Blackbird

You are not a lawyer, you are a nurse. End of story.

Gotta love the self righteousness in here sometimes. Thank you sooo much for the unsolicited and unwarranted judgement. I didn't realise I was being diagnosed and duly recommended for a mental assessment of my own as a result of responding to a thread. Let me give you the drum, Dr Bob: that post, my post was my opinion about my experience. Not a discouragement. Not an endorsment. Not a directive of any kind. But an opinion based on an experience that happened to me, as requested by the poster. So you didn't feel hate...soo...that must mean I must feel the same way? Right. Uhuh... How's things in your autocracy, by the way? Lexapro was the only drug involved and yes, I do realise that everyone is different and that reactions can vary if, in fact, any are present. But my post related to my experience and wasn't a speculative announcement of any kind. End of story. Anything you draw from that is your opinion.

Gee, Grace, can I quote that?

I've been invited there for a wedding in May this year and I'd like to give going there a shot. Thing is, as an Aussie (nursing student), I'm wide eyed and bushy tailed when it comes to checking out the bits that travel books don't mention. Locals, do you have any ideas to give me in relation to decent accommodation (hey, easy on the five star..I'm not Donald Trump's mistress), foods I should try, clothes I should bring (I live in a hot climate), pick up lines I should master..okay, I'm joking about the last one. But you drink beer there, right? And fight with herds of Moose? Oh hang on, that might be Canada I'm thinkin' of... Anyway, any ideas would be gratefully recorded in my little black book. Thanks in advance. ~BB~

I finished the initial post in a rush. Sorry Angelique! I didn't mean to leave you dangling! :) Everyone in and around the scene was dead, apparently on impact. This was why I thought it strange that this guy should be lucid and standing but took notes regardless. But when the lid was pulled back and I saw his face I just knew it was the same bloke I'd been talking to. My blood ran cold; I couldn't think straight and I was wedged between fascination by this and terror. I ran back to the truck, checked with the medics and they told me no one had sought treatment from them. I notified the police on scene and they ran a perimeter check in case there really was someone out there wandering around with an injury but they didn't find anything. But as there was no information on the bodies, the only information we had to go on was the notes I'd taken in my book which were later proven to be accurate. And no, he wasn't a twin.

Hmmm...how many of you cringed when you read Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" or winced when Orwell displayed his predictions in "Animal Farm"? How many of you said "that'll never happen" when you watched films such as The Terminator and Gattica"? Resist this.

It's a transliteration of my surname. People call me Blackie at work. I've forgotten what my first name is. :)

I narrowed my eyes as soon as I saw that word. :stone A person very close to me was on it. Over this time, I saw mood swings, changes in personality, they complained of various afflictions such as the feeling of being surreal, constipation, restlessness, dark thoughts. When they started reporting voices, I dragged their *** to their doctor this doctor refused to alter the meds stating that they should just "give it a go". Took him to a new doc who weaned him off the Lexapro and provided him with an alternative avenue to deal with the depression. I never felt pure hate until I met that drug. I stress to all who take anti-depressants - look at other avenues of therapy first, check to see if your doctor has the right credentials: not all GPs are trained to deal with mental health issues and to listen to those who tell you that you're changing. Last but best, listen to yourself.

This is an excellent point. A Master's degree for a junior teacher is ludicrous. But citing sexist causes for an ailing market is a red herring. In my response, I was referring to the BSN as a first (undergrad) degree not an additional one. Perhaps, given the forum climate (in that the majority of forum users are in the American system), I should have been clearer. The associate diploma is not a degree. Neither is a diploma. When registering in Australia or NZ (for example), the ADN is not considered to be a nursing qualification for registration nor are any of the other lesser qualifications. A close friend of mine, an American, suffered a huge shock to find that upon immigration to Australia that her quals were not sufficient enough for registration even though she had been working as a nurse in the US for some years, I have seen the gap first up. Yes, by all means let's do it for unity but you won't get that, not unless the organisations that represent nursing support this and elements of the nursing profession educate themselves about the ramifications of the degree system (and what a degree actually entails...there's a lot of false terminology out there). As I sit here writing, I don't want to be seemingly pompous about the distinction - after all, I'm an undergrad at the moment! - but just making the dileanation. For while I am venturing into nursing from a self-fulfilment perspective, I'm also acutely aware that today's medical setting makes new and increasing demands of the nurse and therefore also speak from a career advancement point of view too for in order to gain that competitive and marketable edge, you must be in the same race as everyone else and, from the information I have to hand, the US is still at the starting block.

