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Thank you for the information, and yes, I have decided to limit and even quit my nursing career. Although I just finished nursing school, nursing was never my first choice. I did it honestly as an obligation for my parents, and as a stab in the back, while trying to find a job and failing at the moment, they have decided to stop supporting me and want to kick me out. I wasted my life and career for them, and as much as everyone says that being a nurse is a life changing experience, nothing can soothe the pain of betrayal and hurt that this entire experience accompanies. I am sorry for the rant, but I am going through a difficult time and am not sure what to do, but thank you very much for the information. It definitely helps to put everything in prospective. :redbeathe

I have a question about my choice in major which is a bachelors of science in Technical management. I recently just graduated from the ADN program and am pursuing my bachelors degree. At first I wanted to pursue in nursing informatics, but then I realized that although I have my nursing degree, I also have a degree in arts. And especially with the downgrading economy, I do not want to limit myself to nursing especially when job positions available are pretty null. (I just attended a nursing job fair and it was pretty bad... it was very depressing and demotivating.) Anyway, with that being said, I chose my current bachelors major: BS in Technical Management, as it is a general business degree that curtails to all areas. I can apply it to both nursing (maybe) and art. I am wondering if my choice in major would work for nursing and if it would give me an advantage in the hiring process. It is NOT a bachelors in nursing science. It is just a bachelors of science degree. An honest opinion would be most helpful. Thank you very much :redbeathe

Answer 1: It depends on hospital policy, and at the doctor's discretion. Only call the physician for emergencies and changes in patients' condition. But theoretically, yes, the doctors should make their rounds on their work days. Answer 2: Again, that depends on your hospital policy and the facility's administration and opening hours. The pharmacy does make their rounds and replenish the supply, and if the med is not there, you call pharmacy and they either send it up or, if you deem it an emergency, go pick it up. Again it depends on your facility and how they do things. If the med is not up on time for administration, call the pharmacy and see what's up and just wait for the med, nothing you can honestly do about it. Answer 3: It depends what exactly your giving. Some IV meds need to be titered like Dopamine, etc, and again depending on hospital policy, it is up to the nurses' discretion on how they titer it following the titer policies and formulas that they need to use. Bottom line though it is up to the physician/ pharmacy that decides how fast it goes. Oh and administration of blood, it depends on hospital policy on how fast you run it depending on your patient's tolerance. Answer 4: You do not give the other 2mg of Morphine until the wait time is up because you are causing the medication to pile up on top of each other, and causing a high risk adverse reaction of Morphine which is respiratory depression and coma. Yes, it may end up causing the patient more pain waiting that is why we have non pharmacological therapy such as guided imagery, deep breathing, etc. And this is a good baseline for your patient if you know that in an hour he/she is going to have pain after you gave them their morphine, next time give the full 5mg. If your patient's pain is uncontrolled then yes, you call the physician about that. Answer 5: The nurse gets hell, even if its the physician's fault because it's the nurses' job to catch that contraindication, and the nurse ends up administrating that medication. If the nurse was able to find that contradiction early, they can call up the physician and tell them the situation and hopefully the physician will agree with you and cancel that med, but if they don't agree, the nurse can always refuse to give the med, and report to the charge nurse about the situation.

