BobcatRN

I just took a position as an applications coordinator for epic implementation at a different hospital system than the one I currently work for. This new job is sending me for epic certification as part of my training, and from what I understand, once you are epic certified, your earning potential increases significantly. By taking this new job, I'm doubling my salary. (ive been an inpatient rn for 7 years) It probably will include longer hours at times, and for sure, some traveling. But it's worth it to me.

I had a family member/nurse practitioner ask me if we were going to tap her niece's 25 week gravid uterus and replace fluid because she had pneumonia and was at risk for being dehydrated. I wanted to ask her where she went to school and where she practiced so I could avoid both like the plague.

I would not suggest being a doula. Many labor nurses frown upon them because most (not all, there are some good ones) of them like to dictate the patient's care and forget that we, the nurses, are ultimately responsible for the patient. It's all about who you know these days. I got lucky when I got to go to OB because of a major hospital merge and they were hiring warm bodies. . Volunteer, make yourself known, write to the nurse mgr after your l&d rotation, and most of all, don't give up!

I don't count it as one long contraction, but q 1 min bi/triphasic pattern contraction. I don't document anything as tachysystole unless there is absolutely no rest during a 3-4 min (or longer) contraction. Who knows if that's right or not, but that's what I do and I havent been told otherwise

My sentiments exactly, lol!

We have a biphasic or triphasic option as part of our computer charting.

Our hospital requires white scrubs for all nurses, except those in surgery, labor/del, and peds. It is the worst color for nurses, which is why I'm glad I'm in one of the exempt groups. They get so dingy after a while and it just looks bad. And you can totally tell who smokes and who doesn't. Definitely not a reason to turn down a job though, but I wish a different color was associated with nursing.

I had a baby my final semester of nursing school. I almost had to sit out that last semester on bedrest, but luckily my baby decided to cooperate. He was due march 12, which was the first day of my spring break. Well, I took my advanced med/surg final on february 19, went to lunch after, and went into labor that night and had the baby the next morning, a Friday. I was back in class on Monday for my last 5 weeks and did end up graduating on time. It can be done, but not without a ton of help. My husband and family watched the baby and my 3 year old for me while I went to clinicals and class. I could not have done it without them. If you don't have help, don't do it. It's hard enough to get through school without added stress. You have to decide what is best for you and your family.

It is a little eerie...my facility does about 4000 deliveries a year. This weekend we were dead. Cancellations of staff left and right. I left 3 hours early tonight. But it is feast or famine. During the week, we certainly made up where the weekend lacked. I can see the point of "it must be the economy" and people are being more careful about expanding their families, but there's also the point of "it must be the economy" and people can't afford birth control. It can go either way, I guess.

We aren't allowed to have our phones near us. We could be reprimanded, even fired. Yet, docs are on theirs at the nurse's station (non business related) ALL THE TIME... It's a total crock because I do use mine for more than the actual phone.

I worked nights in l & d while pregnant with my last child. It was not bad at all. She was, by far, my best sleeper, lol. If it is your dream job, do it! You may not get the opportunity again and then you'll kick yourself.

Love: delivering babies, job security Hate: charting, overbearing families that don't think they apply to the visiting rules, charting, being constantly understaffed, getting no more money but more and more responsibility, charting.

I did not take any prep course, mostly because it was (in 2004) $275 and I was dirt poor by the end of nursing school. I got an NCLEX practice book and did a lot of the questions. But I have to say the key for me was the Kaplan review book. It was all about test taking strategies and how to pass. INVALUABLE. I checked it out of the library the weekend before I took the test. I wasn't as lucky as most...had 235 questions, swore I failed, etc. Passed on the first go. Oh, and several of my classmates that paid $275 for that "guaranteed pass" review class failed. Not once. Not twice. THREE times. Save your money. Get the Kaplan book. You'll still be a nurse when it's all over :)

I currently work at one of CCF's regional hospitals. I have been there since I was a new ADN grad in 2004. I started at 21.25/hour with $1 shift diff and a night shift bonus (7.5% of gross wages every 3 months). My friend, who has her BSN, made exactly the same. Seven years later, I make 26.65/hr, no more night shift bonus and really no other incentives. Experience? Yes, but as another poster said at CCF "a nurse is a nurse is a nurse."

I'm currently in the Ohio University rn to bsn program. It is definitely cost effective and MOSTLY online. The 12 classes they talk about are the core nursing classes required for graduation. You are also required to take a statistics course that requires proctored exams (but are open book, open note and calculators allowed...makes no sense), and a "junior level English" which is their Business Communication class. It also depends on what they accept in transfer credits from your ADN program if you will need to complete anything else. It's still cheaper than most rn to bsn programs and it's fairly easy to do while working, but it is time consuming. I have to take 3 additional classes so I anticipate being finished a year from now and I started in October. I would definitely recommend it. Good luck in your search!