SusanRN82

Information about filing a complaint can be found on every board of nursing website. If you are not sure if the behavior should be reported to the board of nursing, NCSBN has information about Filing a Complaint that may help.

Amen, sister!

NCSBN Learning Extension offers lots of free resources. It posts a question (from the review course) every week on its website. Every other week there's a podcast for the question of the week, explaining why the correct response is the best response. There's also a free Medication Flashcards app.

You can't be a speech pathologist without a Master's degree (soon to be PhD) and entry to practice for physical therapy is a PhD... the list goes on. At the very least, entry to practice for RNs should be a BSN (I actually think it should be a MSN - no hate mail, please.) There's lots of evidence to support this, but that's a topic for another day. In your case, and for thousands of others, it seems absurd to let you go - what about grandfathering nurses who have years of experience... and an advanced degree (so what if it's in another discipline)? Sadly, it won't be nursing that comes together to determine what's best for nursing... and the general public. Instead, the employers, especially hospitals (especially hospitals with or applying for Magnet status) will tell us what to do.

BSN in 10 legislation was re-introduced this year in New York (A03013/S00628). New Jersey is also working on legislation.

You might want to review the information available online for the California Board of Registered Nursing - Enforcement Program and then contact the BRN about your particular situation. The BRN has a lot of jurisdictional power (and the ability to overrule decisions made in other courts). You may want to get an attorney who specializes in issues related to the California Nurse Practice Act.

Are you sure you can refuse to administer blood? I would recommend reading your nurse practice act. (The state nurse practice act supercedes any facility policy).

I'm a little biased (I taught nurse aide training for many years), but I think becoming a CNA would be best. As a CNA, you will learn how to perform basic nursing tasks and, hopefully, get over that fear that many people have about touching and caring for a total stranger. And when you are a nurse, you will better understand what can (and cannot) be delegated to CNAs. Even better, you will know that you should never treat CNAs badly or dump on them (sadly, like many nurses do) – always remember this… no nurse should ever be “too posh to wash”.

I was a nurse educator in a community college setting. We were inundated with people who were out of work and must have just woken up one morning and thought "I want to be a nurse" without even having an idea of what this really meant. I'm not talking about the moms who had to put college and career on hold to raise kids, but people who worked in IT, in an office, or on an assembly line. It wasn't because these people weren't intelligent (they were), but some of these people had no, nada, zilch "people" (aka soft) skills. Even after some career counseling and gentle persuasion from our wonderful counselors, these people would become downright defensive if you mentioned that they might consider something not so much in the front line of care, where they could still earn a decent wage. Speaking of which, this seemed to be the primary reason that attracted people to nursing - not "caring" for others, but thinking that they could earn a great salary and have some job security. It was helpful to require being a nursing assistant first before applying to the nursing program. At least this weeded out those folks who thought nurses didn't have to get their hands dirty (or thought they were "too posh to wash").

There's an interesting look at the flip side of social media in a blog on learningext.com The blog entry asks if it's okay for patients to take pictures or videotape nurses on the job and post these images on the Web. It also asks if it's fair that there is no guarantee of privacy at work (for nurses), even though patient privacy is protected by the law.

I would recommend reviewing the antiplatelet drugs.

I agree that an online review course would be really helpful. Also, keep in mind that NCLEX tests for entry-level knowledge. When answering NCLEX-style questions, you can't think like an experienced nurse. I teach in an online NCLEX review and NCLEX-style questions want you to simplify and prioritize nursing interventions. Even though you are answering higher-level types of questions, where you need to analyze the information in the question and then apply your nursing knowledge, answering questions usually requires a systematic and linear approach. Best wishes!

Have you read the information that other students have posted on the Learning Extension website? And you can also ask the instructor questions.

Does the school have a daycare program? Can you post something on a school bulletin board (e-bulletin) about needing someone to watch the kids? Once you start classes, you might be able to trade off babysitting with another student. Use this trade when you need some study time so you don't have to be up all night studying when the kids are asleep. You will not be able to function in class or clinical if you don't have some kind of study plan... actually, it will make you insane.

