Adriane82

A heartfelt thank you for your comments and prayers. -Adriane

On Monday, July 8, 2018, the staff members of the emergency department in which I work were given devastating news. Our beloved coworker, a well-respected RN, adored by all who knew her, was involved in a major motor vehicle accident the night prior. She, together with two of her children, did not survive. I wrote this piece just two days after I heard the news, which was also my first day back at work since hearing the news. On this particular day, I was assigned to triage. As the first face the patients and visitors would see coming into the E.D., I felt especially vulnerable and on display. I was barely holding it together and wanted to write a piece that captured and explained my feelings, not only to help with my own process of healing from grief but hopefully help others too. As nurses, we often build up an inner fortress.In order to function in our roles, there is implicit and explicit pressure to remain strong for everyone else. Sometimes, inevitably, the fortress is breached and starts to crumble. We are then reminded in the harshest way possible that we are only human. I call this piece "I am not a robot!" It was written straight from my heart, the heart of a grieving E.D. nurse and is dedicated to the memory of Rebecca Bachman, BSN, RN. I lost it yesterday. Not once, but three times. I am an ugly crier. "There's no crying in triage!" I hear Tom Hanks's voice say in my head. I try to be kind to myself and utter again and again the phrase that appears before you submit an online form by ReCAPTCHA,® "I am not a robot!" "What a stupid mantra." Is it? I try and fail to keep myself from doing the inventory of loss but it's no use, here it goes again, the recap, no....! My aunt (mom's sister) in October, my dog two days after Thanksgiving, my grandfather (dad's father) on Christmas day, my cousin on Super Bowl Sunday. Each time the scab barely bubbles and hardens before it's ripped open again. Now Becky, God no, not Becky...and her two oldest children. I did not know Becky well outside of work but what I did know about her I found absolutely remarkable. As the youngins say, she was "Hashtag Goals." She was always polished in appearance, her hair was fabulous, she knew how to put an outfit together, she was doing the same job as me plus raising three kids and going to nurse practitioner school at the same time. I used to imitate Wayne and Garth and do the "[i'm] not worthy, [i'm]not worthy" thing when we worked together and she would laugh in that infectious Michigan accent. We were never worthy of her. I clutch the triage radio in my pocket and think that her angelic voice broadcast through it barely over a week ago. I grit my teeth and force my shoulders down and back for the millionth time. It works, thank God. I've managed to slam the floodgate just in time and hold back what I know will barrel through as soon as I'm home, the body-shaking sobs. I am not a robot. When I've been at work dealing with loss in my own family, there have been times when I've been tearful but thankfully away from most prying eyes. The med room, the staff bathroom, my boss's office. I've been able to have the non-robot moment and come back to my reality. The dry eyes of my coworkers pulling me back to the task at hand. This time it's different. All of us have lost the same family member, there are no dry eyes to look into right now. Yesterday as my coworkers came in at various hours for their shifts or meetings they were attending, they would stop at triage and we'd share a silent hug. "Lord, make us a suspension bridge!" "What!?" My inner dialogue chides me. "Why are you so weird?" Let me explain. Though we sway, eventually the tensile force finds its way up and through us, dissipating our collective sadness back into the Earth allowing us to stand with our strength. The strength to support our own massiveness as well as the weight of everyone else too. We are not there yet. It's going to take a very long time. We are not robots but we are a bridge in progress.

First semester clinical has mostly been about pre-planning, observation, and development of assessment skills. Other than that, we are not allowed to give detail about clinical experiences (such as which hospital we are assigned to, which unit we are on, etc.) due to strict HIPAA rules. Our epidemiology course this year is somewhat statistics based with a good bit of research and critical thinking thrown in the mix (statistical concepts yes, actual math type problems, no). However, the course professor changes year to year and next year I think I heard it was going to be a professor out of the biostats department and so a lot can change in regards to course content. We are fortunate that our professors this semester in our CNL program courses have provided us with good study guides to direct our studying efforts, it makes life much happier. As far as the tests themselves-they are preparing us for the NCLEX all along and so the style of questioning is new and takes getting used to.

