DowntheRiver

I did not, but I also completed it over 3 years so I usually only took one class at at time. I tried one semester to take a non-nursing and a nursing course at the same time and it was too much for me personally. I have an autoimmune disorder that can be disabling so I didn't want to over schedule myself so I did it slower than most. But, it is possible to complete while working. One of my classmates took two classes at a time and completed the program in 10 months quite successfully. Another poster below says they never had tests but I did have tests in some courses. However, they were all at home and online.

Back in early January I wound up in the ER for a bad flare of AS while 3 months pregnant, after being put on bedrest for 3 weeks due to a sub chorionic hematoma. For context, I'm a cancer survivor, have two autoimmune issues (AS & Sjogren's), have chronic HTN, and am overweight. My pregnancy was also deemed high risk early on because of the SCH. I went to the ER because I literally could not walk or move, my back was so stiff from sitting on my butt for 3 weeks. I had quit my nursing job because of being on bedrest and COVID so I had not been vaccinated yet but wanted to be. The ER nurse came in and kept removing her mask to speak to me and complete tasks around me, like start my IV and administer meds. I made some comment about how it must have be nice to be vaccinated and she goes, "OH NO, I AM NOT VACCINATED and I WILL NOT BE GETTING VACCINATED. I would never put that in my body. My body can fight this naturally. COVID is not that bad." She goes on to talk about essential oils and yada yada yada. I'm sitting there flabbergasted, and her mask is still down. I wish I had said something to her about it at the time (hindsight is 20/20), but I just kept my mouth shut, wanting to get out of there. I fell into the high risk category and yet this RN felt she didn't need to wear a mask around me because to her COVID was nothing. So why am I telling you guys this? Because, as a nurse, it makes me question a nurses' competency to practice when he/she does not follow evidenced-based practice, which at this time says vaccination is best and mask-wearing is necessary in high transmission areas. I wonder then what else do they not believe it, and how else is it influencing their practice. I live in Florida where many people are not vaccinated. This was quite true at my last place of employment, in an Oncology practice. Nobody would get vaccinated except the docs and APPs. With highly immunocompromised elderly patients who are most susceptible to this disease. My co-workers were going out all the time without a mask. Or they'd take the mask off around people at work. The charge didn't believe in COVID since she got it but was asymptomatic so she didn't enforce the rules. Several of them got sick, and several patients got sick. So, when I give birth next week, I do plan on having a nurse that is vaccinated. I've already spoken to the nurse manager as I'm scheduled for an induction and it's been indicated it is not a problem. I don't want a nurse taking care of me that doesn't believe in basic science and cowtown to pseudoscience. Luckily, I'm giving birth at a large hospital within an academic setting, and while the vaccine is not currently required, 95% of the staff is already vaccinated.

I think what also needs to be mentioned is the fact that the nursing workforce is predominantly female. During COVID, multiple studies show that women have bore the brunt of childcare responsibilities, many having to lower their hours or quit altogether because of school and/or daycare shutdowns or at-home schooling. Many women have put their careers on hold because of this. Childcare costs are also ridiculously high. I'm set to give birth next week and will be staying home until May because childcare is just so expensive. I live in Florida where wages are low. Quality daycare is $400-$450/week for infants. If I worked part time I'd basically break even paying daycare costs. So, I might as well stay home with my little man and cut back on expenses.

Do not tell your employer. This is what happens: You do your drug screen. It gets sent out. You test positive for amphetamines. The organization's MRO (Medical Review Officer) calls you and tells you it was positive. You tell that person you have a legal RX for the amphetamine. They will ask for the prescriber's name and phone number, a copy of the RX bottle, and/or the pharmacy info for where it was filled. The MRO then verifies the RX. If it is legit, that positive is turned into a negative. If it is an instant cup, Occupational Health will find out, but again that positive will turn into a negative as they will send it out and the MRO will follow the same procedure. Occ Health cannot say anything to your manager/HR unless it is a confirmed positive.

We just finished the Peacock series Dr. Death yesterday based on a true story. The documentary about this guy is coming out soon, and there is a good podcast about him. Chris Duntsch. Anytime you're feeling silly about an honest mistake, think about this man. He purposely operated on 40 patients, injuring 31 and killing 2. He either knew his skills were subpar or he harmed them on purpose; either way, he still went through with it every time. He was convicted of elder abuse (one of his patients was over 65) and is now spending 30 years in jail. There are people out there that truly mean to harm someone. What you did was a minor mistake, no harm was done, and maybe some patients waited a bit longer because of it. Don't beat yourself up. Every nurse has made a mistake, some minor and/or major. They're lying if they say they haven't. You realize it, learn from it, and move on.

