runnergirl86

Providence was by urine drug screens in 2009. They also did random urine drug screenings.

I am currently a Navy Nurse stationed at a Navy Hospital on a Marine Corps Base. I was a direct accession and had been working as a RN for 3 years prior to the Navy. I have been in the Navy for 4.5 years. I've worked on an in-patient surgical ward where I cared for wounded warriors (poly trauma, multiple amputations), then at an out-patient clinic where I care for active duty sailors, dependents, and retirees. I will head overseas next year and bloom where the Navy plants me. There are a lot of different ways a Navy nurse can be utilized. One thing you may be interested in is the BISOG (Blue in Support of Green) plan that is coming through. Basically the Marine Corps has purchased Navy Nurse billets for different Marine Corps operational duty stations. On a different note, my husband is a Navy Physician Assistant. He applied for the HPSP program with the Navy where he was paid to go to graduate school and his tuition was paid, he simply owed an obligation back to the Navy. His first duty station was overseas where he gained a foundation for the Navy and medicine. His next duty station was operational where he was the Battalion Surgeon for one of the Marine Battalions. He and a GMO (general medical officer) along with 30 corpsmen care for 1,000 Marines. He trains with them, deploys with them, everything. As you see, our paths are different but we are still able to care for our military family. I hope this helps shed some light.

Urinals. We had to give men water pitchers to pee in instead, talk about embarrassing! Plus you don't want to mix up which one you drink out of. :S

It was taught in my BSN curriculum in the first semester. Practice on the fake arms, classmates, and then in clinicals with supervision. My first job in Seattle we had phelbotomy and did start our own IVs, however I never felt that confident. In the military they set you up to work in the lab for a shift, in the GI clinic for a shift (lots of IV starts) and of course practice on each other if needed. You draw all the morning labs and I feel my confidence and accuracy have gotten much better. I remember one night shift at my last duty station we needed to get access on a combative pt whose veins were shot and the intern wanted to start an EJ. The intern himself stated he hadn't placed a PIV since practicing on a fake arm, so I rolled up my sleeve and had him practice on me. Later we got the EJ and the intern stated he was grateful I let him practice on me to show him a better technique and the mechanics of it all. I think that a lot of schools have gone away from allowing students to practice, which really is a shame. The best of luck in revamping your curriculum.

A) 100%

I think you are asking if you have an order for NS 100cc/hr AND NS+10meq Kcl at 50cc/hr to have the NS on the primary line and on a pump, then have the NS+10meq Kcl on another primary line on a pump, and connect them at the y site. Usually it is connected at the most distal y-site, closest to the patient. This is usually done in case there is a reason to stop one of the fluids for an interaction, to give an IV push medication, etc. There is not as much fluid in the line that needs to be run into the patient to return to the primary fluid (NS) as you are already at the most distal port. Also, if you need to give IV Zofran you could stop the NS+10meq Kcl, flush with NS, give Zofran, flush with NS, then turn the NS+10meq Kcl back on.

The hospital where I'm currently stationed has code Brown for inclement weather. However my last station did not have a code Brown. Needless to say the color codes aren't even uniform in the military.

Welcome home!

For the USN, USA, and USAF you can go to a course/DUINS/personal study and obtain your CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists)[COLOR=#444444] and have a new sub-specialty code in the nurse corps.

Have you never been charge nurse? At my command you can't charge until you have ACLS, and I would imagine you being in mother/baby you should have ACLS and PALS. What would you all do if someone coded? I would look what days in the next 2 months ACLS and PALS are offered and start asking your ADIVO, DIVO, or schedule officer if you can have ADMIN days to get these certifications. If they say the ward is too short staffed/not at this time, then request those days off and go on your days off. DSchulte99 is correct, you most likely aren't being taken serious with your aspirations because you haven't taken the initiative. Also, if you've been there 3 years aren't you about to PCS?

How long have you been on the ward? The Navy usually wants you to have one year on a ward before transferring you to a specialty/critical care ward. I would encourage you to sign up for classes (ACLS, PALS, TNCC) to show that you are interested and will take the initiative. You can always shadow other nurses on your days off in the ICU to get your feet wet and report back to your DIVO. I'm not sure where you are stationed but the DUINS program in run at Bethesda and there is a CDR who just left that billet and is now stationed in Lejeune. PM me if you're interested.

When I worked LTC I would work with 23 pts: 1 RN and 2-3 CNAs. In my facility only the LPNs were unionized. Although they asked us to limit our overtime, they never told us to work off the clock. In the beginning of my employment they told me they understood I would have overtime as it takes a while to get the groove and the infamous time management. However, I worked for a Catholic facility that has hospitals and LTC centers all over the West Coast, and I believe their model is much different than others. My advice would be to eat breakfast before you get to work, bring a water bottle (if you're dehydrated you won't work as efficiently), bring your own lunch, and take advice from your more senior nurses that seem to get out on time and appear HAPPY with their profession. The best of luck!

I think being a nurse and intimately working with patients in motor vehicle accidents has deterred me from speeding. I can wake up a few minutes earlier or my co-worker is able to wait 5 more minutes for me. As far as expired plates, registration, whatever, what happened to attention to detail?

I started my career in health care as a candy striper (pinafore and all!), then CNA, and now RN. Although there are certain ups and downs to this profession, I couldn't see myself anywhere else. Thank you for the lovely article.

When I worked as a CNA I had my medication administration certificate. I believe it was a 6 hour class going over the 5 rights (at least at the time, I don't know how many there are, 20? lol), how to follow a MAR, document, etc. I worked at assisted living facilities and would administer narcotic medications. We also would perform finger sticks and based on the MAR give a prefilled, properly marked insulin syringe. I know we were not authorized to administer insulin, but we could hand the insulin to the resident and they would inject themself. I think having this certificate is fairly standard in most states and I think CNAs are much needed in this sort of setting.