morecoffeepls

I was too vague: there are a variety of forums categorized under 'General Nursing' (e.g., 'Nurses Rock', 'Nursing and Spirituality') - are these ineligible?

Hi Joe, What would be some examples of appropriate/eligible forums for article submissions?

I am the lone night nurse on a small community hospital acute inpatient psychiatric unit. I agree with several salient points made by the OP & commenters. I value an "uneventful" night (no string of admissions, no one actively psychotic or suicidal, no falls, etc.) as much as the next nurse with three kids and a second job; however, when it is slow and a patient is having issues, I feel very fortunate to have the time to spend with that person. In fact, I sometimes feel these exchanges have been the only genuinely important moments of my nursing career so far. Med-seeking, whether by habit or a deficiency in coping skills, and somatic complaints are often regarded with contention or indifference by some of my co-workers. I am neither naive nor a pushover, but I have a hard time being overly annoyed by needy, manipulative, or borderline behaviors. For the most part. I also have a hard time giving a prn for reasons other than their indications. There are obviously exceptions - like a Neurontin for pain if other prns are exhausted and it's neurogenic. Your concern with giving prns that are not as innocuous is a really valid one. We're not pill-pushers, and of course alternative therapies in addition to - as opposed to in lieu of - appropriate administration of prns are essential. Teaching moments (med education, coping skills, whatever) are invaluable if you can get through before an eruption or someone shuts down. I have many advantages working nights on this small unit, including a certain level of autonomy being alone and having a brilliant psychiatrist that keeps bizarre hours and is accessible to me in person. If he's not here, I don't hesitate to page the on-call if I need something. We are fairly liberal when it comes to passing prns (as someone commented, there is an evidence base to support the practice); however, unless it's appropriate, I can't give something like a Haldol/Ativan/Benadryl cocktail. Also, how do you document this? As one astute commenter stated - we are not the prescribers. We are, however, responsible when it comes to safe and appropriate administration of medication, regardless of the culture or environment in which we practice. Just be careful & who cares what your co-workers think, say, or do if it makes you uneasy ... CYA

The only reason I went to nursing school was to become a nurse anesthetist; then I did a few psych rotations and I was hooked. If you suspect this specialty is something you would especially like for some reason (vague, specific, whatever), or that perhaps your innate nature would lend itself to, then you're probably a psych nurse. You'll have people (instructors, experienced nurses) tell you that you need med-surg experience first, but why not delve right into it if you become convinced it's what you want? I truly enjoyed clinicals in psych, and believe in the whole "authentic presence" approach to interpersonal/therapeutic communication. I was hired as a new grad as the FT night nurse on the unit where I did my first psych clinical rotation (at a great hospital with a holistic philosophy of care). I was lucky because jobs were scarce for my graduating class. I didn't expect to be paid more because psych is a specialty, but between the charge, shift, and weekend differentials, then tacking on a few bucks an hour after getting ANCC certified and climbing the clinical ladder, I make about 30-40 % more than if I hadn't bought out my tuition contract to work on my unit. It's been about 4 years and a few kids later, and I'm convinced I have found my calling. I recently started working psych home care per diem as well, which is satisfying and probably the future of nursing/health care. That all being said, if you're not convinced, or start off in psych then change your mind, you'll have some real difficulty when the time comes. I always feel like my experience has been an anomoly because I am a male nurse, but 2 cents is 2 cents. It's such an intriguing, rewarding specialty replete with moments that remind you what it means to be a human being in this world. Good luck.

I finished SHU's RN-BSN online program about a year ago (its inaugural class). It took two years and seemed interminable, but I'm glad I did it. The only reason I enrolled was to be able to get into a decent NP program (Yale and Fairfield are the only two schools in the state that offer a Psych NP track), but with the whole DNP conversion being imminent, I'm strongly considering changing to an MSN program. Fairfield has already phased out at least one Master's level NP program. Instead of prattling on about my own issues, I'll try to provide some insight into the online experience. Blackboard does seem a bit antiquated, and there were some technical issues at times, but once you get used to it, it's fine. I've looked at the MSN curriculum, and I don't see a lot that would differentiate it from what I went through; so, hopefully this information is pertinent enough to help. Maybe it's just my personal learning style, but I might just prefer the online experience to traditional classrooms. Showing up and listening to someone read off a Powerpoint was always difficult for me. It's my belief/assumption that instructors compensate for the online format with the volume of work assigned; however, if you're able to make the time and have a decent understanding of APA (Purdue's OWL site is good in a pinch) it's easy to get accustomed to it and develop good habits. My experience may have been anomalous, though, in that I'd rather write than speak and I had down-time at my job to complete assignments. Two classes per 8-week module (or whatever they call it) doesn't sound like a lot, but working full-time with kids made it stressful. I actually spoke with someone from Admissions recently, and my fear that not having enrolled in the RN-MSN program initially may cause some overlap or redundancies, but I don't think that is the case. Obviously, this thread has me thinking about my own situation, and I apologize for focusing on it. I had it in my head that I needed a good GPA for the BSN program based on the initial reason I enrolled and my fear that online programs are looked down upon by decent graduate schools, so maybe I hurt myself a little attempting to do that. (Shameless aside: 4.0 & a Gold Medal for Excellence in Nursing looks good on a resume/application). But the reality is that I did learn a lot and have that piece of paper and some more letters after my name now, which is all that actually matters. I'll end up enrolling at SHU again if I decide to get a Master's degree. Also: Please feel free to ask any specific questions so that I don't go on another tangent about my own considerations.

