WhatToDo

Jolie- I grew up in Omaha. I left when I was 18 for college in Texas and soon I'll be moving to Maryland. Omaha is a nice safe town. There is hardly ever traffic and the job security and availability there is good. The cost of living is cheap. We lived in Elkhorn, a small town about 10 minutes west of Omaha. The Elkhorn school system is very good. Millard and Burke are also good. Honestly I've never heard of anything bad happening in any schools there. Nothing ever really happens there except the College World Series. I though Nebraska was the most boring place on earth growing up there, but I was young and anxious to see other places. Many people really love it there.

I had an IUD inserted this afternoon. It was really painful and I've been having a lot of cramping since. I know this is normal, the uterus just has to adjust to having a foreign object placed in it. When I got home I was having terrible cramps despite taking midol and IBprofin, so I decided to take a hot bath. It helped a lot, but I was thinking about this afterwards and wondering since my cervix was opened a bit today whether the bath water could get into the uterus and cause an infection. I researched online about this and found a couple places that said you shouldn't do this for 24 hours after having it inserted. The doctor didn't say anything about this. I didn't put anything bubbles or anything into the water and I cleaned the tub with disinfectant first. Is this awful? Should I be really concerned? I've never had a baby.

UT-Houston also has a accelerated program. They only accept 10 students as the UTMB does. I decided against this due to the number of online courses and long commutes between campuses. I also feel that UT-Houston is very disorganized. I had the sociology pre-req waived (I have a bachelor's and master's in social sciences from UT-Austin) and they sent me a letter a few weeks ago saying I had been denied admission. I never even filled out the application. A friend of mine also applied and she got an interview. They called her a couple weeks later and asked if she could come in for a second interview for the accelerated program. She said she would but that she had not yet completed one fo the pre-reqs, so they couldn't consider her for the accelerated. The girl told her she would likely be hearing good news soon about the traditional program, but she ended up getting a denial letter. TWU had one last year, but they were not sure when I last talked to them whether they had the funding to offer one this year. UT-Austin is really snobby. I talked to them when I was finishing my master's there and they told me it would take me 4 more years to get a BSN there! They are also very snobby about what pre-reqs they will accept, forget community college credits transferring. But if you take the pre-reqs at UT, it will take you over a year to even get into A&P I. I decided to go out-of-state. I think UTMB seemed alright, they were very nice and seemed very organized. Good luck.

Hey, I was pretty much in the same boat as you. I'm starting the accelerated BSN program at Hopkins in June and went up there for the first time last weekend from Texas to get things figured out. The first place I saw in the city was awful, I was afraid to get out of my car. I honestly thought about not going, but once one of the other new students drove me around and showed me the nice areas of town to live, I felt much better. I ended up renting a place in Washington Village, however, Charles Village, Mt. Vernon, Mt. Washington, Bolten Hill, Fells Point and Canton are nice as well. The rent is the cheapist is Charles Village and Washington Village. I'm planning to ride the Metro (subway) to class everyday, or I'm also considering riding my bike (I need to drive the route more though, I'm not sure it's totally safe). Some of the other new students rented places in Cresmont lofts in the Cresmont area. Personally I did not feel safe there, we ate there one afternoon. If you want roommates that are nursing students, you may consider checking some of the postings on accelerated BSN group's yahoo group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jhuson_accel2005/ Several people are looking for roomies. I think the traditional BSN program also has a yahoo group started, you may want to check that out too. I realize these are groups for undergrads, but the accelerated students must already have a bachelor's in something else, so you're unlikely to get stuck with someone who is not serious about school. Good luck, feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

If I remember correctly, many schools offer direct entry masters programs for either CNMs or WHNPs without having any nursing experience. The programs are usually 3 years long and you get you BSN the first year and your MSN the last 2 years. If you are already an RN, they also offer programs like this, but I know less about them. You already have to have a bachelor's degree in something else to get into these programs unless you are an RN. It might be difficult to practice at first without much experience, but everyone has learning to do at any new job no matter what degrees you have. Good luck!

It seems that this lady's mother and family were totally okay with not being in the room when she was pushing which is good. When I first read this all I could think of was my mother and how I would explain to anyone about my family situation. My mother has borderline personality disorder and severe depression and has abused me my whole life. I haven't spoken to her in 2 years now, but if and when I have children, no one but my husband and maybe a trusted friend will be allowed it the room (other than doctors and nurses). My mother would love to be the room so she could finally see my lady parts and compare it to hers, make fun of my pubic hair or say something like "well I guess now you know the kind of pain I went through to have you" or "she should have an episiotomy, I had two." These things are never fun to tell anyone, many people just can't comprehend how any mother could treat her child this way, but it happens and I hope when I'm a nurse that I will know it when I see it and handle it with no questions asked.