I am pretty sure as long as your license is in good standing you can work in any state as an RN. Remember the school grants the degree (MSN), the license of RN is obtained from passing the NCLEX-RN and then some will choose to test for the CNL extra certification. Some states might require you register or go through some formal steps to "transfer" a license or whatever but it should not matter if you want to work in another state. Something to think about when considering BSN vs. MSN is that you are eligible to borrow much more $ in federal student loans as a graduate student than you are as a second bachelor's degree student, also the MSN is usually the minimum degree required to teach. If either of those are a concern for you I'd seriously consider the master's option. Just my 2 cents! If you give your post a little more time, some of the ATL commuters in my class may be able to offer their perspectives on how that has been for them.

Out of the 29 in our class this year in Athens, I would say we have atleast 6 or 7 who commute from the greater Atlanta area. Some of them have worked out carpools to cut down on individual driving. I am local so I won't speak to how much harder that makes life for those guys, but I do know they manage. We are not on campus every day and the faculty is understanding with placing the commuters in clinical groups that prevent them from having to come to Athens an extra day just to do pre-planning. This semester we are all in lecture all day on Mondays. Half of us do clinicals on Tuesdays and the other half do clinicals on Wednesdays. We are also going to have one extra lab day on campus. This week it is Friday but it is variable. The "off days" are used to manage the online course load which is research and writing-based.

Hi Anne, I am also at the Athens campus with my two classmates who have already replied to you. The program is awesome! I think that your GPA, plus A's and B's in prereqs plus a good GRE will really make you a competitive candidate. You might want to consider getting at least some exposure to a health care setting (even if it's just observing or setting up talk meetings with nurses) because "why nursing?" will be a big theme of your admission interview. I agree that your teaching/tutoring experience will be a huge asset and many of our classmates come from tutoring or education backgrounds this year! By no means do they expect any real clinical work experience though going in. Have you looked into some independent study options for prereqs? LSU-baton rouge offers psych and lifespan dev. and their prices are really affordable, you can use UGA or another university's testing center for tests and the other work is submitted online or by mail. UGA independent study offers STAT, but you might have that since you were a math major and all. Having campus flexibility (there are 4 now) will also help increase your chances. Good Luck to you!

If those who earn the degree of DNP (doctor of nursing practice) cannot refer to themselves as "Doctor" in the clinical setting due to the fact that "patients will be confused," then Medical Assistants should not be allowed to refer to themselves as nurses for this same reasoning. What infuriates me is that Opticians, Podiatrists, PhD. Psychologists, and Chiropractors get to refer to themselves as "Doctor" in the clinical setting (and no one is "confused"), yet NPs with a docotorate do not. MDs feeling a little threatened by a mostly female cohort of professionals? Hmm, perhaps.

I will start an MSN-CNL program next month. There are many pros to going the master's route. For one, as a graduate student, you are eligible to borrow way more in federal loan money than you are as a second bachelor's degree student. If you are full-time, you might not be able to borrow enough money to go to school for a second bachelor's and so the BSN may cost you more in the long run (think private education loans--cringe). In my school's case, their CNL program, though accelerated a 16 months, affords MORE clinical hours than the BSN program does. Lastly, you may always have the option of pursuing a post-master's certificate in a specialty (FNP, PNP, etc.) once going the MSN-CNL route and gaining the required amount of experience per your school and state. Many post-master's certificates are part-time and allow you to still work while in the program. Or, you might be eligible for a DNP program down the road. That is just my 2 cents.

You have to think about this logically. Since GPA is subjective, most any school worth its salt has to require a standardized test to evenly judge applicants. A 4.0 at one school with a less rigorous reputation might only translate to a 3.5 at another school. Your undergrad. GPA is very respectable. My advice to you is to use great references, solid experience, and work toward achieving the min. required score on one of the two tests so you can apply to the programs. Good Luck.

