nrse2B2005

If any of you are in so.cal, UCI will let you preceptor in three different areas and then pick your permanent placement; its part of their new grad program. good luck.

Hi, I graduate in December and attend school out of the area. I am interested in ending my hellish commute and working closer to home. However, I know very little about the hospitals in my area, and no new nurses around here to speak of. Do any of you have a hospital you would recommend in the orange county area for a new grad? I am particularly interested in a place which devotes a lot of care to preparing new grads. I would also like to use my Spanish. Med-surg is where I'd like to start out; I live in the Huntington/Newport Beach area. Again, I am more interested in the environment and training than I am benefits, $$, etc. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Best Regards, andrea

hi laurel, i made a career switch to nursing and also have a ba. i shopped around to schools who would take classes more than five years old; about half of them would. i did have to take some general education-like prep courses anyway, though, so be prepared. i picked junior colleges because a ba made it more expensive to go back to a four-year school. good luck! andrea

Hi, I have been on Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, Effexor, and Luvox (bit of a sad kitty, aren't I ?). Celexa made me sleepy, Zoloft was like taking acid (only paradoxically more fun), Effexor didn't do anything one way or the other, and Luvox only worked for a few weeks. Oh, wellbutrin made me worse. Prozac is what I keep coming back to. I like that it doesn't make me sleepy. Unfortunately, it starts to lose its effect after a few months, so I cycle onto something else for a couple of weeks. Good luck, it really makes a difference. Andrea

I know the feeling. I am in third semester and have all sorts of similar stories. One of the things you can take away from this is the following: 1) chart on the med sheet that the pt refused the medication and the time(CYA-you may have already done this); also chart it somewhere that you let the nurse know and the time you told her 2) let the nurse in charge of the patient know that you are going to be off the floor for a procedure and you will let her know when you return. in other words, the ball is in her court until she is notified otherwise. 3) when you leave, if she is gone for break or lunch, report off to the charge nurse, as well as the fill in, that you are done and gone. Good luck. I have not had many instructors who will stand up for their students, so I hope you have the exception. If not, don't worry. Its all how you learn how to CYA.

Where are you when we need you? If you ever decide to work in LA and can handle clinical rotations at county, please help a bunch of us needy students out. Its one thing to berate your students, another to take the time to educate them as to how things SHOULD be done. seriously, our dean is looking. andrea

Thank you for your reply. I was wondering, how do you cope with the med students? They often are taking up valuable space, computer and otherwise, and chatting away while you are trying to do your job. How do they differ? The disparaties in treatment by staff of med students and nursing students goes to show where the phrase, "nurses eat their young" comes from, (never have heard that with respect to doctors). Are they somehow more worthy of respect than nursing students? Your thoughts? Andrea

I am in third semester and am doing a peds rotation in a county hospital in LA. I have done clinic here before and none of the staff is too remarkably pleasant, but I have been able to get through it and have learned a lot in the process. In this particular rotation, however, the staff is just downright hostile. The medroom, toyroom, and supply rooms are all locked and only staff has keys. The secretaries, CNAs, and all nurses but one are verbally hostile to us and some outright refuse to lend us keys or answer simple questions. Our instructor does nothing--they aren't that great to her either. I know our school needs a good relationship with this hospital, however, it is at the point where the hostility gets in the way of providing proper patient care by delaying interventions. I have spoken to our instructor about this and she seems to turn the problem around on us. There is very little space and the floor is crowded with med students and nursing students. Funny thing is, the med students dont get treated like this at all. Is there anything I can do to maybe make this better for the next round of students that have to rotate in peds at this hospital?

Hi Alicia, I had a similar situation, too. I have two bachelors degrees and decided to pursue nursing much later. I was told that there are some schools that will allow a candidate such as yourself ( and me, for that matter), to pursue an MSN directly without an RN first, if you already have a bachelor's degree. I remember being told that one was in San Diego, but I can't remember if it is SDSU or UCSD. The other ones are in SF and Davis, which is why I can't do it (committed to L.A.). I know for a fact that there is one in Pennsylvania. If you are able to move, though, check it out. Call the California Board of Registered Nursing in Sacramento. Thats how I found out. Good luck Andrea

Try middle aged, wealthy white females. Gay, wealthy white males. Educated, middle-class and upperclass infected mommies with disease-free children tagging along. Working professionals with their laptops. That is what an HIV clinic looks like. Some of the patients might be indigent but I doubt that anyone will harm you. Most people dont feel well enough due to the meds to even bother. Good luck in your decision.

Hi everyone! I am a nursing student commuting one hour from my home in O.C. (Hunt. Bch). I know next to nothing about the hospitals in my area as I am doing rotations in the south bay. Can anyone recommend a good hospital to start out at? I am close to Hoag but would really like to use my language skills (fluent in Spanish). Any advice would be appreciated. thanks, andrea

Hi, My sister works at Torrance Memorial Hospital as an Oncology RN and loves it there. I did a rotation at Little Company of Mary in Torrance (also known as Little Company of Money-very posh) and thought it an excellent place to work. Ratios are strictly adhered to, and support staff are awesome. Good luck. Andrea

I made the switch to nursing when I was 31 years old. I was the district environmental health and safety manager for Waste Management, LA Metro. I was tired of working 70 hour workweeks, being on call all of the time, and being paid a salary which seemed big at first until all of the hours were factored in. I also have a husband and a son. I have two BAs and initially wanted to be a dr. but could not pass physics. I love medicine and nursing comes very naturally to me (though I am still a student). Lots of people choose it as a second career. Good luck, andrea

Dont worry a bit. No employer nor school will disqualify you for having Hep B. The only question that they want answered is: does (you) nursing pose a danger to you or someone else, and of course, that answer is NO!. I worked in HR for years before going to nursing school; you have no reason to disclose, you can decline Hep B testing, etc. If they know of your status, then they cannot do anything by law, or you will become a very rich man. Good luck in nursing. Lots of patients need someone like you who has first hand knowledge of living with Hep B.