I work in Oncology and have been a cancer patient myself so I know firsthand how awful saline flushes taste when you're nauseous. I mean, this applies to non-cancer patients as well, but for some reason it was just worsened when I had cancer. It doesn't bother me as much now. So, finding away for saline flushes to have no after taste. I've been told it is a combination of several things: - The plastic leeches chemicals into the saline which causes the unpleasant taste - The fact that it goes past the olfactory nerve so you are smelling it and not tasting it -Microscopic molecules in the saline flush I do tell patients to suck on mints or hard candies but patients who are NPO can't do that so we still have patients who experience it. Is this issue life ending? No. But some people get real cranky about it and I wish I could do something about it permanently.

Since you live in Florida, I'd suggest the Health Department for you. Monday through Friday 8-4:30 with excellent benefits - I paid $50/month for just me with a $500 deductible with great coverage. It really is easy work and you get holidays off. The only down side is you have to manage medical shelters whenever a natural disaster comes through but you get credit in the form of PTO for AND they do actually let you take it. The pay depends the area of Florida you live in. If that doesn't sound great, I'd suggest your local FQHC. Again Monday through Friday business hours and no holidays. Pay is OK. If that doesn't sound great, I'd suggest corrections. I don't know much about it but it would be worth looking into.

I don't see it going away here in Florida anytime soon. Only 42% vaccination rate in my county but 99% of people are not wearing anywhere we go. That 1% is usually me and my husband or family, and we wear them despite being fully vaccinated. I'm 33 weeks pregnant and high risk.

I also cannot control the cable package the hospital subscribes to. I'm sorry we don't have HBO, DVR, etc. and that you're going to miss your show. But it's not my problem and is not even on my priority list. When I worked outpatient, I also could no control the TV channel in the waiting area. The rule was it had to be politically and gender neutral so we were only allowed three stations - Food Network, HGTV, or the Weather Channel. No, I cannot turn on Fox News.

I've been in this situation. Not narcs, but the manager making stuff up. Get out. You'll be happier in the long run.

Oncology nurse here. Part of the reason I quit my job was because all of a sudden it was acceptable to not double glove during the pandemic when we've had it drilled into us for years to do so. I mean, at my last job, they tested surfaces all the time and chemo was everywhere. I'm pregnant so I said I'm double gloving; they said I was wasting resources, so I bounced. I'm a cancer survivor, I've already been exposed to enough. That wasn't the only reason but it definitely contributed.

I would definitely skim the chapters for major points if you can related to study guides. Do your instructors give study guides? For my ASN program, we were often given 100 point study guides for a 50 question test. So you had to study a lot more but it was broken down a bit more. The study guides would still be around 20 pages, though. Are you required to use Saunders or a similar book as well? I found that helpful in reviewing the major areas of nursing topics as well as good for practicing NCLEX style questions.

I was thinking about this, too. As student nurses, we had to be there by 6:30 AM and ready to hit the floor at 6:45 AM for report with our paired nurse. For me, that meant being up at 5:15 and out the door by 6:00 without kids. We had to look presentable, too; if you looked sloppy or disheveled you were sent home with an absence. This was 2012-2013, so not too long ago. All schools are different and some are more or less strict than others, however keep in mind most have a one or two day absence policy where you fail if you miss those days. It's because the state requires a certain number of clinical clock hours for you to graduate. Some schools will allow make-ups with health notes but lacking childcare or sick child is not one of them. I'm not trying to be mean, just trying to let you know what I've seen in my experience while you have time to form a more concrete plan.

I echo this sentiment. I love being a nurse, I love being a native Floridian, but I do not like being a nurse in Florida. Low pay, short staffing most of the time, no unions, no worker protections, most of your patient population is needy elderly population (which is fine, but it sucks from a resource standpoint). I did some travel nursing to Minnesota during the 2016 nursing strike and it really opened my eyes to how bad the conditions are here compared to other places. If I had to pick a place to live in Florida, it would not be Jacksonville. And I've lived all over Florida. If it were me and I really wanted this job, I'd live in St. Augustine and commute up the A1A and I hate commuting. That's how much I despise Jacksonville. (And before someone asks me why don't we move, we can't at this time. My husband is the breadwinner, in the mining industry, and it is based in Central Florida. I'm also 8 months pregnant with my first and don't want to move away from family which I will use as daycare because daycare is just so expensive.)

You have to be very dedicated and studious to pass CLEP exams. I took both US History I & II and only managed a passing score on one. It's funny, where I took the US History I exam at USF a 55 was needed to pass; UTA required a 60 and I made a 58. So be well-versed at what scores each individual school requires because they're not all the same. I spent my free time reading and re-reading the CLEP books for the test and it covered a wide range of topics, but 25% of what was on the test was not covered in the book and I had to rely on my knowledge from high school. If I were in your wife's situation, I would start the LPN program. It's one year and she can study independently for CLEP exams or start studying once she becomes a LPN. Then do the LPN to RN bridge program. Around here, there is no wait for LPN programs but long waits for RN programs.