Love4Me

I thought I would hate midnights but have come to realize I LOVE them. Couldn't pay me enough to work straight days. And yes I have a husband and 3 kiddos. At my hospital new grads hire in on days strictly for orientation (which is 20 weeks long). Then your permanent position has to have include at least half off shifts per schedule. So people have the choice of working days/afternoons (2 shifts of 7A-7P with 2 shifts of 3P-11P), straigth midnights, or rotating midnights (once schedule of 4 weeks of midnights followed by one schedule of days). A few people who have had a problem with adjusting to the rotation schedule of 4 weeks were able to get their schedules so that they rotate every 12 weeks instead. Hope this helps.

I use the Neonatal Littmann and it works just fine.

Yes U can. I did it. I work in a teaching hospital and got my foot in the door during my last year of nursing school. I started in our NICU as a student nurse. It is definately doable.

You guys are right. My original post should have had the concentration 500mcg/50ml. Sorry:cool:

I am okay with calculating the rate. It ran at 0.6 ml/hr. I use the dose desired/dose on hand calculation method: dose desired: 0.025mcg/kg/min = 0.025/3.9 = 0.0975mcg/min (then change mcg/min to mcg/hr since that is what the pump runs at) = 0.0975 X 60 min = 5.85mcg/hr dose on hand : 500mcg/50ml = 10mcg/ml complete calculation: 5.85mcg per hour/ 10mcg per ml = 0.585ml/hr Now my problem is with the second checking of someone else who is getting ready to start PGE. They bring me their syringe of PGE, tell me the kiddos weight and the rate they are running it at. Then I am supposed to work things backwords and tell them the original doctors order (0.025mcg/min). I hope that made sense. I am just hoping that someone here with more experience has an easy way of helping me learn and remember this. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I am a new nurse still in orientation and working in the NICU. Yesterday was my first time having an intensive assignment (as opposed to progressive) and I was taking care of a little guy waiting for a new heart. He was on a prostaglandin drip. My preceptor went over how to calculate the drip with me and I understood it. Later in the day she even gave me someone else's PGE to second check and I did it correctly. Now here I am at home today trying to go over it and I cant figure out how to second check someone else's rate. Can anyone help me out? Baby is 3.9 kg PGE order is .025mcg/kg/min PGE concentration is 500mcg/mL Thanks in advance for any help

As far as the question concerning how long it took to get accepted...I applied in May of 2004 and was accepted in July of 2004 and started the program in August of 2004. I did not apply until I had finished ALL of my prerequisites. From what I "heard" they are only accepting people who have all of their prerequisites finished; however, that is a question that would be best asked of someone employed within the nursing department. From what I remember, they look at how many and which prerequisites you have finished; then they look at the date in which you finished them; and lastly they look at your GPA. They set things up in 3 different "priorities" and those who have finished all of the prerequisites are a priority I. Those who finished most are a priority II. And those who have only finished the sciences are a priority III. Priority ones are selected first and then they take twos if there is room and then threes. Many people work throughout the program and many do not. It all depends on you and your circumstances. During the first year of the program I would suggest working the minimum that you can. During the second year, you will be a bit more familiar with the routine and likely able to pick up and handle more hours working. Hope this helps.

Call around to the local nursing homes. Before I started nursing school I got certified as a nurses aide. I did 2 weeks of unpaid training at a Nursing Home in Waterford and then was eligible to take the certification exam. That is your best bet if money is an issue. Hope this helps.

You will do just fine in the LTC. You will do alot of the things that you learned in the lab. Expect to give a bed bath and do AM care. Change bed linens. Do lots of transfers and toileting. You will spend a bit of time looking through the chart. It really isn't overwhelming. Make sure you introduce yourself to the nurses aide who is working in your area. They will be much more helpful than the nurses in the LTC. Do you know who your clinical instructor is going to be. Don't post it here but PM me with it and maybe I can give you some info. The first care plan is bit of work so make sure you ask all the questions you need to. So is 2nd year any better than first year?????? (please say yes! ) YES IT IS!!!! Firstly (is that a word) you don't have to do lab. That saves alot of time and energy. Plus you have the hang of things. The information and testing remains the same if not a bit harder, but been there done that...right. Clinical is where the real excitement is! It does get better and it does get easier. However, you will still feel like there isn't enough hours in the day. Each week I devote 30+ hours to school, 32+ hours to work, have 3 boys under the age of 12 at home, and am currently separated from my husband. I carry over a 3.5 in school and do excellent in my clinicals. I am not bragging...just saying...if I can do it...YOU can do it! Keep up the good work and you WILL make it through.

So how is everything going for all of you? Has clinical started yet? The semester is almost half way over!

Yes, I am a second year student. Each instructor tests differently, so the only way to really know is to go by previous tests. Some universal pointers: the prep points usually cover alot of the info that will be on the test; alot (but not all) of the instructors go directly by their powerpoints. However, everything from the outline and the chapters are fair game. One thing that helped me with the tests was to get a nclex review book. As you go through different topics in theory, go through the same subjects in the review book. This helps me alot.

We use the Ackley book. It helps with activities and rationales but not all that great with the related to. Our instructor explained it to us that the related to is like the cause of the diagnosis. But the related to has to be in the present nothing in the past. It can't be a medical diagnosis and it has to be something that the nurse can do something about. For example, Disturbed sleep pattern r/t pain. Pain is in the present, not a medical diagnosis and something that nurses can do something about. The AEBs are your signs and symptoms of your NANDA. A bunch of students in my class would get mixed up with the AEBs. The would give s/s of the r/t and not the NANDA. For example, Disturbed sleep pattern r/t pain AEB client states "I only sleep 3 hours per night".

I agree about the prep points. They do seem like busy work and take FOREVER to finish. But hey, we have no choice in the matter. They do help when it comes to the tests. Usually whatever is in the prep points is a good indication of things to come on the test. Things will get better. Like they always say nothing comes for free. Nursing is a very rewarding career, but you have to endure school and all of its BS to feel the rewards. Don't give up yet, it is too soon. You will start to feel the rewards when it comes to dealing with the patients during clinicals. Hang in there. By the way, I signed up to be a mentor but did not receive any students to mentor. So if any of you are interested or even just have some questions PM me and I will give you my e-mail and number.

http://www.oaklandcc.edu/iic/iichl/nursing_candidate.htm Hope that link works. If not, go to the occ website, click on the "campus" link. Click on Highland Lakes. Then click the department "individualized Instruction Center". On the left side of the page click on "nursing page". Scroll down to the very bottom "nursing student", and choose a practice test to download. Hope that helps you.

Hi Dream. I also took Pharm in the summer of 2004. Had the same instructor and she is great. Pharm covers everything you need to know for the calculations test. However, they only go over it briefly. It is a good idea to do lots of practice calculations until you feel comfortable with it. The exam is multiple choice and 20 questions. It really is not difficult. OCC has a link on its website that has lots of practice questions. Let me see if I can find that link for you.