SweetseRN

I would add...My STUPID chicken hez TB... Measles, SARS, Chicken pox, Herpes Zoster or shingles but only if disseminated!! And Tb. This was so helpful on NCLEX, it saved my butt!

Plan on about 3 years of full time study. Nursing generally requires more credits than other programs, my program was 72 VS about 60 something for other AS degrees. Good luck!

Love it "Be advised I will not tolerate it." Perfectly stated and added to my personal defense orificenal. :redbeathe

Yup, but I think the handwritten note or card would be a nice touch especially if you can manage to get in into her personal mailbox. So glad that more people are realizing the importance of the thank you note!

I would rather they ask and open the door for someone to talk about it who otherwise might just avoid the topic. Maybe could have been asked with a bit more tact but I think it was a valid question. I would be a bit thrown off by it too, don't get me wrong, I just think it's good that they are asking the tough questions.

Love this!

Oh it's so hard to be new sometimes! Stuff happens. You and your job will be fine. No worries.

You totally did the right thing. You were professional and didn't sacrifice safety just to try to please someone. I am proud of you for speaking up and I hope I can be more like you in the future. Good job!

This is totally real. I have seen it multiple times on news and other shows. It can not only cause fistulas but can also cause alcohol poisoning. Scary stuff but as nurses we need to be aware that people do these things.

Yay! Always makes me happy when a new nurse makes it through that dreadful exam. You earned it, congratulations!

I was unsure all through school. I am still somewhat unsure even now that I have entered the profession. There is a LOT of pain in nursing but I can't imagine doing anything else. In fact, I have done lots of other jobs but I have never felt so fulfilled, for the first time in my life I do not feel like I am selling myself short. I don't know the answer for you but it sounds like you may have some anxiety issues that need to be dealt with first. You seem to be able to express yourself very well in writing. FYI, I have been where you are. I have had to work very hard on myself and still have to every day. I have social anxiety and I tend to be very shy at times. It can be really difficult. But every time I push through the hard times I grow and the next time I am faced with a tough situation it gets easier. I think that the anxiety you describe will be a hurdle for you to face regardless of the profession you ultimately choose. I have felt all of the things you describe but I still found my way through school and into a career. Maybe you need to take a temporary break and figure yourself out for a bit. It's not really a decision of to be a nurse or not, but more a decision to work on yourself...or not...Hope that makes sense. Good luck!

Osteoarthritis is also known as DJD...Degenerative Joint Disease. That should lead you in the right direction. :)

I used NCSBN and found a lot of the questions and information to be outdated and I found it didn't do much to get me thinking the way you need to for NCLEX. I quickly realized this and started using Kaplan Q bank. Spring for Kaplan if you haven't tried it already. Do everything they ask you to do and your odds of passing will sky rocket. Good LUCK!!!

How about 2 courses and a part time hospital job? That is what I would have done while waiting if I could go back. Any job will help you get a feel for the profession, meet lots of interesting people, get your foot in the door and expose you to real life. You will have a huge leg up and feel more comfortable in the healthcare setting once it becomes time to start clinicals. Just a thought. :)

Whoa, thank goodness once again for AN, so glad I spend so much time on here. Once again some very valuable info. So glad this question was asked and answered correctly!

I really appreciate all of the kind words, links and information provided. This patient is one sick puppy. She has all of the comorbidities you might imagine and then some, CHF, uncontrolled diabetes, bilateral pleural effusions, possible PE. She did have hemo the following day and a thoracentesis just the other day that pulled off a massive amount of fluid. She is elderly (although not THAT elderly) and she seems to be close to the end at this point. Thank you to everyone who was interested and shared posts with me. I am always grateful for the information I receive here!

After 3 I am worthless...I will not EVER do more than 3 in a row, period unless it was the worst disaster emergency situation ever. I think it is unsafe for most people (some can handle it just fine, I know) to work like that. Just my $0.2.

That is why this is still bothering me. I am a new nurse. The patient was in end stage chronic renal failure. The charge nurse literally told me this was not possible and that I must have neglected to actually push the lasix. (hello! I may be new but I am not incompetent!)The foley was ordered when I called the doc after 3 hours of no output and no urge to urinate, so yes it was brand new and patent. Still, NO urine. (again, I the new nurse, could not possibly have placed the foley correctly)...The CT showed no obstruction and a dry bladder. Again what bothers me is that we had her for a week. My shift couldn't possibly have been the first time ever that she was anuric. Her B/P was very low (70's on low 40's) but again I was told that this is normal for this patient and not the cause of the anuria. Very frustrating to be a new nurse sometimes.

I always liked to study on my own but I found that I could learn a lot from a good study group. Only study with those who are serious. Someone needs to be a leader and keep everyone on track. But for me even the best groups were only a supplement to my own private studies. I will say there were times that I learned things that I would have missed without group study.

Right now my report is kinda all over the place. I hit as much important info as I can but its not in any really organized format, it's basically just my assessment and notes from the day. It's really an organization thing that I need to get used to following.

We have SBAR and no one uses it unless we get a pt from another floor or when they come back from a major procedure. The way it's set up wouldn't really work for report. I do like what you said here though, "You cater to preferences as a courtesy, not as an obligation." That helps.

It's funny because poop used to be my worst fear. I have found that there are much worse things than a lil poopy lol.

Anyone have some quick tips on giving a really good report? I am getting better but I still struggle a lot with this. Some nurses want every detail and some just want the basics. I would appreciate SO much if someone could give me some examples or some kind of format to follow.

The pt had been in the hospital for a week before I had her as a patient. Now I wonder how long this had gone unnoticed. My charge nurse literally thought I was crazy when I told her I was getting no output. I called the doc and got an order for a foley and when I placed it I got less than 1 mL out. Bladder scanner was totally erratic, showing anywhere between 200 to 400 mL's in the bladder. Everyone was sure I had misplaced the catheter. (When they realized it was in the right spot they advanced it all the way to the bifurcation! The poor patient!!!) Very upsetting. I called the doc and he ordered an pelvic CT. Sure enough, bladder was totally dry. The scanner was picking up the anasarca in her abdomen.

The outer gel cap dissolves almost immediately when it hits the stomach. I can't possibly see any problem as long as you do not crush the beads. If I am wrong, please correct me.