would be much appreciated! :redpinkhe

I actually finished a Bachelors degree in psychology and then worked in community psych for a year before deciding it wasnt for me. Like you, I found neuro interesting but the reality out there was different from the textbooks. One of the mental health wards I worked on felt like a revolving door, like you'd work so hard to get someone to the point they could go back to the community, then they would be back a week later because home didnt help, or alcohol was involved etc etc. So the job satisfaction of seeing someone get better wasnt there for me and felt some of them had a pretty bad long term prognosis. And sometimes their stay on the ward was a better option than home! As they were fed, supervised, nursing care etc. For me, I am the same as StephMom, my family has an extensive history of mental illness and that was another reason for me. I also didnt agree with the way some doctors hand out antipsychotics and other drugs like candy as a quick fix. I figured out pretty quickly that mental health wasnt for me. But I also know some people that LOVE the complexity of mental health nursing. I found some of the mental health nurses quite kooky (in a good way) to be dealing with what they deal with and I really admire them, I just know its not for me. Does this help at all? Maybe speak to some people that work in the area too and see what they think! All the best! :)

You're absolutely right! Its a VERY popular choice amongst our class, although none have been in a NICU ward yet so time will tell! Thanks so much for the advice!

Thank you so much for all your replies! So interesting! And very true one person who said that its not necessarily one calling for some people but will be a narrowing down from things you dont enjoy! For example, I know I dont want to be a theatre nurse! Stay tuned :)

Hi nurses! :redpinkhe I was just curious - when did you know what specialty you wanted to work in? I have one year left of nursing school and have done several placements but haven't really found my "niche" yet (although I know that mental health nursing is not for me). Next year we have to choose our placements and wondering if I should pick a few really different ones (that I may not have imagined I'd like) and see if I like it? I guess it's the time to experiment maybe? A lot of students in my class already know what their "calling" is - many want to work in NICU. When did you know? Thanks!

Congratulations!!! :) :) :)

Hi lovely nurses out there! I just had a question... I will be third year soon and able to pick placements but I have no idea what I want to specialize in. I feel that there's a lot of student nurses who just know what area they want to be in, like it's their calling. I love nursing but don't have a particular area that I badly want to be in. I am really passionate about children but haven't worked in pediatrics yet so would love some insight from paeds nurses on what it's really like and what it takes to be one? Your advice would be much appreciated!

Hi there, I am sure to all you expert nurses out there, these abbreviations will be second nature to you but am really curious from the handover notes, what these mean? I am just starting out nursing so just learning these things! Thanks so much :) I am guessing "NFR but still for MET calls" means not for rescuscitation but still for medical emergency team? Not sure exactly what that would mean! "O2 to keep Sp02" up.. what is Sp02? "DW" "QID BSLs" "GTN" "CHF" "T2DM" "PMHx: MMP" "ETOH use" "NBM until SLT review" "HCV" "IVAB" or "IVAbx" = guessing this is IV antibiotics? "Gastro rw" "DC once afrebrile 23 hours" "SOB" "NSTEMI and fast AF" "intermittent BiPaP 10:5" "1LFR" "HTN" "ax pt" "mild AS, AR, MR" "PAC's" "CVA" "if GSC drops..." And is the little x used for Hx (history?) and Dx (diagnosis) just there for what reason? Thank you in advance!

Well done you two! :) Enjoy your nursing careers!!! By the way, what yellow book are you talking about?

Ummm I guess it depends if you think you will need them to reference back to and whether $250 is worth not having those books around in case you need them. Completely up to you but I know for me, I will be hanging on to my pharmacology and assessment books just in case!

I agree - Id love to know more info on the format of the NZ state nursing exam.. any help guys? :)

Great advice here from the other nurses . As the others have said, try to stay positive until you do find out and chances are, you will be just fine! Even though the powers of the mind can make us imagine all sorts of worse case scenarios, it often will be okay. I have my fingers and toes crossed for you, please keep us in the loop! :redpinkhe

I know this is an old post but in case others are searching this for drug calculation help, heres an excellent website that may help you :) http://www.manuelsweb.com/nrs_calculators.htm

Wow must be such a good feeling to leave it all behind for a little while and focus on you! Now you can relax and in no time, you'll be meeting your new bubba. Really happy for you :)