Sippy

Our hospital became a smoke-free campus two years ago. The signs definately do not impress our patients or their visitors. It's not uncommon to see a mother who's recently delivered, standing right outside the door in her gown having a butt. Even worse, we have CNA's who take frequent butt breaks out in their car, come back in reeking of smoke and take care of sick people AND NEWBORNS! I don't think people should be allowed to smoke during duty hours period and I don't know why management doesn't do something to enforce their own policy. Before I get flamed, know that I smoked for 30 years, still want one every second of every day (but I'm glad I quit). I cannot imagine being sick and having to smell that nastiness, or picking up my baby and smelling it on him/her, so I never smoked while at work. That's just consideration. Sippy

I loved the CNA job. I didn't love the low pay ($7/hr to work your tail off) or the indignities suffered by CNA's. You all know the egotistical nurse who will call you from the other end of the floor while you are in the middle of an enema, just to get a washrag for the client whose room she is walking out of. I loved being a CNA enough to go on to nursing school and promise I will respect and appreciate the CNA's for the hard work they do. Sippy

Please do not think that all EMT's are idiots. Most have a wonderful bedside manner, great assessment skills and common sense. You will occasionally find the ego that can't get over themselves long enough to put the patient first, but it's been my experience you can find them on both sides of the fence. I would not waste my breath talking to someone so full of themselves. She has a director within the service. I would call that person and let them know how she is representing them. If she treated your patient wrecklessly in a controlled setting, imagine how she could jeopordize the safety of a patient in a true life or death emergency. If you don't feel any satisfaction with the way her director handles it, google your state board of EMS. You can call them directly. There are small towns all across America who rely on EMT's as their only means of life support. Please be cautious when you tell people EMT's know nothing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sippy

Per Saunders NCLEX prep Dawn Phenomenon results from reduced tissue sensitivity to insulin that develops between 5 and 8 am (dawn). Prebreakfast hyperglycemia occurs. So you'll wake up hyper at dawn. Tx: Administer an evening dose of intermediate-acting insulin at 10 pm. Somogyi's phenomenon hypoglycemia occurs at 2 to 3 am. By 7 am the blood glucose rebounds significantly to the hyperglycemic range. I remember this with (I have a brother named Yogi who's a musician), the club closes at 2-3 in the morning, Yogi is low so off to breakfast he goes. Tx: Decrease the evening (predinner or bedtime) dose of intermediate-acting insulin or increase the bedtime snack. Hope that helps Sippy

I am an EMT (5 years) in a rural area. We are the only medics for a county of 15,000, so yes we are very hands on. I have to say the EMT experience benefited me greatly for the LPN program. Likewise, nursing school has made me a better EMT. However, while I was in EMT school, two LPN's quit that program because it was too hard for them. This is not a course you can just attend and pass. Just like nursing school, it is a very intense program. You have to study study study. I would not take this course if I had any other classes at the same time. Because the pay IS crap, rural services are usually short handed. Who wants to pay that much money and that much time for so little pay. Every call is a learning experience for you (running a code, handling the ETOH, the scared child, etc.) you go home and analyze what you just did, learn from that the good and the bad. You are also providing your community with a much needed service. That's rewarding I think! Sippy

Good Morning Future Nurses :flowersfo, Graduated from LPN program Dec 07. Applied to NCLEX and our state board one month ago. I have heard back from NCLEX, but nothing from state. Can anyone give me an idea of how long it takes for them to give you a test date? It makes me worry that I've done something wrong on the application. I have been working on Suzanne's first tip and hope to test in March. Feel like I've forgotten more than I learned in the month since graduation. So glad to have found this thread, need to stay motivated and get serious about studying. Ya'll have a great day, Sippy

I have the Littman Master Classic II. I chose a stethescope without the ped bell because when you work on an ambulance, it's hard enough to hear. Without the bell, you have less outside noise. You can still use it for peds, just using different pressures on the head. I absolutely love mine. You can lay it on someone, not even touch it and hear so clear. My husband is hard of hearing and got an electronic Cardiology Littman, OMG you'd wet your pants. Definately don't ever let it out of your sight! Sippy

Hi Anna, I just got my Littman Master Classic II and it is incredible. You just barely touch the skin and can hear loud and clear. I am absolutely in love with it. A classmate has the Littman Classic II and it is impressive as well. If you have time to shop around, you can find them on ebay at great prices. My husband is hard of hearing, so he bought an electronic stethoscope off ebay at a much better price than if he'd bought it out right. Sippy

