lauranurselaura LPN

lauranurselaura has 17 years experience as a LPN and specializes in Clinical Research.

lauranurselaura's Latest Activity

1. 

   What is Your Nursing Program Doing for Next Semester?

   lauranurselaura posted a topic in General Students

   I have two semesters left before I graduate from a BSN program (!). While I am SO excited, I worry about what lies ahead in regard to clinical hours. If COVID wasn't a thing, the normal trajectory would be completing 45 clinical hours for my Community Health Nursing course this Summer and then completing 110 clinical hours for my Capstone in the fall. This semester, my nursing program ended up pulling all nursing students from the clinicals they were completing. The program then provided a ton of opportunities to make up the remaining hours through simulation modules. Thankfully, I had just 3 clinical hours to go before I was pulled from the ICU, but others had up to 30+ hours to complete. My program has remained silent on the plan for the upcoming semesters. I'm worried that they're going to say that if clinical hours cannot be completed as they should be, the student will have to drop that course until the following semester. This would of course push back my anticipated graduation date. I completely understand how and why this would happen, but it hasn't made the fear of disappointment go away. What have you heard, if anything, from your nursing program? Are they developing contingency plans? If so, what are they? (perhaps my program is, but they haven't let us know about it) I did note that the NCSBN issued a statement that they strongly encouraged hospitals to allow nursing students to complete their clinicals during this time. Anxious to hear from you guys! PS - I wasn't sure where to place this post, so if it's better suited for a different area, please move it!
2. 

   So H&H are 2 different labs: why only say one value?

   lauranurselaura replied to COVIDNURSE's topic in General Nursing

   That's bizarre. I've never heard anyone say that a patient's H&H is 10, for example. I've only ever heard anyone say that a patient's hgb is 10. I've heard providers say "Let's get an H&H on him .." but, I've never heard anyone report an H&H of ... with just one value.
3. 

   ISU LPN to BSN ..RN Graduate in Washington State.. letter of guidance to such students

   lauranurselaura replied to cleealto's topic in Indiana (ISU)

   Hi Vivika! Congratulations! You'll probably get the best responses by joining the ISU LPN to BSN FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/isubsn/
4. 

   Sick of floor nursing, what now?

   lauranurselaura replied to r0seRN's topic in General Career

   I was in the EXACT same boat as you. After a year and a half, I was completely miserable and working nights made me feel terrible. I refused to work days on the floor for the exact reasons you explained. I decided that a year and a half was all that I could take and that I gained enough experience on a med-surg floor for future jobs. I ended up hopping around from clinic to clinic hoping to find a specialty that I liked. While I loved and needed the stability, routine of working M-F, 9-5, I wasn't passionate about any of the specialties. And then I found clinical research! I got a job as a research nurse (study coordinator). I've been doing that for 7 years now and have loved it. It's a great combo of desk work and patient interaction. It's routine and stable. The flexibility is great too as you're not seeing patients every single day, so if you need to come in late or leave early, you can. Do some google searches on it and think about. Research saved me!
5. 

   Research coordinator position from scratch, need guidance

   lauranurselaura replied to GundeRN's topic in Research

   Hi GundeRN, I agree with aelie. I would join ACRP so that you are able to post questions like the ones you posed about QoL studies on their very helpful discussion boards. There are so many experienced folks there who can serve as great resources!
6. 

   CCRC to CRA

   lauranurselaura replied to tlp1019's topic in Research

   Hi tlp1019, I've found it helpful to get in good with the monitors who you work with on your current clinical trials as a CRC. I've gotten a few interviews by working well with CRAs who in turn have recommended me for a monitoring position. I've decided not to pursue the CRA career as the traveling is too much for me. I also really enjoy my current CRC position. I've noticed that every few months CROs such as Covance, MedPace, PRA and Quintiles will post training program positions for those without CRA experience. Best of luck!
7. 

   Covance

   lauranurselaura replied to dlashon's topic in Research

   Hi dlashon, You may want to shadow a research nurse/study coordinator somewhere near you to see what the job entails first. Covance is a CRO who generally hires CRAs or monitors. These monitors are the ones who then comes to sites where studies are conducted to work with research nurses and the trials they conduct along with physicians. CROs such as Covance are usually looking for nurses or those with a four year degree who have several years of clinical trial experience - either as a research nurse or as a research assistant. Some CROs as Covance do have training programs for those who don't have any experience, but those come and go in hiring waves. You will just have to continually keep an eye out. Other CROs who hire under those programs are: PRA, MedPace and Quintiles. There's also a ton of travel associated with CRA/monitor positions, so keep that in mind too. If you can't travel, but still want to work in clinical trials, then a research coordinator position would be the best for you. Hope this helps!
8. 