Not many people are aware of this, but it's federal law that a LTC facility must pay for tuition, books & fees, fee for the certification exam... I think it's up to each organization to determine how this actually works (my experience has been that you have to work, usually FT, for a period of time before you are reimbursed for your costs but if you are a good negotiator, you may be able to work something else out). I'm pretty sure that this doesn't apply to acute care facilities. Good luck! Per Title 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 483.152© Prohibition of Charges. (1): "No nurse aide who is employed by, or who has received an offer of employment from, a facility on the date on which the aide begins a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program may be charged for any portion of the program (including any fees for text books or other required course materials)." Further, per Title 42 CFR 483.154© Administration of the Competency Evaluation. (2): "No nurse aide who is employed by or who has received an offer of employment from a facility on the date on which the aide begins a nurse aide competency evaluation program may be charged for any portion of the program."

When you are in school and in a lab setting, you learn how to do things the "right way", according to established standards and protocols. You are also taught to think critically, which should help prepare you with how to deal with the messiness of the real world. Yes, we all have to adjust procedures depending on the circumstances, but you can never lose sight of the right way to do things. And don't let others influence you to cut corners as you provide care. Worst case scenario - 30 years ago I was working with a new grad who had an order to hang heparin, which she did, but she couldn't get the pump to work right and it was time for her dinner break. So she left the IV to hang by gravity, figuring what could possibly go wrong in just 1/2 hour. Wrong thinking lead to wrong decision-making, which lead to wrongdoing...

I've read some of the other posts and agree that you should check your state's Nurse Practice Act. I would bet that there is some language in there about the ability of someone to practice nursing, incidental to a nursing education program of study that is approved by the Board of Nursing. There should be school & facility policy about the conditions under which a student can administer medications. Also, no one ever works under another person's license. However, the responsibility and accountability of nursing care remain with the nurse, meaning that the nurse should always ensure that the individual performing a task has the necessary educational preparation and competence in order to perform the task safely.

does anyone really believe that more always equals better? for some things, this adage certainly applies, but only to a point. exercise is good, but too much or too often can lead to injury. we need food to sustain us, but too much is not healthy. one expert reports that people who overdose on choices or information (which is far too easy to do in the google, twitter and facebook age!) can suffer from a type "info-paralysis," where the information center of the brain goes into overload. the resulting anxiety and frustration can cause them to make more mistakes. well, i think this holds true for nclex preparation. i've read discussion threads where many nclex candidates talk about the dizzying array of study options and products available. some of you say that you study any and every resource you can get your hands on. one person on the ncsbn learning extension wrote about, "...studying/preparing for my nclex for almost half a year now, 8 hours per day"! and even though you feel as if you are as well prepared as possible for nclex, many of you also write that when you, "...sit down to take state boards [you] get stupid." i'm sure you will be relieved to know that this is not an attack of "stupidity" but is, instead, a symptom that you may actually be suffering from information fatigue or info-paralysis. so how can you better manage the large amount of information you need to know/remember for your nclex? here's a short list of questions to ask yourself in order to prevent info-paralysis... - what do i want to learn? write down the topics you want to focus on for each time you prepare to study. - how many hours per week will i study? set a reasonable goal, and then "chunk" your studying to focus on what you really need to know. be careful not to endlessly review facts and concepts you already know. - do i need a break? the human mind learns by connecting new ideas and information with existing memories and experience. incorporate study pauses to close your eyes and daydream or meditate...and don't forget to get a good night's rest. - who can i study with? people are one of your best resources and can help keep you on track while stimulating you with great ideas. - what are my best study resources? what are you doing to prevent information fatigue and avoid info-paralysis?