Hi, I am happy to say that I passed my nursing school hell and finally on my way to take the NCLEX. I plan to take my NCLEX on Feb 4th, 2011, and unfortunately that is as earliest and latest I can take it due to time constraints and upcoming events that call to my attention (university transfer, moving out, etc) With that being said, I am undergoing a high amount of stress not only from my peers but more so from my parents, with all forms of threats possible, on passing my NCLEX for the 1st time. I am currently taking the Kaplan review and so far I am not sure if I am actually gaining anything from it or improving. I have my last Kaplan class on Friday to review our readiness test, and I plan to take it my readiness test tomorrow, but... I'm not confident at all. These are my following scores thus far: Dx test: 51.66% Test Trainer 1: 52% Test Trainer 2: 53% Test Trainer 3: 44% Test Trainer 4: 50% Qbank (10 questions): 30% Qbank (10): 30% Qbank (25): 40% Qbank (50): 54% Lippincott CD (50 questions): 62% My absolute weakest parts are 1: Basic care and comfort, 2: Physiological Integrity, 3. Pharmacological stuff (but lately been getting better at guessing the answers with 56% pass rate) And my absolute best is: Psychosocial Integrity with 70-82% Ever since I found out my weakest parts, I've been trying to study it by watching the online lectures and reading the kaplan review book. I swear I feel nothing entered my brain even though I took notes, and I am not sure anymore how to study for this NCLEX... Everyone says to just practice on NCLEX questions, but my test scores have been fluctuating and confusing me where I stand at this point. And the Kaplan teacher said you need to at least pass with 60%+ in order to pass the NCLEX. I know its too early to tell and I am probably panicking, but I am desperate to pass with my 1st time. My parents are even telling me to not sleep, and just study day and night, and I am burned out by 5pm and 100+ questions without a long break. So please any suggestions, tips and better scheduling on studying, handling stress, etc. Anything to help me and other fellow NCLEX first time takers on our journey to take this nerve- wracking exam, would be most grateful and well appreciated

Well.. from what I know about all nitro related products is that it does contain the chemical nitroglycerin which has been used in explosive products. Technically, the patches/ paste should only contain a small amount of that chemical, which "shouldn't" harm the patient drastically, but there is the risk that it would explode on them.

Thank you everyone for the responses and the advice. It really has helped bring up my mood and provided me hope that hopefully I will do better in my next set of exams. I think overall, I'm just a bad test- taker as Amber0515 pointed out. When I'm in my study groups, I can pour out all the information related to the subject and even teach people about it but when I apply it in the test, its a different result... I've actually never had problems with tests until I entered the nursing program. Unfortunately due my schedule, I don't have time to cater to friends outside the nursing program, what little time I do have, I try to spend it on myself by reading, listening to music, etc. I agree with decembergrad2011 that making friends in the nursing program is not an option, many of my classmates have that mentally already that they could really give a damn about making real friendships (and one of them even said that to my face). Suethestudent, I actually mark up my tests and make sure I underline or circle the most important words like except, select all that apply, etc. I am applying my test- taking techniques, and yes, I am also reviewing the exams with my instructors. I also do know my teacher's styles and what to concentrate on, I think the questions that make me miss the most, are those that are select all that apply (which my teachers seriously abuse a lot) and really confusing questions where two answers are right, but one of them is more right than the other, and the line between them is really THIN. I will definitely be having less sleep and more studying for sure... haha.. Thank you to nursingishard and studentny11

Hi, as the title entails, I am on the brink of failing my last semester of nursing classes. I have tried everything, reading textbooks, looking up NCLEX review questions, attended workshops on how to study (which was useless), test- taking techniques, etc you NAME IT! I'm in study groups too and the irony of it all is that my classmates turn to me for help... yet I still get the lowest grades for BOTH professional and medsurge II! I bought another NCLEX review book last week, in particular because I have heard that my instructors have been pulling out questions from there for our exams. At this point, I'm willing to cheat just to pass this idiocy. Medsurge II for the first exam I got a 78% but then I got 67% for my second exam and 66% for my midterm on professional. I studied SO hard more so, for my second exam and professional is supposed to be EASY T______T I don't know what to do anymore... there's so much on the line, my parents have threatened to kill me if I don't pass and graduate at my appointed time in December. I am also due to transfer in Spring to the university level.... I have no friends.. literally anymore.. I'm so depressed and lost 7 pounds since this semester started.. One of my instructors hates me and is giving me B's and C's on my major papers.. while my classmates whom I help with their papers are getting A's, which I don't care at this point as long as I pass my classes. I'm honestly contemplating suicide... haha but really if this continues I'm going to die anyway of malnutrition and stress by the end of the semester. Please help...