I'm going in for my annual exam this Thursday and I'm thinking about trying a different method of birth control. My partner and I have been together for 5 years and we have both been tested for STIs multipule times with no positive results. When I first went on birth control, I gained 20 lbs. or so on Ortho Cyclin and Ortho Novum. When I stopped taking these pills, I lost 10 lbs. in a week. I've since tried several different types of low-estrogren birth control pills (Allesse, Low-estrogren 120 plus iron - these pills made me have 2 periods a month) and I've been pretty happy with Mircette. However, since I started taking Mircette four years ago I have gained some weight only around my waist line, I've got love handles that just won't go away even with long periods of exercising regularly and dieting. Now I realize this can be caused by a variety of things (age, eating habits, exercise etc.), but I'm wondering of it's possible that these birth control pills could make me gain weight in one area of my body? I'm planning to stop taking birth control this summer for a few months to see what happens (I'm moving to go to nursing school and my boyfriend is staying in Texas to take the bar before he moves), but I'm curious as to whether I should try the Nuva-ring, patch or something else. I would like to get an IUD, but I've never had a baby and I know the chances of expelling it are higher. I've used a diaphragm before and it was fine except I think the risks of preganancy are too high even when it is used properly. While condoms are the best protection against STIs, I don't think they alone are the best way to keep from getting pregnant. I don't want to take any chances this early in my career. Any suggestions for me?

I had the worst time ever with tampons when I was young. The slimfit types are best and make sure the top is rounded, not cottony like tampax. I probably put in 10 or so tampons before I realized that I would always feel the tampons if I was too dry, you can't keep pulling them in and out you'll get sore and too dry. Only practice when you are having your period. I'd start by putting a bit of KY jelly (water based lubricant usually used to sexual intercourse) on the applicator and then insert the applicator and get it all the way up and far as it will go without losing hold of the end and then insert the tampon. My mother didn't tell me anything about all this and I was too embarrased to ask my friends. Hope it works okay for you.

Depending on where you are, sometimes there are programs that allow ADN/RNs to go directly into graduate school to be a CNM. These programs typically last 3 years or a bit less and you get your BSN along the way. I would figure out what programs are available to you and see what they offer, how much it costs, how long it takes etc. to figure out what is best for you. Many hospitals so hire new grad OB nurses, some do not.

Just wanted to clarify that getting a BSN after a first bachelor's degree does not make you ineligible for financial aid. Perhaps this differs from state to state. I'm starting an accelerated BSN program (I already and a bachelor's and master's) in June and recieved the same financial aid as anyone else. There is sometimes a difference when applying for outside scholarships or sometimes schools have special grants or scholarship programs meant for 1st degree students, but you can get financial aid (student loans and some grants) even if you already have another bachelor's.

Christina- I think you've just run into a group of bad apples, I sincerely doubt all nurses/nursing students are the way you describe. I'm no expert since I start nursing school in June, but the hospital I volunteer at is full of very supportive and caring nurses. No one complains, judges or compares education levels. There was a post in the nursing student section of the board about how much a student hated nursing school. It seems a lot of nursing students hate school, but enjoy the work afterwards. Perhaps it's due to being at the bottom on the ladder or not doing clinicals in areas of inspiration and interest, but everyone has to do a certain amount to be a nurse even if it means doing something you don't like for awhile. It works that way with any job, I think some people just don't have that figured out. Good luck to you, perhaps you should get some exposure to a few different settings and see how you feel.

I forgot to mention, it is also easier to get scholarships and work repayment programs when you go to a better school. However, if you go somewhere that is not too costly, it probably won't matter anyway.

I think this really depends on what you want to do with your degree. When getting a graduate degree in any field with the intention of doing research or teaching, where you go to school really does matter. The instant you start publishing research and/or going to conferences is when you notice the difference. It is political. Who you worked with in graduate school may or may not take you a long way, better schools have cream of the crop professors, some schools even have noble prize winning professors. I think better schools also open doors for people that would not otherwise be there. The best jobs are never advertised, you have to know someone to get them. Better schools tend to have more programs and professors who are well-linked in their areas and thus provide you with better connections. I'm leaving my current job which requires a bachelor's degree next month to start nursing school and my boss has received tons a resumes from people with M.B.A.s, M.P.H.s etc. These people are way over-qualified for my job (I have a master's 2 BTW), but right now the competition is so fierce that it makes a difference how good your grades were and where you went to school. I'm not so sure with nursing since there is a shortage. Certain areas of nursing are more competitive to get jobs in and having a degree from a better recognized school would seem to help, but I'm not sure. This is an interesting thread, I'd be interested to hear what others think.

I believe the only difference is CNMs can deliver babies, WNPs cannot. Otherwise they are the same.

Personally I believe that accelerated BSN programs give you exactly what you need to become a nurse and prepare you just as well. There has been some discussion on these boards about ADN programs providing students with more clinical experience, but this is simply untrue is many cases and can only be determined by actually comparing the ADN and BSN programs in your area. Accelerated BSN programs make students go through the exact same classes and clinicals as the traditional 2-year BSN programs. For second degree students, accelerated BSN programs are a great option! For most people getting a BSN after another bachelor's degree is a no brainer becuase the ADN programs tend to take longer once your in this position. With the nursing shortage out there, I think it's high time nurses realize that to get people interested in nursing there need to be a lot of options. Most schools have very low acceptence rates becuase there is currently way more interest in nursing then there are spots available in colleges and universities. Most people that do accelerated BSNs or direct entry master's programs already have work experience under their belts and have decided on nursing after really thinking hard about it, not when they are 18 and still trying to figure it all out (no offense to young people who decided on nursing, I wish I had it figured out back then like you!). I think how well nurses perform once they are out of college really depends on each nurse as an individual. The majority of jobs that require some kind of college degree have a lot of on-the-job training involved, nursing is no exception. New grads just have to realize they still have a lot of learning to do, no matter what credentials they have behind their name.