mvg rn

My dad's gastroenterologist's name is Dr. Bogus

We have a Nurse Hooker

I have mixed feeling. I believe in your right to privacy, but I've also seen what happens when Narcolepsy is not revealed to an employer.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I have applied for a transfer center job. Now, I'm just praying the director will consider a nurse with only NICU experience.

i took care of a premature baby whose father died just before she was born. this baby girl was always looking up and to the left side of the room when i cared for her. odd since 24 wk premature babies can't focus their eyes. her mom liked to think it was the dad looking after his baby girl. i took a picture of the baby girl and her mom one day and there was an orb in the picture and the baby girl was looking right at it.

I am also struggling right now. I am looking for a job and struggling to afford medications and my bills. I am also feeling very spiritually challenged. I hope you can see that you are not alone. 'We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.' ~ Romans 5:3, NLT

forget the grinch’s. if your work's dress code allows, wear the holiday scrubs.

maybe this is a question you could ask. are there any stress coping strategies you wish your employer would offer classes on? yes no if yes, which ones and why?

If you decide to go the NP route, you might want to think about Pediatric NP and not Neonatal NP. Working in the NICU you obviously like kids, but with a NNP you are almost certainly going to be stuck in the hospital. With a PNP, you should be able to get a job in a doctor's office M-F. If you decide to get your PNP, you should look at finding a job in peds while you are in school. I know several NICU nurses who have gotten their PNP and had a difficult time finding jobs after graduation because of their lack of peds experience. Good Luck to you!

:) Thanks! You guys have mentioned a few things I have not thought of.

coolpeach - it was the tdap vaccine that messed up my arm 2.5 years ago. the consensus of several experts in their respective fields is that i have an atypical complex regional pain syndrome. i've seen at least 2 generalists, 3 neurologists, 1 infectious disease doctor, 2 pain management doctors, a psychologist, 4 ot's, 2 pt's, and a chiropractor. i have even tried biofeedback and spoken with a reiki practitioner. my little duty at work has run out and i'm filling an interim position, but i need to look at other alternatives incase i don't get this job.

due to vaccine reaction i have lost a significant amount of function in my dominate arm and hand. bedside nursing is no longer a feasible option for me. i am devastated. when i lucked into nicu nursing 12.5 years ago i found my home and it is truly where i belong. my problem now is that i am over specialized. every job i apply for can't see past the fact that i only have nicu experience to see that i can do anything with a minimal amount of training. i do have my bsn which is at least getting me into interviews. so if you could not do bedside care, what other nursing job would interest you? (maybe you guys can think of a few things i have not.)

below is in artical summary that gives reasons perterm infant are put to sleep in a prone postion by nicu nurses. mind you at the end they do advacate for supine sleeping to reduce the risk os sids, but as the previous poster noted our babies in the nicu are on monitors. preterm infants and sleeping position william t. basco, jr, md, faap posted: 10/03/2006 effect of prone and supine position on sleep, apneas, and arousal in preterm infants bhat ry, hannam s, pressler r, rafferty gf, peacock jl, greenough a pediatrics. 2006;118(1):101-107 summary according to bhat and colleagues, previous research has demonstrated that, in preterm infants, prone sleeping position is associated with a marked increase in rates of sudden infant death syndrome (sids).[color=#004276][1] this study sought to examine a larger number of preterm infants than that included in other studies in order to determine how sleep position might be associated with apneas or sleep quality. the subjects for this study were infants born at the authors defined apnea as a lack of nasal airflow of ≥ 5 seconds. an arousal was defined as ≥ 10 seconds of movement, with ≥ 60 seconds of movement or crying constituting an "awakening." the authors studied 24 infants, 14 of whom developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (bpd). these 14 infants were on supplemental oxygen during their respective studies. the policy of the unit was to have infants sleep supine for at least 2 weeks prior to discharge so that the infants studied would be used to the supine position. overall, prone sleeping position was associated with more sleep and more efficient sleep. for example, the mean number of minuses of sleep time recorded was 116 in the supine position and 146 minutes in the prone position. infants in prone sleep also spent more time in quiet sleep (25.8 minutes on average vs 15.5 minutes for infants in the supine position). prone sleep times were associated with fewer awakenings (3.5 vs 9.7) and arousals. however, central apneas were much more common among infants sleeping in the prone position (5.6 on average) than among infants sleeping in the supine position (2.2). obstructive apneas were more common in among infants in the supine position at 0.9 vs 0.5 among infants in the prone position. the results were similar when the infants were analyzed as subgroups - with and without bpd. the authors concluded that prone sleeping position is associated with fewer spontaneous arousals and more episodes of central apnea. viewpoint this study supports the clinical observation that infants may sleep better in the prone position (as evidenced by longer sleep times and fewer arousals in this study). however, the increased risk of central apneas is notable. back-to-sleep campaigns have led to decreases in the rates of sids; these data lend evidence to the recommendation that infants avoid sleeping in the prone position.[color=#004276][2]

