twentytenRN

Are you primariliy scrubbing c-sections? If you are, then I can provide you with a handy-dandy study guide/procedure guide. PM me.

Too many variables to make a handy list for you. It varies from procedure to procedure and surgeon to surgeon. The best thing you can do is learn the common procedures and learn the order in which things are done. One solid tip I can give you is to pay attention to the surgical site. If you see a vessel or something bleeding, get ready to hand off a hemostat! ETA: I just realized you said you've only scrubbed in 3 times. The part of learning which instruments to hand off without a doc telling you what they want is called "anticipation." This skill takes at least 6 months to a year to acquire. You're not going to have this skill immediately or within 3 days of orientation. Kindly tell the surgeon that you are new and learning and you're doing your best. It won't put all of them at ease, but some are more willing to "teach" you than others.

They are border towns. Not the greatest working/living conditions and/or patient populations.

Yes, there ARE still places that do this. It is just not advertised. I am a new grad and just started my first RN position and was offered a relocation/sign-on bonus. So it is possible. With that said, in the DFW area I would check out LifeCare Hospitals or Kindred Health, they are LTAC's. They both are friendly to LVN's. Many bigger hospitals in Dallas have gotten away from hiring LVN's for acute care. San Antonio also has a healthy job market and will hire LVN's even in acute care settings.

Sent you a PM.

Yep. I've been hired out of state with just a mere 10 minute phone interview before. Wishing you the best of luck!

Gut instinct has a place in nursing. More often than not, you should trust it. It makes you a good patient advocate. Of note: Hypoxia=restlessness, agitation, confusion, etc... especially in the elderly!

Yes but it is not advertised. Is TX warm enough for you??

Usually I'm in the camp of "not a good idea to treat family." However, for something so simple, I think it's fine. Sounds like you knew how to complete an eye exam with a Snellen chart and you are licensed to make an assessment and document it. Nothing hokey about that. The DMV will likely not even look at the signature. They just care that it's done. Sad, but true.

Eat breakfast, snacks, lunch, more snacks... the worst mistake students make is thinking "If I eat, I will surely throw it back up..." Instead, you end up passed out cold on the floor from low blood sugar. Never lock your knees! As someone else said, shift your weight. If you start getting that weak, jello-legged feeling... get out of the room/area and sit. Drop to the floor against the wall and sit if you have to. Find something and fan yourself cool. Go find some grape juice or a piece of hard candy. If you're in the OR, don't get too close to the sterile field. Trust me, as someone who was a former scrub tech, it is NOT fun to have a student pass out on your sterile field! You will do much better to be honest and excuse yourself from the room before you contaminate everything and make a lot of people very unhappy. If you notice you're starting to get grossed out, immediately look away and change your thoughts as you remove yourself from the area. You may spare yourself some embarrassment later. Always have an escape plan. Even if you're not normally claustrophobic by nature, you stick yourself in an uncomfortable, gross situation and you may find yourself feeling trapped, and panicky. Have a way to escape and excuse yourself gracefully. It's not always the obvious gross stuff that will get you. I nearly passed out during my NICU rotation from watching an umbilical line being pulled. It wasn't bloody, it wasn't painful for the baby but it sure made the color drain from my face!!! Everyone has their limits. Know yours. Lastly, NEVER make yourself feel the pain of the other person. IF you try and empathize to this point, you're going to feel the effects. If you're in there changing that dressing or cleaning out that wound and you're attempting to transfer their pain and discomfort upon yourself, you WILL gross yourself out. Don't do it!

I am sorry to hear of your health problems and your troubles. As a nurse I have to say that you can use all the fancy gadgets in the world you want when starting an IV but none of them hold a candle to someone who is truly good at starting IV's. And as a patient, you don't know whether or not the person starting your IV is "good at it" until they take a stab at you. Pun intended. I would think something a long the lines of the mediport or portacath would be a good option for you to discuss with your physician for someone receiving such frequent IV treatment. The risk of infection with multiple and repeated peripheral sticks is usually more than having a central access. Good luck and I wish you the best with your health and your education!

My deepest sympathies... Just kidding! :ancong!:

You can always tell the nurses who were techs before they became nurses vs. those who were not...

From the TX BON website: Eligibility Issues Applicants must be able to answer "No" to the following questions in order to use the online application. All other applicants may download a complete application packet. Review of applicants with eligibility issues can take three (3) to six (6) month to complete. For any criminal offense, including those pending appeal, have you: A. been convicted of a misdemeanor? B. been convicted of a felony? C. pled nolo contendere, no contest, or guilty? D. received deferred adjudication? E. been placed on community supervision or court-ordered probation, whether or not adjudicated guilty? F. been sentenced to serve jail or prison time? court-ordered confinement? G. been granted pre-trial diversion? H. been arrested or have any pending criminal charges? I. been cited or charged with any violation of the law? J. been subject of a court-martial; Article 15 violation; or received any form of military judgment/punishment/action? (You may only exclude Class C misdemeanor traffic violations.) Failure to reveal an offense, arrest, ticket, or citation that is not in fact expunged or sealed, will at a minimum, subject your license to a disciplinary fine. Non-disclosure of relevant offenses raises questions related to truthfulness and character. You will need to contact the TX BON and submit a Declatory Order declaring the charges pending against you. It costs $39 to do this unless they have to dig really deep, then they bill you an additional $150 if they have to do more research on you (usually for big offenses). Here's a link to the form you need: http://www.bon.state.tx.us/olv/pdfs/DOapp.pdf We can't give legal advice nor can we tell you exactly what the BON will say about your offense, but it seems pretty minor. Be aware that it takes them a little while longer to process this Order and clear you for licensure. It is way better to be truthful and disclose the offense rather than them find out about it because they will become suspicious of you at that point. Sorry this happened to you, and best of luck!

Have you thought about changing your stethoscope? If you're working on a cardiac floor, some patients may have very weak/thready pulses and this will be difficult to hear with a cheap stethoscope. Other advice would be to see if you can palpate the brachial artery prior to taking the BP. Sometimes you need to hyperextend the arm a bit, some people's vessels are deep within their tissue and this helps to may the pulse more audible/palpable. Hyperextend the arm, place the head of your stethoscope at the interior lateral aspect of the arm just above the crease and that's usually the best place to hear it.