LeashRN

FOLEY....AIRWAY, BREATHING, CIRCULATION! was a joke that I read in another thread on this site! Come on guys, cardiac nurses are ACLS certified and RUN codes every once in awhile!

Thanks for the advice - will have to modify my practice some. It may be awhile before I get to the ED there are just no ER jobs in my area! ARRRGH!

Now granted, I'm a cardiac tele nurse and for the most part I do focused assessments. But I still like to get a look from head to toe and besides vs/rhythm, check mental status, heart sounds/apical pulse, lungs sounds, bowel sounds/last BM, peripheral pulses/edema, skin/wound and pain assessments. I can introduce myself and do an entire assessment (all things mentioned above) in 5 mins, 10 if the pt is one of those 'train wrecks'. I want to transfer to the ED soon and let me know if I'm wrong, but I would like to maintain this mode of practice when I change specialties. I understand that if working with a trauma pt the entire focus changes, ie; ABC's (foley always first, however). Later all, Leash

Boy, our unit/nurses are going to have to become WAY more creative! You folks are histerical! Last week on my tele unit I had a 25 YO that I called 'problem child' - that was the best I could come up with. I found him in the shower with his tele monitor and IV pump! The least of my worries was the fact that pt needed a Doc's order to shower on our unit. I was fortunate that he did not escape a second time to the outside to bum cigaretts from people to smoke on our nonsmoking campus. The poor nurse prior to me had to deal with/chart that nonsense. Happy New Year to all! Alisha

Hi, I have 4 Jack Russell Terriers and I work 3 12.5 hour nights a week. I house them in 4 separate indoor/outdoor runs. Inside is 4x4 heated and airconditioned. The outside is 4x8 on concrete and shaded. Both areas have beds. Of course they have toys - stuffed Kongs are a favorite. I always take them on a 2 mile run just prior to going into work - that helps too. This is the only way I would own/house dogs. The set up also works well when I travel I just pay my neighbor to feed and clean each day I'm gone. Alisha

4.0 for the first 2 of 4 semesters, and graduated with a 3.8 - I only ever received 2 B's. It can be done - you can do it! Alisha

Any hospital in the world will.

While in school........I DIDN'T!!!!!!!! Alisha:rotfl:

Hi Yup, have run up $22,000 in student loans just getting an ADN in 22 months. As far as I know, you can continue to get loans as long as you remain a student. Now as far as full/part time are concerned, I'm not sure. Good luck! Alisha

Thanks for all the kind words and advice. The Dr that has done 300+ graduated med school in 1955 - so he may have been one of the first surgeons to do this. And a large number of Chiari surgeries per year per surgeon is 5. So we're still searching - only as quickly as possible. Alisha

Hello, I am a new nurse (just passed boards on Jan 11) and my husband was just diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. The neurosurgeon finally saw him/us on Jan 18 - the original dx was made by his ortho Dr back in mid-Nov. It took us 2 months to get an appointment with this guy and he is no where near a Chiari expert - he does 1-2 Chiari cases per year. Our problem is the surgeon recommended my husband have surgery in 2-4 weeks and we at this point would like to seek out the best surgeon/neuro hospital. How long will it take to get in to see someone who is really expert in this field. Can we wait? The office manager at the most experienced surgeon's (has done 300+ Chiari surgeries) office told me that we have some time and that I must remember my husband has had this brain herniation all his life. Has any one had any experience with this malformation? Any insight would be appreciated. Alisha

The hospital at which I just accepted a position has on site child care from 0630 to 1930 M-F and if your child is sick they offer in home sick child care at low cost. It was voted one of the 50 best places to work by Women's magazine. Alisha

As I stated in my post, I just took the NCLEX today (1-11-06) and I graduated on 12-9-05. There was a problem with my application to the state board of nursing (ohio) - and it is their policy not to contact the applicant regarding the status of the application! I guess we graduates are supposed to read minds or something. Any how, I figured out that there was a problem with my application when other of my fellow grads had their ATT (authorization to test) in mid Dec. So in other words, after graduating on Dec 9th and if I had not experienced any application problems I could have taken the test before Christmas - or at the very latest the 1st week in Jan. I also know that students that graduated last May took their NCLEX before June 1st. So at least in Ohio the process is pretty quick. Alisha

Oh please, if it is still possible to get a list of these that would be great! In fact, I'm sitting here taking a study break - studying for the second to the last test before I graduate in Dec!!!!! The laughing has rejuvenated me - I think I can make through one more hour. This may be my highest scoring test ever - I'll keep you all posted. Alisha

