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[Hi There I am an RN in Australia (i'm in my 2nd year out) and we do have similar problems with new grads being placed into senior positions (charge nurse) in aged care facilities. I remeber how overwhelmed I felt when I started as a new grad in the hospital. My mother in law has just left an aged care facility after working in that industry for around 20 years. I seriously had not seen a week go by where she was not complaining about the workload, and she is experienced. I managed to talk her into applying to a hospital and her life has changed. She is soooo much happier and her workload has about halved. My advice to you is to apply for a grad program (if u have them over there) and work within your scope of practice as a new grad. Let everyone around you know your new, and if anyone gives you a hard time stand up for yourself. As alot of others on here have suggested, leave now before they let you go, otherwise your confidence as a nurse will drop and they simply are not a caring helpful bunch of people. Good luck, I hope it all settles down for you, hang in there it is overwhelming, just always remember to only take on those tasks/jobs where you are working within your scope of practice. Tracy

Hi there This is a great forum. Congrats for finishing your 2nd year! the last one goes very fast, you will be there before you know it. Do you know what area you want to work in? I am finished and am still not sure!! good luck with the rest of it. Cheers Tracy

Hi Jon, well I came off night shift on Tue morning, which was my last placement shift. I have passed all my exams and have just been offered a job with QLD Health, am very happy as you would know what its like. I studied thru CDU (Darwin, Externally). What has your first year out been like? I am really nervous about starting out . Thanks for your reply. Cheers Tracy

Hi Gwenith I feel so much better now. As a student I think alot of the questions this lecturer has given appear to have more than one possible answer. It has made it extremely difficult as a student to try and decide or find the correct answer to some of these questions. I dont feel I am learning anything extra by this, rather I feel more uncertain and indecisive about some of the questions/topics than what I did before taking on this unit. I do know I am not alone as the students i talk to that are doing this subject (that have no prior experience nursing) are having similar feelings. I also know she changed it from an open book exam (100 multiple answer questions) to 125 closed book questions, and a student who began the subject when the exam was open book but had to repeat it, has commented how the questions have not changed, which I feel is unfair. I have done the exam now and have absolutely no idea how I will go, I only pray I pass as it is all I have left to do besides the final prac. Thankyou for your replies once again. Regards Tracy

Thanks Janet, yes I knew that narcotics could do this but did not think of it causing a state of coma - how silly :imbar ! I can't wait to get out there and do some prac, hopefully all of this theory I have done I can relate to real situations, as I think it will sink in alot easier that way. Thankyou for answering, it is much appreciated! Tracy:)

Hello There I am a student about to do my final exam and was wondering if anyone could help me with a practice exam question I have here. It is asking: Assessment findings of pinpoint pupils, varied responses to painful stimuli and absent reflexes most likely indicates which of the following: a. Permanent vegetative state b. Locked in Syndrome c. Coma d. Brain Death This question has my friend and I stumped because with Brain Death, there is absolutely no response at all, locked in syndrome the patient is aware of their surroundings though is paralysed therefore would be unable to display a varied response to painful stimuli, Coma - the pupils are dilated/fixed? Can anyone help us out and maybe explain a little bit about the difference between these conditions? Any help would be appreciated. Regards T & J

Hello everyone On the 18 Jun 04 I will sit my final exam for my external nursing degree (Charles Darwin Uni Australia. I have finished all of my assignments so it is now time to study. I am finding my nerves are getting in the road of my study at this point. I used to look forward to the exams as it was a good change from doing assignments, but this has now changed. I sat 2 exams (last year) which I studied my butt off for but did no good on. My nerves destroyed my confidence and I am terrified this will happen again. With those exams, there were 2 assignments in each unit plus an exam which boosted my marks so I could pass the 2 subjects (a&p & medsurg2) though this left me feeling deflated as I put alot of time into the study and it did not pay off. I struggled with a&p 1 & 2 as there was so much to remember and again with med surg. This subject I am doing now only had one assignment weighing 50% and the exam weighs 50%. The problem is I only got a pass + (have no idea what %) that is which now means I need to do extemely well in this health assessment exam. If anyone knows of any online practice exams or good memory tactics please send them my way. If I pass this exam I can go onto my final prac of 14 weeks then will become registered! I would also like to say thankyou to those who have helped me thru this last semester, I am so lucky to have had your valuable input and to have found this site. Thankyou :) and wish me luck! Tracy

Ok, thanks Gwenith, this is a really interesting assignment, I cant wait until I get the chance to do my prac in E.D. so some of this theory comes together for me. You sound like u have a broad range of experience, do you still practice nursing? and if so what area do u work in? Tracy

Yes it does help heaps, thanks for that. In the case of the patient smelling of fuel, would it be the same? to wash the patient down to stop the chemical (from what I have read this would be a chemical burn aswell as flame as she was found alight) from burning her? Therefore I see how DRABC is relevant here if this is the case. I will go look at those sites u listed now to see what else I can find. Thanks again Gwenith. Cheers Tracy

Hi Gwenith Ok, an example is in Sheehy's Emergency Nursing Principals and Practice (this is the prescribed textbook for the unit) which goes through and explains Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Infection, Pain Management and Wound Care, then on this website that our lecturer gave us (http://www.swsahs.nsw.gov.au/livtrauma/education/handbook/primary.asp) it says Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability and Exposure, then in another book I have (CARPA Standard Treatment Manual) says DRABC which I'm guessing is for immediate treatment rather than E.D. treatment. I'm just finding it a little difficult to describe the primary treatment when there are so many different terms and theories, I know once I have actually worked and gain some experience the "basis" for this type of scenario will be in my head but for now, the slightest bits of difference confuses me :imbar , so for now what I have been doing is trying to pinpoint what airway problems a burns patient may have and the treatment for that etc. Thanks for your help once again! Tracy

