vhern246

I carry a Steth, penlight, hemostat, tape, pens, alcohol wipes, little notepad, id badge, my little reference flipbook in one of those a drawstring backpack/sack things from academy. In my locker, i keep lunch kit, extra scrubs toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, gum, chapstick and stain removal pen. When i'm working I keep my wallet in my locker (We can lock them), but i keep my cell on me. (on silent of course)

There are a few things I want to state. 1. Don't let the idea that because of your IQ that you can't or that you're less. You graduated with a degree in BIOLOGY! You should recognize your strengths and realize that you are a success. 2. After recognizing your strengths, realize the problem with an unemotional view. Yes, nursing school is hard. Yes, the stress alone may make you lose your will to live and finally, Yes an accelerated program is the bootcamp equivalent of Nursing school. 3. You stopped for a bit in the pursuit of your biology degree. BUT YOU FINISHED IT. You can do it if you want to. You were strong then, you are strong now. Think about an associate degree program. It is still stressful, but it gives you more time and leeway than an accelerated program. If your goal is a bachelor's degree, there are bridge programs that can get you there but after the harder part is over. You can do anything in life, all you need is the means and the know-how.

Book on Nursing math

I think i'm going to get an EKG line and that's it. I don't want any dates or titles because who knows where i'll be in 15-20 years...

They may have had to come to the ER. They may have no where to go after or have no insurance to pay. But tonight, under my care, they were fed, they were warm and they knew they were safe. Even for a little while. That makes it ok that they weren't initially very nice. (Sometimes I get a thank you!) (Well, once...)

Usually science credits expire in 5 years. Be sure to do what you want and invest in an education that will be of use to you. If you want to go for your MD then make sure to plan accordingly. Nursing is a very rewarding career and it can open a lot of doors, but it is not a "layover" career or a back up plan. The roles between the MD and the Nurse are very different and though they may work around and with another, they are not the same and shouldn't be treated as such. All I'm saying is invest your money and time wisely.

I had this instructor that I absolutely loved. I asked her a similiar question and she said, "Go to work and just do your job. Help when you can, know when you can't and don't ever keep it with you." She went on to tell me that she's been a nurse for over 20 years and she still cries. She comes off as matter-of-fact and unemotional, but I think that's what happens when you go into a profession where you see people at there most vulnerable. You build this wall, this outer shell.

In Texas, I hear it gets you that raise of a whole 10 cents and it may also get you constantly hounded by the higher ups to become one of them. But it's still on my list of things to do...

I agree that she should keep it close to the vest and I realize that she told me and only me in confidence. It was just such a beautiful story that I wanted to share it somehow and I thought that posting under anonymity was the safest option, to which she readily agreed. I can't explain how powerful this story was and as I read what I wrote, I realize that it doesn't do it justice. The entire conversation took about an hour, but even the day after, i'm still shaken to the core. It really puts things in perspective and certain things just don't matter anymore. When I left that conversation, it was like the day was different. I was different.

Today someone told me something about themselves that was so powerful that it changed everything for me. Today, I was in class and I was talking to another student (we'll call her H) about how I went into nursing because I never wanted to temp again. She said that Nursing was the best thing that happened to her, since her life was nothing before it. I told her that i'm sure her life was something before entering a Nursing Program that felt like Legalized torture. It was then that she turned to me and said that what she went through now was nothing compared to how she got there. "What do you mean?" I asked. "I was homeless." She said. I asked her what she meant. I naively thought that she was too clean or well spoken to have been in that situation. She then began to tell me her (abbreviated) story. When she was 12, her father had left her and her mother for another woman he worked with. The mother had never finished high school after having gotten pregnant and therefore never worked a very lucrative job before. After her father left, she got a job as a waitress in a hotel but they couldn't pay the mortgage and ended up living out of their car. Well, then they ended up in a garage apartment and her mother pushed her to do well in school. She told me that they didn't watch TV or even use that many lights, so they could keep the bills down. When she was 15, she was coming off the bus when the police got her attention and informed her that her mother had had an overdose of speed. (something she took to work her now three jobs.) She then was forced into foster care where she was repeatedly physically and sexually attacked in a group home. After running away, she ended up squatting in abandoned buildings and panhandling or stealing for any bit of money or food she could manage for the next two years. When she was 17, she told me that she was so hungry that she waited in an alley known for prostitutes and decided to try it. On her first time being approached by a man, he ended up being a police officer and brought her in. She was represented by a public defender and with her personal history being reviewed, she was charged with public indecency and panhandling and was sentenced to probation. It was then that Social services got involved and she was sent to a woman that "specialized" in troubled women. It was then that she turned it around. The woman that took her in was in her words "God herself", after some troubles adjusting, the woman got her into an adult education program, got her to get her GED and gave her a safe place to live. It was then that she started at the very bottom at a local community college and clawed her way into the Nursing program. She is one of the most well spoken, intelligent women I have ever had the privilege to meet and when things get too hard, or the day gets too dark, I'll think of her courage and I'll smile. (Posted with her permission)

When an IV is infiltrated, the patient will complain of a burning sensation and the area will swell when flushed but it won't give any return. When an IV IS infiltrated, you remove it, elevate it, and put a warm towel over the area. I don't know whether or not to restart it in the same arm or even to restart it at all without a supervisors or the MD's suggestion. (still a student) I do know that you have to check whether the vein collapsed or the flow needs to be altered or the med affected somehow...

When I started clinicals, one of my instructors was male and he pulled me aside and said under his breath,"Put your machismo aside and get ready to be one of the girls." "What do you mean?", I replied. "It's not that bad, but speak only when spoken to and stay out of the gossip" Thats good advice for any workplace, but it was funny to me that he told me to be read to be "One of the girls"...

Lol, i'm glad it worked (is working?) for you, but when I did retail, I didn't last that long. Some people just aren't meant to be dealt with.

I don't believe you.