justin.j

This is why you're so great Esme! When I originally read the OPs post, my mind went right to the hyperkalemia; perhaps because the threat of elevated K+ levels is so drilled into our skulls in school. (As my professor said, half jokingly... "If you see hyperkalemia on the NCLEX, it's probably the right answer. As long as 'assess' isn't an option." ) However...we're also taught that in the real world, you must look at all the symptoms and how they fit together into the bigger picture. I don't know if I'm correctly identifying the condition in question, but if I am the pt. would also have sweet fruity smelling breath, could possibly be hyperventilating, and might also be hypotensive. Again, not sure if I'm right in my guess, but the point is that you reminded me that we have to always think about the bigger picture, and not miss the forest for the trees. In the real world, we wouldn't treat the hyperkalemia, or even the dehydration in and of itself. The correct action would be to treat the underlying cause of these symptoms. Now I just want to know what the "right" answer is.

I've seen plenty of RN-MSN programs, and plenty of accelerated (or second degree) BSN and MSN programs. But I don't think I've seen any second degree RN-MSN programs. I think you would essentially just transfer in any GE or applicable credits from your undergrad to knock off some classes, but I'm not entirely sure. Good luck in your search!

Hi mistiestar! Welcome to allnurses. :) If your ultimate goal is to be an RN, I say go for it. There certainly isn't anything wrong with going for an LPN program, but when I was researching what to do, I found that most RN bridge programs didn't seem to give enough credit to those who had already gone through the LPN programs. Additionally, many people go through an LPN program first so they can be in the field making money while furthering their education. However, you mentioned that you have already gone through a Pharm Tech program, so that would enable you to hopefully get your foot in the door at a good hospital and make some money while you work your way to an RN program. But of course the choice is yours! Good luck to you in whatever you decide!

Sadly you might lose that bet. My husband is an M.D. and was recently shadowed on his shift because the hospital he works for is trying to up their customer...oops, I mean patient... satisfaction numbers. He did not have TOS to stop him from telling me what he felt about that! Nurses aren't the only ones who get crapped on when hospitals are expected to run like hotels...they just get it the worst. :-P

I agree with what many have said here. You have to do what's best for you. However, keep in mind that what's best for you will take into consideration your future employment. Before going into nursing school, I worked as an HR manager and I can tell you that I always appreciated having more than 2 weeks notice when someone was leaving. Even if you weren't there for a year, you would probably be more likely to get a positive reference if you're upfront and honest. If you tell them 2 weeks before you leave that you're leaving because you're moving, clearly they're going to know that you've had this information for a while. No guarantees you'll get a good recommendation, but you may as well do your best to try for one. Good luck to you! :-)

The real question is, why do schools keep insisting on white scrubs?!

I don't know personally, but according to salary.com, it would be around $80,000. Here is the link. Salary.com Salary Wizard- Do you know what you're worth? You can always play around with the location.

That sounds incredibly frustrating! Have you tried addressing the issue with her directly? It's not a fun conversation, but if you and the rest of your group feel this way, it might be best to just lay it on the line in a respectful manner. I'm the same way as you. When my grade is on the line and I see someone slacking, I'll always pick up that slack. But I'm also not shy about inquiring as to why their falling behind on their part of the assignment, or I'll try to find a way to help accomplish the task without owning it. Good luck!

Hi kushkismat, Welcome to AllNurses! Nursing Diagnosis and the nursing process can be tricky, but it's also very broad. Can you narrow down what exactly you're having a problem with?

