JackiRN

Its interesting to see what different people use! Versed Propofol Ketamine (we start/manage infusions but do not titrate without an order or bolus) dopamine phenylephrine norepinephrine vasopressin epinephrine sodium bicarb cardene fentanyl clevidipine mannitol Sodium 3% decadron insulin gtt labetolol pentobarb rocuronium etomidate (sp?) precedex antiepileptics I would also look into storming, central fevers, ICP management, brain death criteria, ABG's, autonomic dysreflexia, ventrics, cranial nerves, IVIG, sodium/osmolarity

this is what most of the nurses on the unit agree with as well. Yes, they are consentable adults, but if they are able to walk off the unit, go outside for hours at a time, how can they really be classified as needing to stay in the hospital? They are doing everything they would be doing at home.

I am currently in a position at an inner city hospital, and have been here for a bit now. The hospital/doctors allow our patients to leave the floor to smoke as long as they have a waiver signed that basically states they are utilizing their time off the floor without being monitored and anything that happens is out of the hospital's control. Every nurse on the floor (in the hospital I should say) is against this for multiple obvious reasons; especially Per Diem RN's that just laugh at how ridiculous it is. I am really just interested in knowing if there are any other hospitals out there that allow their patients to do this? I mean it's not always just smoking cigarettes, but patients roam the streets of the city for up to 2 hours, as they know the 2 hour mark defines them as eloped. Am I just crazy?

You could always try DaVita or one of the Dialysis positions. While it may not be what you want to do, it could be an in! I finished my ADN in Philadelphia and could not find a job anywhere! I moved to DC where I found a little outpatient job, (while taking care of my grandmother) and finished up my BSN online. THen I got a job with a well known hospital outpatient setting (because I had a little bit of experience) and then now I'm inpatient. It took a while, but I'm planning on working a year in each setting until I can get where I REALLY want to be! I would try nursing homes, pediatrician offices, doctors offices, or anything ambulatory that has an affiliation with a large hospital that you can transfer within.

I did an ADN and then went back for my BSN... and if there was anything I would tell someone going to nursing school it would be go directly for the BSN! Its such a barrier for ADN nurses, and BSN is being considered entry level at more and more locations.

We have a wound care nurse who assesses any wounds found by RN's, and writes orders for dressing changes or anything not requiring a wound vac or I&D Podiatry, obviously, does most of their podiatry dressing changes themselves Wound vac changes are done by residents, usually the surgery residents I&D are usually done by surgery as well

I am currently in Pennsylvania, and my boyfriend of 8 years is finishing up NP school in NYC. He has already received two offers for a brand-spankin-new-NP position which I am very excited for him to receive. But they are located completely across the country: in Oregon. I am not sure when to apply for a RN positions out there. Do I wait until we are out there looking for a house and show my face in the HR offices and leave my resume? Do I send resumes online and just put August 2015 for a start date? I am unsure what would be more fruitful in finding a position? I would like to have something lined up when we finally do make the move, but don't know how to go about it. Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated!! Thanks so much!

When I graduated nursing school I didn't have my BSN yet and couldn't land even an interview. I was lucky enough not to have children or a mortgage, and went out of state to start working. I did have friends in my program though that did not find employment for over a year because they wanted specific jobs at specific hospitals.

Thank you so much!!! Unfortunately I'm not acls yet (something ambulatory doesn't deem necessary) but absolutely fantastic information and recommendations. Thanks! :)

My last clinic had a coumadin clinic which basically consisted of scheduling and drawing PT/INRs, and monitoring flowsheets and having docs change orders to adjust coumadin levels. Clinics tend to be much faster paced then people think, so I would comment that you are time efficient, and can work with high volumes.

To me it seems to be a combination. The patient population (according to my job description) consists of: "pre and post cardiothoracic surgery; myocardial or suspected myocardial infarction; critical dysrrhythmias; post interventional catheterizations with/without groin lines; unstable patients with tachy/brady dysrrhythmias and angina; CHF requiring IV therapy, electrolyte imbalances; anti-arrhythmic or cardio-active drug overdose or toxicity" The orientation is 10 weeks, 8 weeks of day shift and 2 weeks night shift.

Grays Anatomy! I feel like I'm wearing pajamas to work! And I have sets that have lasted 3 years so far without fading! Barco (I think its the same company that makes Grays Anatomy)

I have been an ambulatory nurse for almost 3 years now, most recently working with Peds, but just landed my first inpatient job on an adult Stepdown/Tele unit (yay!). Anyone out there able to give me an idea of what to expect the fist few weeks? I'm a total nerd that has rhythm strips saved from nursing clinicals (no patient info of course!) and have been reviewing arrhythmias. I am planning to go back and review labs (we don't do that in ambulatory) and reviewing cardiac meds (beta blockers, ca channel blockers etc). Anyone have any additional suggestions? ANY suggestions would be super helpful!

I put out over 70 resumes in the past 2 weeks, and just got a call for an interview Monday. Granted, I have no idea how this interview will go, and most of the positions I checked on 3 days after applying to were already closed, the best advice is to keep your chin up! I am just an ADN, and was super down about every job posting saying 'NO NEW GRADS' and 'BSN PREFERRED' but you have to keep putting yourself out there!

I recently passed my PA boards July 5th and wanted to share my experiences with all who are stressing out just like I did. I didn't take a Kaplan or ATI course or anything, because I've heard they pretty much are a waste of time. I sat down and went through every page of every binder of notes from day 1 of nursing school, and wrote out a mini-book of everything I had either forgot about, or things I wanted to brush up on. However, once I got into my test, I realized that only 3 of the questions I had were actual knowledge-based questions (and meds that I have never seen before). The other 72, to be completely honest, were critical thinking questions. Every single question I came across, I thought 3 things: 1) ABC's 2) Maslow 3) Safety I went through, found out exactly what the question was asking, and applied each one of these to the question. About 70 of them or so fit into one of these categories. If you all have passed nursing school and graduated, its not that you don't know the material, its all in how you answer the question. It really is important to read each question and find out exactly what the question is asking. Also: the day before my test, I pampered myself, didn't look at a single nursing thing, and it really helped me calm down and go into the test level-headed. I did find myself very anxious on a few questions, and just closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and then took another look at it. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but that was pretty much how I passed my NCLEX. Good luck to all!!!!