almostthere06

Some websites for Medical Missions - http://www.friendships.org http://www.mercyships.org http://www.worldrelief.org http://www.projectsmile.org http://www.samaritanspurse.org http://www.missionfinder.org http://www.vimm.org http://www.iceha.org Good luck and go if you can. Life changing experience and I can't wait to go back.

Almost 10 Christmases ago, my 2 younger sisters, then 10 and 9, were playing together in the living room. Sister #1 had just recently begun clarinet lessons (God help those of us who listened to the practicing). Sister #2 had just begun gymnastics. Sister #1, in all of her efforts to show off her new clarinet skills, begins practicing in the living room. Sister #2, in a fight for attention, decides that the living room is a wonderful setting to practice cartwheels. Next thing we know, Sister #2's foot has hit the end of the clarinet, thus shoving the mouthpiece and reed into Sister #1's soft palate. Much blood, a Christmas morning ED visit, 14 stitches, and a new carpet later, neither gymnastics or clarinet lessons were continued following the holidays. Swallow that one!

There are several things I learned in nursing school that might be of help to you. First and foremost, I cannot concentrate on meds in a room full of people. So I take the MAR of each pt. into the clean supply room, and sort through meds in there. I do not sign for a med until it has been double checked by my instructor (req'd for school, but could work for you.) I do not take p.o. meds out of their packaging until I am in the pts. room, ready to administer it. I bring the MAR with me into the pts. room, and do not give the pill until I check it again. If I am uncertain about a med written on the computerized sheet, I will go back to the original order, and check it again. If I am still uncertain, I will call for clarification. When reading a MAR, I will re-write the order in a notebook, and then compare what I have written to what is in the MAR. The notecard is a great idea. Another is to cover everything else on the page except for the line/box you are reading. A blank piece of white paper makes it seem so much less daunting. Ultimately, this is a huge responsibility, and you must find a way to resolve it. It is clear that you want to solve the problem, and are willing to do whatever it takes. Perhaps take a course or an inservice on medication administration. It may offer you more tips than can be gathered here. Good luck to you and God Bless.

One of the most important tasks involved with passing meds is assurring that the right med is being given to the right pt. at the right time FOR THE RIGHT REASON and with the appropriate assessments done. If an MNP has not taken a pharmacology course, AND a pathophysiology course, AND a health assessment course, he or she will NOT possess the skills or knowledge necessary for administering medication. It is NOT simply a matter of being organized. It is knowing not only the meds, but the pt. I was always taught in nursing school, that if you are giving a med, you better know darn well what and why you are giving. If it is a BP med, and you don't have a current BP, don't even THINK of giving it. So many medications have interactions, and if you are not aware of these, you may miss a bad order, and put a pt. in grave danger. Ultimately, I would fight this decision tooth and nail. It is MY license at risk, and nobody else's. I would not place it on the line for anyone...even to make one job easier.

The pt c/o shoulder/back/elbow/nostril pain requesting Dilaudid IVP The ED staff family member bypassing triage and taking up a room "for a quick assessment of A, B, or C" The drunk college kid begging us not to call his parents The drunk HS kid crying because we did The LTC dumps who are dehydrated with a UTI - last time I checked, IVFs could be given in a NH The pt. screaming of ear pain...one look w/ otoscope reveals a live cockroach...irrigated out and still alive...pt asks for spec. cup to "take him back home" the "worst headache of my life" with his IPOD blaring the mother screaming at the staff for making dehydrated 2 y.o. cry with IV start the intern who things he/she is hot sh#@ and attempts to order the 30 yr veteran nurses around during a code...as if they don't know how to do their jobs and YOURS too!

I was delivered by a male OB. All of my siblings were delivered by a male OB. I see a male GYN. What is the difference in this or a male OB nurse? In my opinion, it should not even be a question.

Crocs are AMAZING! But avoid the vented type for the hospital - any questions why, see the "grossest story" posting. Also, a more expensive choice, but one also worth the investment is a pair of Danskos. They run about $100 a pair, but will last forever.

Whether or not you like math, it is an important skill for a nurse to be exposed to. While you may never do research, or participate in statistical analysis outside of your stats class, it is important to begin thinking in terms of evidence and practice. Stats show direct and indirect correlations between actions and results. ALL of nursing practice is about actions and results. Are you going to perform an action that is not shown to provide benefit to the pt? Stats will show benefits and downfalls of the actions we take. On a side note with relation to stats, nurses are constantly hoping for a higher level of respect and stature in the HC field. One of the ways of achieving this is to back up our practice with NURSING research. Utilzing the skills we learn in stats to find better ways to care for our patients will do lightyears of difference in boosting the reputation of nursing as a profession. In addition to stats, you will always be doing math as a nurse. Once you begin your nursing courses, you will most likely be required to pass a drug calculations exam with a 90% or higher. This is important enough to be a requirement for clinicals, and you do in fact need to know this skill in order to administer medication safely and appropriately. If math is a struggle for you, seek assistance NOW. Don't wait until you have only one more chance to pass before you get some help. More than a few nursing students have been released from programs for failure of math and calculations exams, not to mention the fact that even if you pass, and don't understand what you are doing, you can seriously harm someone.

You know it will be a bad shift when: - every patient you have is on q1 or q2 hour FS - a vented 600 pounder with q4 wet to dry dressing changes on the stage IV sacral decub - you've got 19 family members in the waiting room violently insisting that each and every one of them must be with the patient at all times - for moral support - the nurse on nights walks out in a different color of scrubs than you remember seeing 12 hours prior - night charge starts report with the phrase "it was certainly an interesting night" - you are assigned the q1 hour break tech who insists on taking lunch at a specific time each day, despite what is going on on the unit, simply to watch soaps in the break room. - you're asked if the negative pressure room is open for the TB/HIV/necrotizing fascitis pt - you hear the beeping as you step off of the elevator - JCHAO tracers - enough said.

Many schools will offer a virtual dissection program via computer, that bypasses the physical dissection portion. However, I do find that the skills learned in A&P lab are helpful in nursing. You learn how to maneuver small equipment, how to cleanly perform injections/incisions/dissections,and how to react to a body that you will be invading (dead or alive). All in all, it is a valuable experience.

please tell me that is a joke - please...because now, i might vomit.