millhouse

Thanks for your input!! Very helpful!! :)

Well it's not the end of the world if you don't pass... so don't be hard on yourself if it happens. It is a VERY stressful test and I was positive I failed it when I took it 8 years ago. I got all the questions and it took me just shy of 5 hrs to take. Turns out I passed!! But there were some great students who grad with honors to fail it. Kaplan is the way to go with studying. I took my test AS SOON AS I could schedule it after grad. I think I took it 2 weeks after graduation. I found with my own class that the ones who took it immediately did well, where as the ones who didn't- didn't! I studied about 6 hours a day for 1 straight week. When I say studied, I did NCLEX questions on CD over and over and over. I did not review any info from nursing school. Just he NCLEX questions. I did a couple hundred a day. And then day before the test study (do a few more questions) some in the am and then put up your study material (after all... if you don't know it by this time... you won't know it for the test) and try and relax, eat a good dinner, and get a good nights sleep ( I think I took Benedryl to help the sleep process that night b/c I knew anxiety would keep me awake). Have a decent b-fast and go in with a clear head!! Do your best.. it's all you can do!! Don't freak out if it doesn't cut off after 75... and then after 100... and then after 200!! I was praying for it to cut off, but it didn't'! GOOD luck!! :)

Hahah... they definitely are creepy!! I went in to my class the other day. I was the only one in the building and I was working in my office... I kept feeling like they were watching me! :)

Just wondering if you enjoyed your CNA training? If yes or no.... were there specific reasons you did/did not enjoy it? Also, did you CNA instructor ever do any sort of games or presentations that you really liked?? The reason behind all this is that I just got hired to be the program coordinator for a high school CNA program. Looking to make it fun/interesting!! :) Thanks for you input!

Not sure if you found one by now... but ACEC does them. http://www.aceconline.com/

That's a great idea to contact her just to thank her and to see if she has any suggestions for your next interview process. No sense burning bridges!! It could have been that someone more qualified interviewed after you?? Either way, it's unfortunate that you didn't get the job... but I have always felt in my own life that God will open the right doors and keep the wrong ones shut for me. He hasn't let me down yet!! Keep your chin up and keep on applying!! :) Good luck!

I worked nights PRN and NEVER was able to sleep before the 1st night. Most of the time I would try and lay down and my mind would wander. Fortunately, I could make it through one night with out sleep and then would crash hard the next morning when I got home. Good luck!!

I just accepted a job as a program coordinator and teacher for a public high school based CNA program. This is my first job teaching although I have trained many new RN's over my career. I am very nervous about it. It will be 2 classes a day M-F with each class about 2 1/2 hours in length. Both classes are the same content... but different students. I will do teaching along with lab at the school where there is a nice make shift hospital. Clinicals will begin around January. I don't have the curriculum but I know this course typically is done over weeks/month. How on earth am I going to spread it over an entire school year at 2.5 hours per day?? Any advise out there?? Also, any online resources that you are aware of?? I have looked but really cannot find anything. I have a new teacher orientation for 1 week before school starts. Thanks in advance!! Oh, and any insight/tips into teaching junior and seniors in high school??

This ? is very strange!

Well, I think you should be concerned and should have at least reported it to a physician if your nursing mgr wasn't there. Don't panic though... it will not do you any good. Organisol is a detergent not a disinfectant. It basically disolves dried blood, tissue samples, etc.. So, if those particles were in the water, it may be an issue. Not really sure of the viability of that which is floating around in water though. I would make sure to report it as soon as you return to work. They can guide you better. I'm sure they have someone who can advise you appropriately through infection control. Hope all this works out for you!

Well, I just can't see buying a sprague (which is as good as those isolation stethoscopes, IMO) when you are learning to listen to different sounds. Just because you are a student doesn't mean you are not going to assess your patients heart, lung, bowel sounds. I remember doing clinicals on a pulm special care unit as well as ICU and a tele floor. I remember other students in my class borrowing mine b/c they couldn't hear or decifer what they were hearing from their cheapie one. I bought the Master Cardio as a gift to myself at the beginning of starting the program and like I said, still have it 11 years later. Why not practice with what you learn on? IDK, just my opinion.

As far as the manual BP cuff.... I would just buy a generic cheap one. I MAYBE used mine 3 times in school (during labs) but always used hospital equipment in clinicals. I use it to check my husbands bp on occasion. That said, I have probably used it 10 times over 10 years. As far as the stethoscope... I would get what you want. I can't really see how the school can force you to buy a specific stethoscope, IMO. It sounds like more of a recommendation, rather than a requirement. I bought the Littman Master Cardiology (which only has 1 side) and I love it. I found it easier to use when I was in school. I bought it 11 years ago and it is still like new. It is pricey... but has been wealth worth the cost and deals with wear and tear pretty well, not to mention the quality. Buy what you want with the idea you will be using it long term! When mine plays out (IF it ever does)... I will go for the same type again!! Good luck!!

Wow... that's crazy!! I say, if you want it bad enough you should go for it. I don't know if I coulda done it though!

Well, there is always the question about your strengths and weaknesses. And of course the one where they ask you about a time when you had a disagreement or confrontation with a coworker and how you handled it. That's all I can think of right now!

In VA I started out at 12.15/hr with 7 yrs experience. RN's are in the same pay band as custodians/bus drivers/cafeteria staff. It's a hard pill to swallow. I loved it, but sadly have decided to leave b/c I just can't get over the pay. After day care, gas (a 40 min drive one way) and double my grocery bill for packing 4 lunches a day... I am paying to work there. It's a shame that nurses are not compensated for what we do!!

