starae

I am very conservative and do not think this is a good practice. According to some references, NDNMBs can actually decrease LES pressure which combined with the chance of inflating the stomach is not a good combination. LMAs are not a substitute for...

I don't think the intention of anyone is to be negative, but rather to express frustrations. I do think it is important for people who may be considering this training to understand what they may be in for. I have never witnessed or experienced any p...

I am over halfway through my program and the mix of emotions has truly been a roller coaster. The first quarter I was wide-eyed and excited, ready to learn, and full of energy. After the first quarter ended, the newness wore off, and I then truly kne...

I'm sure this is an agonizing decision, and one I can certainly empathize with. When I was in my mid-twenties I left the military and was on the pre-med route. I did very well in the classes and maintained a 4.0 GPA, but found that I had to work extr...

There have been some questions about study groups and I thought I would throw in my two cents. Haven't been around lately because school is kicking my butt! Study groups can either be a big help or hold you back. I have a unique and solo way of learn...

Average clinical day 0415 - wake up cranky, hit snooze a couple times and stare at the TV news people because it's nice to know I'm not the only one up this early 0500 - head to hospital (and I'm one of the later ones, many classmates already there) ...

I can not say that I have had the thoughts of quitting.......yet. I'm too stubborn for that! However these thoughts cross my mind several times a week: Why am I doing this to myself? Am I really going to be able to pass all these tests I have in the...

Are you able to take any of your non-anesthesia classes in advance? I wish I would have had the time to take some of the core grad. nursing classes before starting. It is difficult to divide my time and give the other classes the attention and prioit...

I asked several programs if I could apply before BSN fininshed (RN-BSN), and all of them told me it would not be a problem. At the time of my interview I had 8 months left of the BSN program and did get accepted. Ask the schools you are interested in...

I used Kaplan and Princeton Review. Found that they presented things a little differently and that helped me really absorb the information. Also used number2.com (less helpful, but free) and the ETS program (great information and hard questions). Goo...

I learned this skill in the assessment class of both my programs (ADN and BSN) and was actually tested on it in both. Didn't really understand what good it was since the person making a diagnosis would also have to look, but I guess we could at least...

Hello. I work in a large PACU and I think we have a pretty good system. When people come in to work in the morning, their spots are added to a running list. Usually they will put one spot at the top and the other at the bottom to help eliminate getti...

I like this answer, but I would be worried that the student would be so nervous by the end of the "quiz" that their hands would be shaking and they would fumble with the procedure! :roll I have been really good about students (nursing and MD) learni...

You sound so much like me that I could have written this exact post a couple of years ago. It started in nursing school when I also worked as a tech, and the feeling did not go away as a new nurse. I jumped straight into critical care out of school a...

There are so many things wrong with the clinical situation you described that I would have been very angry with the nurse. There was a combination of things going on here that the nurse did not recognize. This sound like one of those "What's wrong w...

I agree that the standards need to be addressed for those of you who work one nurse in PACU. Our rules are if there is a patient in the unit, there must be 2 RNs. We are expected to discharge patients if our admission/discharge area is closed. Som...

With some schools is does matter where the degree came from. There are some schools that want a BSN from a NLN accredited program. Look into the CRNA programs you think you might want to apply to and go by their requirements. There are online BSN ...

It's exciting and terrifying to hear about those of you who are moving from out of state. I live in the area, and fortunately do not have that added stress. Just curious, where are you coming from? What made you choose UC? For me it was the loc...

Sometimes laying on the left side with the feet slightly higher than the head will help. This gas can be very painful for post-op people and it just needs time to reabsorb.

I too got that wonderful e-mail message. I did not think the interview went well, so I'm a little shocked. I agree, the information gained here is very helpful.

As a PACU nurse I must first say I'm sorry that sometimes this happens to you. Unfortunately, there are times when it can not be avoided. Our PACU usually gets slammed throughout the afternoon and it seems the patients are often ready to go around ...

Hospitals vary a great deal in what they will offer so look around. My hospital gives up to 7500 a year in tuition payment plus books. The tuition is paid directly to the school so I do not wait for a check. I purchase the books then turn in the p...

Oprah doing a show on the nursing shortage and the relationship to mortality and morbidity does have potential. I don't regularly watch her show, but have seen many shows over the years where she exposes some major problem. However, my concern is s...

YIKES!!!!! I agree with the other posters who believe you did not do anything wrong. You took a horrible assignment and did the best you could. It's sad that your charge nurse was not there for you. When I realized all that was wrong, I would have pu...