Bekahlynn

Bekahlynn's Latest Activity

1. 

   ? re: starting as a new nurse/$/training etc

   Bekahlynn replied to MIA-RN1's topic in Nursing

   i have a friend who works at a children's hospital, they rotate days and nights, with self-scheduling. she loves it. those shift diffs seem low to me. where i work, night shift diff is over $4 an hour, with 20% of your base for weekends. do what you need to do, and best wishes to you.
2. 

   What was the amount of your 1st paycheck as a nurse?

   Bekahlynn replied to brina's topic in First Year

   just graduated in may, my check last week was a little over $1400 after taxes and insurance. thats for two weeks. it makes me happy
3. 

   Is it a Low Salary? But rewarding?

   Bekahlynn replied to MarAshJoe's topic in General Students

   as a brand new grad in the midwest, I will make over 45K my first year. I am thrilled. I am 24, and that is more than enough money for me. Don't let this women bring you down. Best wishes to you!!!
4. 

   CVVH and the 1:1 assignment

   Bekahlynn replied to SnowymtnRN's topic in MICU

   always 1:1 for us as well. calculating the I/O's, readjusting the machine, (and trying to keep it running), changing the dialysate and replacement fluid bags, checking coags q2 and adjusting the citrate as needed, and doing everything else that is involved, how could it not be?
5. 

   End of Life

   Bekahlynn replied to WakingLife's topic in MICU

   Our end of life protocol consists of orders for MS and ativan IVP PRN and MS and ativan gtts if needed, and Robinul for secretion management. Our food services provide a cart with cookies, tea and coffee for the family. We have nice handouts that were developed by our unit's care committee that explain to the family what the might expect such as skin discoloration, etc, and why we do some of the things we do, such as continuing to turn the patient q 2 hours, performing oral care, etc. Some go quickly on our unit, some do not and go to the small hospice unit within our hospital. The families are the hardest for me. With some families, Nothing that I can say or do will be of any comfort to them, and that bothers me. I am a new nurse, and thankfully not had to deal with too much.
6. 

   Anyone?

   Bekahlynn replied to montinurse's topic in Indiana

   I am a brand new RN, graduated in may, passed NCLEX in june. I work in Indy, live pretty much right on the Marion county/Shelby county line. Graduated with my BSN from IUSON at Indianapolis. Good luck to all the nursing students. GRRR the Colts lost to Denver tonight. Peyton didn't play much, though. Who else is ready for Fall to be here? I know I am. I want to go to the Covered bridge festival, I want to go to Nashville/Brown County. Have a great night all.
7. 

   If you could no longer be a nurse?...

   Bekahlynn replied to NurCrystal22's topic in Nursing

   President? :rotfl: just kidding. I too would love to go to culinary school and be a chef. Maybe a teacher (my older brother is one, and my little brother who just started college wants to be one).
8. 

   Your Favorite???

   Bekahlynn replied to VickyRN's topic in North Carolina

   Not from NC, but I have vacationed there 4 times, and my parents go every year, sometimes 2x a year. They/I have always stayed in Carolina/Kure Beach or the outer banks. I love the state. Mountains, forests, beaches, all within a few hours drive of one another. Love Kure beach, more quiet, not as many people as the outer banks. My parents are actually looking to retire there. A few years ago, they were trying to convince me, saying I could attend nursing school in Wilmington. I can't wait to hear what others say, so I can make sure to visit on my next trip.
9. 

   From a Graduate RN to CNA/UAP

   Bekahlynn replied to mye614's topic in NCLEX

   At my hospital, they used to do the same thing, make GN's work as techs if they didn't pass the NCLEX on their first attempt. But now they are saying that one is still a GN, and needs to learn the nursing role. The hospital even pays for a remediation class such as Kaplan. If one doesn't pass on the second attempt, the hospital believes that these are not the nurses they want working for them, and are basically fired.
10. 

    What's you're favorite skill?

    Bekahlynn replied to jenrninmi's topic in First Year

    :chuckle
11. 

    What's you're favorite skill?

    Bekahlynn replied to jenrninmi's topic in First Year

    ME TOO!! I was so pumped the other day to get one on a lady whose pressure was 70. (She was on levophed, and the drip rate kept going up,up,up) Weak, barely there radial pulse, and I did it (BTW, the lady was extubated, BP stabalized, transferred off the unit:) )
12. 

    What's you're favorite skill?

    Bekahlynn replied to jenrninmi's topic in First Year

    silly, but central line dressing changes. I love to see a spotless central line site, with a perfectly applied dressing with no wrinkles.
13. 

    I have learned so much. LOVING IT!!

    Bekahlynn posted a topic in First Year

    I am 11 weeks in to my orientation, with 4 to go. I go to nights, the shift I will be working, next week. I cannot believe how much I have learned in the last three months. Feels like more than what I learned in four years of nursing school combined. Yesterday, one of my patients was on nimbex, ativan and morphine drips, with BIS and train of four monitoring. It was a first for me. GREAT learning experience. Last week I took care of a CVVH patient, which is one to one, and loved it. I have two preceptors, and they are phenomenal. I could not have asked for better. They have made me think critically, and are wonderful support on days when I just felt stupid. How is orientation going for everyone else? I hope everyone else is having an orientation as great as mine. :)
14. 

    And the Classes Continue.

    Bekahlynn replied to helpinghands's topic in First Year

    aside from the general charting/IV, etc classes during general RN orientation, I had to take a 2 day ortho/neuro class, a 3 day arrhythmia interpretation class (lead II), a 2 day respiratory class, a 2 day metabolic class, and a 3 day cardiac class. Each day was 8 hours. I still have to take ACLS sometime within the next year. But its better than school, because I am getting paid. I think that mine have been very beneficial, they seem so much more pertinent now that I am really a nurse.
15. 

    Why don't nursing schools offer ICU electives?

    Bekahlynn replied to Roland's topic in MICU

    At my school, we also had to take a multi-systems failure class our senior year. the clinical time was ICU and ER. They also offer an elective OR class with clinical time and an elective NICU class, without clinical time. If one was going to do capstone in the OR or NICU, these classes were mandatory.
16. 

    Looking for tips on landing an ICU job.

    Bekahlynn replied to Roland's topic in MICU

    Roland, if I remember from a previous post, you live in Indy. I just graduated a couple of months ago, and just took the NCLEX three weeks ago. I was hired and am now working in an ICU. I worked on this same unit for a year as a SNE. However, the hospital is not a trauma center. I will be on nights when I am done with orientation. Another hospital within our system hired several new graduates for ICU and PCU positions. They are out there, you just have to look outside of the downtown area. Best wishes.