Hey there, So, I'll preface by saying that I'm also a student, so hopefully someone with more experience than me will weigh in! However, since there are no responses yet, these are my thoughts. With your current diagnosis, if your professor is a stickler like mine, make sure you use the exact NANDA wording for any diagnosis. For example, NANDA doesn't use "Grief", but they do use "Grieving". I would get knocked down a point if I don't use the exact term. Also, I would make sure you don't include "recent diagnosis of bone cancer" in your AEB, or symptom section. Since we're using the PES (Problem, Etiology, Symptom) format, the diagnosis of cancer isn't actually a symptom of the grief, but perhaps a cause? So, you could consider something like: Grieving R/T recent diagnosis of bone cancer AEB (fill in the blank with appropriate symptom) But, to be quite honest, I probably wouldn't use grieving for this pt., because as I understand it, grief is usually associated with the loss of a significant object or other. I think it's a little harder to diagnose someone with grieving the loss of their own life. Certianly not saying it can't be done, and perhaps someone with more experience could weigh in here. but I personally would be a little scared to use that diagnosis. I might go with "Death Anxiety" or perhaps something like "Hopelessness". Ie: Death Anxiety R/T recent diagnosis of bone cancer AEB patients report of fear of the process of dying. or Hopelessness R/T recent diagnosis of bone cancer AEB patient's lack of involvement in care. Again, I'm definitely not an expert, but I hope that helps you out a bit. :) Would like to hear what others have to say as well. Good luck!

Math and I are not great friends either. I went the online route when I took the course. Our grade was based on the midterm and the final and nothing else. (Talk about pressure.) The only good thing was that if your grade on the cumulative final was better than your grade on your midterm, your midterm grade would actually get dropped. I took the midterm, got a D, and freaked out. I then proceeded to make the best decision I'd ever made, I admitted to myself that I am indeed a dummy. I promptly ditched my text book, went out and purchased "Statistics for dummies" took the final and got an A. I swear, with the number of times I've recommended that book, the "for dummies" franchise should start paying me. But it really did work well for me and I would highly suggest that book if you have trouble with the course, but I'm sure you'll do fine. :) Good luck!

If you decided to get your BS in another area first, you can always then look into accelerated BSN programs. Many of those are about two years, they're slightly less competitive than regular ASN or BSN programs, and you'd come out with a BSN right off the bat instead of having to bridge over later. :)

If all you said is true, I know you'll get out alive. All the best to you, and good luck!

As some have mentioned, nursing school and medical school are two different things. Medical school is a graduate program that is followed up by a residency, and then a fellowship if you'd like to specialize in a certain area. However, not all physicians start out Pre-med. My husband is a nephrologist, and his undergrad degree is in Computer Engineering. Additionally, according to his experience in medical school, he actually knew two people who had their undergraduate degree in nursing, but decided during the program that nursing was not the side of medicine that they wanted to work in. (He also knows two Drs. who have undergrad degrees in music and psychology respectively.) The one thing all these folks had in common? They all essentially had a gpa of 4.0 throughout their undergraduate studies, got great scores on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) and the two that weren't in nursing went heavy on the science side for their electives. Also, you don't actually start to become an OB until you start your residency program after medical school. So, the basic steps: 1) Get a bachelors degree while maintaining a high GPA. Go for something heavy on the sciences if you know you want to go into medicine, or ensure you fit the science side in as electives. 2)Study your butt off for the MCAT 3)Attend a four year medical school and obtain your M.D. or D.O. 4)Apply, interview and then get matched to a 4 year O.B. residency program (or whatever type of residency program you are interested in, ie. Medicine, Peds, Surgery, etc.) 5)Pass the board exam 6)If you're especially ambitious (like the mad man I married) you then apply to a fellowship to further your education and gain a specialization... So assuming you take no breaks, from the start of college to when you get to practice as an OB, it takes about 12 years, a lot of sleepless nights on call, and countless hours of studying. This is why I've never been interested in practicing medicine. ;0) This is just a general guideline, and the best person to ask is always a representative for the school your interested in, but I hope this helps. -Justin

It varies by school, but generally speaking you either have them mail it to someone at the school, or you just hand it in yourself with your application packet. Check the directions for application on your school's website and if you don't find anything there, call the school admissions dept. Good luck to you!