I am pretty sure that MCG allows you to use the MAT (Miller Analogies Test) in lieu of the GRE for their graduate nursing programs except for the CRNA. I am starting the MSN-CNL program next month and I used my MAT in lieu of the GRE as I did far-and-away better on the MAT. Good Luck!

elizanne- check out scrubs made by Izzy, Peaches, or Greys Anatomy. The styles they carry in stores tend to be more "trendy" as far as colors but many uniform stores can order you anything that the companies make, so I'd ask to order a plain navy if not on the racks. Peaches specializes in "misses fit" and Izzy is more of a teens/junior fit and I'd definetly recommend Izzy for you if you are petite in height as well. I like the way Izzy brand fits so they don't look so sloppy, but I'm 5'6 so they tend to be just a tad shorter (both the pants and the torso length on the tops) than I prefer to wear, but would be perfect for someone about 5'4 or even shorter. The cinched back is fine-I "inherited" a top from a student who graduated one day when at the SONAT and it has a cinched back. Grey's Anatomy scrubs have a fitted or drawstring option for some of the tops too which may help you out. Best thing is to go to a store with a wide selection and try on sizes before you order. I don't know where you live but Uniforms Unlimited in Athens has a big selection and I know they carry the 3 brands I mentioned. Just an FYI, Greys Anatomy scrubs will be noticeably more expensive than the other scrub brands. The material is much softer than standard scrubs and I'm sure the advertising/show affiliation has a lot to do with the extra cost. Also, washing the first time in hot water and drying on high heat helps shrink them up a little. You can also get pants hemmed if just a length issue and the fit otherwise is good. Hope that helps!

Thank you! I will be glad to know something soon so I can pay my tuition and fees and hopefully they will allow me to borrow enough to get through and still be able to eat LOL!

ugadawg--was your class from the American Heart Association? AHA is what MCG requires. I would think as long as it is AHA and it won't expire right away you would be fine. You just probably want to make sure and renew it during the school year if it is going to expire. I think that is a strict requirement of the hospitals that will be hosting us for clinicals that the CPR is always current. MCG or the hospitals are probably just going to ask for a copy of our cards.

Kateo, Good thinking about using Student Health. I finished UGA in 2004 and so have been out of school (full time student status, anyway) for a while. I forget that some people who just graduated might still be able to use their college Health Center to get immunizations. Thanks!

Thanks for all the research on the books, gals. Question about financial aid--I did the Entrance Loan Counseling and signed all the promissory notes...has anyone else done this already and know how long (how many days) before the loan award amount will show up in PULSE? I'm so anxious to make sure my loans are all squared away so I can actually pay for school now that the stress of waiting for an acceptance is over :-)

uga dawg1696--if we enroll in the pearce and pearce insurance plan and pay the premium and the health center fee each semester and attend the SONAT we will get to use the UGA health center. I am taking this option as my current group health insurance with Aetna (we are considered a "micro" group) is costing me $600 a month and I simply can't afford that when school starts. Which immunizations are you still missing? My best advice would be to see a General Practitioner or someone at a health department (since they carry everything at the health dept) and at least get your titers drawn and start the first in the series of any immun. you are missing as soon as possible. The form is supposed to be in 30 days prior to start of classes (July 16th I guess) so you need to be able to show them that you are in progress by then.

Hey everyone. Check out www.allheart.com as a great place to order scrubs and supplies. They have rotating sales on different types of items. My boss (a physician) says he personally recommends Littman stethoscopes because it is easy to find replacement parts so you don't have to buy a whole new stethoscope if something wears out or breaks. He has had the same stethoscope that he got as a gift right when he started med school and has only occasionally had to replace a part through the years. Also, I made a mention of this on another website's group page (are we allowed to say face book?) but...I called the school and the only place that sells the patches is the MCG bookstore in Augusta. They will do phone/credit orders for us satellite campus folks and will deliver either to your home address or to the SONAT to be picked up.

Chenda- If you look at page two of the vaccine form, Hep A is recommended but not required, therefore for page one you only need either the 3 doses of Hep B or you may have had the combined Hep A/Hep B but you wouldn't have both. The old/outdated info. on the MCG website indicated that having chicken pox illness would suffice, but now I think it is updated and the form def. states that you have to have a varicella titer. I emailed Health Services to clarify and they said, yes, they require the titer. As far as the OPV-I'd just ask the doctor when you go in to look over the form and ask what he/she thinks about it. I was born in 82 and the dates I had five: 1 in 1982, 2 in 1983, 1 in 1984, and 1 in 1987. Maybe the doctor can type up something or maybe he/she will tell you that it's OK to get the 5th dose of OPV now?? Don't worry. You'll be fine. As someone posted earlier, the main thing is you can show that you are in progress when school starts and then they can grant you an extension if needed to finish up the vaccinations.