Unfortunately, I don't know of any other courses being offered at this time or a way to get the info. I was really counting on this course as well. If I find out anything, I'll post it.

i'm sad to announce this course has been cancelled do to lack of early registrations. if you have registered and paid, you will get a full refund. it will hopefully be rescheduled for spring.

Sorry to hear that happens at your hospital. I had a sever adverse reaction to the Tdap vaccine almost 3 years ago and I still have a job.

"i will carry you" by angie smith is a book from the parent side of things, but it is about a families decision to continue a pregnancy for a baby they know will not live long. "little man" is a documentary that gives a realistic look at we do in the nicu and the consequences the parents live with when they leave the nicu. the director is his mother nicole conn. there is also a website where you can get updates about him www.littlemanthemovie.com i have found it is quickly available from netflix, but blockbuster.com has a long wait for it. mind you, not every baby we see in the nicu is as extreme of a case as the two above, but i think looking at things from the parents side of view is a good reminder to us as healthcare professionals that what we do everyday is new and confusing to families. i think it also helps us to have empathy for what families are going through.

for me, i know from the time i was 7 that i wanted to be a pediatric nurse, general floor or icu, until i interviewed in a nicu just before graduation. i had never even considered nicu, i only went because the nurse recruiter had a feeling. i know immediately that i had found my "home" in nursing and it has been my passion ever since. you need to think about what kind of nurse practitioner you want to be. if you want to be a nnp, you need to get as much neonatal experience as you can - go for the nicu. if you want to be a pnp, get as much pediatric experience you can, anywhere you can. if you are not sure, see if you can tour the different units and talk to some of the nurses. also, try to think about you long term goals in life. for the most part a nnp is going to be tied to the nicu and will have hospital hours. a pnp has more choices when it comes to finding a place of employment. be patient and you will find your passion. good luck!

I am pretty sure even in healthcare it is standard to give two weeks, but your manager can let you go sooner if she/he wants once you turn in your two week notice. I would check your hospital policy first.

just a remimder: after next monday, october 18, 2010 regular registration for this 3 day review course is $350 with a deadline of november 11, 2010. that's an extra $55. more info and registration can be found at www.marchofdimes.com/texas

This works unless you have a one of a kind name like I do. I have even considered changing my first name. If at all possible, cover your last name. I've had a couple of stalkers and would not wish that on anyone.

Programs do work differently. Mine was a six month program. After hospital/general nursing orientation, we took a week of basic NICU classes. We then trained with a preceptor taking care of lower acuity babies. We then took our own assignments for a time to work on our skills and time management with lower acuity babies. Then we took a week and a half of classes on more complex skills and ventilators along with NRP and then trained with a preceptor learning to care for the higher acuity babies.

i occasionally sign j.doe, rn outside of work, but it is strictly an accident. the only exception to that was when my little sister was young. if i took her somewhere that paperwork had to be filled out, i would sign rn after my name and now one ever questioned my ability to sign for her.

if you are going to be in dallas/fort worth area or houston area, you might want to look in texas woman's university rn to bsn program. i've hear it is very good. i think the university of texas at arlington has a program as well.

what antiseptic is everyone using for insertion of urinary catheters? betadine? chloraprep? chg handsoap? betadine for daily care, just baby soap and water like a bath, or more antiseptic? we bath 3 time a week tuesday, thursday & sunday evenings - just sterile water for the itty bitty babies, bath in a bag otherwise or baby soap if a big stinky chronic also, is anyone using an actual foley catheter and blowing up the balloon? traditionally we have used feeding tubes and just secured them externally. but we now have foleys (with balloons) down as small as 6 french. i am concerned about the safety of blowing up the balloon. am i just an old overcautious nurse? so far we use feeding tubes and secure them externally, but i know they are looking at the policy again.