J.Allen

The manual will tell you not to immerse the scope in any liquids, but at this point if it doesn't work what choice do you have as a last ditch effort. I would separate the chest piece from the lumen- it just slides off. Remove the bell, non-chill rim, and diaphragm. Then soak the head in isopropyl alcohol for 15 minutes. Then using a Q-tip, try to clean the stem through the bell hole, diaphragh hole, and the outside of the stem where it rotates inside the chest-piece. Lastly you will want to lubricate the the rotating parts- a very small amount of oil in the bell hole and the diaphragm hole. Littmann says to use Praveni oil, but it's impossible to find. I suppose you could use gun oil ( I used my watchmaking oil). Just don't use WD-40. Remember, a little goes a long way. If after cleaning it still won't rotate (It should but if it doesn't) you can immerse it in an ultrasonic bath for 5 minutes. I have one but most people don't. Jewelry stores have these and will probably do it for you for 5 dollars. Littmann has a maintenance service which will clean it and lubricate it for you, but the cost is near what the scope costs, and you will have to part with it for a few months. Littmann also has instructions for care and maintenance of the scope- taking it apart and cleaning it and lubing it. It would also be a good time to condition the tubing. Littmann recommends Pravani conditioning oil, but you can probably use Armour All, Skin so Soft, or an automotive leather and vinyl conditioner- I would just test it out on an inconspicuous area first before dousing the entire thing. Stethoscope Cleaning and Care

The Welch Allyns come with or you can purchase a tag that snaps on to the plastic bridge between the two lumen. (I have the Elite) It even has a metal plate which can be engraved. You could argue that it's not permanent, but a drop of super glue and it's not unsnapping.

Crocs are great, but usually ones without holes are required and they don't allow your feet to breathe. I've worn Nurse Mates, but they are expensive and they wear out in a few months. Sketchers have a great line of shoes and almost any one of their slip ons will be comfortable

There are all kinds of shops locally which sell scrubs, but they pretty much have only women's scrubs. Also the selection is lacking. I buy my scrubs from Amazon. There are a decent amount of reviews to help make a decision and they come in 2 days. I buy Cherokee or Landau and they cost about 12 to 25 dollars per unit.

I work on a unit where I have to do a lot of blood sugars and insulin AC and HS. I also do about 15 to 20 BP's for Medicare patients, for parameters, and those receiving certain treatments and it's usually by myself. 80 seems quite excessive. I do the vitals which takes about 45 minutes and then start doing the Accuchecks. The cuffs and sphygs supplied on the unit are quite crappy, so I bought a set of cuffs with a quality sphyg and it shaves a little time off. The valves don't stick, the cuffs fit better and are easier to put on and take off, and the palm aneroid makes the task much easier. I do agree that there should be another aide assisting with vitals which will free up time for more important tasks.

This is still a field dominated by women. Well dominated is a strong word. but they do make up the majority. At the 150 bed facility I work at now, I am one of two male nurses. There is also a male CNA. In my class of 125 or so students there were 8 males including me- at least 4 were openly gay. I am heterosexual. These are just observations. When I tell people of my career or they learn, they either respect it or crack a joke, "So, your a murse!?" Most women think it's respectable. It's usually men who crack the jokes. I think many guys are "homophobes" by nature, or at least they think they have to project that image to show how manly they are. I direct response to the OP, I think in general a woman are attracted to the guy himself and probably don't have any pre-conceived notions about men in the profession. It's men who perpetuate the stereotype. However, coming off insecure or cautious about your profession would definitely not score you points. Now, I used to have a cat. When a woman would come over and see the feline I would hear things like, "You have a cat? Dude that is so gay."

I have been hired by a long term/short term rehab and hospice facility, privately owned. This is provided the background checks and references check out, which there will be no issues. Very nice place and does not resemble a state institution and is really intended to give patients the comforts of home. I was very impressed that most of the staff love it so much they have been there 30 years. I am smarter than your average bear and can tell you all about the progression of liver disease and diabetes, etc., my concern and problem has always been the application of this knowledge in a real world situation. I was wondering if someone can recommend any literature that will help prepare me for this. I have of course 6 feet of text and notes, but that is not of course concise enough or practical. There is of course an orientation and training and I will be shadowing other nursing staff, but I would like to in my mind be a bit more prepared. I am no stranger to hard work, but being more knowledgeable in this gerontological environment would make me feel a whole lot more confident. Something along the lines of "Nursing for Dummies."

