Heidi the nurse BSN, RN

Heidi the nurse is a BSN, RN and specializes in School Nurse.

Heidi the nurse's Latest Activity

1. 

   Anyone receive the HRSA Nurse Loan Forgiveness Scholarship???

   Heidi the nurse replied to wife&mommyRN's topic in Nursing

   I believe I read on the website that the scholarship has been suspended. The loan forgiveness program continues (after you have gotten the degree), but it being a government program has me really uncertain if I will go ahead and get my ARNP or go into something else.
2. 

   BSN to DNP

   Heidi the nurse replied to Heidi the nurse's topic in NP Students

   Anyone know - since you don't technically earn the masters until the end, does that mean you can't practice as an ARNP until the end also?
3. 

   Last week

   Heidi the nurse replied to BunnyBunnyBSNRN's topic in School

   Oh how cool. My sister was born in Germany when my dad was stationed at Ramstein AFB many years ago, and a good friend of mine just moved (with her new hubby who is in the military) to Germany. Thanks to you and your husband for your service.
4. 

   Kids these days!!

   Heidi the nurse replied to Flare's topic in School

   Or Justin Beiber to play the prom :)
5. 

   Don't need a brain to be a School Nurse?

   Heidi the nurse replied to ahintonRN's topic in School

   Old women with school aged kids? I resemble that remark :) All of the things your friends and family mention are false. Although we do seem, at least in my district, to all be over 40. I completely agree with the above posters. I have had to deal with so many rare and not so rare medical conditions that I don't think anyone would be bored or loose their skills. The only thing we don''t have now are ventilators, but I have had a student with a trach in the past couple years. I have children with diabetes, seizures, severe asthma and allergies - I am responsible for the care and safety of these children when they are at school. Not to mention the ones with CP, CF, autism, hearing or visual impairments, cardiac conditions, Down Syndrome etc etc etc. If you encounter it in the "real" medical community, you will encounter it in the schools. I personally don't run the health room at my schools, so don't pass out bandaids or pills, but I can tell you there is way more to school nursing than those things.
6. 

   Cough drops in school?

   Heidi the nurse replied to lissaq10's topic in School

   I think that sometimes too - especially after having to explain to a parent why they need an order from the doctor for chap stick. And knowing the eye rolling occurring in the doctor's office. I understand the need for it, but sometimes I think its pretty silly. Especially when I almost sent my 3rd grader off to school with a tube of chapstick, then had to explain to her that she would have to wait to use it until she got home from school because I'm not going to go to the doctor for that.
7. 

   WOW! The public really doesn't like us, huh?

   Heidi the nurse replied to Mrs. SnowStormRN's topic in Nursing

   Another problem you will find (or at least I have noticed while reading comments on local newspaper blogs) is the trolls really seem to come out with some subjects. They may no nothing about the subject, but they have to say something. I tend to believe all the polls saying nurses are the most trusted profession.
8. 

   Does nursing school teach you anything?

   Heidi the nurse replied to snickerdoodle17_1's topic in Nursing

   I attended nursing school pre-power point, but do remember some of the lectures being snoozers. But on the other hand, wait until clinicals :) Hopefully you also have a "lab" (don't remember exactly what they called in at my school) where you will learn to do all those things we take for granted like the aforementioned handwashing. I remember we used to get a packet or two of "tasks" that we needed to have done by X date or clinical. Two weeks is kind of a short time to judge the quality of your program. Hopefully you will find you are getting into more challenging subjects soon. (Add-thought I read that you were in your second week, but now don't see the quote - sorry if that is the wrong info. Still think you should give it at least until your first clinicals - thats where I learned the most)
9. 

