A.Brook

At my camp we have 2 nurses; one is a school nurse and I am in the ER. It seems like this is a pretty good combination because I am more familiar with wounds/emergencies and she has more experience in getting the kids to take their meds. Our camp is for special needs kids so I appreciate her tremendously.

Hey Kfran I am a camp nurse myself and I am interested in what you did for these kids.

expearence?

I agree with the previous two posters. With your lack of experience it's a risk to not only the campers/staff but also yourself if anything were to happen. Camps/businesses will typically do what it takes to keep the doors open, and that might mean placing the blame on you and your license depending on the situation. So just make sure you are ready for issues/problems that might occur during camp (emergencies, illness, fractures, etc.).

Wow..really? Things must be different where I live.

No that would be unacceptable. We treat the patient based on current symptoms, not past medical history when situations like this present.

If we have any reason to believe cultures might be ordered we draw 1 set in a 10cc syringe from the new IV when inserting then draw another set from another site before hanging the abx. If its a stat type of thing I get one of the techs to come draw the 2nd set while I hang the abx.

I hope you can take a little bit of what everyone has said, because most have valid points. To answer your question about why the patient was on the drip would take a little more history that what you supplied, but obviously the infection, TPN, and the NPO status would all lead to a fluctuation in the patients blood sugar level. Like many people stated above tight control around or slightly above the normal limits decreases infection risks, which is a huge concern in the hospital setting (especially long-term). As to why not use oral meds...Is the pancreas functioning well enough to make any insulin at all? If not there goes the oral meds. And like others have said SC would not provide adequate control because it doesn't act as quickly as the IV and the FSBS checks would probably only be done Q4H. I guess I didn't really add anything, but maybe I summed it up a bit.

In my reading from our online pharmacy system it says minimum 5 minutes, but patients still tend to have slight reactions like you said. These patients tend to be the renal folks who can live another 5-10 minutes with their K of 7 (because that's what it is once a week) while you push it through a 20/22 because they have absolutely no veins left....Even though they are only 25. (This is my jaded experience) :)

I have always been amazed by how many people are "bitten by spiders" and never see the arachnid. I always laugh when I see that complaint and go ahead and get the I&D kit...

In my hospital we use Soarian as a facility wide system. Before we got our new ER system, Picis Pulsecheck (which is awesome), we had Soarian in the ER. I did not like Soarian for our purposes, mainly related to charting as there are much better and focused ER systems out there. However, as a med-surg/unit application I have found Soarian to be pretty damn good and easy to use.

I also work in the local ER as a tech. I started with no healthcare experience whatsoever, but was able to become certified to do just about any procedure short of giving meds and starting IVs. Where I live the techs only start at about $8/hr though. :smackingf

It really depends on your facility. At our hospital our ER techs usually don't have any license whatsoever, but are in nursing school. We can actually do more than the CNAs and PCTs on the floors are allowed to do. The only procedures we don't do are IV starts and anything dealing with medications. Like tech1000 said, almost anything else is fair game. Tons of patient transports and EKGs; fewer blood draws because nurses can usually draw blood when inserting IVs. Catheters per HCP order only.

Although I do not have as many responsibilities as you do, my time is no longer my time anymore. I just decided to suck it up for a while. What I mean is that I devote my time to work, school, and family and enjoy my hobbies, etc. only after tests to keep my sanity. School is not an indefinite task; remember to be as productive as possible and use your time as well as possible. Don't forget to get plenty of sleep because you will enjoy your time much more.

Wiping butts isn't that bad..better than being a respiratory therapist and dealing with their secretions. Although rectal bleeds do have quite a distinct smell. :uhoh21:

I don't know your situation, but as for myself I would hate to have started NS and not make it through. Unless you absolutely hate it I say stick with it. The more you know the easier it will seem. Judging by some of the nurses I see at my hospital ANYONE can become a nurse. Don't make a quick decision that you will regret later in life.

At my hospital phlebototmists and monitor techs make more money than CNAs do so I wouldn't even get the CNA unless you want to go back to school to work as a med/surg nurse. However, as a monitor tech you would have more cardiac experience and as a phlebotomist you would have lab experience. It all depends on your future education plans.

I am currently working as an ER tech in my third semester of my ADN program. I have been working for about 2 years and have worked PRN on one of the surgical floors some. Unless you plan on working on a med/surg floor after graduation I say you should try to get a job in the ER or on one of the units. The units will teach you more all around skills, but the ER will give you exposure to all types of patients and disease states. On the other hand, if you are a PCT on a m/s floor you will be able to take vitals really, really well and perform I&Os with your eyes closed. - Just my opinion though

There are three hospitals near Boone. One in Boone, one in Blowing Rock and one in Linville. Together they are called Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. The easiest way to search for job openings is to check their website; however, an email to someone in human resources might work better.

Depending on the course you take (I'm guessing Nutrition/Diet Therapy or something like that), there won't be much chemistry or micro. Usually those classes just offer the basics, such as k/cal per gram of macronutrient, dietary sources and recommendations, etc. so you should be fine.

I forgot...apply for as many scholarships as possible. We can even get some for the underrepresented gender and that type of thing. These scholarships are everywhere so just look around.

Hello importman, I am in a similar situation as you. I am taking pre-reqs right now and will be starting school next year. My plans are to take the CNA course and secure a job as a nurse assistant as soon as possible for the experience. I will also be working weekends at my current job (chef) until nursing school starts in June. You will get Pell Grant unless you have a Bachelor's degree, and they will give you student loans that will cover more than just tuition, books, and uniforms usually. (They did for my friends when I was at GSU). Hope this helps. Andrew