Hello to you all again I have been working on a case study for emergency nursing (uni elective) which involves a burns patient being brought into a rural hospital setting with burns to all areas of her body. I have to discuss the preparation for her arrival and treatment once in the hospital and have a question regarding this. Primary Survey (ABCDE) (ABCDEF) (I have seen a few differing ABC's which is also confusing me), does it occur again once the patient arrives, even if the patient is stabilized by the ambulance/paramedics? I am finding that all the text books I read having differing theories on this. Cheers Tracy

How long have you been nursing? forgive me, but I am a little overwhelmed. How on earth do you ever get to a point where you 'pluck that from the top of your head'? I am totally amazed at this, I will print this off if I can and go through bit by bit to understand it all! I can not say thankyou enough for what you have given me and will go away to try and absorb some of it. I must say, I am absolutely terrified that I have chosen emergency nursing as my elective. I have no idea how I will survive the four weeks in E.D. Do they provide you with some on the job training? or will I be expected to "know" how to do it all because I have studied the theory side of things. I have soooo much more learning ahead of me yet, though hopefully hands on will sink in a lot better than the theory. Thanks so much for your time and help, it is very much appreciated Gwenith. Tracy:)

LOL I was just looking in there as you posted a reply to me!! Thankyou your resources are very good, just have to find one that relates to my scenario. Thanks again Tracy

Thanks heaps for that, I will look them up. Cheers Tracy

Hi there I am finally on my last assignment for this degree!!! which is a case study for my elective (emergency nursing). I have a scenario where I'm a nurse in E.D. - rural hospital and I receive a call from the ambulance saying they are bringing in a 35yr old woman with burns to all areas of her body, and she is smelling of petrol. I have to write a case study on how to prepare for her arrival and then the assessment and emergency care required and also debriefing of staff. I would like to know if Rural E.D. hospital procedures differ from those in the city, and what manuals are in place there. Is there a manual of practice specific for Australian E.D.? or any helpful books/resources at all, any input would be appreciated. Cheers Tracy P.S. I do my prac for this elective later in the year so have no idea what i'm doing!!!!

Oh thanks for that .

Hello There I started when I was 28 and now (four years later) am 2 assignments away from finishing. I too am much more of a practical person so have found the theory quite difficult at times (u just have to read some of my desperate posts to see that) and have no regrets about starting. I am an external student and the both times that I have attended clinical training blocks would say that by no means was I the oldest student attending. It is never too late to learn and I say if you are passionate about becoming a nurse then go for it! Hope this helps. Regards Tracy

Hi again everyone I have just been reading some literature about testicular cancer in Australia. I have read that although testicular cancer is the most common cancer found in men in Australia, it easily cured compared to prostate cancer and other cancers that are not so easy to detect and cure. I just wondered if this then makes for a weak research question, though am clinging to the hope that "the early detection" of testicular cancer significantly increases the chances for cure, hence why increasing awareness of self exams is so important. What do you think? Tracy

Wow nursemaa, you obviously did well in your studies. Thankyou so much, you have helped me out alot just by your examples that you have given! Thankyou to all of you it is much appreciated thats for sure. This is the most difficult assignment I have come accross since starting this degree without a doubt. Nursemaa, your third paragraph is what I was trying to find a way to say but my lack of experience was making it difficult. I dont know that I would have to actually add the chart reviews in (hopefully not!) as this is only a proposal question. I will probably try and go for something more simple (as my lecturer advises me to stick to something basic and says that quantative may be easier for me) and I am thinking that interviewing the patients who have had testicular cancer like your example in your second paragraph would be easier for me to find the patients to interview although this is qualitative. I have emailed my lecturer twice now, but I think I confused him aswell as myself as I was unsure exactly what it was I was trying to ask him. I will keep reading so that I get a good grip on the terminology involved with research and I then have to try and find out how to set the research question out. Thanks again to all of you! Very Much appreciated.

Thanks Gwenith I am really struggling with this one. I have tried coming up with other questions - but they are probably not the right criteria for a research question. I was also thinking along the lines of while I was on prac in the childrens ward of Katherine hospital I noticed there was a problem with sometimes getting children to take meds and thought about doing something on whether parents or nurses should administer meds in the kids ward - but there are probably legislative rules and process that overrule this one anyway. Oh well I will keep thinking.....and reading.....and turning red in the face everytime I try and produce something!!! Thanks Tracy

Ok thanks for that Gwenith, yes I meant testicular self examination. I was thinking along the lines of the more men that carry out the exam then the earlier abnormalities are detected. So I guess I would have to interview a group of men who have had the cancer and see how many of them carried out the self exam prior to being diagnosed. Just have to work out where I get the group of men from. Thanks for your help. Tracy

Hello All I have to come up with a research question for a subject i am currently doing. I am considering doing something along the lines of Are men aware of self checks for prostate cancer? I want to do a qualitative approach and propose to interview a group of men who have had or have prostate cancer to see whether they carried out the self check before diagnosis. My problem is I am unsure of how to find the men for this study (target group)? I dont actually have to do the research, just have to come up with a question. I have been reading about sampling techniques which is sort of going over my head at the moment. Can anyone please help??? This is my 2nd last assignment for the degree! Cheers Tracy

Thanks Gwenith, I found it. I am a bit thick when it comes to these groups as you can see! Cheers Tracy

Thanks Gwenith, I found it. I am a bit thick when it comes to these groups as you can see! Cheers Tracy

Hi there, I know this sounds silly but how do I find the pm? I havent been using the site very long so apologise for my vagueness. Could you please send it again if possible? Thanks heaps. Tracy