Hi ugadawg, Most of the immunizations requested are childhood immunizations and/or are similar to what most undergraduate institutions required for enrollment. Almost everyone will need to go out and get a Tdap or booster tetorifice (form says it can't be older than 2 years) and everyone definitely needs the required titers (blood draw) and the required Matoux Skin Test/PPD. Just a tip, when you make your appt. be sure to tell the doctor's office that you need a PPD--these are placed under the skin and then have to be read within 48 to 72 hrs So...if you had a Thursday appt. say, and they weren't open on the weekend then you'd have to make an additional appt to get the PPD placed probably. Just trying to save everyone an extra copay :-)

For those who haven't received their info in the mail yet...Here is the link to the page with the required immunization form, health history form and privacy practice signature form http://www.mcg.edu/shs/prereg.html They need to be mailed back to: MCG Student Health Service, Pavillion II, AF1040, Augusta, GA 30912-9070. I had an easy time with everything except for the dates of Polio and Dtap series which are infant shots and I had to do some digging at my parent's house (UGA undergrad never asked for that info) everything else I was able to get the dates from the form that UGA (my undergrad) institution required. If you didn't keep a copy from undergrad, most school health centers will allow you to walk in with an ID and request a copy of your immun. history. If you've lived in GA and had vaccines since about 1994, the info should be available in GRITS (statewide database) and you can send a signed release to your local health department or walk in and see if they will access the info for you while you wait (you may have to pay a copy fee). I did see at the East Campus bookstore that they have some labcoats for sale. I didn't know at the time that we needed labcoats so I didn't think to ask if those were for the nursing school. I really hope they stock more than the 3 they had, because if we all need to buy them they will sell out quick.

What about "all white shoes" do they absolutely require plain white shoes or do they allow tennis shoes (my tennis shoes are gray)? Also, it mentions a white "lab coat". Do we need the kind like chemistry students and doctors tend to wear with the collar or would they allow jus a long sleeved button-front style? Thanks for your help!

Athens Campus Folks: I emailed Student Health Services with some questions and here are their answers (in bold) Hello, I will be attending the Athens SONAT campus starting in August and I had some questions. 1. On the student immunization form, question D--does documentation of Varicella illness meet the requirement or is the IgG titer still required? The Varicella titer is required 2. For nursing students at Athens campus--do we have the option to pay the Student Heath fee each semester and use the MCG student health facilities in Augusta? Your health fee will be transferred to the UGA Health center 3. Are students at Athens eligible to apply for the Pearce&Pearce student insurance plan or is this only open to Augusta students? All students of the University of Georgia are eligible for the Pearce& Pearce insurance 4. Is there any agreement between MCG and UGA to allow Athens nursing students to use UGA Health facilities?Yes, your health fee will be transferred to the UGA Health center Thank you so much for your assistance, Adriane Also, Regarding Books/Book lists- this is the bookstore across from the SONAT and they will probably be the first to know the book list East Campus Bookstore 2301 College Station Road Athens, GA 30605-3647 (706) 583-8733 If anyone has a chance to call and can find out when it is available, I can go by and get a copy and share the info.

Relief....I just got my letter/contract in the mail from MCG today (I live in Athens). Everyone should be getting theirs shortly.

I believe orientation is August 13th and classes start the 16th. It's frustrating that no one has received anything in the mail yet. Hopefully by no later than mid-May we will all have our acceptance packets. From talking with an office administrator just the other day at the Athens campus, the course load is really intense and they discourage working while in the CNL program. However, even for a public school, the tuition is expensive and even I agree that being able to work some (if employer is extremely flexible) would help a lot.

Thanks bdanders for your reply. If any of you don't already live in Athens and need to come up before school starts and get your bearings. I live a stone's throw from the Green Acres plaza where the school is and would be more than happy to host you. Also, if any of you on this thread apply and don't get accepted this time, don't get discouraged!!! As I mentioned earlier, I applied last year, was one of 40 or so to interview for Athens and did not get accepted. I let myself be devastated for one day. Then I picked myself up. I spent the last year improving everything I could within my power to make myself a better applicant. Nursing is such a cooperative field I think it's great that we may be able to start by fostering a cooperative rather than ultra-competitive spirit for our class/program. Looking forward to meeting everyone!