PC

Congratulations LT! Duty assignments differ from hospital to hospital depending on size and acuity - Medcens will be busier than meddac's, but remote maddacs might have pretty high acuity due to their remoteness from supporting treatment centers. Generally, you can expect to be VERY busy! My first assignment was in a hospital in Alaska where we still had open bays and 8 to 16 patients between myself and my 91 C (OK, so, I'm showing my age here!) Send a formal letter of introduction to the Deputy Commander for Nursing Services stating your interests and desires. The DCN will take that into consideration when she makes an assignment, or will work with you if you initially end up somewhere you really really DON'T want to be. (and please - be mentally prepared for deployment!)

how? nope - not unless they are obviously soiled Each provider sees over 20 patients per day We can have 4 providers in the office at one time. Lesssee 2 Bp cuffs. (generally - most patients are ave size) 80 patients cleaning between each patient hmmmmmmmm nope

1. How long have you been a nurse? 19 years 2. In what field of nursing are you working (i.e. long term care, acute care, rehab, etc.)? OB/GYN Clinic and Hospital (usually) 3. Where geographically are you located? NY presently 4. What is your level of training? Maters of Science CNM 5. Do you think nurses should return to wearing a uniform? Why or why not? The scrub HAS become our uniform. I think question is not so much a uniform, but identification. How can a patient separate the RN from, say, the housekeeper or the unit clerk or office manager. BIG name tags will do that - along with strict procedure of introduction - Hello I am your RN today and restrictions on attire - housekeeping wears housekeeping uniform, unit clerk wears appropriate business casual etc. The better hospitals do this. The worse ones won't even put last names on nametags, much less skill level. 6. If you think nurses should return to a uniform, what type of uniform do you think nurses should wear? I DO wear a uniform every day. I am identified wherever I go. BUT, I am not my uniform. My uniform does not define me. It is NOT the way to go.

I've seen it go both ways. The better nurses by far are the ones with a wider range of experiences to draw on, not just the narrow experiences within a particular speciality. There will AWAYS be time to specialize. I advocate doing med/surg first and get your general foundations firm, then specialize.

I was thinking of Greeter, Wal-mart.... I honestly don't know what I'll do when I get too old to do what I'm doing...

TN board of professional regulation - LPNs are licensed, and therefore the state will have a written scope of practice as regulated by the board and laws of the state. Each hospital will also have a written scope of practice for the LPN, usually as part of her contract and/or employee handbook and/or hospital standards that would closely follow the state scope of practice. A hospital might restrict a LPNs scope of practice, but would never allow the LPN to practice beyond the states regulations.

Rather than stay doing something you don't like - GET OUT! Find something you do like - don't worry about "throwing away all that education" - it won't do you any good if you truly hate what you are doing! Meanwhile, some suggestions - 1) Start going to school NOW in a field you think you would enjoy working at for the rest of your life. Don't wait, in spite of having to work at a job you hate for a while longer until you get the skills/degree you need for a new one. For 2 years you could go to school, then get out of a career you hate - or NOT return to school and in 2 years still be doing a job you hate, and be 2 years older... 2) There are a LOT of jobs out there for RNs that do not involve "traditional" hospital type nursing. Community Health Industrial Health Medical sales Pharmaceutical sales Coding Nursing education School education good luck!

As an Army Nurse, let me tell you, some of the best OB nurses and Nurse-Midwives I know are male. (BOTH Military and civilian!!!) (Hey - I'm a female - and I cath MALE patients...!!) Yes, you will occationally come across a patient who will prefer a female. BUT this is generally the exception. Go for it!!! A good nurse deliveries care and compassion - which is what being a nurse it - regardless of gender.