Never_too_late

Never_too_late has 1 years experience and specializes in (palliative care/oncology unit).

Never_too_late's Latest Activity

1. 

   First year (6 months actually) and LOVING IT!!!

   Never_too_late posted a topic in First Year

   Hey everyone, Living in Canada. Male. 47. Single parent with 2 teenagers. Graduated July 2006. Passed Boards in September 2006. Got a full-time position (permanent!) at an adult teaching hospital. Work in the oncology/palliative care unit (presently on the palliative side). Work 12 hour shifts: day/night. Work with an amazing team of co-workers. Learn something new everyday. Sometimes go home exhausted. Always go home proud of what I have accomplished. Can't imagine myself doing anything else. This work is sometimes humbling but always very rewarding. Just thought I would chime in on positive note. :-) B
2. 

   12/05 and 5/06 Grads-Know where you want to work?

   Never_too_late replied to kellyo's topic in General Students

   I have been a Patient Care Attendant for just about a year in a pediatric hospital. Of all the units I have worked on, I have found PICU to be the most fascinating. Being responsible for 1 patient only, having access to a doctor 24/7 to discuss the case, the skills involved, the case discussions and the knowledge that flow from these, ... (I could go on and on) are all aspects that have made this area particularly interesting from the start. PICU!!!!!! N_T_L
3. 

   Do you cover your books?

   Never_too_late replied to Mudnuri's topic in Pre-Nursing

   Well.. I cover ALL my books. Don't we pay enough for these books? I want mine to stay clean and last a long time. Another plus is when textbooks circulate in the class because so many fellow students didn't bother bringing theirs, mine sticks out like a sore thumb. Its easy to spot.... so yeah... I think I am the only one...and people mock me....and I don't care. N_T_L PS I guess its funny because the only person covering his books is a grey-haired 40-something guy
4. 

   How to answer question - "What did you get?"

   Never_too_late replied to Montessori Mommy's topic in General Students

   I'm an older student also. Our student ID number begins with the year we first attended college...which in my case, was, ahhhhh, a few years ago. Grades get posted in the halls, so it didn't take long for people to figure out who had the student number starting with 75 (for 1975). I do OK... though I don't remember exactly :roll . The point is that nobody gives me a hard time about it.. I mean, most people are not ususally mean about it if you don't go out of your way to brag. What bugs me most, is that often, people are discussing my grade or announcing it to me before I ever got around to checking it out for myself!!! So much, for student ID numbers guaranteeing confidentiality. One prof figured that out and just stopped posting grades in the hall. But no one believes me when I say I just did ok... its not my fault I don't have a life and spend a lot of time studying N_T_L
5. 

   top 10 drugs

   Never_too_late replied to charlies's topic in General Students

   My first clinical was med-surg on a cardiology ward..by the time the clinical was over, I had given out some 50+ different drugs.. no top ten there. By the time, I had made it through my second clinical, I had added another 15. This is in a 4 month period of my first year. I agree with another poster, it depends on what unit you are on (older cardiac patients could make meals out of themeds they take..) and on your patient. Just in terms of antibiotics, there are many to chose from depending on the type of infection. N_T_L
6. 

   hard of hearing to RN

   Never_too_late replied to nursingyoursoul's topic in Pre-Nursing

   This is my particular problem: a central auditory processing loss. I have been checked out by an ENT and an audiologist. I have borderline hearing but do not yet need hearing aids. The quickest way to describe it is that my brain receives all sounds at the same level and therefore can't pick one out to focus on. At lunch in the cafeteria, if several of us are talking, with all the background noise, I have a great deal of trouble following the conversation. So, I have adapted by getting an electronic stethoscope to take the stress out of evaluating VS. As well, the people who know me well in school (profs and students), make certain I haven't missed someting important. And in my work as a part-time Patient Care Attendant, when I pick up a call from Hematology, Microbiology, Blood gas whatever and they are transmitting results, I ALWAYS repeat the information..and nobody has ever been annoyed by this. That being said, for most of my daily activities, it isn't a problem...and I have done well and this shouldn't make things difficult for you in school. Good luck! Hope this helps.
7. 

   Where do you keep your stethescope?

   Never_too_late replied to Still Riding's topic in Uniform/Gear

   Nylon belt and belt bag that carries stethoscope, scissors, tape, gloves, pen... Not too big. Would be perfect but haven`t seen anyone fashionably wearing one of those in a hospital uniform... N_T_L
8. 

   What skill do you practice on one another...????