Prepare yourself for the interview. I had no hospital experience prior, but I gave them all the right answers and they hired me. If they are impressed with you and think you are worth investing in, they aren't going to care about that one year experience. They asked me things like, in one word how would people describe you, my answer was 'energetic'. They asked what is a negative attribute. I told them, when I have a task with a deadline to do, I can be obsessive until that task is completed. Tell them you are a freak about punctuality, if your on time, your late. SELL YOURSELF! I was uncomfortable about talking so highly about myself and even said so. They'll want to know how every job you've ever had has prepared you for nursing. Try to find a postive way to connect these things. Let them know you are a 'team player'. Do you have children? I believe mothering should be counted as nursing experience. Be confident and calm. Nursing is about keeping your head in crisis, you don't want them to see you sweat. Getting my foot in the door at the hospital was the best thing I ever did to prepare for nursing school (which I just started in Jan.). I worked there 6 mos prior to starting school. They have even offered to pay my tuition if I'll promise them 2 years service. That means they want to hire me as a nurse when I graduate! I didn't take that commitment, but it's nice to know I have that option. Good luck and let us know if you get it. Sippy

I see your in Nebraska. I took the CNA course at SCC 2 years ago and have finally started the LPN program there. Where are you going? Our CNA course was easy. You spend a day learning to wash your hands, then the next day you test on it. Spend a day learning how to make a bed, the next day you test on it. Relax, there's nothing to it. Just get through it so you can get on with doing it in the real world, which is not anywhere near as easy :) I love CNA work, you learn soo much, it is satisfying work and it's ever changing. It is hard work though. All it really is, is mothering. Sippy

I decided to work as a CNA in acute care for 6 mos prior to starting Nursing school and I am so grateful I did it. I just completed my first quarter of the Nursing program and having a little bit of medical background (I'm also an EMT) really helped me. You pick up alot, such as medical terms, signs/symptoms, knowing the roles of PT, OT and RT. Just stuff you wouldn't know otherwise. I also believe it will make me a better nurse since, I have actually learned the best way to move, bathe, feed, toilet a patient. Absolutely nothing grosses me out, I can do anything! I also know how as a CNA I have been treated by nurses, so I know how I will treat CNA's (who work their a$$es off) when I am a nurse. Do it! You won't regret it. I feel sorry for the girls in my class who have absolutely no clue of what it's like in the real world. Not to mention, some facilities (if you prove to be a keeper) will offer to pay your tuition. You have to promise them something in return, but...... Might be worth looking into. Sippy

I love online classes. Since I live in a rural area and work full-time w/3 kids, it gave me the oppourtunity to knock some of those pre-req's out of the way at my own pace. I have taken Eng Comp, Nutrition, Human Growth and Development and Agebra and gotten a 4.0 in each of these. There is a rhythm to every class. You have a calendar and usually it's the same thing every week. You have one or two chapters to read. There will be a discussion topic or questions to be answered in the discussion area that have to be posted by, say Thursday and you have to respond to other peoples posts there for a participation grade. There will usually be a short quiz that will be due by maybe Friday. The exams may be over each chapter or 2-3 chapters put together. Online classes don't get so much in the way of life. You can put your kids to bed at night and then sit down to do your work. You can get up early in the morning and get it done. And lets not forget, everything is pretty much open book. Just stay on top of that calander. I just completed my first quarter of Nursing School and I took the Human Growth and development online, in addition to my Nursing classes at the college. Worked out really nice. The online classes were even cheaper for me, than the classes I attended. Figure that one out. I really encourage you to do it. Sippy

Good Morning All.... I'm new to this website and I have to say I love it!! What a fantastic support group. I'm a 43 year old SAHM with 3 children. Spent 10 years in the military and seperated to take care of kids. Last one starting school so, it's finally mom's turn too. I took classes last year and started part-time as an EMT weekends. It's a job I could do everyday and never tire of. So it's led me of course to nursing. I've enrolled in the ADN program here (rural area, community college) and I'm pretty nervous. It is my first college experience. I'm starting light Anatomy and English Comp. I'm hoping to finish the ADN next spring (if all goes according to plan) Probably an on-line course since we're miles away from anything to finish the RN. I'm so happy to have found ya'll... Hopefully we can lead each other in the right direction. I know I'll need the help.... :balloons: Sippy

I stumbled on this website thru google and I have to say it has really encouraged me. Like so many others here I'm 43 years old and starting a new life. Youngest child started school half days this year, full-time next year. My ultimate goal is to become an RN. I had really been wrestling with my age and starting over at this point. I am so glad I stumbled on this site. I definately feel more confident now. I am in a rural area but, we do have some community college classes available here. I visited the CC and came away with a list of classes to complete an Associates in Science. So I enrolled in Anatomy this semester. Then...... I called the nearest school with a nursing program, hoping I could attend full time next year while the kids are in school. She gave me a list of 4 classes that are pre-reqs for an LPN. So now I'm confused...... What is the Associates in Science for??? Is this what I need to get to the RN? When I complete the Associates, what would the next step be for the RN? What could I possibly do with just an Associates? It's going to take me 2-3 years to get that, do I progress on to the RN from there? How much longer after would it take to complete the RN? Or.... It would take me this year (to get the pre-reqs) and next year to complete the LPN. If I went the LPN route, I can honestly say I would probably never continue on from there to RN. I need to commit one way or the other. I would really appreciate someone pointing me in the right direction. I'm excited and ready to get to work on it, just need to know where I'm going with this...... Thanks for any help, Sippy