   New Graduate - Research Nurse Residency

   lauranurselaura replied to robin4's topic in Research

   Hi Robin4! I agree with everything that MBARNBSN said. I'm a research nurse (study coordinator) and have found that having bedside/clinical experience has been very helpful. Though I should note that those skills aren't necessarily what got me the job as the physicians were looking for someone with some medical knowledge and could talk to/consent/develop a good rapport with patients and sponsors of trials (soft business skills). That is to say that you don't have to a be a nurse to be a research coordinator. If you think that you'll want to transition back into clinical/bedside nursing since that experience is helpful to getting your FNP, I recommend going that route as I will admit I have lost a lot of my nursing skills ever since I started in research. I knew of a few research nurses who have worked on the floor part-time because they felt they were losing their nursing skills. Just some things to keep in mind.. That is awesome, though, that there is research nurse residency program that exists! Most research nurse coordinators learn everything in a baptism by fire/ on the job training way.
9. 

   How to look for research jobs with BSN

   lauranurselaura replied to texrnvw's topic in Research

   Hi TexRNVW! Please see my post in response to BlueIndigo79's similar question. Hopefully it is helpful for you!
10. 

    Help getting into research nursing...

    lauranurselaura replied to blueindigo79's topic in Research

    Hi BlueIndigo79! I am a research nurse (study coordinator) at an academic medical center. I work on Cardiology clinical trials. I absolutely love it and have been working in research for 7 years. I first started out as a research assistant as the physician was looking for someone who could talk to patients, knew medical terminology and could consent patients. That's all they really needed, so as a nurse, I fit the bill! After 2 years at that position, I got a job as a clinical research nurse coordinator and have been doing that ever since. It's a great job for nurses and even though experience in research is a plus, if you're a nurse (you don't have to be a nurse to be a study coordinator), you have a huge leg up! Certifications can be obtained, but you won't qualify to take the exam until you've worked for two years. I strongly encourage you to apply for clinical research coordinator jobs. As a nurse, you're sure to get something!
11. 

    UCSF Help!

    lauranurselaura posted a topic in California

    Hello! I'd love to work at UCSF, but live on the East Coast. I will be visiting SF in a month or so and hope to interview and look for apartments out there. I'm having a heck of a time figuring out where are the best places to live? Ideally, I'd love to live pretty close to UCSF if possible. I won't have a car. I realize it's very expensive, but if anyone could give me any tips, I will be forever grateful! Also - and I know I will get a lot of grief about this, but I really, really, really want a washer and dryer in my unit. However, I am seeing that the places that have this amenity are sooooooo pricey. I'm not sure how much UCSF will be offering me, but I'm pretty sure I can't afford $2500/mo. Sigh .. Thanks in advance for any words of encouragement! - Laura
12. 

    Retake A&P to get RN?

    lauranurselaura replied to lauranurselaura's topic in LPN-RN

    Thanks for the comments. Time to just suck it up and get it over with, right?
13. 

    Retake A&P to get RN?

    lauranurselaura posted a topic in LPN-RN

    Hi All, Apologies if this has already been discussed to death. Because I took my A&P classes over 10 years ago, I need to repeat them in order to be able to apply to the LPN to RN program. I also need to repeat a computer class as well due to its age. My initial reaction to this news was NO WAY. A&P is not easy and I successfully passed them the first time. I really, really, really don't want to retake those classes! (The computer class retake .. fine. whatever.) What do you guys think? Obviously, my ultimate dream is to become an RN and has been for quite some time, however, just the thought of repeating these classes makes me angry and disheartened. I understand that anything you want badly enough, you'll do anything to get. So, I think I already know what you guys are going to say. I guess I'm just looking for a "you're not alone, I had to retake a bunch of classes too and it was worth it" response. So.. anyone else out there or did you just say, "ahhh, forget it!" ?
14. 

    MCI Summer 2012 RN program

    lauranurselaura replied to sdfoie12's topic in Virginia

    Do you know if they have a 10-year time limit on their math and science courses? And any other courses for that matter?
15. 

    Bryant & Stratton RN program

    lauranurselaura replied to blondiestime's topic in Virginia

    Hi Blondie, A few questions: 1 - How many pre-req's do they take? I have completed ALL of my pre-req's at a CC or elsewhere and when I went to Fortis, they said they'd only take 2 out of the 10 or so that I completed. Fortis told me I would have to repeat the rest because it's incorporated into their program and I guess financially that's how they justify the high cost. (If I read correctly, you said in your original post that some pre-req's were incoporated into your education at B&S, so I'm wondering if it's just like Fortis in that sense?) 2 - Are there any time limitations on the pre-req's that B&S takes? Some of my classes are over 10 years old (A&P, English, Math, Sociology, Psychology, etc.). MCI told me I would need to retake Math, Chemistry and English due to time limitations. 3 - How much does the program cost without any help? MCI's is $40,000 and Fortis was $35,000 (approximately). Thanks in advance!
16. 

    JSRCC LPN to RN Evening/Weekend Program

    lauranurselaura posted a topic in Virginia

    Is anyone on here enrolled in the JSRCC LPN to RN Evening/Weekend Program? If so, how is it going for you? Anyone trying to get into the program? Hope to hear from you! Thanks in advance!