ReannaRN

Thanks for the reply. I already know that low PT/INR would mean they are less anticoagulated (risk for clot) and high PT/INR would mean more anticoagulated (risk for bleed). I get all that. I guess I'm just confused as to wrapping my head around what INR actually measures or is a measure of. Where PT is prothrombin time which is the time it takes for blood to clot, if INR measures the ratio of PT to a normalized PT then is it just a confirmation of PT? Why have both? Further, if your INR is out of range ( >3.5) then what does that mean? Pt bleeding out or test is invalid? I know this may be too in depth but for some reason this has really bothered me. I just want a down and dirty differentiation between PT and INR in relation to holding Coumadin and nursing interventions.

Hi, I just had a quick lab value question that has been bothering me! In regards to PT/INR, what exactly does INR indicate? Also, what nursing considerations are important regarding a high or low INR value? I know that it represents a standardized value (International Normalized Ratio), it pertains to someone who is anticoagulated on Coumadin, and that value is somewhere in the range of 2-4. Thanks!

Hello All, To begin, let me just say to all of you out there discouraged by not finding a job immediately...it will happen if you perservere! Almost a year after graduation and I finally landed my dream job! Now the hard part begins. I'm very excited, anxious, relieved, emotions, emotions...but most of all just happy to finally be part of something I've been working so hard for. There is a lot I have yet to learn but my plan of action is to just practice what I know and safely build from there. I have no problem admitting where I have lack of knowledge and making the time to find out what I need to know to get the job done. I garauntee that this will be hard to make time for but I know that I'm new and no one becomes a skilled and successful nurse by faking it til they make it. On that note...I really struggle with medication identification and knowledge base and this is such an important part of nursing and not one you want to make a mistake with. Of course I'll look up drugs I don't know as I go and make sure I use 5 Rights and know why the patient is getting each one. But, my question to all of you seasoned nurses out there or maybe students with some fresh know how...IS THERE A QUICK AND DIRTY resource or sum up or any sort of reference out there that I can use as an additional item to help me learn this vast amount of meds I'm responsible for knowing?!?!?! I'm looking for basic drug categories with the most common examples, most common side effect(s), potential complication and most impt nursing consideration(s). Even in school I had a very hard time with this aspect of nursing. Please email me also if you have any resources you would like to share! Thanks for reading & all of you out there still looking please don't give up hope. Health care needs you and you deserve it! ~Tinsa

Thank you for the advice. I prepared all night and I believe after another day of preparation I will be far more ready than I felt yesterday! To answer your last question, the state board can hold your license as pending for as long as they need to say if you have a misdemeanor or whatever until they determine that you are safe to practice. Mine was from something that happened 10yrs ago, which seems extreme, but I suppose it is good to know that they take every precaution.

Thank you for the encouragement. That's pretty much what I plan on doing! If it's meant to be i'll get it.

I've had a rollercoaster of a ride to get to the point I'm at now. I graduated nursing school in May 2010, passed boards at the end of the summer and just now have my first interview this week. Due to a mistake in my past the state board withheld my license until about a month ago when they finally gave me the ok and I recieved my actual license! I am having extreme amounts of anxiety in that I fear I wont be a competent nurse due to the extreme time gap. I know that if I go into this interview as a bundle of nerves I will sabotage what can ultimately be a great opportunity. So my questions are: Is it really possible to pick up where you left off and move into a new career successfully after such a long time gap? How should I address a board suspension during an interview? How do I answer a "remember a time when you handled a difficult patient" sort of question when most of those clinical experiences are fading away from my memory? Am I at a point where I've become unmarketable? I'd appreciate ANY feedback that you all have