badmamajama

In your state does the BON have an anonymous line you can call and get practice advice? I've had to call mine a few times and one was for the same question. If you can, call and explain exactly what your role is and what the role of the supervising...

It's a big trend these days to send a thank-you note to your interviewer for their time. It may be a little cheesy but if you have their email and can send one under the guise of "oh please exhalted ED Manager thank you for your precious time" you c...

I can't imagine how scary that is! That would be worse than being a new grad getting shoved to the floor! At least if you were straight out of school you would have had recent clinical experience! I think the PP who said you should ask for orienta...

Rest and relaxation! Funny I saw the headline and though t it was sarcasm! Glad you cleared it up! I figure not a lot of us remember what r&r is even if we do know what it stands for!

I hate to hear that this has caused you so much anxiety. I think you have good reason to be concerned and I applaud your efforts to look into policies and safety guidelines. I don't have to beat a dead horse by saying you may be overly concerned, o...

Can I move to where you are and work with you? I would love love love to be around such a positive, uplifting spirit! What you just described is exactly the kind of nurse I always strive to be. It is such a challenge, though, for many of the same ...

I look at this way, I am there by my own choice and getting paid to be there. They probably are not. I try to see it as if they are sick, in pain, and probably feeling like crapola with their dignity compromised in those lovely hospital gowns. I j...

There are a lot of great suggestions here. Take them and use them. What your instructor said about "getting the book and reading it" is a load of crap! What it sounds like they want you to do isn't something you can learn from a book so don't beat...

Guttercat, you never fail to make me chuckle!!!!! Great thread!!! Keep the stories coming! These are great!!! T

Before nursing school I was an ED tech for two years. At that time I was often put up front to be the Triage tech. I was the first person you saw when you got passed the metal detectors. My job was to get the chief complaint, demographics, put on ...

everyday, i don't go to work without it. (hr, lab draws, charting), i need the digital set to 24hr because i need every brain cell to do my job and doing the math to switch from 12hr to 24hr would put me over the edge. i do not show up to my shift wi...

Cheap and trashable is right! If you pay more than $12 at Target than you are spending too much. I gave up on classic face watches with second hands ages ago. I stick to digital watches with numbers that light up so I can take vitals in dimmer lig...

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah: YES, YES, AND YES!!!!!! T

"all right. that's it. i went to my young patient's bed, held her hand, and said, "this pain you're going through is crap. i know you want to be home with your children. sometimes, you just need to cry it all out. do it. i'm here." she cried her eyes...

I'm glad to hear you had fun!!! I bet you had to stop yourself from just picking the little ones all up and snuggling them! I'm also glad you have experience as a mom of a NICU baby. Wait, let me rephrase that, I'm not glad you had the experience...

I am in the Raleigh, NC area. There are jobs here if you are open-minded. If you are an RN try not to get sucked into an LTC if you can at all help it. If you are willing to relocate that would be a better option. We have several hospitals in the...

Good luck! I hope you get to see some births!!! I like to find out what appeals to other nurses about their specialty. How did you come to choose OB? T

I'm curious by what they mean by "at risk?" How much is the e-book? T

i have to admit i have performed many a nursing interventions on the poor babies. i push fluids, monitor urine output (well i dont measure, i just make sure to be aware of how many times they are going), i have evaluated stool for blood (diarrhea is ...

I'm actually amazed that there was no big discussion in class on how to do care plans, and that you only have one to do! Let me ask, in what time frame is this one lonely care plan due? Is this the only one this semester? What semester are you in?...

As everyone said, talking comotose/nonverbal patients through procedures is the best way to go. Remember we don't know what they hear or understand so it's best to assume they hear and understand everything! The more you talk to them the more it ma...

Very good advice! Staring at your syllabus and the workload you are facing is overwhelming! Take intone exam at a time, one paper at a time, one clinical day at a time! Take breaks on weekends. Believe it or not you DO NOT have to spend every waking...

I would have loved the 1.5 year nurse residency. Being a new grad was about as much fun as being hit in the head repeatedly with a hammer. Having some time to be a real nurse and still have someone to go to for more than six weeks would have been b...

As far as career suicide, I hate to speak on that because it seems all new grads are having a hard time finding jobs. My advice is in regards to FMLA. I recommend you land a good job somewhere that offers good benefits and falls under the FMLA qual...

I don't think you're heartless or cold at all, just realistic. It sucks having to hold a confused person down to perform a scary, painful procedure but when all else fails and it's their health or life on the line sometimes it's all you can do. It ...