This is an excellent point. A Master's degree for a junior teacher is ludicrous. But citing sexist causes for an ailing market is a red herring. In my response, I was referring to the BSN as a first (undergrad) degree not an additional one. Perhaps, given the forum climate (in that the majority of forum users are in the American system), I should have been clearer. The associate diploma is not a degree. Neither is a diploma. When registering in Australia or NZ (for example), the ADN is not considered to be a nursing qualification for registration nor are any of the other lesser qualifications. A close friend of mine, an American, suffered a huge shock to find that upon immigration to Australia that her quals were not sufficient enough for registration even though she had been working as a nurse in the US for some years, I have seen the gap first up. Yes, by all means let's do it for unity but you won't get that, not unless the organisations that represent nursing support this and elements of the nursing profession educate themselves about the ramifications of the degree system (and what a degree actually entails...there's a lot of false terminology out there). As I sit here writing, I don't want to be seemingly pompous about the distinction - after all, I'm an undergrad at the moment! - but just making the dileanation. For while I am venturing into nursing from a self-fulfilment perspective, I'm also acutely aware that today's medical setting makes new and increasing demands of the nurse and therefore also speak from a career advancement point of view too for in order to gain that competitive and marketable edge, you must be in the same race as everyone else and, from the information I have to hand, the US is still at the starting block.

I agree. It's an idea that has flowered for twenty years where I am and it's really given the nursing profession a boost in the right direction. Just quietly, I am floored as to where this discussion has gone and, since venturing into this forum, I have been privately flabbergasted that the US hasn't got a a system similar to that in most developed countries. To be a Registered Nurse in Australia, Europe and the Middle East you need your BSN degree, period. It's not about hospitals and other little hives of political activity, it's the level of education and expertise demanded in medical facilities today, end of story. In Australia, below the level of RN lies the enrolled nurse (EN) and nursing assistant (NA). Their level belies only their level of education and level of expected expertise and responsibilities not their level as a person which some of the discussion appears to point to. Like society progresses in all manner of things (cars, technology, schooling, science) so, too, does the nursing profession and, in my view, it's up to you to keep up. If it's respect and prestige you're after, aim for the presidency. From where I stand, the US nursing system is lagging way behind the rest of the world and part of that problem rests with the very profession itself.

I agree. It's an idea that has flowered for twenty years where I am and it's really given the nursing profession a boost in the right direction. Just quietly, I am floored as to where this discussion has gone and, since venturing into this forum, I have been privately flabbergasted that the US hasn't got a a system similar to that in most developed countries. To be a Registered Nurse in Australia, Europe and the Middle East you need your BSN degree, period. It's not about hospitals and other little hives of political activity, it's the level of education and expertise demanded in medical facilities today, end of story. In Australia, below the level of RN lies the enrolled nurse (EN) and nursing assistant (NA). Their level belies only their level of education and level of expected expertise and responsibilities not their level as a person which some of the discussion appears to point to. Like society progresses in all manner of things (cars, technology, schooling, science) so, too, does the nursing profession and, in my view, it's up to you to keep up. If it's respect and prestige you're after, aim for the presidency. From where I stand, the US nursing system is lagging way behind the rest of the world and part of that problem rests with the very profession itself.

I simply walked in the door. I located some facilities near me, called the facility, spoke to the Director, they asked me to come in for an interview, presented my (non-medical oriented!) resume, talked myself up, promoted what I could offer the facility, was hired and here I am. The pay rate is crap but that's to be expected. As long as I can pay my bills with it, I'm fine.