MillieT

I thought this would be a better place to write than the student's forum since you all have been through the entire picture already. I'm almost through with my 1st yr of NP school. Have completed patho, pharm and will take assessment this summer and ...

I went to their office in person and asked to speak to the office manager. Dressed professionally. I brought a letter of introduction with me with my contact info on it, explained who I was and what I wanted to the office manager and left the letter....

Hi, when in school I would concentrate on learning the grieving process, coping mechanisms etc, I use that info a lot with my patients. Also, really know your lab values and what to expect the doctors to treat. Know how to pick up sepsis and how to t...

Well, I find that working on the floor at least, you don't see every death, and when you do the person is usually so ready to go it is almost a relief. The things that haunt me the most are the difficult, painful deaths, but they are few and far bet...

Hi, don't be scared, it is difficult, but it can be done! I'm 45 and exactly 1/2 way through with my program in Adult/Geron primary NP. I work 2 12 hr shifts per week on an extremely busy floor. Ocassionally I work 3 shifts, but have found that leav...

Congratulations!! I think the certification is only 500 hours of direct care.

Look for a school that has both. I think the adult NP scpecialty is being retired and replaced by the Adult/gerentological NP. I'm currently in the combo role in school.

I felt the same way when I took patho (different school). I pressured myself to learn as much as possible, since I'll need to know this for actual practice. I was very concerned when I realized that a lot of information seemed to be just passing thro...

I'm not to clinicals yet, but I work 2 12 hr shifts/week. 3 ocassionally. When clinicals start I'll prefer to work weekends. My manager is great with working with my schedule. I also work PRN for the increased pay. Have almost divorced a couple times...

Thanks, maybe you're right. Most of my problem comes from being a perfectionist. I would study most of the day on my off days, because I not only wanted to get good grades, but I also wanted to learn and retain as much as I could since I'd actually h...

Some more ideas..... I did peds before, much easier than the oncology med/surg floor I work on now. Ask around about other floors. 4-5pts on day shift is manageable.

Some ideas: Would it be possible to work in the education dept? Admit nurse (not sure if they have those in your area) Hospice (ministering really comes into play here) Home health Diabetes educator case manager QA Sounds like you just need to find y...

I agree with OP, Montgomery is a high crime area. Most people who work there probably live in Prattville or Millbrook. Don't know anyone who works at the hospital. Birmingham on the other hand is very nice. Great place to live. My brother worked at U...

Congrats on the weight loss, that is fabulous and will probably help you more than anything. Core exercises such as pilates are great. Strengthening the abdominal muscles will help to hold your back in the proper position. Physical therapy is reall...

Yes, medication can cure it most of the time, then there's the lovely fecal transplant I've read about a couple of times. ~millie

I'm in FNP school now. Here's my perspective. Clinical experience will help tremendously. I've done peds for 11 yrs and have taken a job on an oncology/med/surg floor to gain adult experience. I've been there a yr and have learned so much. Using the ...

I love the relationships with the patients. Since some stay for long periods of time and some come back frequently, you get to know them and their families. I like the pt teaching because it can make such a difference in their lives: Oral care, diet...

I think the point is that she's not taking a full rx to treat infection, she's just taking one or two. ~Millie

If you really want to spend some money, Margaret Fitzgerald CDs are great and can be used as review for certification. The web site says they're DVDs but they are actually audio cds. ~Millie

Patho has the reputation for being your hardest class ever. I just finished patho with an A, but studied about 4-6 hrs/day on my off days. I've never heard of anyone taking both at once. I would recommend taking them separately. To me it's really i...

Pathophysiology was my most difficult class so far, brushing up on that might be helpful. RN experience is invaluable. I would save money for Margaret Fitzgerald audio cd's and DVDs. I have hers for pharm and will hopefully be able to get the assessm...

I was pulled to our bariatric unit once. Our unit is known as a cushy, low stress job. The patients are for the most part positive and hard working. They have to do laps around the unit post op and compete with and support each other. No whiners on m...

In relation to your example, I don't think nursing education clearly addresses the proper nursing treatment for alcoholism, and I've been through both BSN and MSN. Even physicians don't properly address it based on their own personal bias and related...

Well, I would think as an "educated" nurse, you would realize the negative effects of alcoholism, which are cocommittent with heart disease, liver disease, bleeding disorders and diabetes. As an educated nurse, throwing out the alchol or not does no...