I get ice from the cafeteria and put it in a small cooler as well. I make them up as I go and the ice keeps just fine. Recently the county purchased portable countertop ice makers for all clinics. It's nice but a lot of upkeep. The ice is kept in the ice maker and stays frozen (so you wouldn't need a freezer to keep it in). As you dispense the ice, it them makes more (you fill the water up to the max level so that it keeps making it). If you use A LOT of ice, it may not keep up with how much you are using, unless you empty it into a cooler as it makes ice to keep it working). It takes mine about 15 min to make ice when empty. I plan on using the ice maker for ice to put in cups for drinking (for the kids and the office staff) and continue to use my cooler from the cafeteria. Hope this helps!! :)

Frankly, I left hospital nursing because it was a thankless job (the majority of the time). Patients do not respect you and the responsibilities you carry. And the responsibilities placed on floor nurses are ridiculous these days with budget cost/nurse patient ratio's and such. Just because the times are bad doesn't mean people don't become ill! They (patients) think, in general, that you are there to serve them and them only. I love school nursing. Im in an elem setting and the kids are so great! How often do you get a chance to make a difference in a childs life... on a daily basis? Sure, the money is not the greatest... but it is what it is. Hopefully, maybe one day school nurses will be recognized and compensated the way the should. I do hand out occasional bandaids, but... I also manage some very medically fragile students. In the hospital, you can bounce questions off of fellow nurses. In the school YOU are it! There is a lot of responsibility there. I think the comments made by your peers regarding school nursing are just a lack of knowledge as to what school nursing is about. You can try and educate them on that... but more than likely, it will do no good! Heck, maybe deep down they would LOVE a job like school nursing where you get to take care of kiddos, have EVERY holiday/snow day OFF, and all summer off! Maybe they are a little envious?!? Who knows!

Well, I at leaset I am not the only one!! It's definitely a difficult situation that we are put in. I love my administrators and have a great relationship with them. They back me on anything I want to do. I know the teacher backed the AP in to a corner... and he didn't have time to deal with the troubled 3rd grader b/c he was doing SOL's. It's my opinion that the AP SHOULD have backed me and stood firm. And any other time, I am sure he would have discussed it with me before leaving it in the teachers hands. School's almost out and I am just gonna bite my tongue for now. It is not something I will tolerate next year and will make it known when we all meet before kids come back to school. And I totally agree with you Artisyc1... the "gut feeling" that nurses have is completely overlooked by many. Some people you can't please!! Fortunately, 90% of the staff here are great and show me tons of respect. You will always have those few!!

So, there's this 3rd grader who frequents the principal's office b/c of behavior. He has to check in with administrators each morning before going to class. This morning while he waits for them, he's laughing and playing around. The administrators were late coming in to give him his daily pep talk and he got angry because they (the adults) made an him (an 8 yr old) wait. So, his mood turned from decent to angry pretty quick. About 15 min later he comes to the clinic saying his teacher wanted him to come to the clinic for a temp check (REALLY.... this drives me nuts). He's afebrile and I tell him to go back to class. He then tells me he has a headache. I ask him when it started... "about 2 min ago" I say, ok... head back to class and give it a bit. About 20 min later I hear the Assistant Principal saying that he (the 8 yr old) was going home. The AP then comes in to the clinic just to let me know that.... the teacher sent him an email saying she sent the student to me and I sent him back and she thinks he is sick (really, she doesn't want to deal with his attitude). The AP tells her to email his mother and leave it up to her. Next thing you know, she is here to pick up the "sick" child! I buttoned my lip and didn't say anything, but the more I have thought about it, the more angry I get about it. I want to go in to the principal tomorrow to tell her that if teachers can triage their own students, then I don't need to be there. I feel disrespected and unappreciated. Do any of you run in to this, if so, how do you deal with it??

I do... it's mounted on the wall just as you walk in the front doors of the school. Just so happens it is 10 steps from the clinic, but is centrally located!!

Just curious, anyone out there using EMR rather than paper for cumulative health file (shot records/clinic notes) etc.? If so, what software do you use?? I would love to go to EMR and I know it's a cost thing.. just curious what your opinions are (if you use EMR)? Thanks-

haha cute!!

Thanks- Never thought of it!! This is my first year in school nursing. I think I will be working on the posters in what little spare time I have! Atleast be ready for next year!! Spring Break 4/16-4/25 Whooo hoooo!! Last day of School 6/10!!

I love my job to pieces but wow I am starting to get a short fuse with some of these kids. They come for the most outrageous reasons!! If a little kindergartner comes for a bandaid because of an ouchie.... I'm fine with that! But when 4th and 5th graders come because there throat starting hurting approx 3 min ago, or they eat lunch and suddenly have a stomachache because they scarfed down their food so quickly and now have a bellyache, and god forbid giving it some time before demanding they come to the clinic. I am seeing the same kids over and over. And ice.... ice is becoming an issue!! Everyone want ice for the most insane reasons. Since when does ice help a splinter?? I have given so much ice out this year... and thinking now I shoulda said NO, you don't need it! If I woulda charged a nickel for every bag of ice I hand out... I could quit my job!! :) I think it goes both ways... the kids and adults need a break!! Hopefully spring break will refresh me enough to make it til the end of school!! :dncgbby:

We don't do them either... we just send out information on scoliosis and recommend to have their physician evaluate.