The three of us walk into a bar ...

Do rights return to author if original allnurses.com publication acknowledged?

Communicate with your state board as much as possible before registering for school. Congratulations on being accepted, by the way. They may give you ambiguous responses, but save the communication (emails, in all likelihood) and perhaps they'll contain verbiage that might mean something in court, if need be. Being a convicted felon made the decision to become a nurse extremely anxiety-inducing. Imagine not being able to take the NCLEX after all the sacrifice and hard work of nursing school? If the BON implies that you will not be able to obtain licensure regardless of the things you listed, then choose a different path and don't look back. Did you have to compose a letter to these schools concerning your criminal record? I did, and I believe I may have had to submit something similar to the state. I wrote what I felt to be true, and believe this may have made all the difference. Do not minimize whatever it was that you did, be accountable for it, and cross your fingers. I attended nursing school not knowing whether I'd be able to obtain state licensure. It was a level of stress I hope to never revisit. There are people on this message board, as in "real life", who are quick to judge, slow to forgive, and have difficulty seeing beyond their own self-importance/righteous indignation/skewed moral compasses. If that sounds defensive, you're right. But I know who I am, and could care less about the opinions of these people (probably the only salient advice in this post, lchavez). That being said, the "idiocy of a young impoverished girl" is a cop-out. No one cares about your station, feels sorry for you, or should; nor should you upon reflection. I know that's not what you meant; however, you were an idiot and those were your circumstances. Own that, and if it prevents you from becoming a nurse, then so bet it. If fate determines that the call to nursing is something that you can realize one day, then wonderful. One of the better decision I've made in my adult life, that's for sure. You're obviously a good person who made some mistakes. You'll be fine, either way.

I know you guys are probably swimming in headaches since the upgrade, but I woke up this morning feeling a little upset. I submitted an article after the 15th evidently, but had received some very nice feedback and, last time I checked, 20 kudos. I don't know if I would have been in contention for a prize, but it seems a little unfair that, despite being unavoidable, that story ('The Man at the Bottom of the Stairs', ring a bell?) simply disappeared and will not be considered. Just a little pre-coffee vent. Thx.

No problem. Thanks for the prompt response, sir. Is the contest over? Should I bother? Honest answer, please, because I would prefer to not submit if there's no point. Also, change is good. You're probably getting inundated with small issues, but it'll be worth it. Keep up the good work.

My article seems to have disappeared. Oh well.

Another dumb question: How are these contests judged? By the number of user 'kudos', comments, etc.? By staff? Pieces of paper in a hat? You'll probably say by some combination of the first two, which would indicate that the earlier an article is submitted within the quarter, the better the chances for recognition, a monetary prize, and glory. It doesn't matter, one way or another, just curious. Thanks again to Brian, et al., for the opportunity.

@sir1: I get 'Antigonish' stuck in my head sometimes. Nice. Also: Why does this site (& 'Central') have these contests? Or rather, why (and how) do you pay enough money to make it worth putting off other, quite possibly more important, things? This is the type of post I submit when I am overtired.

Can I write about my personal experiences with turkey gravy and yule logs?

I'm of the opinion that "work experience" doesn't necessarily mean health care or nursing experience. I had several careers before graduating nursing school, none of which had anything to do with health care, and felt comfortable spinning those jobs and their inherent duties in a way that would inform a potential employer of the type of person I was. Corny, familiar terms and phrases like customer service, strong work ethic, people person, "first one in - last one to leave", team player, and the like, when typed in a comprehensive way or stated in an interview with a straight face or maybe even some enthusiasm, go a long way. Sell yourself and the value of the work experience you've acquired that, along with a calculated and convincing answer to the question about why you became a nurse, will be the foundation for a long, fulfilling career as a dedicated nurse, etc. and so on. I didn't include academic clinical experience on my resume because I don't think it's appropriate - it's part of every nurse's education, and not "work experience".