   Never_too_late replied to ER1010's topic in General Students

   We don't inject anything. The seringe is empty (no fluid, no air). Its a matter of going through the motions: clean, poke and pullout :) and we do this 2 at a time under very close scrutiny from our instructor. One girl almost fainted while sticking it top someone else...while another was rather 'vocal' while her nervous and shaking partner was getting ready to 'stick it'. N_T_L
9. 

   Hearing problems and stethoscope choices

   Never_too_late replied to Never_too_late's topic in General Students

   Over the last week or so, I have consulted my school lab techs, various manufacturers and suppliers of electronic scopes, and you here at allnurses. Last week, on loan from the store, I took a Littman Cardio III home. Higher end acoustic scopes provide clearer sound (in some instances) but do not make the sound louder. So, that didn't work for me. So this week, I went back to the store and picked up a Littman 4000. First impressions are very good. It is not too heavy. I have no trouble discriminating among the various sounds I hear. As I test it more in noisy environments, the verdict will become clearer and final..but if this doesn't work... It provides an additional 20db of amplification. It has a visual readout of pulse which can be useful. It is capable of recording and therefore data can be visualized on a computer. This latter feature is way beyond my current (and future?) needs..all I want is to hear better. For me, this Littman 4000 may be overkill because of some of the 'bells and whistles' it includes but the pickins are small in Canada. Not too many models available from suppliers in Montreal(Canada) anyway. Littman 4000 and Andromed I-Stethos are all I could find. Buying from a local supplier was important in case the need for servicing comes up... If you have some form of hearing impairment (not enough to require prescribed hearing aids), the options are rather limited where I live. At least, that is my experience. I will be glad to put this little adventure behind me. N_T_L
10. 

    What skill do you practice on one another...????

    Never_too_late replied to ER1010's topic in General Students

    Vital signs (BP, temperature (oral only:) ), pulse, O2 SAT) Breathing sounds Palpation and... in class (SQ and IM) in lab (SQ only, but including also microperfusor (if my translation is correct)) I think that's about it. N_T_L
11. 

    What does your screenname mean?

    Never_too_late replied to PMHNP10's topic in Nursing

    Never_Too_late .. to start over again: For me Nursing is a major mid-life career change.
12. 

    MALE nurses

    Never_too_late replied to klone's topic in General Students

    :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle I live in a francophone province where professions have a male and female form of the noun...and because men are still a minority in this profession..and I guess for the sake of brevity, teachers often say: "..and when you girls are you will ...." Only a few do the politically correct "..and when you are malenurses and female nurses you will...". Now you don't have that 'gender form' problem in the english language so you would think it would be simpler... Maybe it is because so few of us guys have gone this route, we are still a minority and so it has to be emphasized that we are male nurses. Or maybe there is a difference between female nurses and male nurses? Do you say Mary is a female doctor? I think people have just associated certain professions with one gender or the other and fell the need to overemphasize when someone form the opposite sex has joined the ranks of the other-sex-domintaed profession....something like that :) Never_Too_late
13. 

    Hearing problems and stethoscope choices

    Never_too_late replied to Never_too_late's topic in General Students

    Hi Judith, Do you know if it was the HP-Stethos model you borrowed? Do you have a specific model number? What specifically 'blew you away'? Thanks :) N_T_L
14. 

    Hearing problems and stethoscope choices

    Never_too_late replied to Never_too_late's topic in General Students

    Hi Judith, Do you know if it was the HP-Stethos model you borrowed? Do you have a specific model number? What specifically 'blew you away'? Thanks :) N_T_L
15. 

    ? about people in school ctxt

    Never_too_late replied to tnstudentnurse's topic in Student Assist

    I guess it depends on you for the most part, how outgoing you are, whether you actively seek out new friends. That being said, I too have noticed the context isn't always on my side. In my school, nursing classes are organized into smaller groups (15) that are (after the first semester) made up of even smaller sub-groups. These sub-groups are people who have worked together before and have geled together nicely into a study group or something and are not particularly open to newcomers later on. Some people are just plain on a mission and don't have time or any inclination to make friends. Those that have a natural tendency to panic, find each other and encourage each other to do so.. Same for the really smart ones, who stick together. It is always interesting to look at the dynamics of people in these groups. Anyway, so much for my armchair psychology... :) I seem to always come across new friendly faces in my classes. Its a matter of slowing down and taking time to look around. My 0.02 N_T_L
16. 

    Hearing problems and stethoscope choices

    Never_too_late replied to Never_too_late's topic in General Students

    >>> Chillywill, Thanks. I would really appreciate that. I may not be able to afford the 4000 but the 2000 is comparable minus the software and storage capability. Get back to me when you can. N_T_L