At my school: no type of artificial nail coverings, coatings or polish - natural nails only and with no more free edge than one eighth of an inch. Nails must also be tidy and clean - manicures are highly recommended/encouraged. The only jewelry to be worn are stud style earings (1 pair), and 1 ring if you are married (simple band - no stones), and a watch with a second hand is manditory. Hair must not hang past your shoulders when leaning over. Uniform must be clean and pressed. NO joke, I have seen instructors hand students nail polish remover and nail clippers before going up to the unit and demand that jewelery be removed or student would not be allowed to attend clinical that day. On days that we get pt assignments we must be dressed in professional attire (no jeans, shorts, short skirts, sweats/track pants or leggings)with a white lab coat. Students that forget to dress properly have to go and change into surgical scrubs for the day, or they are asked to leave. And of course no peircings or tatoos - that's a given. Students don't complain too much about the dress code they seem to complain more about being held to being on time to class/clinical! Especially the ones with small children - they believe that tardiness r/t family issues should be tolerated or even excused - I just can't wait until these people encounter the REAL WORLD - I just hope I can be around to see it!!! Hope everyones semester is going well.... Alisha In 4th semester of a 4 semester program!!!!!! 106 days til graduation!!!!

cum GPA 3.7

SEVEN KIDS!? Sounds like you've 'made your bed' and chosen your lot in life.........so do the right thing and stay home and take care of those children until they are able to care for themselves, then go out get a job and go to school.

My sister in law attended APU for both her BA and Master's and she loved it (very expensive education). I grew up in the city just east of Azusa (Glendora) and both my mother and father in-law grew up in Azusa. It's a neat, small suburb of LA...................... God I miss So Cal!!!! Leash

Sounds like you are only really thinking in regards to completing a program online/at a distance. In ANY RN program the majority of required hours are what is termed "clinical" hours - time spent on a hospital floor working with patients under supervision of an instructor - which of course cannot be completed at a distance. Regards, Leash

thank you for the info!

Hi all, What are the sites and max amounts of drug in mls. of IM injections in premature infants? Have looked through all my nursing texts (6 of them) and cannot find the answer. The closest I found is in reference to "small infants" - not even the term neonate was used. Or are IM injections just not done in premies and/or neonates. Thanks if you can help a 3rd semester frustrated nursing student! Leash

Got married 1 month after turning 19, had a child just before I turned 22. Now 38, still married (happily - my daughter is 16) and in nursing school........... My advice, finish school first - plain and simple. Love and luck, Alisha

Thank you - To all the nurses who take the time to help us that are new/students in this wonderful profession/calling. I really do appreciate the time taken here by others to benefit all. Leash (Alisha) RN student class of Dec 2005

Hello to all "vintage students"! I too am an older student - 38 - and am half way through my second of 4 semesters in nusring school. I also still have to finish A and P, Micro, Sociology and Ethics along with nursing (Chem and Math are done!). On my second career as well. All my life I worked for my family's corporation which has just about "gone under". You know things are bad when you mother calls you the Friday evening before Christmas to tell you you've been laid off...... Thankfully I had been accepted to nursing school and was to start 2 weeks later in Jan. The only problem, I was going to have to do it w/out an income. Through all my classes, prereq's and first semester I carried a huge class load and maintained a 4.0, and am doing the same thus far this semester, but clinicals, OMG! the last 2 weeks of the first half of the semester I had a H/A. I had made a few mistakes, we call them "U's" for unsatisfactory, but at our school the instructor usually tells you right away, or asks you, "what did you forget?" and you know right then and there were your mistake was. And then you are given written documentation of same mistake along with a note that states if you further clarification is needed please see instructor for additional assistance. After reading some of these other posts and hearing students share stories of what things are like in their schools, I am convinced that I surely must attend the best nursing school in the country. Our instructors are wonderful, they remember what it is like being a student and are sympethetic, there is no "hidden agenda" to "wash us all out of the program" (that makes no financial sense for any educational institution), in fact on the first day of class the dean of nursing stated that the main focas of the faculty was to help students any way they could to get us through to RN. I have accesss to my clinical instructor almost 24 hrs a day (they ask that you don't phone them at home between 11pm and 7am) and have had a wonderful relationship with all instructors thus far. The worst thing about my nursing school, which is hospital based (the entire institution is contained in a hospital), is the fact that we students have no parking available except metered parking on the street, or free street parking several blocks away, which does provide for some morning and evening exercise. But I digress, much power to you, the older student, may you prevail and be willing to assist the younger around you that do not possess your wisdom and maturity.

I hate eating in the morning - I'm just not hungery. On clinical days I find myself getting the 'shakes' about 1000, not sure why, it must be the stress as it can't be the physical, 'cause just being on your feet is not that physical! I forced myself to eat something like a granola bar (carbohydrate) or cereal, but by 1000 if found I was much worse! After the glucose 'spike' my blood glucose level plummit. I tried protein next, 1 or 2 eggs (dependent on how much I could get down) and for lack of time I would get these in the hospital caffateria. This works best for me. good luck!