   The Top Three AN Red Herrings

   Heidi the nurse replied to Anna Flaxis's topic in Nursing

   Don't have time to go through all the posts, but so agree. 1) Compassion - unfortunately the other side of that is compassion fatigue. I will always remember the discussions we had in nursing school about compassion and empathy, and how to avoid burnout. 2) My favorite one :) Thank you thank you thank you! That's why the call for "evidence based practice" is such a hot topic in the most fields. I belong to several different boards for the animals I keep, my job, and other interest, and every one of them will say "my child did this" or "my dog did this" but yet if you look at the research you find a different story. Give me evidence based any day:coollook: 3) I am not a man, but most certainly can take care of them.
10. 

    Most embarrassing mistake you've ever made

    Heidi the nurse replied to sunnycalifRN's topic in Nursing

    I guess this is the most embarrassing thing I didn't do in nursing :) While going to nursing school, I worked at an emergency vet clinic, so I knew how to read an X-ray. Our first nursing school rotation was through surgery, and our first surgery was a hip replacement. I kept looking at the x-ray, and thinking that's the wrong hip. But I was just a little peon nursing student and didn't speak up - sure enough, it was the wrong hip. I felt terrible that I didn't have the guts to speak up and risk being embarrassed by the surgical team.
11. 

    help with allergy testing

    Heidi the nurse replied to runner502's topic in Nursing

    I would ask your colleagues to watch you do an ID on a child and see if they have any ideas. Are you going to deep, not deep enough etc. That would be hard to assess unless in person.
12. 

    What do you do about MA, GNA, etc calling themselves nurses?

    Heidi the nurse replied to flymomrn's topic in Safety

    Yep. I work in the school system and work with an LPN and 2 non-licensed health clerks. The health clerks are very careful to make sure parents don't mistakenly believe they are nurses - they certainly don't want anyone believing they are the nurse. Despite their best effort more than a few parents still come in the office and say "You're a nurse, right? Johnnie can't ..." The funniest thing is that the staff at the school with the LPN have always called her "Doc". Does it bother me. Not in the least. Does she think she's a doctor? Hardly. There are so many more things in nursing that need addressing, IMO.
13. 

    What do you do about MA, GNA, etc calling themselves nurses?

    Heidi the nurse replied to flymomrn's topic in Safety

    I went in to see my PA last week for a check on my BP meds. He wanted to tweak things a bit, and told me to come in once a week to have it checked - "You don't need to see me, just have a nurse check it" I know darn good and well that those wonderful ladies are MAs but could really care less. No doubt many people call him Doctor so and so - its right there on my pill vial label. To me, I couldn't care less. Its their problem if they do something they shouldn't, not mine. I got over worrying what other people do or call themselves a long time ago :)
14. 

    Am I a victim of discrimination or being too sensitive?

    Heidi the nurse replied to TheFloorisCold's topic in Nursing

    I vote for discrimination. If someone said "Those women sure talk loud" or "those men sure talk loud" or "those blondes sure talk loud" you bet people would be up in arms. Hopefully the women with the chip on her shoulder isn't your direct supervisor, but I would talk to whomever you can. And document.
15. 

    Do RN's seem just as happy in their careers as Respiratory Therapist?

    Heidi the nurse replied to northmississippi's topic in Nursing

    I did home health care and several times over the years the children I took care of ended up in the hospital (usually in the ICU because they were on vents). The RT's seemed to love their jobs. I think the nurses did too, but maybe it was just that unit of that hospital. I would have loved to be an RT, or an X-Ray or US tech (got the feeling with my US's when I was pregnant)
16. 

    University of South Alabama DNP Fall 2011

    Heidi the nurse replied to ncole2008's topic in Post Graduate

    So whats the deal with all USA's specialties? If I want to work in a family practice clinic would I want to take the Advanced Emergency dual track? I don't want to work in an ER :) so am a bit confused - I want to be able to work with all ages so don't want Acute or Primary Adult. Add: Sorry forgot to put more info - I have my BSN, and am going to be applying to several online programs over the long weekend. I really want to start sooner than later so am looking into a BSN to DPN in addition to the MSN.