This seems like sound advice. However I don't ultimately don't know where I want to be in 4 years time. I've had my feet wet in many different areas but have not had the opportunity to immerse myself in any one specialty. The diverse and numerous paths are one of the things that turned me on to the field, but it almost makes it harder. I'm more concerned with now than 4 or 5 years from now. If I'm not happy or it doesn't work out, then I should have stayed in my old profession. I suppose the most important thing is to get some inertia going with some applications out there and see what happens.

I have had my RN license for about 4 years and have not been proactive about finding a new job; I have yet to be employed as an RN. I very much liked my previous career in veterinary medicine of 20 years and at the same time was/am very reluctant to start over in something for which I have little practical experience. This has been a source of great anxiety for me. I am mentally and physically ready now for an RN job but in truth don't know where to start. I am fortunate to live in an area where just about every place that employs an RN is understaffed and most are willing to train new nurses. I have interests in hospice, rehabilitation, orthopedics, and imaging to name a few. I also love pharmacology and anything requiring technical skill. I don't particularly like the idea of working in a position with huge turnover of intakes and discharges such as the ED. I went to school in a large city and dislike nursing in he urban environment. This was overwhelming for me and probably contributes to my anxiety in a hospital environment. I would like to work where relationships form with the patients and a little rapport is built, such as in a rehab or assisted living. I realize I do not have the luxury to pick and choose in my situation. I am also very skilled at phlebotomy, infusion, IV's and very handy the lab, including using a microscope. I'm sorry for the long post. I wish it was a little more concise. Anyways, are there any recommendations as to a first job for me, taking into account my strengths and preferences as well as my current situation of a gap between liscensure and employment?

I need to update my CPR cert, which I've done 4 or 5 times. It's expired and I can't get a job without it. Infortunately I have to travel about an hour to the nearest course which is 6 weeks away. I'm considering traveling farther to NYC where I could find a course within the next week. I found an online certification which is supposedly AHA compliant- PRO-CPR.org. Does anyone know if this is really an acceptable alternative, or am I shooting myself in the foot or wasting my time?

I can relate to the OP. I have had an alcohol addiction for over a year, and a few times I went to work with alcohol on my breath. I sometimes could not make it through a day without becoming ill at 1 or 2pm. I quit my job and it's been two months and have stopped drinking on my own accord. I am looking to get a job at a local assisted care facility or as a floor nurse at a local hospital. I can relate to the OP because I have avoided seeing my friends, as most events revolve around alcohol. I hope to one day be able to enjoy 2 or 3 drinks socially, but right now it sends me right back into withdrawal. Stay strong and keep up the good work!

For those that have tried to PM me, I do not have PM privileges. You can contact me at my screename at yahoo.

Thank you for clarifying this.

Of course it makes sense to put eggs in lots of baskets, but the hospital I particularly had in mind is a few minute walk from where I want to live and they are offering a very large sign on bonus because they are so desperate for staff. Also my family knows several nurses and administrative personnel there. I know the two year gap does not look great, but I will simply be honest. I may not get the greatest job starting out, but I'll take what I can get and put in the work. I was not aware these refresher courses existed through the hospital, perhaps during orientation or pre-employment. NYC has the worst nursing job market. Lots of hospitals have closed down so there are plenty of experienced nurses looking for jobs. Plus there are so many schools here just cranking out more and more graduate nurses. Even though I went to school here I knew I didn't want to work here. In this town in Penn. the police station closes at 5pm and the cops go home. Is that rural enough? lol.

It's been a while since I have been on these forums and the website has changed. I'm not sure if I'm posting in the appropriate subcategory. Anyways... It has been more than two years since I got my RN license (Pennsylvania), but I live in New York. I knew that's where I wanted to work, but I have not pulled the trigger, being reluctant to leave my career and move and begin a new one. I am mentally and physically just about ready to make the move to suburban, well almost rural Penn., however I feel as if I have forgotten more than I remember. I have thousands of pages of notes and dozens of books, but it's too much to review. I plan on working at the local Memorial hospital, although am unsure what I am going to apply for. I need to do some review and I need a concise source like a "Nursing for Dummies," lol. I need to review care of diabetics, patients with COPD, ventilators, respiratory acidosis, cardiac disease, pharmacology, to name a few for example. Things that are going to be most relevant to my day to day work. Can anybody suggest a good review source, a single volume book. Maybe there are review programs? I not feel 100% confident to have a bunch of patients dumped in my lap.