AnaCatRN

Oh, well if she doesn't have any sickled cells, she most likely doesn't have it. It is possible for someone with sickle cell trait to have pain, but that would involve rapidly entering high altitudes or extreme dehydration, but there would be sickled...

My specialty is pediatrics (I also do cardiology, but pediatrics is my favorite). I chose pediatrics because I love working with kids (and I was a patient in pediatric hospitals as a child d/t complications from being a preemie, and I wanted to give ...

Try networking with ICU nurses in your hospital. If they see you have an interest, they might be willing to put a good word in for you. Also talk to your NM. He or she might be able to help you, as well. Livingstrong85 has a good idea, too. Ask if yo...

I agree with LouisVRN. Narcotics are known to cause itching. On a side note, please do not make the mistake that so many others (shamefully even nurses!) make and label sickle cell patients as drug seekers. Sickle cell anemia is excruciatingly painfu...

Congrats! Good luck!

All the ones I've taken have been pretty easy. Good luck!

In Illinois, we are not so lucky! If we had your setup, maybe we could keep more good nurses in LTC!

I love working with the elderly. It is really hard working in a nursing home, but it's not impossible to handle. I'm just saying that unless you know what you're getting into and have a true passion for providing the quality care the residents deserv...

I've worked in 2 nursing homes. One was a night shift job, so I was responsible for 60 residents on 2 different floors, with one CNA on each floor. It was quite an eye-opener! It was my first job when I was an LPN, and I learned time management skill...

In nursing school, clamping was only mentioned in relation to possible autonomic dysreflexia in spinal cord injury patients, but I have heard other nurses swear it applies to everyone. Maybe some nurses think it's better to be safe than sorry? I've n...

I agree. ANA for sure!

I used Saunders as one of my NCLEX study guides during school. It was one of the required books.

I agree! You need to know. I hope all is well! I really hate how they try to minimize their potential responsibility by sweeping this stuff under the rug. It always takes forever for them to find out a pt has TB, then they rush to put them on precaut...

I took the Kaplan course in 2006, and I passed the NCLEX-RN in 75 questions in 48 minutes. I studied my butt off, but I felt that the Kaplan course prepared me well, as did the NCLEX study guides I started using from the first day of nursing school. ...

I take giving bed baths very seriously, and I am quite proud of how clean I keep my patients. I give very wet bed baths, so it all gets rinsed off. I use a second basin of clean water to do the rinsing, and for the soapy water basin, several washclot...

I swear those wipes do nothing but move the dirt around the patient's skin! I refuse to use them. My patients get real soap and water baths. It gives them their dignity/sense of humanity back and makes them feel soooo much better; and when they feel ...

Oh, one other thing. You don't want to reveal your age! Do not list your HS graduation date or any job experience longer than 10 years ago! In this economy, ageism is rampant! Don't put a bullseye on your back for discrimination. It does happen, even...

I have read that 10 years is all you need to show. Leave off irrelevant experience. Management experience at this point in your nursing career wouldn't really be necessary to show. You definitely won't be managing anyone in nursing anytime soon! You ...

I, too, have been bullied, both as a CNA (one RN would even throw things at me), and as an RN (had to leave my dream job over that one - NO backup from management). It seems that most bullies I've encountered are very insecure, and they feel they mus...

Many hospital job boards around here state in the postings that a BSN is required. No, BSNs don't make more than ADNs as new grads, or they don't make much more. When I graduated in 2006, the pay difference was about 50 cents. You have the same licen...

I seriously regret not getting the BSN, so I am enrolled in an online RN-BSN program. In the Chicago area, the larger (more desirable) hospitals are really not hiring RNs who don't have BSNs anymore. It's a trend that is spreading around the country,...

I always wear gloves when there is any chance at all of getting bodily fluids (sweat is the only one I don't fear) on me, including when hooking up IVs. Even 0.1% is too much risk for me!

I have made two med errors in my career, and I wrote myself up both times (computer incident reporting system), as I was the one who caught the errors (almost immediately). I have also reported errors made by others, and they weren't happy. I don't c...

I didn't even think to ask if they require housework. I better ask! I'm not doing that! I agree with the OP. I didn't go to college to clean houses! That's ridiculous! I refuse to clean, cook, or drive anyone anywhere. I'm a college-educated professi...

kamiworm, I am taking Professional Transitions, Cultural Diversity, and Contemporary History. I can't wait to get started! I know so many doors will be open to me once I graduate. I'm going to work part-time so I can finish as quickly as possible. I'...