I had a recent experience with my 88 year old mother with advanced dementia, who had been placed in a nursing home because my dad could no longer care for her. I was visiting her (I live out of state) and asked to see her MAR (I explained that I am a nurse). I noticed the usual medications and dosages for blood pressure and cholesterol, a multi vitamin, and 2 new drugs - an antianxiety medication ordered for HS and ...an antipsychotic (Haldol, of all things). When I asked the medication aide to describe the types of psychotic behavior my mom had been exhibiting and all she could say is that she paces around the facility and takes clothing out of her closet and drawers to fold and refold... typical dementia-like behavior, but certainly not psychotic. So I called the prescribing physician and asked the receptionist to have him give me a call (this was on a Thursday). I called again, left another message the following day; the office nurse called to say that the doctor wanted to keep her on the Haldol. I then asked her to "help me understand" why my mom, who is exhibiting no signs of psychotic behavior, is being prescribed a medication with a black box warning about not administering this medication to the elderly who have dementia. She fired back at me and asked who I thought I was to be second-guessing the doctor. I immediately asked to speak to the doctor and was told he would call later - he did not. Meanwhile, my mom was beginning to exhibit the classic side effects of Haldol - shuffling gait, dry mouth, etc. This time I asked my dad to call the doctor using these words: "help me to understand why an 88 year-old women with dementia, exhibiting no reported signs of psychoses, has a prescription for a medication with a black box warning." Long story short, the medication was discontinued within the hour. My dad asked about what happens to people who don't have an advocate or someone to help with medical issues. My response - they're so screwed. I am first and foremost a loving and caring daughter, but I would be remiss if I didn't use my expertise to help advocate for a higher standard of care and to do what I can to ensure a better quality of life for my family.

Probably everyone will agree that anxiety is one of the crazy things that can mess with you physically and emotionally. So many students tell me that they are often paralyzed by test-taking anxiety, which is really bad when they are preparing to take one of the most important exams of their life - NCLEX! So what can you do to overcome NCLEX anxiety? Well, as you know, preparation is key to your success on NCLEX. Knowing the content, as well as understanding how to answer NCLEX-style questions, is really important. If you want to practice answering questions, there are free resources available on the Web such as the NCSBN Learning Extension's question of the week. But any review course or book can help - by controlling how, when, and what you study can be very empowering and should help you to control your anxiety levels. It might even be a good idea to learn as much information about the test by going directly to the source - NCSBN. This Web site has tons of factual information, like what to expect on exam day. There's even an NCLEX Candidate Tutorial that's set up to mimic the real thing. I think it's also fabulous to read study and test-taking tips that are posted on this site and others. Even writing a discussion post and voicing your concerns is a really healthy way to deal with anxiety. But have you considered writing about your concerns on the day of the test, right before you're scheduled to begin the test? Believe it or not, a recent study at the University of Chicago demonstrated that anxious students who are given 10 minutes to write their feelings down on paper performed "significantly" better than other students who either wrote about something unrelated to the test or did nothing at all! So, for those of you who are very worried about the NCLEX, here's a 1-2-3 punch you can use to strike a blow to test-taking anxiety: Arrive at the testing center early, take out a piece of paper, and clear your mind by putting your thoughts and feelings into words. After you've cleared out every negative emotion, crumple the paper and symbolically toss those worries into the trash. Take several deep breaths, feeling your heart rate slow. Tell yourself, "I'm ready to conquer NCLEX!" Seriously - don't you think it's worth a try?

The dorms on our campus have study carrels and no one ever uses them (except during finals) - perfect if you need quiet and no distractions.

I forgot to mention that your instructor would not be very happy seeing test questions posted on the Web. I would guess that there is something in your nursing program's Student Handbook about not discussing test questions...

The questions are reasonable and well-worded. It's great that your instructor is giving you NCLEX-style questions in a freshman class - you will thank her/him when you are taking NCLEX! Success on NCLEX is due not only to a strong foundational understanding of nursing knowledge but also knowing how to answer the questions. Learn some tips about answering NCLEX-style questions - they will help you to be more successful on your exams.

Be positive - you can do this!

What credit card were you trying to use?